“You can’t just burst in here and take what you want. I’m not a booty call, Logan.” She smirked and tilted her head to the side.
“That would sound a lot more convincing if you weren’t completely nude right now.” He grinned back, purposefully pressing her buttons. She huffed and made a pouting face.
“Should I get dressed then?” She asked, being mean.
“I didn’t say that.” He volleyed back.
“You left before I woke up the other night and I haven’t heard from you since. How the hell do you think that made me feel?” Her eyes narrowed angrily. Logan tried to hold back a smile because she looked very cute when she was angry with her nose scrunched up and her cheeks flushed red. He did feel a pang of guilt sweep through him though, knowing he had been a jerk.
He stepped forward and climbed onto the bed swiftly, causing Gina to scurry backwards in an attempt to be out of his reach. He was much faster than her and easily scooped her up and pinned her on the bed beneath him. Their faces were inches apart and he saw a tear welling in her eye, which he thought for a second looked somewhat fake but then brushed that thought away.
“I thought about you so many times.” He spoke in a low, throaty whisper brushing his lips against her jaw and kissing her skin softly.
“Really?” She asked, a timid quiver in her voice as she squirmed beneath him, struggling to control the feelings he was causing to pulse through her body.
“Fuck yes.” He groaned into her ear as she pressed her hips up against his body, teasing him.
“I don’t know if I believe you. I think I need some convincing.” She said, a small smile on her face as she turned her head away from him dramatically.
He growled at her stubbornness and bit down on her shoulder causing her to yelp. Then he lifted her with one hand behind her back and slid her up higher on the bed effortlessly, pushing her legs apart. He pushed her leg up so her knee was bent and her thigh was against his cheek, then turned to kiss the sensitive skin and alternate between gentle biting and kissing.
She squirmed and tried to pull out of his grasp because it was too much, she was sure her body was about to spontaneously combust. Her breath was ragged and her skin was instantly damp from the heat coursing through her veins at the feeling of his lips on her inner thigh, inching higher by the second. Logan just grabbed her hips, firmly pushing them into the bed and removing any chance of her escaping him.
“Stop moving and let me convince you.” He ordered her in a husky and fierce tone. She looked down at him and giggled, finally consenting as she dropped her head back down on the pillow, allowing him to convince her time and time again.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Fuck them. You were the reason every person in that bar was on their feet cheering. You, Logan. Not your friends. If they can’t be happy for you, then screw them.” Gina spouted off, her head against Logan’s shoulder as they laid in bed together, his arm around her back. He was looking at the ceiling after telling her about what had happened earlier that night, hoping that talking about it out loud would suddenly lead to an answer.
“I know, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t happy for me. It’s just that we have always been a band, I never really thought about going off on my own. We have been together for years.” Logan defended his friends, although he wasn’t sure why.
“No, not a chance. They are just jealous assholes. You were the star. You have the talent and you carried the show. My dad wants you and has since I first told him about you.” Gina sputtered angrily, sitting up and looking at him square in the face.
“Wait, what? Since you told him about me? I sent our record into the label months ago.” Logan looked at her in confusion. Gina looked sideways and then abruptly laid her head back down on Logan’s shoulder.
“Uh, yeah. I mean, sure, that’s how he heard about it but you know, I’ve heard you guys play at McGinny’s before.” Gina quickly explained.
“Oh, okay.” Logan still felt a bit confused but Gina had slid over him and leaned down to kiss him. He loved the feeling of her soft lips on his and he grabbed her hips, pushing her down against him just where he wanted her. She gasped and moaned into his mouth and then began to move with him as they forgot about everything else.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Do you have to leave?” Gina whined, pulling his arm in an attempt to get him back in bed with her as she sleepily looked up at him. He grinned at her pouty expression and couldn’t stop himself from leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips. Her hands instantly wrapped around his neck and she deepened their kiss, moaning into his mouth as the tip of her tongue ran across his lips.
“I wish I could stay, but I have to go to work.” He said, muffled from their kissing, but then pulled himself away and grabbed his shirt off the ground. He pulled it on over his head and looked back at her curled up in the sheets. One of her long legs was stretched out across the bed and the sheet barely covering her bosom.
“Woman, you are making this so hard.” He groaned as he stood in the doorway, contemplating skipping work at the sight of her even though he had already indulged himself more than once tonight.
“Is that the only thing that’s hard?” She giggled and threw a pillow at him, he ducked and laughed.
“Well, now I am definitely going. You are trouble, woman.” Logan winked at her than headed to her front door, carefully locking it behind him with the key she had given him.
He didn’t know why he had accepted it, it seemed like a huge step and yet he hadn’t even questioned it. He wanted access to her anytime he chose, he couldn’t get enough of feeling her against him, being around her, even talking to her although they often had major discrepancies between their thinking. None of that mattered to him though because Gina had awoken something in him that he forgot existed and it didn’t matter that this was their second night together. She completed a piece of him that he hadn’t even realized he had lost.
Logan stayed lost in his thoughts the entire way to work, daydreaming about being with Gina. He couldn’t even believe the things running through his mind, thinking about a future together with a woman he had just met four days ago. Not even just Gina, but his entire life had changed in the last four days. He had a chance to become everything he had every dreamed of, to take care of his family, and to maybe find love on top of that. Everything was finally falling into place. He couldn’t stop himself from bearing a dopey smile thinking about his life, as he walked into the warehouse office to punch his time card.
“You’re ten minutes late, Clay. What the hell? Thought you were going to start showing up early like you did the other day.” Joey barked at him from his usual spot behind the counter. Sometimes Logan wondered if his butt was permanently glued to that chair.
“I told you not to get used to it.” He rolled his eyes at Joey and headed into the main part of the warehouse, ignoring his boss’s complaints.
Don’t get used to me being here forever, Logan thought to himself and smiled as he headed over to his station.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The days seemed to crawl by as Logan anxiously awaited his trip to New York. He spent his days working, then he ate dinner with his family and practiced songs on his guitar for his mother, then he headed over to Gina’s and spent the night tangled up in the sheets with her. Whatever he had started feeling during the first few days he had known her, had only intensified since then. He loved spending time with his mother after dinner and never cut that short, but he couldn’t help himself from eagerly awaiting the moment when he could have his arms around Gina again.
There wasn’t much else to do with his time other than focus on New York and spend his down time with Gina. His friends hadn’t answered his texts or spoken to him since the initial argument at the bar. Logan had even gone to their regularly scheduled band practice normally in Charlie’s garage but when he arrived, the garage was closed and no one answered the door. So, almost a week and a half later on the day before he is planning to go to New
York, Logan was shocked to walk out of work and see Dylan standing next to his car.
“What are you doing here?” Dylan asked him when Logan was a few feet away. He looked at Dylan in confusion since Dylan was the one leaning up against Logan’s car at Logan’s job.
“Uh, shouldn’t I be the one asking that? I work here.” Logan shot back, not trying to hide the irritation in his voice. He was still angry at his best friends for bailing on him at the most exciting time in his life. Logan shoved past Dylan and opened the drivers side door.
“Logan, wait. I’m here to talk to you. I went to your house first earlier day and your dad said you were at work and you would be done about now, so here I am.” Dylan explained, circling around his point instead of spitting it out.
“You know I always work Wednesdays.” Logan rolled his eyes and turned back to look at him, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Dylan looked down and kicked at the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Would have thought you would of quit this place by now, or been home practicing for tomorrow.” Dylan said, clearly uncomfortable.
“It’s not a sure thing, Dylan. It’s basically like an audition.” Logan sighed, feeling guilty again.
“Believe me, it’s a sure thing. They would be idiots to pass you by.” Dylan smiled at Logan, who softened his stance a little at the compliment.
“Thanks, man. That means a lot.” Logan replied.
“No worries.” Dylan said, looking down at the ground again. That was it, they were friends again. They had never needed more than that, because those few words were the apology and the forgiveness that they both needed.
“Want to come over for dinner? Dad said he was grilling tonight, I can just have him throw on an extra burger.” Logan asked Dylan.
“Sure, I’m starving. Plus I took the bus here, so I could use the ride.” Dylan grinned and walked around to the passenger side of the car. Logan just laughed.
“Ah, so the real reason for the surprise visit comes out.” He teased him.
“You got me.” Dylan laughed loudly, straight from his belly with his face almost turning red at the exertion. Logan shook his head at him across the roof of the car and then both men got in and buckled up. Logan opened up the middle console and grabbed for his cell phone which he normally left in his car since he wasn’t supposed to have it with him at work.
“Shit!” Logan sat up straight as he stared at the screen on his phone. Dylan turned to him, waiting for an explanation with a concerned look on his face.
“My dad’s called me like one, two, three... nine times today!” Logan said, counting the missed calls.
“Fuck, that’s not good. Call him back now before we start driving, dude.” Dylan urged, knowing all about Logan’s mother and her health issues. Logan was already dialing and then quickly held the phone up to his ear, waiting for the call to go through.
“Hello?”
“Dad, I just got out and saw a bunch of missed calls. What happened?”
“Your mother, Logan, her kidney is failing again. Come to Summit Memorial Hospital as soon as you can. I don’t know what is happening yet, they are doing transfusions every hour right now and running a whole fuck load of tests.”
“I’m coming now, don’t worry. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, okay?
“Hurry, Logan.”
The line went dead and Logan looked at Dylan who had heard everything. His eyes were wide and the fear on his face matched Logan’s.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Go to Summit. Now!” Dylan said as he saw Logan contemplating what to do.
“You sure you want to come with me?” Logan said, pushing his phone into his pocket.
“Drive.” Dylan said firmly.
CHAPTER NINE
“Fuck me, every damn hallway looks the same.” Logan rubbed his hand over his brow, attempting to calm himself.
“All hospitals are like that, man. Let’s just find the nurse’s station and ask them. There is usually one on each floor, isn’t there?” Dylan pointed back toward the direction they had just come from. Logan nodded and followed his friend, his mind was still whirling from the phone call with his father.
“Look, there it is!” Dylan headed straight toward a nurse’s station after a few more hallways and turns.
“Laura Clay. I’m trying to find the room of Laura Clay? Do you know where I am supposed to go?” Logan’s words spilled out so fast that they almost ran together.
“Uh, let me take a look.” The nurse looked at him curiously and then sat down in front of a computer and typed a few words in.
“Room 207, hun. That’s right down this hallway and to the left.” The nurse told him after two minutes of Logan tapping his thumbs on the counter and shifting weight from one leg to the other.
“Thank you!” Logan shouted back at her, already halfway down the hallway with Dylan close at his heels. Both men came to a screeching halt in front of Laura’s room and stared at the curtain pulled across the door. Logan looked at Dylan and Dylan just nodded and gestured to the room, encouraging him to go in while he waited outside. Logan nodded, taking a deep breath, and pulled aside the curtain just enough to slip through.
“Son.” Mickey nodded toward him and put his index finger to his mouth, indicating for Logan to stay quiet. His mother was in the hospital bed, sleeping. She was much paler than when he has last seen her before she went to bed last night and her hair was pulled back tightly into a braid. There were tubes and needles in both of her arms hooked up to large dialysis machines that had beeping electronic screens, and two circular pathways of tubing in the middle where the blood was moved through. She had other types of monitoring patches and clips on her finger and chest as well as a nasal tube pushing oxygen into her lungs.
Laura had had quite a few hospital visits since the accident but this was by far the worst she had ever looked. Her kidney had been damaged in the accident and now her remaining kidney was weakening, so she had been on dialysis twice a week for over a year now. Logan felt his breath catch as the flicker of images from that first night in the hospital flashed through his mind. He had been so afraid that he was going to lose his mother and he was only five years old. Now here he was, a grown man in every sense of the word, still just as afraid.
“What happened?” Logan whispered to his father, stepping up next him, shoulder to shoulder.
“Her good kidney is failing. She passed out and I couldn’t wake her so I rushed her here.” Mickey sighed and shook his head.
“I’ve taken her to dialysis twice a week for over a year and they said that would help, but look.” He gestured to the hospital bed and hung his head in defeat. Logan put his hand on his father’s shoulder, probably one of the most affectionate gestures the two men had ever shared.
“Did the doctors give any sort of plan? What are they going to do?” Logan asked in a hushed tone after a minute of silence passed between them. Mickey shrugged unenthusiastically.
“What can they do? She has no kidneys now. At least none that are working. That damn machine is her kidney.” Mickey pointed to the dialysis machine, a flash of anger crossing his face.
“So, are we looking at a transplant this time?” Logan knew that doctors had always said that would probably become a reality one day but they had spent years trying to prevent that.
“They put her on the list an hour ago.” Mickey nodded his head and looked at Logan, catching his eyes.
“Logan, she is so far down the list. The machine can keep her alive so they don’t consider it urgent enough yet to move her to the top, or even very close to the top. At least not close enough for me.” Mickey began to ramble slightly until Logan cut him off.
“What do you mean? She has to stay hooked up to that machine permanently? Live her life in this shitty hospital room?” Logan’s voice was now raised and Mickey glared at his son for the increase in volume.
“It’s not the worst thing, Logan.” Laura said softly from the hospital bed, causing both m
en to spin around to look at her. Neither had realized she had awakened and they both glanced at one another, unsure of how much of their conversation Laura had heard.
“Mom!” Logan quickly reached the side of her bed and pulled a chair over to sit on so that he was more level with her. He cupped her small hand between his, leaning in and kissing her very gingerly on the cheek.
“How are you feeling?” He asked her, worry dripping from every word. Mickey rounded to the other side of her bed and gently brushed a few small hairs off her forehead.
“I’m fine, Logan. Just decided to take a vacation.” Laura let out a little chuckle, but quickly wheezed at the exertion. Logan attempted a smile at her joke, knowing she was trying to ease his fears. She never wanted anyone to worry about her, which was ironic since her health concerns made that impossible.
“Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready to head to New York? You have that big audition in the morning.” She said to him, gently brushing the tips of her finger against his cheek lovingly.
“Mom, don’t worry about that. I’m not going.” Logan said, leaning against the bed and propping himself up on his elbows. Mickey looked down at his son, his eyebrows pushed together.
“What do you mean you’re not going, Logan?” He said.
“Logan, you have to go. I’ve been looking forward to hearing you tell me that they are going to give you a record deal and make you famous.” Laura looked concerned even as she smiled at him.
“Mom, none of that matters when you’re sick. I need to be here. Plus there is no guarantee that the audition will even lead to anything. You need me here.” Logan said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest, daring them to argue with him.
“Years of lessons and practice and you’re just not going to show up for the biggest day of your life? Because you want to help out here? You are our son, we should be helping you. It shouldn’t fucking be the other way around, damn it!” Mickey’s voice was almost at a shout and tears were brimming his eyes, threatening to spill.
Logan's Story: A Sand & Clay Prequel Page 5