The Fragile Line: The Complete Series Box Set: Parts One, Two, & Three

by Kobishop, Alicia

  Oh, God, that sounded amazing—so amazing that I found myself swaying on my feet again. His words had me reeling until the only thing I could think about was how good it was going to feel when we finally made that happen. So I said the only thing I could think of. “When?”

  “Tonight. For now, we’re going to do what we came here to do.” He took his coat off the floor and put in on, grabbing his t-shirt off the floor next. After zipping his coat up, he extended his hand and said, “FML, baby. Follow my lead.”

  And that’s exactly what I did. I placed my hand in his, smiling at how his use of our ‘code’ FML felt so intimate and made me feel like I could walk on clouds. I let him lead me up the stairs, through the door, and past the nurse’s station to the waiting room…and Gavin and Liv.

  Chapter Ten

  ~Chloe~

  Liv and Gavin weren’t the only ones in the waiting room anymore. A woman, who I could only assume was Logan’s mom, chatted with them, smiling as only a singularly strong woman could after waiting for her son to wake up from a coma. Their seemingly light conversation was cut short by our entrance. Gavin noticed us first, followed by Liv whose smile quickly faded at the sight of me. Logan’s mom followed their gazes toward us, and when she saw Matt, she rose from her seat with her arms extended toward him.

  “Hi, Jen,” Matt greeted her warmly as he walked into her arms for one of those motherly hugs that can make a full-grown man feel like someone’s favorite kid again.

  “I’m so glad to see you, Matt. It’ll mean so much to Logan that you came home for him. And you’re just in time! Did you hear? He woke up this morning.”

  “Yes, Ma’am, I heard,” Matt replied as she pulled away. “And I’m looking forward to giving him an extra-special helping of shit for the scare he gave us.”

  Jen laughed but remained standing as she looked over at me expectantly. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.” She turned to me and extended a hand. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jen, Logan’s mom.”

  “Hi,” I removed my hand from Matt’s to place it in hers. “I’m Chloe. I’m—uh—” What would I tell her? Hi, I’m Logan’s ex-hook-up. The one who almost ruined his life. Oh, and I might have slapped Liv…

  “My girlfriend,” Matt interrupted. “Chloe’s my girlfriend.”

  Wow. I think I may have blushed. I loved the way that sounded.

  “Oh!” Jen raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Chloe, thank you for coming. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see that Logan has so many good friends to support him in times like this.” She reached out and patted Matt’s arm. “And to see this one so obviously happy.” She directed her next words to him so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear her. “And you are, aren’t you? Quite happy, I think.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. I am.”

  “Good. Well, I’m long overdue for a shower so off I go,” Jen announced as she began busily gathering up her coat and handbag. “Logan’s obviously feeling better by the second; he tricked me into promising to do whatever he said since we nearly lost him, and he’s decided he wants me to catch up on sleep. But I’m not quite ready to leave him for that long yet, even if he is an adult. So, he thinks I’m off for a nap, but I’m just going to freshen up and should be back in an hour or two. They’re planning on doing tests of some sort later, so now is the perfect time for you all to take turns visiting him. And Liv,” she reached out and took Liv’s hand. “It makes me so happy that you’re both okay.”

  After Jen left in a whirlwind of hugs and last minute patient visiting instructions, I turned to Liv and tried to gauge her reaction to my presence. Her eyes were already on me and she wasn’t smiling. But oddly, she didn’t seem particularly pissed off either. A long, awkward silence ensued, broken only by Matt clearing his throat and saying, “Gav. Coffee. Let’s get some.”

  “Dude, you know I hate coffee. Besides, I thought that’s what you were doing.” Gavin gave Matt a once-over, a coy grin forming on his face when he noticed the soiled t-shirt in Matt’s hand. “Oh. I see. ‘Getting coffee’ must be code for…shenanigans. I’m all for shenanigans, but not the kind you two were clearly having.” He pointed back and forth between Matt and me, finally landing on Matt. “Well, not with you anyway, big boy.”

  Gavin turned playful, eager eyes to me, raising his brows as if to say, ‘You, on the other hand…’

  That’s when Matt fisted Gavin’s flannel shirt, yanking him up from his chair and onto his feet with enough ease to make Gavin seem as light as a ragdoll.

  “Hey!” Gavin protested.

  “You’re fucking lucky we’re friends, man. Let’s go,” Matt said, tugging at Gavin’s shirt again, then pushing him forward. “We need to talk.”

  The pounding of my heart kept me from being able to make out what Matt and Gavin were saying as they left the room. Matt gave me a discreet wink on his way out, which I returned with a weak smile. Might as well get right to the point.

  “Look,” I said nervously, deciding to go all in and get it over with. “That morning when you saw me at Logan’s apartment? Nothing happened. Nothing. I was so confused and messed up and I made it look like something happened, but I promise you, nothing did. It was a huge mistake and I don’t even know what else to say, except that I’m so sorry, Liv. I’m sorry for everything.”

  She stared at me, silently taking in my apology. I felt like such an idiot for all the pain I had caused her and Logan.

  Needing to fill the silence, I continued. “There’s no excuse for what I did. I was going through a really difficult time and I wasn’t thinking clearly.” I sighed. “But I know that doesn’t even matter because it was so wrong. What I did was unforgivable and I regret it so much. The lying. Slapping you. I completely understand if I’m asking too much, but I hope someday you can…um…”

  She bowed her head in thought. When she looked back up at me, the words she said damn near blew my mind.

  “It’s okay.”

  Jaw, meet floor.

  “Wh—what?” I stuttered in disbelief.

  “Well, it’s not okay, but if you’re looking for forgiveness…You’ve got it.”

  “Are—are you serious?”

  “Yeah,” she shrugged. “Logan forgave you, and I trust his judgment. I mean, I don’t really see us ever being friends or anything at this point, but I’m over it. Logan and I are solid, Chloe—and we were solid even before you confessed to him months ago. Even though I told him he didn’t have to, he told me everything you said to him when you apologized. He explained how you let yourself in to his apartment and that nothing happened that mattered in the long run. And he explained your history. That part was hard to hear, but it explained a lot. So, I’m past it. I’ve been past it for a while now.”

  “But how can you--”

  “Easily, Chloe. In the grand scheme of things, what’s done is done. And things that never happened in the first place don’t affect me–especially now, considering everything that’s gone down in the last two days.” She smiled. “There are more important things in life to focus on, you know? There’s no reason this one mistake should affect you anymore either.”

  Was I dreaming? I had no idea how much her forgiveness would mean to me. But now that she was offering it, I felt so light I seriously wondered if I might start floating.

  “That day—” I began hesitantly, clearing my throat, “—it was a turning point for me. It was the first time I really thought about what a disaster my life had become. For what it’s worth, I’m not that person anymore. And I don’t plan to be like that ever again.”

  “You don’t need to explain yourself to me. But—for what it’s worth—I believe you. If Logan can forgive you, that’s good enough for me. And Matt seems to see something special deep down in there somewhere.”

  I wanted to hug her, but we weren’t close like that. We probably never would be. So, I kept it simple. “I can see why Logan loves you. Thank you so much, Liv.”

  She nodded, �
��Of course, Chloe.”

  “Uh—Oh, God, I’m sorry, you’re probably dying to go see him. Don’t let me keep you, I’ll just wait—”

  “No, you go,” she interrupted. “Gavin and I rock-paper-scissored to see who got to see Logan next and he won.” With a sly smile, she added, “And after the way he just ogled you, I think it’s only fair that you take his place.”

  I thanked her. Again. Then awkwardly apologized. Again. Then I headed to Logan’s room.

  ~~~

  I gently knocked on the door, and poked my head in. “Hey, stranger.”

  He turned toward me, hazel eyes brightening when he saw who it was. “Hey, Chloe. Wow, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “Uh—likewise,” I teased as I approached his bed. Wanting to clear the air before anything else, I confessed, “Liv was in the waiting room. I told her everything. She—”

  “Is she okay?” he asked with a frown. “She swore she was, but she took a fucking bullet for chrissake, and did you see that bruise on her forehead?”

  “Holy shit, I didn’t know she was shot. Wow. I never thought I’d say this, but she’s pretty incredible, Logan.” He just smiled; I wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. “She seemed fine. She’s just happy that you’re okay. We all are.”

  He nodded, accepting my answer. “She’s amazing, Chloe. So damn strong. And even through the bruises…fucking beautiful.”

  I smiled. Not only because seeing him so in love made me happy, but because I finally understood exactly how he felt.

  “I really like her, Logan. I’ll always hate that I was such a stupid jerk to her.”

  “You two talked, huh?”

  “Yeah, we did. It was good. Awkward, but good. I’m happy for you both.”

  He smiled slightly, his eyes meeting mine. “Thank you, Chloe. That means a lot.”

  I nodded. After a few minutes of cordial small talk, silence descended. There was nothing left for me to say. Nothing left to do here.

  “Well, I’m gonna go. I’m glad you’re okay, Logan. I just came because I was worried. I still care about you.” Realizing how that must’ve sounded to him, I clarified hurriedly, “I mean, not like that, I don’t love you or anything, I just—”

  He chuckled, amused at my lack of grace, then winced at the pain his laughter caused.

  I gasped, “I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

  “Fuck,” he groaned, mostly to himself. “Yeah, I’ll be fine as soon as they let my girl in here again. It’ll be nice when these ribs heal, though.” Looking up at me he added, “Hey, do me a favor, will you?” I expected him to ask me to adjust his pillows or call a nurse for more pain meds, but instead he said, “Talk to Matt, Chloe. If you tell him I said so, I’ll deny it, but he’s miserable without you. Call him. You two need to clear the air. Will you do that for me? By the way, you have to say yes to the crippled man. I think that’s a law or something.”

  Logan had no idea yet that Matt walked away from the show in the middle of filming an episode so he could come all the way from Vegas to see him.

  “Already done,” I said, turning to leave. “But he can tell you the details. I’ll send him in.”

  Chapter Eleven

  ~Chloe~

  After our visits with Logan, and after saying goodbye to Liv and Gavin, Matt and I took the elevator to the hospital lobby. The last couple of hours had been such a whirlwind that I almost forgot about the reporters outside until we approached the glass entrance door and saw them still lined up on the sidewalk.

  “Shit,” Matt grumbled, stopping abruptly. “I knew signing up for the show would mean being recognized once in a while, but I never expected people to follow me around like this. It’s fucking weird.”

  “That’s right, you can’t be seen with me, can you?”

  His brows pulled together in a mixture of pain and regret, the look on his face confirming my suspicions.

  “It’s okay,” I continued, trying to mask my disappointment. I knew we wouldn’t have much time together before he had to go back to Vegas, but I didn’t think it would be cut off now. It killed me that this might be our last chance to see each other for a while. “We’ll just have to wait a little longer. Don’t worry, I get it. I know you have your reasons for the situation with Ava and you have a responsibility to your show.”

  Forcing a smile when all I wanted to do was cry, I added, “I’m not going anywhere. You said we’d figure it out and I believe you.”

  He growled in frustration, “Fuck that.” He took my hands, a renewed determination gleaming in his eyes. “I’m fucking proud to be with you, Chloe. You’ll never be some sort of dirty secret. I want the whole damn world to know you come first.” He turned his head, looking out the revolving glass door, then back at me. “Where’s your car, baby?”

  “Parking garage.” I pointed past the paparazzi to the parking structure behind them.

  “Okay. I’ll get us through the reporters, but I’ll warn you now, they’re going to be brutal. They’re going to ask rude questions and I’ve learned the hard way that even when you want to answer them to set them straight, it’s best to just ignore them. Trust me, they’re going to know the truth, but it’s not going to be on their terms; it’ll be on ours. Are you cool with that?”

  I nodded, “I trust you, Matt. I’ll do whatever you think is best.”

  His gaze became heated as he looked me up and down, his breathing shifting and becoming deeper. He pulled me in closer and pressed his forehead to mine. “Fuck, Chlo, you make me feel like a damn caveman when you say shit like that, you know that? The only thing I want to do right now is get you to your apartment and rip your clothes off. The quicker we can get through this crowd to do that, the better—”

  “Uh—yeah—about that,” I said, cutting him off abruptly and basically ruining the moment. “I’ve moved. Oh, and I live with a ten-year-old. I mean, not just a ten-year-old, but her mom too.”

  He gave me a quizzical look, patiently waiting for me to finish.

  “Anyway, long story. We have some catching up to do. It’s just that my place might not be the best place to get naked. I mean, not properly.”

  “Properly naked, you say?” he murmured, those big brown eyes twinkling again. “I can think of nothing I’d rather do than get ‘properly naked’ with you and stay that way for about a year.”

  I liked that idea too. I thought for a moment. “I mean, we could go to my place, but we’d have to be really quiet and I sure as hell don’t like being quiet—”

  “No. No, you don’t.”

  “—and I know you don’t like me being quiet.”

  “You got that right. A man likes to know how he’s doing. So, my place it is.”

  Hand in hand, we walked toward the cameras. Lights flashed. Microphones were shoved in our faces. Booming voices asked Matt questions like…

  ‘Who’s the new girl?’

  ‘Does Ava know you’re with another woman?’

  ‘Are you having an affair?!’

  The one question directed at me made my stomach drop: ‘How does it feel to break up America’s favorite couple?’

  ~~~

  ~Matt~

  Oh, hell no.

  Whoever asked that question of Chloe was about to get set straight. Going against my own advice, I came to a dead halt.

  “Who the fuck said that?” I demanded in frustration. The reporters’ questions quieted down but only slightly. I scanned the crowd, noticing that one of the cameramen had his finger pointed at the short, conservatively dressed, older man next to him. Now that the guy had my attention, it seemed he had nothing more to ask. Go figure.

  “Alright,” I conceded, addressing not just the small man, but the entire group. “You’re all looking for some news, right? Well, I’ve got news to share and I’m ready to make a statement.”

  All talking ceased. Microphones extended out toward me. Keeping my fingers laced with Chloe’s, I continued, “As you may or may not know, my best frien
d is here in the ICU. When I heard about his accident, I jumped on the first flight home to be with him, his family, and our friends. How the media found out, I’ll never know. But I’m glad you’re here today because I’m happy to report my friend is alive and well, and is expected to make a full recovery. And that, my friends, is what we should all be focusing on today. Nothing else. Thank you.”

  I took advantage of the momentary lull as they all tried to figure out whether I had given them anything worth selling to the highest bidder, and led Chloe through the crowd. As we approached the parking deck’s enclosed elevator entrance, they stopped following us. Why these people wanted to create rumors or spread gossip about me or any other reality TV personality was beyond me. Maybe I just wasn’t cut out for TV. Hell, I knew I wasn’t cut out for it.

  I sure did love the shop job, though. I’d love it more without the cameras.

  When the elevator door opened, we entered the confined space and turned to face each other, sexual tension suddenly heating the air between us. The door slid closed and I could finally focus on the one thing I wanted the most. Her. My girl. And fuck me, but when I looked into her beautiful blues, all I could see was sadness.

  “Spill it, Chloe,” I urged. “Why so sad?”

  “You need to know that I meant it when I told you how I feel about you—”

  “That you’re madly in love with me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. But—”

  “That you want this body more than you want your left tit—”

  “Matt, stop it! This is serious. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t be anyone’s second best.”