Black Roses

Chapter 9

Logan followed Bridget into her apartment and closed the door behind him. 'Had fun?' he asked as he sat on the couch, switching on the TV.

Bridget dreamily threw her bag on her bed and flopped on it. 'Yes.'

'Where did you eat?'

'At Lapaglia's. You know that restaurant on the corner of 27th and East?'

'Isn't that place supposed to be expensive?'

Bridget kicked off her heels and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. And then the only sound she heard was the TV.

'Anthony told me to stay with you for the remainder of this month.'

Bridget became stiff as a board. No…they can't have found out. She thought.

'Bridget? Did you hear what I said?'

'Clear as bell.' She gulped before sitting up on her bed. 'Why?'

He hesitated before answering. 'He thinks it is best that I take care of you.'

'Why? You were never good at not saying the whole truth.' Bridget walked out of the room and stood in front of the TV.

'Oh come on Bridge. I'm watching a game.'

'Not until you tell me why.'

Logan sighed and switched off the TV. 'You're gonna have to sit down.'

Bridget walked over to the couch and sat beside her brother.

'Three weeks ago, Anthony got a call from the hospital.'

'Is he alright?'

'He's fine. It's…well…dad was admitted to the hospital.'

Bridget's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her father.

'This was three weeks ago and you didn't even inform me?'

'He was in the hospital. The doctors had him contained.'

'Had? Did you just say…had?' Bridget's voice was dangerously low. Although he knew he was older than her, he was afraid of her when she was like this. All of them had the Cohen temper but Bridget's was worst of them all.

One of the signs of that was her voice. It became calm and low. Then, her face will be hidden behind a curtain of her dark hair. All the Cohen brothers had at least one experience of her temperament each and they certainly didn't want to see it again. Logan was now subjected to the second one. The first one happened when they were five.

Flashback

Five year old Bridget ran around the house, her arms stretched out on both sides, like an aeroplane and she zoomed across the living room.

She heard a crash and she turned. Logan had accidentally knocked down one of the China vases that their mother adored so much.

Their father had thundered down the stairs and saw only Bridget with her hands still out on her sides. His eyes scanned the room and saw the damage. Logan was already gone.

Bridget didn't make a sound as her father lashed out on her physically.

She ran outside after that and sat on the porch, rocking herself, tears running wildly down her cheeks.

'Bee…' Six year old Logan whispered.

'What?' her tiny voice was almost inaudible.

'Um…I'm sorry.' He said softly. He couldn't see her face because her hair was covering it. 'I didn't mean to—' before he could finish his sentence, he was knocked down on the floor and when he opened his eyes, he saw Bridget's eyes burning angrily. She punched him in the face and got off of him, running off.

He had a shiner for a week after that.

End of Flashback

Bridget's anger was silent but for the Cohen brothers, especially Logan, that was the worst treatment they could get.

'Bridge—'

She slowly ran her fingers through her hair and looked at her brother. 'You didn't have the right to withhold that information. Neither of you had the right. You get out of my apartment now before I scream. Now Logan.' Her voice was levelled but Logan knew she was trying very hard to control it.

'Get out Logan. Don't call me, don't come to my apartment. None of you will set foot in this apartment. Get out.' Bridget got up from the couch and crossed her arms over her chest.

Logan didn't need to be told anymore as he scrambled to get out of the apartment.

When the door was closed, Bridget collapsed on the floor, drained of all emotions at the moment. How could her brothers be this stupid? They knew what she was capable of doing if she saw her father roaming around the streets.

Her home phone started to ring. She pushed herself up on her couch and answered the phone.

'Bridget.'

'Jordan.' She sobbed before crying her heart out.

'Stay on the phone.' Jordan said. 'I'm coming over.'

When Jordan arrived, Bridget was composed and she had stopped crying. Jordan pulled her into a hug and she breathed him in. Soap and aftershave. Weird combination but very Jordan. If anything, Jordan seemed to be her very own camomile tea amongst all her brothers. Although she loved all of them completely with all her heart, Jordan seemed to be the only one who could soothe her without any words. While Anthony was her hero, the twins were her fun and Logan…well Logan was her fire, Jordan was her peace.

Right now, he was doing his job very well.

He carried her into her room and laid her down. He climbed into bed himself and ran his fingers through her hair.

Bridget fell asleep that night without any dreams for once.

She woke up with the sun streaming down her face. She got up and saw that she was still in the clothes she wore yesterday. She turned to see that she was alone.

Sighing exasperatedly, she got out of bed and slowly peeled off her clothes before making her way to the shower.

After her shower, she dragged her comfortable black cotton robe over her body, tying the belt around her waist and walking out of her room to see Jordan sitting at the dinner table with a plate of pancakes and a bowl of mixed berries.

A smile spread slowly on Bridget's face as she sat down in front of Jordan who smiled back at her.

'Don't you have work?' she asked.

Jordan shook his head. 'I was given a one week holiday starting from today.'

Bridget nodded as she placed one pancake on her plate. She picked up a raspberry from the bowl and bit into it.

She looked at her brother and saw that he looked tired.

'Why didn't anyone tell me?' she asked, breaking the silence. Usually, she could just be silent in his presence but today, she couldn't. She needed answers and Jordan had them.

'We didn't want you to go and look for him. He's not in a good state.'

'Logan said he was in the hospital.'

'He left.'

'Where is he now?'

'None of us know. That was why we had Logan come and take care of you.'

'Jordan…'

'Bridget…if we told you you'd be worried out of your wits. We know you'd be. And if he came to you and begged for forgiveness you know you're going to forgive him and everything will start again. The beatings…the cursing…everything. You know that more than I do.'

Bridget's eyes began to water. Jordan was immediately on his knees beside her. 'Bridge.'

'The least you could do was to tell me earlier. I know I would have done what you told me but you know better, Jordan. You could have stopped me.'

Jordan pulled Bridget into a hug and tried to comfort her.

After a few minutes of crying, both of them sat on the couch, munching on chocolate. 'I can't remember the last time I cried so much.' Bridget mumbled, her head resting on Jordan's chest.

'Well…you're a tough girl.'

'I can't remember the last time you talked so much either.'

Jordan pushed her slightly while she chuckled. 'Not that I mind.' Bridget said between chuckles.

'Are you done?' Jordan asked.

Bridget nodded and sniffed. 'Jordan…how come you're not married?'

Jordan didn't answer and Bridget looked up to see that Jordan had closed his eyes. 'Jord…come on.'

'Because I don't wish to be. Does that suffice?'

'Well…you're gonna make some girl really happy one day. Don't you even have a girlfriend, brother?'

'Why are you so inquisitive all of a sudden?'

'All of a sudden? Just now was the first time I got to hear you speak in sentences.'

Jordan chuckled. 'How about you then? You're nineteen already. Don't you think it's time you get a boyfriend?'

'Last time I checked my brothers were all hounding my footsteps and even the mere mention of a boy's name which weren't Anthony, Jeremy, Jordan, Ethan, Devon, Logan and Mark were just blasphemous.' Bridget sat up straight, looking at Jordan.

'I had no objections to you having a boyfriend who wasn't Mark.' Jordan said, putting his hands up in defence.

'Logan does. Logan has a lot of objections.' Bridget barked out a harsh laugh.

'Oh to heck with him. But…you do have one, don't you?'

'One what?'

'A boyfriend.'

'No…of course I don't.'

'Come on Bridget. Mark told me.'

'Mark?' Bridget's eyes turned into slits and her mouth twisted into a snarl. 'He is so going to die.'

'He only told me because he knows I don't care. Come on…you know Mark has good intentions.'

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'I just wish Logan can see that I'm not the little girl he used to protect. I mean…he has good reasons to be overprotective of me but…'

'His only weakness is loving you, you know that don't you?'

Bridget nodded. 'I know, Jordan. He told me that when I was seven.'

'So who is he?' Jordan asked after having enough of the uncomfortable silence between them, which was weird for him because they never had that uncomfortable feeling between them whenever they didn't talk.

Bridget smiled when Jordan turned to face her. 'I seriously need more girlfriends.'

Jordan gave her a mock glare before crossing his arms over his chest. 'Come on, Bridge. I'm your brother.'

'His name is Chris Rivers. He's a teacher's assistant at Harvard and he's four years older than me.'

'So you were with him last night?'

'How did you know that?'

'Well, when Logan called me to say that he was going out to get you, I asked him where you were. He told me you were out with a friend. I don't recall you telling me you had a girl friend.' Jordan grinned wickedly. Bridget blushed.

Finally they fell into a comfortable silence as Bridget resumed the position of her head on Jordan's chest as they munched chocolate in silence.