Why Not Me?

| 6 | LOGAN |

| LOGAN |

"Dude, so are we good or not?"

I groan. "Jason, why in the name of all that is good are you calling me at," I pull my phone away from my face and squint due to the sudden blast of brightness emitting from the screen, "at four o'clock in the morning to see if I want to play ball with you and Edison at six o'clock in the afternoon!" I grunted into the phone.

My friends are ridiculous.

"Because I had to take care of some business." He says back.

"At four in the morning?"

"Ah, you know me, man. I'm always business but never too busy for you. It's our weekly Thursday ball day. We've been doing it since High School. Come on you can't quit on us." He says.

"If you don't hang up and let me sleep I'll show up with a bat and two plastic bags." I threatened which causes him to laugh.

"I'll take that as a yes then. I'll call Ed and the guys to let them know." And he hangs up. I sigh thankful and shove my phone under my pillow and fall back to sleep.

*************

"Thank you, Mr. Shawn, the details will be looked through further and well take under consideration the new safety exits but I'm sure you will think of something."

I laugh and nod as we all collect our things and walk out of the meeting room. I look at my watch. It was thirty minutes till eleven. I had just finished a demonstration on some new plans we have for the department. Some of the older employees were asking if I wanted to go to a new Italian restaurant by the Hudson for lunch but I politely had to deny their offer. I had fifteen minutes to prep and make it to another meeting with my boss. I'm a busy man.

I walk into the elevator and press the fifteenth floor. I lean against the cool metal wall and sigh. Passing my hand through my hair as I decide to take off my tie and put it in my briefcase. I unbuttoned the first two buttons and the door opens with a bing.

I walk out to meet with the receptionist, Lola, and Sarah. Lola was a cute girl, exotic If you ask me. She had red hair in a pixie cut hairstyle. She always wore those tight silk blouses a size too small so that he breasts would pop out if you know what I mean, but she was a good girl. While Sarah was a brunette with a slim body but she was stacked.

"Good Morning Logan." Lola purred and I smirked. "Morning Lola, Sarah," I said but she just nodded stubbornly.

Lola giggles while I wink and check some papers.

"Where is she?" I hear someone says loudly. I look over to see Derek's office door open and Stephanie inside. "What can I do for you, Stephanie?" He said tiredly as if not wanting to talk to her.

"What's going on there?" I asked Lola. She looked over and shrugged. "I don't know. She just came in asking for Jennifer then went to Derek when we told her she wasn't here." Stephanie rarely comes up here.

Wait does that mean Cleo's here too?

I glanced around the surrounding area but didn't see any sign of her. Some disappointment settled in me.

I saw the other receptionist Sarah roll her eyes for some strange reason.

"Why are you glaring at me?" I heard him say. "Because I don't like you and I never will. This is the last place I know she's been to tell me where she is." She said sternly.

Okay, what is going on? That is not the quiet Stephanie I always see around Cleo.

"I haven't seen her since yesterday." He said almost as if strained. A sudden quietness took over us and Lola, Sarah and I leaned over to see what was happening.

"Ahh!" We heard Derek groan out in pain. The three of us nosily lean over to see Stephanie knee him in his groin. He falls to his knees one hand holding his private as Stephanie glared. "I know you're involved in this somehow, and congratulations to the chick that scratched up your cheek." She says before walking out.

Storming out of his office, fixing her purse on her shoulders, in somewhat of a panic. The look of disappointment and fear settling on her face before she looks up and our eyes connect. "Logan?" She says stopping abruptly a couple of feet away.

I gulp. "Oh, hi Stephanie. How's it going?"

She grunts and sighs while leaning against the counter. "Fine, I guess. Hey, you haven't happened to see Jen around have you?" She asked me somewhat worried.

"Jen? No, I haven't actually. Why?"

"She's been missing since Tuesday morning, or well we haven't seen her since then. Well, she left early in the morning on Tuesday and then something happened and she hasn't called or anything since then. We haven't seen her or anything." She sighed.

"That doesn't seem like something Jen would do. Just disappear like that." I said confused and slightly surprised by the sudden events and she nods.

"And the last place we know she was, was here. She had some papers to give in to Derek." She grunted at his name.

I started thinking. "No sorry I haven't seen her but if I do I'll call you or Cleo, okay?" I said staring at my watch.

"Ah, Daum I'm going to be late for my meeting. Sorry Steph but I have to go. Talk to you later and I'll let you know if anything." I said quickly as I bucked it down the hallway. I look back to see Sarah calling Stephanie over to tell her something but I was late so I didn't pay it any mind. I reached the door and fixed myself while opening the doors to the meeting room. "Gentlemen." I start off.

************

It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The first meeting went great and so did the second, the third one, on the other hand, was a total disaster. Why do they put men who are five years away from being sixty in business meetings? I don't know. I swear hearing them rant is worse than listing to a teacher tech history all day in a monotone.

I sighed and closed my book and stood up. I put on my jacket and grabbed my phone and wallet as I exited my office. I haven't eaten lunch all day. Walking down the hall, ladies eyeing me. I say some hellos and send some winks.

I'm about to turn the corner when I hear familiar giggles. I turn to see Cleo talking to, Jason? Walking towards my direction.

"Jason?" I say and they both turn to me.

"Ah, there he his!" He says shoving Cleo with his elbow playfully causing her to roll her eyes.

Cleo looked beautiful as ever. Her silk-like hair was pushed back into a ponytail as she wore a dark green and black pencil dress with black heels. Just seeing her changes my mood for the better.

"What are you two doing together?" I asked.

"I was on my way out for lunch and Jason purposely bumped into me, literally. He asked where you were and so I decided to bring him up to you." Cleo explained smiling at me which caused me to smile.

I look up at Jason. He was about my hight. His skin was like milk chocolate and so was Edison's. Jason was a lean but muscular body. He was also an annoying chatterbox.

"Jason, why are you here?" I ask. He pouts. "I wanted to see my best buddy." I groan while Cleo chuckles. "Na, but for real I came to hang. You have lunch now right let's go." He says.

"Okay well, I'll leave you two to it," Cleo says as she turns to walk away. "Wait, you can come, join us for lunch you know," Jason says and I glare at him. He knows how I feel about her.

She smiled but waved. "I'd love too but I can't. I have something's to take care of and I'm meeting up with someone for a lunch date. Sorry." She stays staring at me for a couple of minutes before sighing. "Alright well bye then." She says sadly then walks away.

Sigh, more disappointment.

"And it's your fault for not having pulled the first move ages ago," Jason says as if reading my mind. I grunt as I push past him making him laugh. "Don't worry. You'll get her someday." He says and I sigh.

I hope so.

Rubbing my head at the consistent chatter that left his mouth. We made our way to the diner and grabbed a booth. I stared at my friend. He was a good guy, really. Loud, annoying and straightforward for a fact but he was a good guy. I regret that we don't hang out as much as we use to but work and other personal thing get in the way. I suppose that is why and is one of the reasons our games on Thursday are important.

As we ate and caught up I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Logan?"

I looked up and my eyes connected with a very attractive, very familiar pair of green eyes. The look on her face said it all and the smile that spread onto mine confirmed the question she didn't have to ask.

I wiped my mouth with my napkin and moved over making space as she slides in. Pressing close to my side. She looks at me brazenly as she places on hand on my thigh and I grin. We hear a cough and I look up at an addled Jason.

She turns and smiles at him. "I'm sorry, how rude of me." She extends her hand to him. "I haven't seen Logan in a could of weeks because he's so busy." She giggles. "I'm Samantha, we're close friends."

*****************

"Na man you cheated. Being that tall should be illegal. " I laughed as Edison, Jason and I walk into my building complex. We spent like three hours straight going at it playing ball at the park. It was about eleven now. We had stopped by the Chinese and bought some food on the way here too.

"You're just mad you're short." Edison laughed whilst I scoffed.

"I'm 6'2 okay, that's not short. You're 6'4 calm down. Stop eating whatever Tabitha is giving you. I swear you grow every time I see you." I say as the elevator opens to my floor.

"But the foods so good. I can help it. You know exactly what I mean. She spoils you with food too ever time you come over." He says and Jason laughs. I smile and shake my head.

We walk down the hallway when Jason stops me.

"Uhm, Logan?" I say as I'm looking through my phone.

"Yea?" I look up at him and see him point down the hall to where my door was. I followed his finger to find someone sitting on the floor against the wall space between mine and Cleo's apartment with there legs pulled into there chest.

I looked closer. "Jennifer?" I saw her flinch at the sound of my voice. I quickly walk over to her, Jason and Edison following slowly behind. I kneel down in front of her. "Jennifer, where have you been? Everyone's been searching for you." I say worried.

"Uhm, I think we should go. Well, call later okay. Uhmm, nice to see you again Jen..." Jason said as him and Edison leave. I turn my attention back to Jen who's still hiding face in between her legs.

"Why are you sitting out here?" I ask looking around.

"I lost my key and Cleo's not home." She said lowly almost hoarsely. Not sure on what to say I look around and down the hallways once more before looking down at my watch. "It's eleven, how long have you been waiting here?" I asked. She shrugs. "A couple of hours." She says not looking at me.

Something inside of me clenched. She's been out here for hours after 'being missing', but the real reason I felt something clench was because Cleo wasn't home. Where was she? She's always home at this time. Was she out with someone? I felt angry just thinking about it. A swirling feeling hit the pit of my stomach as an unsettling feeling of annoyance, disappointment, and jealousy consumed me.

I sighed. "Okay, well, come on. You can come on into my apartment until Cleo comes back. I'll call her. Or should I call Drew?"

As soon as I mention his name her head popped up and looked at me pleadingly. "No!" She said. I gapped at her.

Now looking at her I see how much of a mess she was. Her hair was all over the place and her clothes looked stretched, ripped and dirty. She looked like a panda because her mascara was all a mess around her eyes and she had--

"What happened to you?" I asked shocked. "What happened to your face!" I yelled loudly upset. She had a bruised mark.

She flinched back and tears filled her eyes threatening to fall. I frowned, mad at myself for startling her but angrier at the thought of someone doing this to a girl like her. I examined her face. Purple and blue marks decorate the left side of her face from her eye down connecting to a bigger bruise on her cheek and chin. Lips are swollen and bruised as well. I grew eerily quiet. "Did Drew do this?" I asked almost menacingly. How can someone do this to her! Why?

She quickly shook her head as she buried her head back into her knees pulling them closer to her chest.

I looked at her and it hurt me to see her like that. "What happened?" I asked softly, but she didn't answer instead I heard a soft sob.

I stood up and opened my door wide and out down my basketball and bag as I walked back out to Jennifer. I grabbed her arm softly. "Come on, you need to come so we can contact the girls and get you some help." She hissed as I held her and I pulled her cardigan to the side to see a hand bruise, fingertips. Quickly yet gently I picked her up bridal style and brought her into my apartment. I closed the door and sat her down on my coach.

"Do you need anything? Water? Food? A shower? I asked but she just shook her head. I got up and grabbed a blanket from my closet and wrapped it around her. "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright," I told her.

I got up and went to the hallway between the living room and my bedroom and pulled out my phone. I first thought of dialing Drew but judging by Jen's reaction earlier plus she said not to, I don't understand why so instead I called Cleo but she didn't pick up. I called two more times but nothing. Where could she be?

I glanced over at Jen to find her in the exact same position I left her in staring at the curtain with a lost look in her eyes, shaking slightly.

I quickly dialed Stephanie. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Stephanie it's Logan."

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I found Jen. She was sitting on the floor outside of Cleo and I's apartments when I got here." I said. I heard rustling in the background.

"What? Why was she outside? Is she okay? Where's Cleo?" She asked. I heard someone on the other end with her asking her what was going on. My guess was probably Noah.

"I don't know. Cleo hasn't come home yet and Jen's been out there for a while. I tried calling three times but she doesn't answer. As for Jen, she's well, she doesn't look good."

"Okay, I'm already on my way. I'll try calling Cleo. Thank you." She says as I hear a door slam.

"No problem."

********************

I stand from sitting across from Jennifer as she just stares out the window. I walk to the door as soon as I hear the bell ring. Stephanie rushes in. "Where is she?"

"In the living room." She walks in and gasps at her. "Jenny!" She says kneeling down in front of her. Jen's eyes land on Stephanie and they widen as tears fill them again. "S-Stephy." She croaked out.

"Where Cleo?" I ask and Steph sighs. "She was on a date with some guy she met during lunch. She's should be here any minute now." She says looking back at Jen.

So she was with a guy...

The doorbell rang and I opened to see a worried Cleo and a tall guy behind her. I looked at both of them. "Uhm, Logan I'm so sorry I didn't answer. I had my phone on vibrate and when I checked it Steph called me. Oh, Ashton, this is Logan, Logan this Ashton, now where's my best friend?" She says. I point in the direction as she runs in leaving me with this Ashton guy... Her date.

"Uh come in?" I said, more like questioned and he just nodded sending me a friendly smile. We both walk into the living room.

"Oh my goodness Jennifer! What happened to you?" Cleo said as she kneels down next to Steph. They take off the blanket and examine her. Jennifer just cried. Clenching her arms.

"Who did this to you? Who did this to your face?!" Cleo said angrily.

"Cleo, Steph... I'm so sorry." She cried.

"Sorry? For what honey? You didn't do anything." Stephanie said pulling Jen's hair loose.

"Jenny I need you to talk to me okay. We can only help if you let us. What happened? Where did you disappear too? Why did you break up with Drew?" They asked her.

"She broke up with Drew?" I asked shocked.

After a while of Jen Hyperventilating and crying she speaks something shocked us all. Even Ashton.

"I was raped..." She cried in the arms of her two best friends.

She was r***d?