Logan's Salute

Chapter 5

That night, just before sunset, Logan takes Kristin home. Matthew pulls up beside them as they arrive at her place. 

"Well, well!" Matthew says, exiting his car and walking over to Logan and Kristin. His face was filled with anger. "What do we have here?" he asks as Kristin exits Logan's car and steps in between them. Matthew ignores Kristin and moves towards Logan, who is also exiting his car. 

"Leave, Matthew. No one wants you here." She says, but Matthew asks her to step aside, still approaching Logan. 

"What's your problem Matt?" Logan asks placing his hands in the front pockets of his shorts. Compared to Logan, Matthew was a mouse and Logan a lion. 

"Only my friends call me that," Matthew says through his teeth, glaring back at Logan's smug face, "Stay away from my girl, asshole!" 

Logan allows a smirk to grace his face at Matthew's words and asks, "Your girl? Are you sure that she is your girl?" 

Kristin turns towards Logan and says, "Just leave, Logan. He does not know what he is saying." They continue to talk to each other as if Kristin is not there.

Matthew smiles at Logan, flashing perfect teeth and emerald eyes, saying, "Yes she is my girl! We kissed and made up two days ago! Ask her!" Logan then focuses his attention on Kristin, who is suspiciously very silent now. She looks at Logan with guilt all over her face. 

"I said I would think about it," Kristin says, still facing Logan. Logan's heart drops into his shoes as nausea overwhelms him. He grabs his head as if the information was too much for him to comprehend. 

"What is there to think about?" He whispers to her. "So, This is why you can't... " Logan says, as his voice breaks, he turns away. "My, God, we had..."

"Logan, please," she says and he turns back to face her with a blank expression. 

"No!" Logan screams at her as she reaches for him. The mere thought of her touching him made him sick to his stomach. His brow comes down in a scowl as he holds her gaze. "I don't need what you have to offer. You make me sick." Logan turns around as tears well up in his eyes and enters his car and speeds down the road angrily, almost knocking into another vehicle as he takes the corner.

Kristin's POV

"Logan, wait! Please!" She screams desperately after Logan but he drives off anyway. 

"What did he mean? Did you and Logan have s*x?" Matthew asks. 

"Matthew, just shut the hell up!" Kristin shouts at him and then she begins to sob. "Just leave now, Matt. You have done enough." Kristin chases Matthew away and makes her way into the house. 

"What the hell was that screaming about?" Paula asks as Kristin enters the house. Feeling broken, Kristin sinks down onto the floor and begins to sob. Paula stood and watch as her sister succumbs to her sadness. Kristin sobers up minutes later and sees her sister on the floor beside her with a box of tissues and chocolate. Kristin wipes her face with the tissues and eyes her unnaturally silent sister who just sat there, watching. 

"Ready to talk now?" Paula asks in a nurturing voice. Kristin shakes her aching head, still feeling like she has not cried enough yet. "We are alone. Mother and Father went out for the night." Paula says and stands up from the cold floor. She extends her hand to Kristin and helps her up. "So, if you want to talk, I am here for you." Paula passes Kristin the chocolate, eyeing her for a while and then leaves the living room.

Kristin watches as Paula leaves and runs back to the window, in the hope that Logan could come back. Heart broken after the sun has set completely, Kristin runs herself a bubble bath. As she removes her clothes, she gets a whiff of Logan's scent on her clothes. She places her clothes on the floor and slips into the bath, imagining the deliciously warm water was his arms. 

Her parents return late that night, but Kristin was still awake. Her father makes his rounds in their room, checking up on his daughters, but Kristin pretends to be asleep. After her left for bed, she sobs softly again, still feeling awful. 

The next few days leading up to the funeral was hell. Each time Kristin reached out to Logan, he was never home. When she did see him, he avoided her. His eyes were cold. 

Matthew makes a turn at her house the Thursday night before the funeral, for the first time after the argument the Saturday before. Her father did not allow him into the house and Kristin then had to talk to him in their garden. 

"What do you want Matt?" She asks him when her father was out of earshot. 

"What happened between you and Logan?" Matthew comes out and asks. His face was overwhelmed with concern. Kristin looks away and says, "Nothing." 

"It didn't look like that on Saturday," he says. 

"Okay, then it is non of your business!" she says and turns to walk away.

"Kristin, wait!" Matthew calls after her and she stops in her tracks. "Please, I do want us to be a couple again. I know you do not believe this, but I do love you. Very much."

"Where were you, Matthew?" Kristin turns back and asks him. "This whole week, where were you?"

"You needed some time," he says and extends his hands towards her. Kristin takes a step back and places her hands in the air, saying, "Please stop!" Matthew eyes her and then places his hands back at his side. "See," he says softly. "I know you needed to be by yourself. I know you."

"How sweet!" Logan's voice comes from behind Kristin. Her shocked face was eminent as she turns around to face him. "Old lovers reunited. Is this not special?"

"Logan?" she says but his face stops her from talking further. His dark eyes were scrutinizing her and Matthew with a snarl on his lips. He looked disgusted. He makes eye contact with her and she could see his pain. He drops his gaze and turns to walk away, but she follows him to his car.

"Logan," she calls after him and he stops when he reaches his car. He turns back to face her, pain clear on his face as he looks down at her. "Can we talk about this?" she asks, in a voice so soft that she could barely hear herself.

"I came here, because my mother said I should hear what you have to say," he says. "Because she believed in you! But then I find that bastard still lurking around here. Almost touching you."

"Logan, please, let me," she begins to say and he stops her.

"I can't do this, Kris!" he says and his voice breaks. "It hur... I can'... I am burying my father on Saturday and I would appreciate it if you do not come to the funeral." Kristin opens her mouth to speak, but Logan turns back and enters his car, driving away like a maniac. Kristin watches in horror as he leaves her once again. Her heart in shambles.

"I am so glad he left." Matthew says and she turns to look at him. He was smiling broadly at her. 

"You knew he was coming tonight, didn't you?" She asks, making her way back into the garden. "You knew he was coming to see me and then you decided to come and ruin whatever chances Logan and I still had."

"I told you," Matthew says smugly. "If I cannot have you, no one can." Kristin looks back at the house and sees her father waiting in the wings. 

"Daddy!" she screams and he comes running. Matthew's eyes enlarge as her father runs towards him. He turns on his heel and runs to his car. Her father chases Matthew on foot down the road and Kristin laughs at the sight. When her father returns, she explains to him that Matthew is no longer welcome at their home. This made her father very happy.

Friday came and went. Kristin and her whole family prepared for the funeral. Even Jacques. At the church, Logan would gaze at her with contempt on his face and even after the proceedings he refused to see her or talk to her. With the help of her future brother-in-law, Kristin corners Logan in the bathroom. He appears irritated by her presence and attempts to leave. 

"You will listen to me, Logan," She says, placing her back up against the door. He looks at her with no emotion. She can not help but notice how handsome he was in his all black suit with black shirt and white tie. His hair was sleeked into a style and he was clean shaven. His eyes flashes over her, making her conscious of her black lace dress that hung above the knee, fitting snugly thus showing off her curves beautifully. Her neckline was not too low, but flattering to her full breasts, with shoes that showed off her shapely legs. 

"I banned Matthew from my house," She says.

"So?" Logan says and tries to move her out of the way. 

She hits his hand away and says, "He threatened to press charges against you. I had to do something." Logan eyes her placing his hands in his pants front pockets. "I would never actually... What kind of girl do you think I am?" She asks him. Logan then looks at her, from head to toe, with a look she she has never seen before. The scent of his cologne mixed with his skin, filled the small room, making her swoon. The look in his eyes changes as he moves closer until the space between them are gone. Forcing her up against the door, Logan places both her hands above her head. His eyes go dark, as he focuses on her neck and breast. With his one hand, he traces her inner thigh, under her skirt and  she gasps. He very softly kisses the base of her neck making her squirm, continuing to stroke her. Kristin close her eyes and moans softly as he finds her core. He bends down, close to her ear, and asks, "Do you want me?" She shudders, as his fingers work their way to her climax. He gently inserts one finger and she moans. He makes eye contact as he continues to tease her. "Do you want me?" He asks again, his voice so hoarse it was unrecognizable. 

"Yes, Logan!" She whispers breathlessly. With that he captures her mouth, unties his pants and lifts her up so that her legs envelope him. He thrusts himself inside her and groans with each thrust. His kisses were brutal but very passionate. His lovemaking is angry and extremely intense. Holding her buttocks in place, he rhythmically pushes himself within her, teasing her neck and breasts. He groans as he captures her lips with his. Kristin clutches at him desperately, moving with him rhythmically. Reaching their goal simultaneously, they gasp and moan softly. He almost immediately pulls away from her, leaving her unsteady, forcing her to lean onto the door handle to stabilize herself. He zips himself up, fixes his hair while checking his reflection in the mirror.

"That is the kind of woman I think you are." Logan says, glances at her coldly and leaves the bathroom.

Kristin shudders at his comment and sits down on the toilet, devastated. Jacques peers his head in as she sobs bitterly. Jacques enters the bathroom and close the door behind him, trying desperately to console her.

"Let me go an talk to him," Jacques says and stands up from the floor to leave.

"No, Jacques!" she says. Jacques looks down at her with compassion in his eyes. "It is over. We are over." They remained in the bathroom together as Jacques did not want to leave her alone. When they did emerge, Logan's cold gaze was the first thing that caught her eye. 

"Are you sure, I cannot chat to him?" Jacques asks her.

"You can, but it will be futile," Kristin says, holding Logan's gaze. "He won't listen." 

Kristin and Jacques leave the hall and she decides to go home early. Jacques then drops her off at her house and returns to the hall where his fiancé was still present, leaving Kristin alone at home. She removes her clothes and decides to take a bath. She wanted to wash off Logan's scent from her body and hopefully his words from her memory. She sinks underwater with her head and lays there in the watery silence, blocking the cruel world out. As she laid there, she realized how easy it would be to not come up for air and just let go. She remembers his words and his cold demeanour and her heart breaks into tiny pieces once again. All it took was one liquid breath full and the rest will be easy. Kristin close her eyes as she prepares to take her first breath.

Very abruptly, she feels hands on her shoulders and soon she is pulled up out of the water. She gasps for breath as the person pulls her out of the bath and onto the cold tiled floor. She feels how a towel is being wrapped around her naked body before the person even speaks.

"Are you crazy?" the angry male voice says, as he wipes her face with another towel. Kristin opens her eyes and looks at Matthew's emerald eyes, filled with anger and concern. "What did you think you were going to do? Kill yourself and everything will be over?" Kristin guiltily looks at him in silence, clutching at `the towel he wrapped around her. 

"How did you get in here?" she asks, knowing that she locked the door as she entered the house. 

"Does that really matter right now?" He asks, irritated by her question. "What were you doing?" Kristin lowers her gaze and begins to sob. Matthew's eyes soften and he places his arms around her shoulders, gently embracing her. Kristin then notices that her was wearing a designer three piece suit, dark blue, with Italian leather shoes. He strokes her wet hair as she seeks comfort in his arms. "Oh, Kris," he says in a tender voice. "What am I going to do with you?" 

"I am ruining your suit," she says and pulls away from him. Matthew looks down at his attire and then back at her, saying, "You are worth it." They make eye contact and he opens his arms again for her to seek comfort. Kristin eyes him for seconds before leaping into his arms. 

Kristin allows Matthew to wait for her in the living room, while she dressed herself into sweat pants and a t-shirt. He stood gazing out the window as the sun begins to set, when she entered the room. He turns to face her as she approaches. 

"Feel better?" He asks and walks towards her. She forces a smile and nods. "Come have a seat," he says and guides her to the nearest chair. "I know you are a strong young woman, so please make me understand what exactly I found in the bathroom." Matthew says tenderly. Kristin shakes her head and says, "I just wanted the pain to end."

"Did Logan hurt you?" Matthew asks. 

"Not physically, no," Kristin says and then shakes her head, adding, "I really do not want to talk about this. Please can we not talk about this!" Matthew hears the desperation in her voice and nods, placing his arms around her once again. Kristin shakes uncontrollably in his arms, as she still feels fragile. 

"We will not talk," Matthew says, holding her close to his chest. "We will sit here and not talk at all."

And that is exactly what they did. The sun set and her parents return home. Kristin had to speak to her father before her entered the house, so he would not injure Matthew. Matthew stayed until midnight and left after giving Kristin a peck on her cheek. Kristin went to bed and fell asleep almost immediately as her head hit the pillow. Matthew calmed her down nicely so she could have a good nights rest.

Logan's POV

Logan sits in his room, hours after he return home from the hall where his mother decided to have the 'after-tears'. Still dressed in his suit, that reeked of Kristin's perfume, he pushes aside the memory of their s****l encounter, as it seeps into his mind each time he is alone. She looked so beautiful in her little black dress. Her hair was up in a bun with some curls hanging down here and there. He found it difficult to focus on the proceedings, from the moment she entered the church to the moment he had s*x with her in the bathroom. 

He remembers how good she felt against him and all around him when they were in the bathroom. He close his eyes and lays back on his bed. Her scent was overwhelming, standing so close to her. She easily became wet at his touch and kissing her plump lips always was his weakness. When she moved with him, she drove him wild. Her moans echo in his brain as he remembers her peaking in ecstasy. 

Logan sits up and angrily hits the bed with a "Argh!" 'Why did I make love to her?' he asks himself. Why did he allow that to happen? He did not want to. He hits the bed again as he knows the answer. He loves her. 

A knock at the door brings him back to the present and out of his misery. "Ma?" He called knowing it had to be her. She opened the door and peered her head inside. "Everything okay?" He asks her. She too was still dressed in her funeral attire.  A classic black pencil skirt and matching jacket with a silver blouse. Her hair was beautifully styled and had a red tint. She  moved closer to sit beside Logan on his bed. She touches his handsome face and smiles. 

"My darling son," she says to him. "You have endured so much. I love you, son." Logan smiles back at his mother and kisses her hand. 

"I love you too, ma," he says lovingly. 

"Life is too short to live with hate in your heart, let me tell you, Johnny." His mother says to him. "I have wasted so much time. Time I could have spent with your father. Time he and I should have treasured." She sighed and said, "I will miss him so much." He leans in to hug his mother and she hugs him back. He hears sniffing sounds coming from her and she asked, "So, you and Kristin made up?" 

He pulled away from her and said, "No! It is over between us." 

"Over?" His mother asks, "Then why do you smell like her?" Logan does not make eye contact. "No my son," his mother said, with a serious face. "That is not how you treat a lady!" Logan makes a sound with his teeth and tongue. "After what she did for you this week! That is not right son." 

Logan looked up at his mother and asked, "What do you mean?" She touches her sons handsome face again. "She has helped with all the arrangements and follow through everything. Well, where you could not, anyway. I was not myself, you know that. She told me what happened between the both of you and that boy, Matthew. She does not come across as a girl that would lie about her feelings. Anyway, I did not interfere. But today I have seen a different John Logan and I did not like this one." Logan avoided making eye contact at this point. His mother places her hands in his and continues. "You are hurting, Johnny and I can see your heart is broken. And when a mans heart is broken, he does things, despicable things, to ease that heartache. You are walking down that path right now, son. So let me intervene now, before you destroy both your life as well as this young lady, whom you love so deeply." He looks up at his mom in shock. "I'm not blind Johnny. She walks into the room and your whole existence reacts to her. However, maybe you and her being separated is a good thing." Logan gives her a confused look. "Maybe distance from all of this drama is what you need." She lovingly looks at him and says, "I still have the papers for the National Defence Force in your fathers and my room. There is still time. You can get your head clear from all of this." Logan looks at his mother blankly. "At least think about it," she says to him. "You know that I am right. You need time to figure things out." 

Logan nods in agreement. "Okay, ma," he said. "I will think about it." She gets up and leaves her son alone in his room. Logan did just that, the whole weekend and the week that followed. He spent most of his time at the beach, surfing and thinking. He finally concluded that he needed to do something to get his mind, body and soul back on track. Enrolling looked more and more appealing.

That Monday he did what was necessary to place a successful enrolment and Tuesday his mother went with him to enrol. She thanked him and also explained that he should also apologize to Kristin and her family. He agreed, but knew that it was not going to be that easy. Especially talking to Kristin. And he was right, as school commenced that Wednesday, she was different. She was no longer the bubbly, happy girl that he knew. Instead she looked bleak and tired, sick even. What confused him most was that when Matthew approached her, they seemed happy together, contradicting everything she told him with their last encounter. When she saw Logan looking, she went silent and walked away. Matthew also said nothing and just followed her in silence.

"What did you do?" Melanie's voice asks, coming up from behind him. Logan looks at her and smiles.

"Hey, Mel," he says and walks towards her open arms. After they hug, she asks him the same question.

"Why?" he asks her. "What happened?" 

"The dark prince has reclaimed his princess," Melanie says. "And I get the feeling, you had something to do with that." Melanie's words floors Logan's stomach and he suddenly feels nauseas. 

"So, they are back together?" he asks softly.

"Ja," she says. "Almost a week now. Where the hell were you?"

Logan feels dizzy and nauseas and slowly descends to the ground. The feeling was very strange and was not sure if it was physical or psychological. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Melanie asks and goes on her knees beside him. "You are as white as a sheet." Logan places his head down between his knees and breathes slowly till the moment passes. Melanie stays with him throughout, what was called an anxiety attack. When the bell rings, Melanie helps him to his first class. 

During first break, Logan goes to his normal smoking corner and hears how the guys talk about Kristin and Matthew being back together. He becomes angry when one guy commented on how he would not mind 'hitting that himself'. In response to that, Logan goes into a blind rage and punches the guy till he was unconscious. Matthew pulled him off the other boy and Logan shrugged him off with a warning.

"Don't you EVER touch me," Logan says, pointing a bloody finger at Matthew. Kristin makes her appearance at that moment and looks at Logan, horrified. Logan drops his gaze and walks away, making his way to the boys toilet to wash his hands. As the day progressed, Logan was then called to the office, where his mother was already waiting for him in the principals' office. 

"We understand that your son has lost a very important part of his life," the principal says to his mother. "But, we cannot have him just beating the children at this school for no apparent reason."

"He was disrespecting a young lady!" Logan shouts at the principal. Both the principal and his mother look at him as he outbursts. 

"Johnny!" His mother calls his name and he settles down. The principal eyes him for a while and then continues to talk.

"The other boy has agreed to not press charges, lucky enough," the principal says. "However, this is not his first incident this year that he injured a boy on school. So, I am thus obligated to suspend your son for misconduct." 

"Please don't do that," his mother pleas with the principal. "He has already enrolled at the national defence force and will leave school soon enough. We are just waiting for them to tell him when he should pack."

The principal shakes his head and says, "I am afraid, that is the rules of this school, Mrs. Logan. Maybe he should take this time to reflect on his actions." Logan glares at the principal as he speaks. 

"Fine," his mother says and stands up. "I can see that your mind has already been made up, so we shall leave." Logan follows his mother obediently and they make their way to the parking lot. Once both of them were in the car, his mother gives him an angry look. Logan lowers his gaze in guilt. "What the hell were you thinking?" she asks him in a high pitched tone. Logan kept his gaze lowered as his mother scolded him.

"They spoke badly about Kristin, ma," Logan says. His mother grabs her head in frustration and gives a little scream.

"I am getting tired of this girl being the centre of your world, Johnny!" She shouts at him. "Do you see why this army thing is such a good idea now? You need to get away from her. Distance yourself from her and all of this drama." She turns towards him and lifts his face so that he makes eye contact with her. "As soon as they accept you, I want you to go immediately," she says. Logan opens his mouth to speak but she stops him. "I don't want to hear it!" she says. "I have decided. It is final!" Logan nods reluctantly and she releases his face. She then starts the car and drives home.

By the end of that week, Logan received confirmation that he has been accepted into the National Defence Force of South Africa. Logan tried speaking to his mother several times, but she kept shutting him down. He was then left no choice but to pack his belongings and prepare for his departure two weeks later. Melanie, however, kept him updated on the Kristin and Matthew front as she made regular visits after the incident with the other boy. 

"They look friendly," Melanie said one afternoon when she made a turn at his house before going home. "but they are not the same way they used to be. Maybe they are just friends."

"Matthew wanting to be just friends with her, I doubt that," Logan says passing her a cup of coffee he made for her. Melanie shrugged at his words and takes a sip. Melanie always had a crush on him, and he was quite aware, but she knew his heart belonged to Kristin. She never made a move and he never led her on. Melanie is actually quite a looker, but she was not Kristin. 

Melanie had hazel green eyes, soft curly light-brown hair that reached her shoulders, plump, kissable, naturally pink lips and equally plump cheeks and a exceptionally shapely body. She loved wearing tight, short skirts and with shirts that left nothing to the imagination. It was cold this particular day and Melanie wore her school blazer, which hung longer than her skirt did, over her tight little body. 

"I must say, though," Melanie says with renewed excitement. "She looks a bit sick nowadays. Maybe she is dying!" Logan shoots her a look and she lowers her gaze.

"What is wrong with her?" He asks curiously. 

"I don't really know," Melanie says, adding, "but she is bleak, I mean as white as a sheet, dizzy all the time and once she fainted in an assembly. Some of the girls said that when she did gain consciousness, she vomited the whole time. the nurse had to send her home, so Matthew offered to take her home." Logan jumps up from his seat at the sound of Matthew's name and starts pacing angrily. Melanie watched him with fear in her eyes and notices. 

"Sorry," he apologizes to her. "I get so angry that he is worming his way back into her life."

"Do you think he is the reason for all her sickness?" Melanie asks him.

"I would not put in past that bastard!" Logan says, his muscles in his whole body tensed up. "He will do anything to get back with her."

Melanie left shortly after she finished her coffee. Logan got ready for his run and as the sun set, he went out. His mind was filled with what Melanie told him that he was unaware of where he stood and took a break. Kristin's laughter makes him turn around, and there she stood in front of her house with Matthew laughing. She did not look sick at all. In fact, she looked beautiful. He watches them as they joke and laugh sitting on the grass with what looked like a picnic basket. Logan then leaves, undetected.