As Gina continued kicking and screaming a mixture of English and Spanish obscenities, more curious patrons from all over the restaurant converged on them. The commotion caused such an uproar that it wasn't long before the manager and one of his bouncers joined the crowd. Still dizzy, Logan, hid in a corner while Nick attempted to handle the situation by pacifying the manager. With the ruthless extent of Gina's screaming and kicking making it very difficult, the manager took a shot at calming her down. It only served to infuriate her even more.
“I hate you! You stinking son of a bitch!” Breaking free from Nick, she charged at Logan, thrusting her legs out with such ferocity it sent one of her red high-heel sandals flying across the room. By that time, Nick’s temper had reached a boiling point. Logan suppressed a grin, pretending to be upset by the confrontation as the manager, a meek looking little man, finally realized it was out of his control and had the bouncer forcibly escort her out. Almost immediately the atmosphere calmed and everyone returned to drinking and conversing.
“What the fuck was that?” Nick latched onto Logan’s arm. Aggravated by his insinuation, Logan glared at him. There was no way he would take the blame for inciting Gina. Why did she have to show up anyway? He never expected it after what he did. Even if he should’ve been honest with her, he would never stoop low enough to admit it anyway. He was free and clear.
“How the fuck should I know? You wanted that bitch, you got her!” The entire episode irked him, defeating the purpose for getting wasted. “I'm outta here!” He roughly tugged out of his grip.
“Not so fast, buddy!” Nick stormed after him. “Let's go someplace else. We need to have a serious conversation.”
Logan tensed, his eyes landing on a huge rock.
Just give me a reason to bash your stupid skull in asshole.
His body trembled as he turned his glare back to Nick. Voices growing closer, distracted him. A firm hand on his shoulder made him whirl around to face a waiter holding Gina’s red sandal.
Wordlessly taking it from his hand, Logan narrowed his eyes.
Not today, Nicky boy.
This time, that tiny, rational part in his brain would win the game. Chuckling to himself, he tossed the sandal in the trash can and followed Nick to parking lot.
KRISTEN/JAKE
They decided to get an early start. He wanted to make it all in one trip, straight from the condo to their new apartment. If Logan was in the condo, he would be ready for him. This time he wouldn't hold back. He was fed up with all the bullshit, including Kristen's nagging about avoiding confrontation. So far, it looked good, Logan’s car wasn't in his usual spot in the garage. The faster they packed Alex's stuff in the truck and left, the better for everyone.
Once again the condo was dark, quiet and unnerving when they entered. The instant they stepped inside, the memory of her last trip there crippled Kristen. She held her breath, the vision of how dismal and unnerving it had been that day clear in her mind. On impulse, she headed to the windows to open the blinds.
“Leave them!” Jake ordered, irritated. “We don't have time for that.”
The outburst surprised her; too spooked to argue, she obeyed, returning to his side to clasp his arm. They continued to the nursery set up for Alex. Jake inspected the crib and found he'd brought the wrong screwdrivers. After an infuriating couple of minutes, she finally found Logan's toolbox and brought it to him. He had already lined up the stroller, chest of drawers, changing table, and boxes of toys by the door.
“Make sure this is everything, your stuff too. I don't want you coming back here again.” He squinted at her waiting for confirmation, before rushing to remove the screws from the crib.
She sat on the floor, mindlessly going through boxes of toys.
“We don't have time for that Kristen. Did you hear what I said?” His voice rose. He turned to look at her. She was on another planet. “Hey!”
She blinked, coming back to reality. “Okay! I know! I have to get all the bottles and linens.” Her mind remained scrambled, the walls closing in, suffocating, despite the cool air circulating in the room.
With one last yank, the crib came apart. He stacked up the pieces with the rest of the stuff, jammed the screws into his jean pocket and knelt next to her.
“I need you to focus, this is the last time we're coming here.” He turned her face to his, dismayed by the pallor of her skin. Her eyes were red and swollen—he sighed, wondering if she was crying again. “Kris, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I'm good.”
When she didn't look at him, he knew she was lying. Grabbing her hands, he pulled her firmly to her feet, hugging her close.
“I know it’s hard for you, but this is what you want isn't it?” He stroked her hair. His heart sank when he felt her twitching against him.
When the hell is she going to get over this guy?
“You need to answer me. Are you sure it's what you want?” He pushed her back with a gentle motion, gripping her arms as he gazed down at her, waiting. What if it’s not? What will I do then?
“Yes! I'm sure. It's just overwhelming. I still have to make sure I have all my things too.” She raised her eyes slowly.
“I thought you got most of your things last time!” He shook his head, in an attempt to control his rising irritation. “I'm gonna start carrying this downstairs. Call me right away if you have any problems here. I'll be right back.” After kissing her head, he jogged to the door.
“Jake!” She ran to him. “I'm sure, I promise.”
Somehow, he still wasn't convinced. Not wanting her to notice the moisture in his eyes, he pulled away and walked out.
Jake was on his second trip to the truck. Alone in the condo, Kristen began trembling. She had no idea why fear consumed her as she walked from room to room, yet she couldn’t get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. Unable to function, she went out on the balcony and leaned on the railing, struggling to compose herself.
“That's pretty much it then, right?”
Startled, she jerked upright, then spun around to face him.
“I have some more clothes in my bedroom,” she mumbled, her eyes wide. Jake stared at her pale face, wrinkling his forehead.
“Ok, let's go then.” He took her arm, felt the unnerving trembling, and released it. “When you're ready.”
Brushing away the tears, she followed him down the hallway to the living room. “Did you hear something?” She froze, straining to listen.
“Nope. You're being paranoid again,” Jake called from the doorway.
Unable to shake the uneasiness, she dashed after him. The cold sweat persisted. With a quick glance at Jake to confirm he wasn’t watching, she searched her bag for the gun. Stifling a sigh of relief, she hid it under the loose fitting t-shirt, and sprinted to the kitchen.
* * *
Logan leaped out of the car, slamming the door behind him. The loud clack echoed through the empty parking garage. For a second he considered checking the mail before he went upstairs, but changed his mind. Whatever there was could wait. A certain urgency hung over him. Too hyper to wait for the elevator, he bolted up the seven flights of stairs.
The horrible events of the morning streaked through his mind. It was obvious Nick was really ticked off this time. In all the years he'd dealt with him, this latest outburst had been the worst. It took him a while to accept the truth. He didn't give a damn about Gina, but needed to do his best to appease Nick. After a nice, warm shower, he was heading out to the bars to meet up with him, chill and work it out.