A/N First, I just want to say thank you so much for the outpouring of love on the last chapter. I wasn't sure what to expect after such a long break between chapters, so it was really lovely to discover that this story still has such a loyal following. Some of you have been reading and reviewing since the very beginning, most caught up with it somewhere along the way and others just found it. Whichever category you fall into, I'm so grateful for your kind words of encouragement.

I made finishing this chapter my goal for this year's NaNoWriMo, and just managed to complete it in time. It's not quite as long as the last chapter (a little over 15k words) but it's a particular favorite of mine. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 15

The signs instructed Veronica to drive slowly up the long, winding road to the hotel, which only added to her anticipation. When it finally came into view, a sprawling castle-like structure dotted by hundreds of lit windows, she felt momentarily overwhelmed. As usual, Logan had outdone himself.

"You didn't tell me we were staying at Hogwarts," Alicia joked from the passenger seat beside her.

"I'm in Gryffindor!" Hank called from the backseat.

Veronica stopped the car, peeling her eyes away from the imposing hotel so she could figure out which way to go. "Should we do self-parking?"

"Yeah, we only have a couple of bags."

She followed the signs to the lot and parked the car. It didn't take long to reach the main entrance, where they were greeted by a porter who offered to take their luggage. They agreed and walked up to the front desk to check in.

"Ah, you'll be staying in our Mountain View Suite," the clerk informed them with a wide smile.

"Of course we will," Veronica replied. She turned towards her aunt and uncle. "Prepare yourselves. This is going to be… excessive."

And it was. A two-floor suite within one of the stone towers that made up the vast Victorian era hotel, the accommodations were even grander than she'd expected. The lower rooms included a cozy sitting area with a fireplace, a queen sized bed, a wet bar and a full bathroom.

A spiral staircase connected it to the master suite upstairs. The circular bedroom boasted a king-sized bed, a flat screen television that emerged from the floor and the largest bathroom Veronica had ever seen.

Black and white mosaic floor tile drew her eye towards the centerpiece of the room –

an enormous soaking tub sunken into a raised platform. Candles, fresh flowers and a wicker basket filled with rolled towels and luxurious skincare products sat invitingly atop its white marble surface.

"Well," Alicia said, as she glanced from the tub to the glass-enclosed shower, "he certainly isn't subtle."

Veronica smiled. "No. He certainly isn't that." She turned in a slow circle, taking in the pure opulence of the room. "I mean, put a kitchen and a bed in here and you could basically just move in."

"This is literally twice the size of my first apartment in Manhattan."

Veronica shook her head, and they began walking back into the bedroom. "Look, you guys take the master suite," she urged. "I don't need all of this."

Alicia was about to protest when they both became aware of the fact that Hank was already passed out on the bed, snoring. She shot Veronica an apologetic look, but her niece was grinning.

"Well, since my husband is such a lightweight, it looks like I might have to take you up on that," Alicia said. She glanced towards the bathroom. "And if you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a dip in that tub."

"We may as well take advantage of it, right? It's not every day you get to stay in a place like this."

Alicia turned back towards her. "Veronica, about that… This is extremely generous. A place like this has got to set you back two, maybe even three thousand a night."

"That much?"

"Easily." Alicia eyed her niece carefully. "I'm not sure what the history is between you and Logan, but… do you mind if I give you my two cents?"

"Please do."

"It's easy to get swept up in all of this." Alicia waved her hand around, gesturing to the suite. "The glamour, the splendor of it all. It can be intoxicating. That being said, I think you're a very level-headed young woman. Someone who can unwrap the pretty paper, to find out what's really inside."

Veronica nodded. "That's… what I'm trying to figure out."

"I sense that." Alicia reached out, taking her niece's hand in hers. "Whatever may have happened in the past, from everything I witnessed today I think that Logan is a kind, considerate person. I believe that he cares what you think of him, and I believe all of this- trying to impress you- is how he shows it."

Veronica squeezed her hand. "Thank you. You know how much I value your opinion." She dropped her arm to the side and exhaled. "It's been a long day. I think I need to go explore for a bit; try to clear my head."

She said goodbye and descended the spiral staircase, stopping to grab Logan's jacket and the small map the front desk clerk had given her. She took the elevator down to the first floor, consulting the map briefly before deciding to venture into the dining room.

Halfway there, as she realized almost all of the other hotel guests were traveling in the same direction, she changed her mind and walked the other way. She went down a flight of stairs, passing through a near-empty lounge and out onto a porch.

The porch overlooked a large lake, wavy streaks of light from the hotel reflected on its surface. Illuminated gazebos lined the cliff face on the opposite side of the lake, instilling the setting with an almost enchanted air.

Veronica sat down on one of the wooden rocking chairs to admire the view, grateful that she was alone. After a moment in the cool autumn air, she pulled on Logan's fleece and zipped it up, reveling in its warmth. Within seconds she had wandered back in time, images from her day taking form within her mind.

That kiss… oh, that kiss. The perfect amuse-bouche, it had left her wanting more. It didn't help that she'd already had a taste of what came next, and she'd developed quite a craving. That part was easy to admit; her attraction to him hadn't waned in the slightest. But the other part… that's a bit more complicated.

Logan's behavior today had been so different. Open, welcoming, relaxed… the picture of generosity, the consummate host. Was this the person who Duncan and Luke got to see all of the time; his true self? Or was today one, long apology for his past behavior? An olive branch towards future friendship?

A cool breeze swept across the lake, and she burrowed her face into her collar. Logan's scent still lingered there, a constant reminder of their afternoon together. It would be good to see him, tomorrow. To spend a little more time with him amidst her newfound clarity.

Anticipation crept up her spine at the thought of being near him again, the memory of his amber gaze still crystal clear in her mind. And if he asks me again, about us… is my answer still the same?

Being with him would never be boring, that's for sure. Even today, strolling through the grounds with him, had been an adventure. She never knew what he'd say, what he'd do, where they'd go next. Life with him would be unpredictable. Unique. And, quite possibly… a hell of a lot of fun.

xxXxx

Troy awoke with a massive hangover, unsure where he was or how he'd gotten there. It was still dark, wherever he was, except for a small pool of light less than a foot away. He squinted at it, slowly becoming aware that it was the display on his phone.

The light shut off, replaced by a tiny blue flashing indicator that he had a missed call. A quick glance at the digital clock revealed that it was only 4:10 in the morning. Annoyed by the disturbance, Troy closed his eyes and settled his head back on his pillow.

The display lit up once again. He groaned and lifted his arm towards his phone, intent on shutting it off for good. But before he could reach it, he felt movement to his left.

I'm not alone. At least the hangover was worth it. So… who's the lucky lady? He grabbed his phone and pointed the light towards the pillow next to him.

The events of the evening came back to him in a rush and he sat straight up in bed. Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

The display on his phone shut off again, plunging him into darkness. He ran his hand back and forth through his hair, fighting off panic. His phone, still clenched in his right hand, lit up again.

Troy finally looked down to see who was so desperate to talk to him, and the sight of the name on the display calmed him slightly.

Yes. She'll know what to do.

He swung his legs down onto the floor and quietly made his way across the room, using his lit phone display as a flashlight. When he found the bathroom door, he went inside and shut the door quietly, keeping the light off.

Troy took a deep breath and swiped his phone to the right, finally answering his call.

xxXxx

It took Veronica a moment to figure out where she was, when she woke up the following morning. Once she did, she immediately grabbed her phone to see if she had any text messages or missed calls. She didn't.

Veronica glanced at the time, surprised to find that it was nearly ten. She didn't typically get up so late. But she'd had a restless night's sleep, thoughts of Logan swirling through her mind. And I still don't even know where we're supposed to meet for brunch. Did he change his mind?

She sighed and set her phone down on the end table, glancing around the room for a distraction. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, promising another glorious fall day. Caffeine and then a shower, she decided. But first, I want to go check out that view.

Veronica was heading towards the balcony when a knock on the door stopped her in her tracks. Figuring Alicia and Hank had ordered room service, she changed direction to let them in.

It was Logan.

Feeling instantly self-conscious, Veronica's right hand went up to her hair. She smoothed it down quickly, wondering how much damage all of that tossing and turning had done.

Logan's lips curled into a half-smile, amused by her reaction. "Hi," he greeted her. "Sorry to stop by unannounced. It was her idea."

He jabbed his thumb to the right, indicating the younger girl standing beside him. She was nearly a foot shorter than him, with straight brown hair and large brown eyes, holding a tray full of hot drinks.

"Hi," she said to Veronica. "I'm Heather."

"Heather," she repeated, finally finding her voice. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Please, come on in."

Logan held his arm out, gesturing for his sister to go first, and then he stepped into the sitting room and closed the door behind him. He caught Heather's eye, silently urging her to respond. But his normally exuberant sister was struck speechless, staring at Veronica like she was some sort of mythical creature.

Luckily, Veronica stepped in, nodding towards the tray in Heather's hands.

"Is that coffee?"

"Uh, no. Tea." Heather glanced at her brother. "Logan said you liked tea?"

"I do," Veronica confirmed, taking the offered cup. "Thank you, that's so sweet." She turned to Logan. "And thank you, for the room. It's way too extravagant, but you know that already."

"Why bother with something if it isn't the very best?" he countered with a grin.

"Hey Logan, don't forget about you-know-who," Heather spoke up.

"Right," he replied. Expression now subdued, he turned towards Veronica. "So, uh, Duncan is downstairs at the front desk."

"Why didn't he come up?"

"He thinks you're mad at him. About… you know, Meg."

"Oh." She paused. That was true enough; Duncan hadn't exactly been her favorite person, these past few months. But if she was willing to forgive Logan, for the part he'd played in her sister's heartbreak, it was only fair she forgive Duncan too. "Please, tell him to come up."

Logan nodded, reaching into his pocket for his phone, and Veronica turned towards Heather. "I was just about to step out onto the balcony. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure." Heather took one of the paper cups out of its tray and handed it to Logan, then took the remaining cup out for herself. She set the empty tray down on the coffee table and followed Veronica to the balcony.

The view was breathtaking. Acres of forest spread before them, as far as the eye could see in every direction. In the distance, the tips of the Catskill Mountains kissed a robin's egg blue sky. Billowy clouds floated slowly across the sky, casting intermittent shadows over the valley below.

"It looks fake, doesn't it?" Heather remarked. "Too perfect to be real."

"Totally," Veronica agreed.

"Like it's just a painted canvas and the Hulk is going to come smashing through or something."

Veronica laughed, delighted at the image. Heather clearly shared Logan's wit. She had just turned towards the girl when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Logan was coming up behind Heather, his index finger to his lips.

He grabbed his sister around the waist, lifting her up. "So worried about the Hulk she doesn't notice the threat from behind!"

"Stop showing off your muscles and put me down," Heather ordered. "Or that pretty white shirt of yours is getting drenched in hot chocolate."

Veronica smiled at their antics, surreptitiously glancing at Logan. Now that he wasn't wearing a jacket, she noticed his arms did seem bigger than she'd remembered. Not bulky, but unquestionably more defined beneath his thin cotton shirt.

Catching her in her stare, Logan set Heather back down and gave Veronica a rather self-conscious smile. "I'm not a gym rat, or anything. I've been swimming a lot."

"No judgment," Veronica replied. "I mean, you look good, so…"

A slow smile crept across Logan's face. "So in other words… I look like a nine?"

He actually looked like a ten, but Veronica refused to give him the satisfaction of admitting that aloud. Instead, she cleared her throat. "When is brunch?"

"Noon," he replied.

"And what kind of restaurant is it?" she asked. "I, uh, didn't pack much…"

"We're doing it at the farmhouse," Heather said. "Don't worry, it's not going to be dressy or anything. I'm just wearing this." She gestured to her jeans and purple long-sleeve shirt, and Veronica gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you. Guys don't think about stuff like that."

Logan's phone chimed, and he glanced down at it. "Duncan's here."

"I'll go let him in," Heather replied quickly.

She made her way past them, looking up at her brother with raised eyebrows and a grin as she went by. He shook his head slightly, silently entreating her not to say anything too embarrassing in front of Veronica. Heather had a tendency to blurt out exactly what was on her mind, which was endearing unless you needed her to keep a secret.

When she was gone, he turned back to Veronica. "On the contrary," he said. "I've thought about your wardrobe extensively."

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes. If you wanted to wear a certain red dress I recall, for instance…"

"Oddly, I didn't happen to pack an evening dress on my trip to do a wine tour in the country."

"Shame," Logan replied, shaking his head. "For the record, you should always pack that dress. In case of emergency."

Veronica couldn't help the smile that played upon her lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

The truly spectacular view before them went completely ignored, each of them entirely focused on the other. When Heather rapped on the glass balcony door lightly with her knuckles, Veronica nearly jumped.

Tearing her eyes away from Logan, she opened the door and headed back into the suite. He followed, closing the door behind him and stepping into the sitting room.

Duncan was lingering by the entrance, eyeing Veronica with trepidation. When she spotted him, she was startled by his altered appearance. He had clearly lost weight, his cheeks gaunt and his shirt too large on him. All charm and ease in the past, he now seemed to possess an underlying nervous tension.

Taking pity on him, Veronica approached him with a sincere smile. "Duncan," she said, holding out her arms in greeting. "It's so good to see you."

He softened at her words, some of the warmth she remembered returning to his eyes. He hugged her and let go, giving her a searching look.

"Veronica, wow. It's been so long. How are you?"

"Good," she replied. "How have you been?"

"Oh, you know," he said with a short laugh. "It's been an interesting year." He cleared his throat. "So, how is, um… I mean, is your family well?"

"Yes," she replied. "Everyone is doing fine."

"Good, good." He continued to look into her eyes, his brow furrowed. "And, uh, is everyone still at home, or…?"

Confused by the question, Veronica nodded. "Yeah, we're all in Neptune."

"Oh." Duncan scratched his head, near his hairline. "I thought that… Meg, that she was going to NYU."

"She changed her mind. She's at San Diego State now."

"Oh." Duncan forced a smile. "Well, I understand wanting to stay in California. I loved it there, last summer. Remember that big party we threw?" He shook his head, his smile coming more naturally now. "Man, what a night. That's the most fun I've had in… forever."

"It was fun," Veronica agreed.

Duncan's smile faded. "I think about it a lot. The party, I mean."

Logan and Heather exchanged glances. Over the past few months, it had been a constant struggle to keep Duncan's mood from plummeting. Celeste and Jake kept urging their son to go to therapy, or even take medication. But Duncan refused. He knew what the problem was, and he knew there was no pill that could cure him.

"We'd better get going," Logan spoke up. "I've got a lot to do at the house."

Veronica nodded. "Well thank you for coming by, and thanks for the tea." She turned to Heather with a smile. "It was so nice to meet you. I'll see you guys soon."

Logan was the last to leave, his gaze straying towards Veronica. They looked at one another for half a moment, each trying to conceal their own feelings while figuring out what the other was thinking. Neither one of them had any success, on either account.

xxXxx

"Why are you calling me so early?" Troy asked in hushed tones.

"It's after seven here," Kendall replied curtly. "So how about you tell me why I'm waking up to another pissed off voice mail from Sam Mackenzie?"

Troy swallowed hard. "He called? When did he call?"

"Last night. I just listened to the message." Kendall sighed. "Is this about another extra on set? Haven't you learned how to keep it in your pants yet?"

"Please." Troy scoffed. "You're one to talk."

"At least my dalliances are behind closed doors. Not front page on a gossip rag."

"It was fifth page, and it was a blind item. No one even knew it was me."

"Believe me, they knew," Kendall replied dryly.

Troy shrugged. "Well, that's the least of my problems."

"I'm afraid to ask."

"I sort of… got into a fight with Sam last night and walked off the set."

"Are you fucking kidding me Troy? Again? What the hell did you fight about?"

"Well, me and Molly-"

"Molly? Oh this ought to be good."

"We, uh, had this little scam going with the crew. And he caught wind of it."

"What kind of scam?"

"She'd pocket their wallets and I'd open up cards in their name."

"Oh Jesus Christ. What was she even doing there?"

"I got her a job doing makeup on the set."

"We already had a problem with Liam," Kendall reminded him. "And now Molly? Don't you think people are going to notice?"

"Listen, we've been doing it for months and it's been totally fine… until a couple of the guys realized they lost their wallets before we could put them back in time. They called their banks to cancel their cards, and the next thing we knew everyone was catching on."

"God damn it, didn't Cormac teach you better than this? And how many times have I told you that you need to think bigger? These little nickel and dime schemes were fine when we were kids, but we're in the big leagues now. Why the hell do you think I got you this role in the first place?"

"Look, it's fine. Molly took the fall and I got her out of there in time. But then…"

Kendall sighed again. "Lay it on me."

"Well, things got a little… complicated after that. I got really wasted and- hang on." Troy held the phone away from his ear, listening carefully. "I've got to go," he whispered. "She just woke up. I'll call you back in a bit."

"Who just woke up?" Kendall asked. "Troy? Hello?" She hung up her phone, scowling into her vanity mirror. "Fucking idiot."

xxXxx

The Echolls farmhouse was a marvel. Although large and luxurious, it somehow felt warm and not at all pretentious. It was the polar opposite of Kendall's house, which had been an overt attempt at grandeur.

From her vantage point in the foyer, Veronica noticed the same fusion of traditional and modern architecture that she'd glimpsed on the exterior of the house the previous day. Timeless features like rough-hewn oak beams on the vaulted ceiling and wide plank walnut flooring blended with contemporary items like black steel window frames and custom light fixtures.

Heather had greeted them at the door, as outwardly excited as Veronica secretly felt. "Logan is tied up with the caterers," she informed them, "but he told me I should show you guys around."

And so they embarked on the grand tour. She led them downstairs first, showing them the game room, theatre, wine cellar and gym. From there they traveled back to the first floor, walking through the foyer to the great room beyond.

A grey stone fireplace against the back wall led the eye all the way up, to a twenty foot vaulted wooden ceiling. Soft white couches and chairs were set up facing the fireplace, with a huge flat-screen TV mounted above. Natural light streamed into the room through expansive windows on the second story, as well as a pair of French doors on either side of the fireplace.

Heather took them through one set of doors to a stone patio. An outdoor fireplace was set back-to-back with the interior one, a fire currently blazing in its hearth. Situated only a few feet from an inground stone hot tub and swimming pool, Veronica could imagine just how romantic the setting would be on a crisp fall evening.

"The pool house is over there," Heather said, pointing while she walked, "and then there's a trail that leads down to the other houses."

"Other houses?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, the guest house- that was actually the original house on the property- and the carriage house. That's where the Sinclairs live. They take care of everything around here, since we're gone so much."

A bit dazed, Veronica simply nodded. She trailed behind her aunt and uncle as they followed Heather back inside, taking it all in.

When they reentered the house, Heather gestured towards the kitchen and dining room on their left. "It's crazy over there right now," she informed them. "Let's skip it and I'll show you the upstairs instead."

She steered them to the second floor landing, where a loft overlooked the great room. The attached study led to an outdoor terrace, complete with ample seating and a small fountain. Down the hall they came to Logan's office and a library that opened onto another terrace.

Heather waved her hand towards the area beyond. "That part of the house is all bedrooms," she told them. "And some of them are occupied so we can't look right now. But c'mon, let me show you Logan's room."

Veronica almost protested, knowing how he was about his privacy. But curiosity won out, and before she knew it they were ascending another flight of stairs.

"This whole floor is his," Heather told them without a hint of envy. "Isn't it nice?"

"Nice" was an understatement. A wide hallway connected Logan's bedroom to a comfortable sitting room, complete with a fireplace and television. His bathroom, though not nearly as grand as the one at the hotel, was clean and comfortable. Light grey herringbone tile patterned the walls, and a glossy white freestanding tub sat by the window beside a large glass shower with a seat.

His bedroom was extremely neat. A king-sized bed with a navy and white comforter was centered against the back wall, with two large canvases she recognized as Luke's artwork mounted above the bed. Floating shelves displaying books and other various items lined the wall on her right, and to her left was a closet that took up the entire length of the room.

French doors on the wall opposite his bed led to yet another terrace, this one completely private from the rest of the house. Veronica walked over to the doors and looked out. A sofa and several chairs sat beneath a pergola that took up roughly half of the terrace. A stone fire table and a couple more chairs were set up on the uncovered section, surrounded by potted bushes and plants.

Again, it was all too easy to picture the possibilities. Having tea with Logan on the terrace, or warming up next to the fire after a walk through the vineyards. She turned away from the doors, glancing down the hall. Unwinding with a book beside him on the couch. Staring at the treetops while I take a bath.

Her eyes strayed towards his bed. And then, of course, there are the other activities that would go on in here… Trying desperately to reign in her imagination, Veronica forced herself to focus on what Heather was saying.

"…picks up something interesting every time he's in a new country," she told them, gesturing to the shelves. "As you can see, he travels a lot."

"Well," Hank said, putting his hands on his hips and raising his brows. "This house is truly spectacular. Thank you for showing us around."

"I'm glad you like it," Heather replied politely. She glanced over at Veronica, who had remained largely silent during their tour. "So, um, what do you think?"

Veronica's eyes journeyed from the shelves full of exotic art to the sun-drenched terrace, then back to Heather. "I think it's perfect."

"I'm glad you approve," Logan spoke up from behind her. "I know how difficult you are to impress." He took a step closer to her, a smile meant just for her upon his lips. "The few times I've actually managed to accomplish it have meant a lot to me."

Veronica looked down, feeling the blush creep into her cheeks. She wondered how long he'd been standing in the doorway. Long enough to see me staring lasciviously at his bed?

When she felt composed enough, she glanced up at him. "Your home is a work of art," she told him. "Truly."

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "My mom designed it; all I did was hire the right people to build it and decorate it, a few years ago." He turned towards Hank and Alicia. "If you're finished, we've got everything ready to go downstairs."

They made their way down to the kitchen, where a long stretch of sleek flat-panel cabinets and an enormous island capped with pendant lights opened directly to the dining room. The table was set for nine guests, four of whom were already seated.

Veronica forced a smile and approached the table. "Hello."

"Veronica," Trina greeted her, standing to place a kiss on her cheek. "We were surprised to hear you were coming today."

"Extremely," Madison added. She remained seated.

Veronica ignored her, walking over to give Duncan a hug and managing a passable smile for Conner.

"It's just such an… odd coincidence," Madison continued, "that you happened to be in the area."

"Not really," she replied with a shrug. "My aunt grew up around here."

"Oh. How sweet."

"Veronica," Heather called. She gestured for her to come to the other side of the table, and Veronica gladly complied.

Logan introduced Hank and Alicia to the others, taking the seat at the head of the table adjacent to Veronica. Heather sat down to her right, with Madison and Trina directly opposite her.

The caterers appeared as soon as they were all seated, offering dishes to each of them in turn. There was an elaborate array of food; from lobster benedict and beignets, to beef carpaccio and ahi tuna rolls. Veronica said yes to nearly everything, eager to taste it all.

But when one of the servers came out with a platter of arugula pesto pasta, Logan shook his head. "Do you mind taking this away?" he asked. "She's allergic."

"Certainly, sir," he replied. "Our apologies."

"Logan," Veronica protested. "It can be on the table."

"Well, I'd rather not take any chances," he said with a grin.

She smiled back, her gaze lingering on him. He was in his element, here. Making easy conversation with his guests, none of that coiled tension she used to sense just beneath the surface.

As she watched him take a sip of his water before responding to something Duncan said, it struck her that she'd never met anyone before who had managed to surprise her so completely. Or who impresses me so thoroughly.

Veronica turned her attention back to Heather, who had been a lively companion during their meal. She'd enjoyed talking with her very much.

"It's so nice to have people here," Heather told her now. "We never have people here. Which is weird, because Logan knows, like, everyone. So, he said you guys met on a boat?"

"No," Veronica corrected. "At a dance. A charity ball, actually."

"If you could call it that," Madison muttered.

"Oh, so he asked you to dance or something?"

"Or something," Veronica said, turning to Logan with a lifted brow.

"Hey, I asked eventually," he replied.

"And I said no," she reminded him.

Logan smirked. "The first time."

"He's a good dancer, isn't he?" Heather remarked. "Do you like to dance?"

"She prefers water volleyball," Logan said.

"Only when I have the right partner," Veronica countered.

"Ouch."

Madison watched their exchange closely, unable to keep the hostility out of her eyes. Feeling the heat of her stare, Veronica turned to Heather. "And what do you like to do?"

"Uh, I like music. And reading comic books, and watching TV. I used to ice skate." Heather laughed. "I don't know, I'm boring."

"I've only known you about three hours and I can already tell that's not true."

"You're so nice. And normal." Heather shook her head. "Some of the people Logan knows, from like Hollywood or whatever, are super weird."

"So you're not interested in the movie industry at all?"

"No, I don't think so. I mean, maybe the stuff Logan does, but I definitely don't want to be an actress or anything. My friend Hannah does, and I think she's nuts."

"Hannah?"

"Mmm-hmm. She lives in L.A. sometimes, so I don't get to see her too much. But Logan promised to take me out there the next time he goes." Heather gave her a conspiratorial smile and lowered her voice. "She wants me to meet this girl she's into, Lauren? Her dad is doing a movie with my brother."

Veronica blinked. "Are you talking about Lauren Mackenzie? And Hannah O'Dell?"

Heather slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide. "Oh my god, you know Lauren. Oh my god, she's your cousin. Logan told me Sam was your uncle, but I completely forgot." She grabbed Veronica's arm. "Please don't say anything, okay? No one knows Hannah likes girls except for me."

Veronica mimed zipping her lips. "It's in the vault," she promised.

She looked down at her plate, taking a forkful of mushroom risotto. Lauren and Hannah, huh? I guess they got along better than I realized when we were in L.A. And the gossip rags were really barking up the wrong tree, trying to pair up Hannah with Logan…

"So, Veronica," Madison addressed her from across the table. "Are you still dating Troy Vandegraff?"

Heather's fork clattered loudly onto her plate, startling the other guests and causing them to look her way.

Furious on her behalf, Veronica fought to suppress it when she looked at Madison. "I was never dating him," she said coldly.

"My mistake."

Everyone except Heather and Logan went back to their meal. He eyed his sister with concern, trying to catch her eye to see if she was okay. Yet Heather turned to Veronica instead.

"You know Troy?" she asked quietly.

Veronica's mouth drew into a thin line. "I thought I did," she replied. "Turns out, he isn't the person he pretended to be."

"No. He isn't."

"Some guys are really good at making you feel special, aren't they?" Veronica said. "So good that you don't even realize that they're not special at all."

Heather looked up at her, nodding slowly. "Yeah. I know exactly what you mean."

Veronica offered her a kind smile. Duncan got Heather's attention from the other end of the table, and Veronica took the opportunity to glance over at Logan.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I think she needed to hear that from someone who isn't me or her therapist." He paused. "And I hope you don't think that's true of all guys."

"No," she replied, looking from his right eye to his left. "I've recently been convinced otherwise."

Logan stared at her, trying- as always- to interpret her words. And slowly becoming more confident that he still had reason to hope.

xxXxx

The remainder of their meal continued with no additional drama. When the main course was over, Logan suggested they have dessert and coffee out on the patio. The day was unseasonably warm, so they all agreed that it was a good plan.

When the servers began to clear the table, Veronica excused herself to use the restroom. When she opened the door to step back out into the hallway, she discovered that Conner was blocking her path.

"You didn't need to wait," Veronica said. "According to Heather, there are eight bathrooms in this house."

Conner smiled, taking a step closer to her. "I was hoping for a minute alone with you."

Veronica took a deep breath, standing her ground and looking up at him. "Knock it off," she demanded.

"What?"

"I don't know where you got the idea, but I'm not interested in you. And I never was."

Conner scowled. "Bullshit. You were so hot for me at our party you could barely stand it."

"No," she corrected. "I was stalling while I looked around for a weapon. Because this here, what you're doing? Cornering me when I'm alone? It's fucking creepy and it's like the third time you've done it to me. Take a hint."

Conner blinked at her, looking confused. Veronica wondered if he'd ever been rejected, before. He shook his head and took another step towards her.

Veronica held up her hand. "That's close enough. If you try anything, I'll scream. I don't think your wife will be impressed."

Conner stopped short. That had gotten his attention. Finally recognizing the precarious position he was in, he forced a laugh. "Whoa, you seriously need to chill. I was just saying hi."

He stepped aside, gesturing for Veronica to move past him. As he watched her walk away, his expression darkened. When she was out of earshot, he muttered, "Bitch." Then he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.

Unbeknownst to him, Logan had witnessed the entire exchange from his vantage point in the loft above them. He grabbed the sweater Heather had sent him to retrieve off the couch and walked back down the hallway, examining past memories of Conner and Veronica in a completely new light.

xxXxx

The seating arrangements had changed for dessert. Veronica was still to Logan's right, but now Hank and Alicia sat opposite her and Duncan was to her right. While they waited for the servers to come out with the food, conversation flowed smoothly.

Just as they had the day before, Logan and Hank got along quite well. The two men found one another equally fascinating, and there was no shortage of questions on each side.

"So you teach… crime?" Logan asked. "Professionally?"

"Well the goal isn't to teach people how to commit crime," Hank corrected. "It's to teach them how to solve it."

"But is that something you can really learn? I mean, don't you have to have a knack for it, like… Sherlock Holmes?"

"To a degree. There are personality traits that do make some people more capable of solving crime than others. Attention to detail, good focus, use of logic, the ability to think outside the box. But we do our best to help people hone the tools they already have, as well as learn new strategies."

"He's being modest," Alicia spoke up. "He's one of the best criminal profilers in the country. The FBI consults with him constantly."

"He does a lot of talking heads," Veronica added. "He has a whole following online."

"It's not as glamorous as they're making it sound," Hank told Logan. "Most days it's grading papers and trying to keep students' attention during lectures. I'm sure what you do is far more interesting. Sam tells me you're something of a prodigy."

Logan laughed. "Hardly. I just…" He shrugged. "I don't know. I grew up on movie sets, and I paid a lot of attention. I feel lucky that I get a chance to do it, honestly. Most people have to pay their dues for years; I don't think I have the patience for that."

"I can only imagine the hoops people have to jump through, in your industry," Hank said. "Sam has told me some very interesting stories about his time moving through the ranks."

Logan laughed. "Yeah, like the one about Bruce Willis, back in the day?"

"It's a miracle they didn't kill each other."

Logan's smile faded. "There are definitely actors who don't know how good they have it, that's for sure." He glanced over at Heather, his expression darkening. "And sometimes they don't know when to stop pushing their luck."

Veronica watched him, certain that Logan was referring to something specific. Something about Troy. Before she could press, Logan changed the subject.

"So what was your favorite wine yesterday?" he addressed Alicia. "I'd like to send you guys home with a couple of cases."

Hank and Alicia exchanged glances, trying their best not to look too excited. "No, please, that's too generous," she protested, rather half-heartedly.

"Either you tell me," Logan began, a mischievous expression on his face, "or I'm going to find out your address and have one case of everything shipped right to your home."

"What a terrible punishment," Hank replied with a laugh. He turned to Alicia. "What do you think, honey? The Cabernet?"

"Definitely."

"Excellent choice." Logan pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed rapidly for a moment, before looking back up at them. "Go see Claire on your way out, she'll take care of you."

Wondering who Claire was, Veronica finally spoke up. "Logan, you really don't have to do that."

"It's already done," he replied. "Besides, it's my way of saying thank you to your aunt for hosting Luke's first show. And for being so accommodating with your schedule, this weekend."

"I'm glad we got to stay," Veronica said. "It's been very… enlightening."

Logan smiled, his eyes still locked on hers. "I'm happy to hear that."

The din of conversation quieted as they continued to look at one another, several other members of their party glancing up to see why it had become so hushed. Madison scowled and Heather smiled, while Hank and Alicia silently telegraphed their growing understanding of the situation to one another.

Unaware of the attention on them, Logan and Veronica eventually separated their gaze and continued conversing with the others. The servers began a steady stream of offerings, in the form of bite-sized delights like chocolate tortes and raspberry cheesecake.

As Logan discussed the possibility of a farm-to-table restaurant at the vineyards in the future with Hank, and Duncan continued to try and glean information about Meg from Veronica, Alicia received a phone call and excused herself from the table.

When she returned, several minutes later, she didn't take her seat. Instead, she turned to Veronica. "I'm so sorry, but something came up at the gallery. We're going to have to go back to the hotel so I can deal with this."

"Oh," Veronica said, feeling quite crestfallen. "Okay."

Catching her reaction, Alicia hesitated. "But I hate for you to miss the rest of dessert…" She glanced at her husband, an idea forming. "Listen, why don't I leave my car here for you? Hank and I will take an Uber back to the hotel."

"My driver can take you," Logan offered. "I'll call him right now."

Alicia protested, but he wouldn't hear it. And the next thing Veronica knew, her aunt and uncle were thanking Logan again for his generosity and heading out front to meet his driver. The meal was over shortly after that, the majority of the guests opting to go back inside for a drink.

Logan walked over to Veronica, who was standing in front of the fire. "C'mon inside," he invited. "We've got wine, champagne…" He bobbed his eyebrows suggestively. "Or tequila, if you're feeling frisky."

"Very funny," she replied. "But I can't. I have to drive, remember?"

"Oh, right. Well… how about I drive your aunt's car back? My driver can pick me up."

Veronica knew she should politely decline; yet she was willing to take any excuse she could to spend more time with him. "Okay."

"Good. Now that that's settled…"

Logan trailed off, whatever he'd been about to say forgotten. His attention became diverted, his eyes focused on a spot in the near distance. Veronica turned to see what he was looking at, discovering a middle-aged woman walking up the trail in the woods.

"C'mere," Logan said. "There's someone I want you to meet."

They met the woman halfway, by the entrance to the pool house. To Veronica's surprise, she greeted Logan with a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said. "I wish you'd tell us ahead of time when you're planning to come up here. I was at my sister's house in Albany when Neal called to tell me – a house full of people! You can imagine my surprise. And I wasn't here to help…"

He laughed lightly. "We managed just fine," he assured her. "And the place was spotless, as always."

"You promise me you ate dinner last night?"

"I promise. Mrs. Sinclair, this is Veronica. She's visiting from California."

She shook Veronica's hand, her grip firm. "Nice to meet you, honey. I apologize if there wasn't enough food in the house when you got here. He's supposed to let me know, so I can prepare." She turned to Logan. "Did you at least remember to give your girlfriend clean towels this morning?"

"Oh," Veronica said. She glanced at Logan, who looked more amused than anything else. "We're not…I mean, I'm not staying here. I'm at the hotel down the road."

"I'm so sorry," Mrs. Sinclair said. "I shouldn't have assumed-"

"Logan!" Trina called from the house. "What's the code for the wine cellar?"

"Yeah, that's not happening," Logan muttered. To Trina, he replied, "I'll be right there!"

"Go ahead," Veronica urged. "I'll catch up in a minute."

When he was out of earshot, Mrs. Sinclair took her arm. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, dear. You seem like such a lovely girl that I hoped…"

"It's totally fine, don't worry about it."

"I just can't help acting like a mother hen when it comes to those kids." She shook her head. "What happened to their parents… it was such a tragedy."

"It was," Veronica said softly. "Did you know them?"

"Oh, yes. Lynn was a lovely woman. She would be so proud of her children, if she could see them today." Her eyes followed Logan as he walked back up the path, watching him until he opened up the door and disappeared into the house. "He's a good soul. But so lonely… I worry about him."

Mrs. Sinclair snapped out of her reverie. She smiled at Veronica, patting her on the arm. "It was very nice to meet you. Enjoy your visit."

"You don't want to come inside?"

"No, no, you kids have a good time. I'll stop by later to make sure everything is tidied up."

She smiled at Veronica and turned around, heading back down the path towards the carriage house. As Veronica walked in the other direction, towards the main house, she found herself considering Logan from yet another perspective. An orphan, afraid to let anyone get too close to him. But willing, maybe, to let me in.

xxXxx

When Veronica went back inside, Logan was nowhere to be found. Voices to her left told her most of the guests were currently in the kitchen area. Unsure what to do with herself or where to go, she lingered in the great room for a moment. She took a seat on one of the couches, which was surprisingly comfortable, and glanced around the room.

Aside from the spectacular ceiling above her, the rest of the room was rather understated. Several black and white photos of Logan's family sat on the mantle, next to a vase of fresh flowers. There was a soft throw on the back of the couch and a deck of cards on the end table. It looked like a functioning room that actually got used, not a museum.

Logan leaned against the door jamb across the room with a glass of wine in hand, watching Veronica. As endearing as it was, to see her so at ease in his home, it also evoked a stronger sensation within him. A powerful desire to share all of this with her, one day. To be her partner; her equal. A prospect he'd never dared to dream of, before he'd met her.

Terrified of the intensity of that wish, Logan stood up straight and exhaled, willing himself to appear calm. He walked across the room and held the wine glass out for her, hoping she wouldn't notice his inner turmoil.

"If memory serves, you prefer pinot?"

"I do," she replied, accepting the glass. "Thank you."

"Conner's trying to get a poker game going," Logan informed her, lifting his chin in the direction of the kitchen. "You want to make our escape now?"

"Definitely."

"Follow me," he instructed. "I've got the perfect hiding place."

Veronica stood up, trailing just behind Logan as he led her up the stairs. For a brief moment, she wondered if he was taking her to his bedroom. And for a less brief moment, she imagined a number of activities they might engage in together, if he did.

Yet he stopped on the second floor, heading down the hall to the library. They stepped inside and he closed the door behind them. Thinking this was nearly as private as his bedroom, Veronica considered that maybe she hadn't been that far off in his intentions after all.

"They'll never look for us in here," Logan said. "You want to go sit outside?"

"Uh, sure. Okay."

They walked through the French doors and onto the terrace. It was the largest of the three, yet the least private. A second set of doors off to the right connected it to the area of the house Veronica hadn't seen, where all of the bedrooms were.

A large U-shaped couch skirted the interior of the space, with raised flower beds opposite. At the center was a stone fire table, identical to the one she'd spied on Logan's terrace. From their vantage point, another stunning view of the autumn foliage and distant mountains surrounded them.

Veronica took a sip of her wine, trying to still the butterflies in her stomach, and sat down on the couch beside Logan. "Just so you know," she began, "I happen to be an excellent poker player."

One corner of Logan's mouth turned up in a half-smile. "I never doubted it for a second," he replied. "I'm protecting them from you; not the other way around."

She tilted her head. "And how, precisely, do you know my skill level? I don't recall ever playing a game in your presence."

"No. But you have all the hallmarks of a great con-woman."

"Is that so?"

"Absolutely." Logan stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. "Of course, you'd never beat me. I'd figure out your tell." He raised an eyebrow at her. "People think I'm just a pretty face, but I'm actually very observant."

"Right," Veronica agreed dryly. "One of the many qualities that you love about yourself, I'm sure."

"It is one of my better traits."

Veronica rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine, beginning to feel more relaxed. It was easy when it was like this, with him. Light, fun. No talk of past grievances or future prospects. Just the two of us, enjoying a beautiful fall day together.

"So, you like it here?" Logan asked.

"Very much."

He nodded. "Somehow I knew, if you ever saw this place, that you'd love it as much as I do."

"It's gorgeous." She gestured to the landscape before them. "I don't think I could ever get sick of this view."

Logan paused, studying her in silence for a moment. Keeping his tone light, he asked, "Does that mean you've reconsidered going to an east coast school?"

Veronica glanced down at her glass, her momentary feeling of tranquility slipping away. Because this thing with Logan, it wasn't sweet and easy. It's about as complicated as it gets. And I need to figure out what, exactly, we both want.

Her eyes flitted up to meet his gaze. "I have."

Logan's heart skipped a beat, wondering if he was interpreting her words correctly. "Have you been accepted anywhere yet, or…?"

"No. I, um, haven't actually applied yet. It was a… recent decision."

"Well they'll take you," Logan said, trying to hide his excitement. "I mean, they'll be lucky to have you."

Veronica laughed lightly, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders. "You don't even know what kind of grades I get."

"I know you're brilliant," he replied. He flashed her a smile. "I mean, you're hanging out with me, right?"

"You're ridiculous. But thank you for the vote of confidence."

Veronica took a long sip of her wine, trying to pretend she didn't notice Logan's eyes on her. She still wasn't sure what he found so fascinating, but she realized with a rush that she loved the way he looked at her. How his gaze followed her movements, so often accompanied by that secretive little smile of his.

She felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket and transferred her wine glass to her left hand to retrieve it. When she looked down at the name on the display, she felt a rush of disappointment. She picked up the phone, trying not to sound too dejected.

"Hey Alicia, what's up?"

"Hi, sweetie, are you having fun?"

Veronica's eyes flickered to Logan, who was definitely listening. "I am."

"Good, good. Uh, listen, I hate to drag you away from your friends, but I really do need to get back to the city. I've got a buyer coming in unexpectedly tonight."

"Oh. Okay, I understand."

"Do you think you can be ready to go in about an hour? Hank and I want to take a little walk by the lake before we go."

"Sure, no problem. See you soon."

Veronica hung up the phone and slid it back into her pocket. She knew, from Logan's expression, that he'd heard every word.

"Time to hit the road?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Logan stood up, offering her his hand. She accepted it, allowing him to pull her into a standing position. He held her hand lightly for a moment, prompting that now-familiar tingle up Veronica's spine.

Yet his expression was rather solemn, and he made no move to kiss her. Instead he dropped her hand abruptly, giving her a tight smile. "C'mon," he said. "We don't want to keep your aunt and uncle waiting."

xxXxx

After a pleasant goodbye with Heather and Duncan, and a far less pleasant goodbye with the others, Veronica and Logan took their leave. It was a short drive back to the hotel. Despite her growing certainty that they desperately needed to have a conversation, they spent the drive making small talk about music and TV shows.

Veronica was well aware of the fact that she was stalling. But things had been so pleasant between them, the past couple of days. It was tempting to stay in this little bubble with Logan. Because if we don't want the same things, then…pop. No more bubble.

When they arrived back at the hotel, Logan pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car. He glanced over at Veronica, unsure what to do next. Before he'd figured out what to say, Veronica spoke up.

"I don't have to leave for almost an hour," she told him. "Do you want to come up to the room for a cup of coffee?"

Logan raised one eyebrow, and she added in a rush, "I mean, for coffee coffee. Not-"

"Sex coffee?" he supplied with a grin.

"Right." She laughed nervously. "Isn't that a band? Sex Coffee?"

"I think you're thinking of Sex and Candy. The song."

"Oh, right."

"To answer your question, yes. I'd love to have a cup of shitty instant coffee with you."

"It's a Keurig, I'll have you know."

"Fancy."

"Well somebody decided our room needed an upgrade."

"Sounds like a nice guy."

"Maybe he is," Veronica acknowledged with a smile. She shook her head. "If you'd told me a week ago that I'd be sitting in my aunt's Honda Civic with you…"

"Yeah," Logan said softly. "I know what you mean." He glanced around. "You know, I don't think I've ever been in a Civic before."

"Ah, yes. I imagine this is well below your paygrade."

"No, I just meant-"

"I'm teasing you," she said. "But out of curiosity, how many cars do you own?

"Um, I don't know," he answered vaguely. "A few." Off her look, he sighed. "You're just going to accuse me of being vain."

"I won't. I promise."

"Twenty-two," he admitted. "But fifteen of those were my Dad's."

"And the other seven?"

Logan grinned, giving her a little half shrug. "What can I say? I like to go fast."

"Well as much as I've enjoyed parking with you, Biff, I'm not that kind of girl."

He chuckled, pulling the keys out of the ignition and handing them to Veronica. They got out of the car and headed towards the hotel, making their way to the elevator. When they stepped inside with the other passengers, she nodded towards the keypad. "I'm on six."

"Yeah, I was here this morning," he reminded her, hitting the button.

"Oh, right."

Veronica glanced up at him, feeling inordinately nervous. She wasn't sure why she'd failed to mention that they'd have the room to themselves, but the prospect of being truly alone with Logan loomed large in her mind. With each floor they ascended, her anticipation grew.

She looked up at him again, taking the opportunity to study him as he faced forward. His profile was so classic; like something off an old Roman coin. God, has he always been this handsome?

They arrived on the sixth floor and walked down the hallway towards the room, Veronica busying herself with fishing the key card out of her wallet. When they entered the room, Logan glanced around.

"Are they upstairs?" he asked.

"Uh, no," she replied. "They went out for a walk."

"Oh."

Not wanting to make any assumptions, Logan decided to take a seat on the couch. This is the part where we finally talk, he realized. But she needs to take the lead.

He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, assuming that her feelings for him mirrored his own. He especially didn't want to risk destroying whatever goodwill he'd managed to garner over the past two days. If all she wants is friendship, I'll respect that. It would be painful, but he'd learn to live with it so he could keep her in his life.

Yet Veronica didn't appear ready to talk. She stared out the sitting room window at the mountains, her expression inscrutable. After a moment, she finally spoke.

"I wish I didn't have to leave."

Taken aback, Logan shifted his body to face her more fully. "If you're serious about that, maybe you don't."

She turned towards him. "What do you mean?"

"You said your flight's not until Tuesday, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, we're all heading back to the city tomorrow night. You could just hitch a ride with me and Heather."

When Veronica didn't respond right away, he looked down to hide his doubt. He picked up the decorative pillow next to him, running his thumb along the piping while he worked up the nerve to continue. "I can book this room for another night," he offered. "Or… if you'd rather, there's plenty of room at my place."

Veronica stared at him, unsure what to make of that invitation. Should I stay, one more night? Allow this… thing with Logan to play out a little longer? Delay our inevitable conversation one more day?

"I…" She cleared her throat. "I don't want to intrude."

"Are you kidding? Heather would be thrilled."

"Well, what are you guys doing tomorrow?"

"Uh, skydiving, actually."

Veronica crossed her arms over her chest. "Your life isn't like other people's lives, is it."

"What?" he asked innocently. "Lots of people skydive. It doesn't make me an elitist."

"No," she agreed. "But the helipad, the forty acres, the vineyard, the production company…"

"Alright, alright. Point taken." Logan set the pillow back down and glanced up at her, trying not to appear too eager. "So what do you think? There's a skydiving ranch right down the road from here and the weather's supposed to be perfect. It's one hell of a view."

"I bet." It was so tempting to accept; but her pragmatism rose to the forefront. "I'd better check with my aunt and uncle. I'm supposed to be staying with them, and I'm not sure how they'd feel about leaving me here alone."

"No, of course," he replied, disappointment coursing through him. "I totally understand."

Suddenly restless, Veronica walked over to the coffee maker. She opened up the cabinet to see their options, grateful that the door momentarily blocked her face from Logan's view. She shut her eyes tight, already regretting her response. If she was being honest with herself, it was fear that had stopped her from accepting outright.

Because if I say yes, and I spend the night at his house… something will happen.

She opened her eyes, finally ready to face the truth. Something was already happening, between them. Something legitimate. I need to ask him if his feelings for me remain. And I need to tell him that my own feelings towards him have changed, quite drastically.

Suddenly aware that she hadn't spoken for over a minute, Veronica grabbed two mugs out of the cabinet and shut the door. "So. Regular or dark roast?"

"Dark," he replied. "With a couple of sugars, please."

"You got it."

She reopened the cabinet door, taking two K-cups out of the box, and turned on the machine. When she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, she pulled it out distractedly. It was probably Alicia, giving her a heads up that they were on their way back.

But it was Meg. Frowning at the display, she glanced over at Logan. "It's my sister," she explained, holding up her phone. "I'm sorry, I should take this. She gets worried when I don't answer."

"No, of course." Logan stood up. "I should probably get going anyway. Think about what I said and let me know, alright?"

Veronica hesitated, looking from Logan to her phone, then back. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to him yet; not like this. We still need to talk.

She held up her index finger. "Just…give me one second, okay?"

Veronica took the call, pressing the phone to her ear. "Hey, Meg, do you think I can call you right back?"

Logan was shaking his head, his good manners prevailing over his desire to stay. "Talk to her," he urged softly. "I'll go."

Meg was speaking. Yet Veronica was too distracted to listen, watching Logan put his jacket on. Clothing looked so good on him. But she had a sneaking suspicion he looked even better without it.

She placed her hand over the mouthpiece, walking back into the sitting room to stand beside Logan. "Hank and Alicia should be back any minute," she said quietly. "And I think… I mean, I don't see any reason why they won't let me stay one more day."

He looked at her carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she replied, without hesitation. "I'm sure."

Logan smiled. "Okay then. I'll, uh, go explore downstairs for a bit. Give you a chance to talk to them."

Veronica nodded, feeling excitement bubbling within her like champagne. "I'll call you as soon as I know."

Logan cocked his head to one side."I wasn't sure you still had my number."

"Well, I do," Veronica returned playfully. She wanted to say more, but it was hard to concentrate with Meg talking in her ear.

"…not going to involve the authorities just yet, because we're still not a hundred percent sure what's going on…"

"Wait a minute," Veronica said, her attention now fully on Meg. "What?"

Meg sighed into the phone. "I know. I'm not sure how I feel about that decision either. I mean, if anything happens to her…"

"Who?"

"Lilly," Meg replied. "Haven't you been listening?"

Veronica frowned, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Can you start from the beginning again?"

Her sister began to talk. And with every word, Veronica felt more uneasy. She sunk down onto the couch, gripping her phone tightly while she listened to Meg's tale.

Logan approached her, crouching down so he was at her eye level. His brow was furrowed, his concern evident. "Hey," he whispered. "Is everything okay?"

Veronica shook her head no.

He moved to sit beside her, taking hold of her free hand. He sat like that, stroking the top of her hand lightly with his thumb, until she finished her conversation. When she finally hung up, she turned to look at him with a dazed expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly. "What can I do?"

"Lilly… ran off with Troy," Veronica replied. "They're missing."

Logan gripped her hand more tightly, his face full of emotion. "Tell me everything."

xxXxx

"Finally," Kendall said. "I've been waiting forever."

"Sorry," Troy replied, laughing lightly into the phone. "She's uh, kind of a handful."

Kendall was unimpressed. "So, which little slut did you convince to sleep with you this time?"

Troy glanced at the closed bathroom door, making sure the water was still running. Once he was sure she was still in the shower, he replied. "Well, after that whole thing went down with Molly, I was pretty pissed off. You know? Sam can't talk to me like that."

"Actually, he can. He's your boss. And you were stealing from his crew."

"Whatever. He's a hack."

"If there's a point to all of this, can we get there already?" Kendall demanded. "I've got places to be."

"Fine. I got really wasted last night and left the island with his niece. Lilly Mars."

"Mars?" Kendall thought for a moment, wondering why the name sounded familiar. And then she recalled a petite blonde teenager, who had seemed friendlier with Logan than she'd cared for. "Any relation to Veronica Mars?"

"It's her younger sister," Troy confirmed.

"How younger?"

"Well, that's the complicated part. She's fifteen."

Kendall sighed heavily. "Again with this shit, Troy? Really?"

"Okay, hypocrite."

"That was a very special exception." Kendall paused. "So, let me get this straight. Not only did you walk off the movie the day after Logan threatened to sue you, you also absconded with the director's fifteen year old niece?"

"She's almost sixteen…"

"Really not the essential point of my recap."

"Look, I didn't kidnap her or anything, okay? She was totally down to go. But now…"

"Yeah. But now you've stepped in a pile of shit and you don't know how to get your stupid Vans clean."

"C'mon, Kendall," Troy pleaded. "You owe me."

"Since when?"

"If it wasn't for my father, you never would have met Aaron Echolls," he reminded her. "You'd still be stripping at some seedy club in L.A."

"And you wouldn't be represented by the hottest talent agency in Hollywood," she snapped. "Which, may I remind you, landed you a leading role in what's shaping up to be one of the biggest indie films of the year. I'd say we're even." Kendall paused. "And it was dancing, not stripping."

"Sure it was."

"Look, we both know I've paid back my debt to your parents several times over at this point." Kendall took a breath, calming slightly. "But- lucky for you- I've got a stake in your career now. So I'm going to help you. Where are you right now?"

"At a hotel in Kauai."

"And no one knows where you are?"

"Not a soul," he replied. "I paid cash and used a different name."

"Good. Now shut up a second so I can think."

There was a long silence while Kendall considered and discarded a variety of plans. Troy grew antsy waiting, as he sat in bed. Despite his bravado, he knew he was in trouble. And for once, he wasn't sure how to worm his way out of it.

"Okay," Kendall finally said. "I just thought of a way to solve all of your problems. Here's what you're going to do."

xxXxx

When Veronica was done talking, Logan let go of her hands. He stood up, staring out the window in silence. Then he looked down at Veronica. "We need to get you back to Neptune."

"Yeah," she agreed. "I guess I'll… leave with Hank and Alicia after all. Try to change my flight to today."

"No," he replied. "Come back to the house with me. We can have a helicopter there in a half hour. It'll get you to the airport and we'll put you on our private jet."

"Logan…"

"It's the quickest way for you to get home."

"But I can't-"

"Please, let me do this for you," he entreated. "If I'd told you about Troy from the beginning, he wouldn't have weaseled his way into the lives of your friends and family in the first place."

Veronica shook her head. "Don't do that. This isn't your fault."

But Logan wasn't listening. He was running both hands through his hair, looking around as though he wanted to hit something.

"I should have kicked him off that damn movie as soon as I got involved," he muttered darkly. "If I thought for a second he was stupid enough to try this again…"

The reality of the situation hit Veronica in a rush, and she fought back tears as she imagined Troy with his hands all over her little sister. Despite what people thought, Lilly wasn't nearly as mature as she acted. She'd never had a serious boyfriend before, and Veronica was almost certain that she'd never had sex.

It would have been all too easy for him to seduce Lilly. She was smitten with all of the actors on set, and she'd made no secret of the fact that she thought Troy was cute. So there she is, alone on an island over two thousand miles from home... And there he is, watching her, in that brand new black bikini Mom bought for her…

"But why leave with her?" she said aloud.

Logan blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts and glancing over at her. When he realized she was close to tears, he went back to the couch to sit beside her. "What do you mean?"

"If Troy just wanted to hook up with Lilly, he could have accomplished that without anyone else knowing," Veronica began. "But taking her with him…"

Logan frowned. "You're right. It doesn't make any sense."

Veronica shook her head. "What was he even doing there?"

"That was my fault," Logan said softly. "We needed him to shoot one last scene in Oahu, so I… asked him to come out there at the last minute. I'm so sorry."

"Stop it," she protested. "You couldn't have known this would happen."

"Couldn't I?" he retorted bitterly.

Veronica frowned. But before she could object further, the door opened and her aunt and uncle walked in. She knew immediately, from the look on Alicia's face, that they'd also gotten a phone call.

Her aunt gave her a hug, managing a tight smile for Logan. "C'mon," Alicia urged. "We better get packed up and head down to the airport right away."

"Actually," Veronica replied, glancing at Logan. "We have another idea."

xxXxx

Alicia and Hank agreed with very little objection, relieved that Veronica would be able to get back to her family so quickly. While Logan was on the phone making arrangements, Veronica hurriedly packed up her few belongings.

She paused when she saw his fleece, hanging from the back of a chair. It was beginning to hit her that she was going to have to say goodbye to Logan today, after all. It was back to California for her; back to reality.

Tempted to stash his fleece in her bag, instead she zipped up her suitcase and pulled the jacket off the chair, heading out into the sitting room to find him.

Logan was just finishing up a call, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "We're all set," he informed her. "The pilot can be there in twenty minutes."

"Thank you." She held the jacket out to him. "Thanks for this, too."

"You keep that," he said, nodding towards the fleece. "It could get chilly on the flight." The ghost of his normal smile touched his lips. "You can add it to your collection."

It was a small gesture, but something about it touched her more deeply than all of his other, far grander, gestures combined. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.

The next thing she knew, she and Logan were in the back of a limousine on their way to the vineyard. Veronica was tense, checking her phone often and wondering what was going on at home.

Logan watched her, concerned. "Do you want anything?" he asked. "Water, or a drink or something?"

"No, I'm good. Thank you."

Veronica's phone rang, and Logan could see Meg's name on the display. She picked it up quickly. "Hey, any news?"

She was silent as she listened, but her face grew pale. Logan slid down the seat until he was right next to her, taking her free hand in his.

"But that means…" she said softly to Meg. "Right." After a beat, she continued. "Listen, I'm on my way home, okay? I'll call you back soon."

She hung up the phone and looked at Logan.

"Tell me," he urged.

"Gia admitted that she's been texting with Lilly this whole time. And Lilly just told her… that she's pregnant."

Logan stared at her.

"Apparently they're holed up in some hotel together. Gia thinks they're still in Hawaii, but Lilly won't say where." Veronica looked down at her hand, which Logan was still holding. "If she's pregnant, then this thing with them has been going on for months. Right under our noses. How the hell didn't we know?"

He let go of her hand, and her stomach dropped. This is too much for him to handle. This is exactly the type of scandal he's always trying to avoid. Veronica moved away slightly, retreating towards the corner of the seat and closing her jacket around herself more tightly.

Logan stared blankly out the window behind her. This was so much worse than he'd imagined- and what he'd been imagining was pretty bad. He fought to compose himself, not wanting to worry Veronica any more than she already was, and looked back at her. She looked smaller, somehow, her arms folded across her chest.

"So you never noticed Troy showing interest in her before?" he asked.

"No, not at all. He was always so focused on-" She stopped abruptly.

"You," he finished.

Logan looked out the window, again, thinking hard. What would drive Troy to pursue Lilly, aside from his obvious predilection for younger girls? She didn't have wealth or fame. She wasn't easy prey, some down-on-her-luck girl without friends and family. Was it revenge? Against Sam? Against me?

"I can't believe we let him into our home," Veronica said softly. She looked down, shaking her head in disgust. "God, I can't believe I…"

Logan's head snapped back in her direction, stricken by her words. Wait, is she saying…? Did they…?

He wasn't sure why, but it had never even occurred to him that Veronica may have had sex with Troy. The guilt he was already feeling intensified. If I had just told her the truth about him, the minute I saw him circling around her at that beach party… all of this could have been avoided.

But I said nothing. Because I was too proud to admit that I'd been taken in by him too.

Veronica glanced at Logan, wondering why he'd grown so silent. Her last words echoed in her mind, and she realized that what she'd just said sounded far worse than it had actually been. She looked at Logan carefully, trying to decide if she needed to set the record straight.

But the car was coming to a stop, and the helicopter was already waiting. They climbed out of the limo and walked over to the pilot, while the driver handled Veronica's bag. She glanced at the helicopter uneasily, and Logan remembered that this type of travel was all new to her.

"This is Trevor," Logan told her. "He's going to take you to Westchester Airport in White Plains. It's only about a half hour flight."

Veronica shook Trevor's outstretched hand. "Hi, I'm Veronica."

"Pleasure to meet you," he replied. "First time in a helicopter?"

She nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you." Trevor gave her a reassuring smile and clapped Logan on the back, walking away to help the driver with her bag.

"When you get to the airport," Logan continued, "you'll board our private jet to San Diego. It takes six hours. They'll get you anything you want on the plane, okay? Food, drinks, whatever. Just ask. I'm going to arrange for someone to pick you up from the airport and drive you home."

"Logan, no," she protested. "I'll have my dad-"

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Your family is going through enough. Please, let me do this for you."

She exhaled, nodding slowly. "Thank you. For everything."

"It's been really good to see you again, Veronica. Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Logan squeezed her shoulder and let go, afraid to say more. He knew it wasn't an appropriate time to talk about their relationship. But it concerned him, how… unresolved they were leaving things.

Veronica felt it too, a weight settling down upon her. Whatever progress they'd been making together had come to an abrupt halt, and there was a finality to their meeting which was making her feel very uneasy.

"We're all set," Trevor announced.

Logan stepped to the side, and the pilot helped Veronica on board. He gave her a little wave and walked back to the waiting limousine, turning around when he reached the door to watch the helicopter rise into the air. His eyes followed it as it ascended higher, banking right and disappearing from his sight.

xxXxx

After a very long day of travel, Veronica arrived home expecting to find the house in turmoil. Instead, it was completely silent. Meg greeted her at the door, updating her on the situation.

"You just missed Dad," Meg told her, taking her sister's bag and setting it down beside the door. "He's getting on a plane to Hawaii tonight. He wants to talk to some of the people at the hotel; see if anyone remembers anything that could help."

Veronica nodded. "Where's Mom?"

"She's having a rough time. I think she's sleeping now."

"So… she got completely wasted and passed out?" Veronica translated.

"Basically. Yeah."

"Gia?" she asked, glancing around the room. "Mandy?"

"Gia locked herself in her room after Dad yelled at her for not telling us what she knew. She's been up there for hours. Mandy had an anxiety attack and had to take a Xanax, so she's all spaced out watching TV."

Veronica sighed and squeezed Meg's hand. "I'm sorry you had to deal with all of this by yourself. Have you eaten?"

"No. I don't think I can. But maybe we should make something for the others."

Veronica nodded. "Okay. Let me go take my bag upstairs and then I'll come help you."

An hour later, the four girls sat at the dining room table in silence. Gia was the only one with an appetite, scooping a second helping of baked ziti onto her plate while the rest of them picked at it disinterestedly.

"Does this mean people are going to start talking about our family again?" Mandy spoke up, her eyes on Veronica. "The way they've been talking about Meg, but… worse?"

"Well," Meg began, "we don't really know wh-"

"Yes," Veronica interrupted. She knew Meg was trying to be diplomatic, but there was no reason to sugarcoat it. "That's exactly what it means."

"Are you kidding?" Gia scoffed. "Troy's gonna be a big movie star. Which means Lilly's gonna be crazy famous. She'll be all anyone talks about, not us."

"And do you really think people will have nice things to say?" Veronica countered.

Gia shrugged. "Whatever. I don't know what everyone is freaking out about."

Veronica and Meg exchanged glances.

"What Troy did was really wrong," Meg said. "You know that, right? Lilly's underage and he took advantage of her."

"It's important that you understand that," Veronica continued. "Really, really important."

"Lilly doesn't think it's wrong," Gia argued. "She was rubbing it in my face all morning, before she stopped texting me back." She sighed. "God. I can't believe she had sex before I did."

"It's illegal, Gia," Meg explained patiently. "Troy is nineteen, and Lilly is a minor. It's called statutory rape."

"Okay, so some stupid congressman or whatever picked some arbitrary cutoff age, and they get to tell us what we can and can't do with our own bodies? I thought you two were supposed to be feminists."

"You guys are fifteen, Gia," Veronica said.

"We'll be sixteen next month."

"Yeah," she replied sarcastically. "That makes all of this totally fine."

Gia speared a couple pieces of ziti, waving her fork in the air while she went on. "I mean, he loves her right? I honestly don't see what's so bad about it."

"Because he doesn't love her!" Veronica shouted, dropping her fork on the plate. "He's just using her! Can't you freaking see that?"

She pushed her chair back, tossed her napkin on the table and left the room without waiting for a reply. As she walked upstairs to her room, she was already regretting blowing up at Gia. But her nerves were in tatters.

Veronica had spent the entire flight thinking about Logan; about the way he'd let go of her hand in the limousine. About the way he'd looked at her, when he'd thought that she, too, had slept with Troy.

Despite his graciousness in the moment, with some distance she'd realized just how toxic this situation had made her family. His worst fears about them had been confirmed, and now Veronica was irrevocably tainted by association.

xxXxx

"Hey, big brother."

Logan turned around, unsurprised that Heather had come looking for him. He was on the terrace outside of the library, staring at the flames of the fire table. The sun had just set, and he could hear his other guests laughing on the patio below.

She gave him a quick hug, then came to stand beside him. "You're really not going to tell me what happened?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I can't."

"Is it… bad?"

"It isn't good."

"Are you and Veronica…I mean, the two of you seemed so happy, earlier. Is it just… over?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "It never really began."

"But doesn't she like you?"

"I thought… I hoped, maybe she was starting to."

"So what's the problem?"

"It's complicated."

Logan sat down on the couch, in the same spot he and Veronica had shared earlier. Heather took the seat beside him, watching him anxiously.

"I'm worried that she'll blame me," he explained. "For not telling her something I should have told her." He shook his head. "I was so stupid. If I'd just said something, all of this could have been avoided."

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Heather pleaded. "Maybe I can help."

"I'm sorry. I made a promise that I wouldn't."

She sighed. "Well, why don't you at least come inside? It's freezing out here."

Logan nodded, but his phone rang before he could comply. When he saw the name on the caller I.D., his pulse began to race. "I'll be there in a minute, okay? I've got to take this."

Used to frequent interruption, when she spoke to her brother, Heather nodded. She patted his arm and headed back inside.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Echolls, it's Vinnie Van Lowe. A mutual friend told me you were in need of my services?"

"Yes. Do you have any news yet?"

"I sure do. And it's the best kind of news, because I'm the best at what I do. I found him."

xxXxx

When Meg walked into Veronica's room to check on her, she found her sitting on the corner of her bed holding a fleece jacket. She looked at it curiously, not recognizing it as one of Veronica's. But she didn't ask about it, merely coming to sit beside her sister on the bed.

"The really vile thing is that there are a lot of people who think the way Gia does,"
Veronica said.

"The law is clear," Meg replied. "He's the bad guy."

"I know that, and you know that. But that's not how it's going to play out in the court of public opinion."

"Why?" Meg asked. She paused, then answered her own question. "Because it's us. Our family."

"Exactly." Veronica scoffed. "Everyone knows Mom was only eighteen when she got pregnant, and her and Dad had to have a shotgun wedding. They know we're having money problems…"

"And they already think I'm a gold-digging slut who tried to steal Duncan's fortune," Meg added.

Veronica hadn't wanted to say that part aloud. She squeezed Meg's arm. "None of that's true," she reminded her softly.

"But it's what everyone thinks about me, now." Meg gave her a tight smile. "You're right. It won't matter that Troy's the one in the wrong. They'll make it about how our family will stop at nothing to attach ourselves to wealth and fame."

"Maybe; yeah."

"And if Mom and Dad press charges?"

"We'd still be in the spotlight. Lilly would be recognized as the victim, in theory. But-"

"Some people will just say she lied about her age, or she was the one who seduced him."

"Right." Veronica gave her a bitter smile. "And you and I… we'll be the notorious girls from that family."

Meg sighed. "I can't believe we're going to be aunts. And Lilly… god, can you imagine her as a mother?"

"We don't really know what's going to happen, yet," Veronica reminded her gently. "She could decide not to have the baby, or to give it up for adoption."

She didn't voice the other possibility, but it had been on her mind. That maybe Lilly wasn't really pregnant, and this was all some kind of scheme hatched up by Troy. But for what purpose?

Veronica remained silent as she considered the situation at hand. She was still baffled as to what Troy had hoped to accomplish, by leaving Oahu with Lilly. And what about Lilly? What the hell was she thinking?

According to Meg, the cast and crew had all been at a luau hosted by the hotel the previous evening. Lilly had told the director's girlfriend Parker that she wasn't feeling well, and had headed back to her room early. They'd all thought she was asleep in her bed, until Parker had gone to check on her in the morning and discovered a note on Lilly's pillow.

"Sorry to trick you, but I've got a secret- a good one! And you're an idiot if you don't know his name… I'll call you soon to tell you all about it. XOXO, Lilly"

It was unclear from Lilly's note if she'd expected to be back shortly, before they were missed, or if her intention was to follow Troy wherever he led. Parker had called Sam right away, communicating her theory that Lilly had left with Troy. She'd confessed that she knew of Lilly's crush on him, but said she'd had no idea that Troy reciprocated those feelings.

Veronica sighed heavily. "This is my fault. If I'd just told everyone the truth about Troy, when I found out, this never would have happened."

But Meg was shaking her head. "No; we've talked about this. What happened with Logan's sister was private. You were right not to say anything."

"I could have told everyone the story without using names," Veronica protested.

Meg shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think people would have believed it. Everyone loved Troy."

"Yeah, they all thought he was an angel and Logan was the devil. Because of me."

"That's not true. He fooled all of us. Even Dad."

Veronica nodded. That part was true enough. Troy's charm had won everyone over, just as surely as Logan's reticence had turned them off.

"Anyway, let's talk about something else," Meg suggested. "How was your weekend?"

Veronica looked at her sister, trying to figure out how much she should share. She desperately wanted to tell her everything that had transpired with Logan, over the past two days. But that meant telling Meg about Duncan, and his unwavering interest in her.

Would it be too cruel, to dangle that carrot just to take it away again? Because this thing with Lilly and Troy almost certainly meant there could be no future for Meg and Duncan. The Kane family wouldn't want their pristine reputation to be tarnished.

Still, it may give Meg some comfort, to know that Duncan's feelings for her were genuine. That she hadn't simply been imagining the whole thing.

Deciding it was time for complete transparency, Veronica began speaking. "Meg, there's a lot I need to tell you. About what happened to me this weekend, but also about Duncan… and the real reason he left Neptune this summer."

xxXxx

Veronica slept fitfully, that night, her waking anxieties warring with severe jetlag. She woke up so often that she began to lose sense of where or when she was. When her phone began to ring, she felt certain that it was Logan calling to tell her what time brunch would be.

But it was Dick. She rubbed her eyes, remembering that she was back in Neptune now and brunch had already happened.

"Dude, Troy and Lilly?" he greeted her. "Totally didn't see that one coming."

"What… how do you know about that?" Veronica asked, sitting up in bed.

"The wifey. She talked to her dad last night."

"Oh." Great. The news is already spreading.

"Kendall thinks it'll all blow over. But she said we probably shouldn't tell anyone else what's going on."

"Kendall?" she repeated, frowning into the phone. "Why the hell were you talking to her about this?"

"I dunno. Mac and I had dinner over there last night. We had to talk about something, right? And this was pretty juicy."

"That's one way to look at it," she muttered.

"Aw, Ronnie, don't be mad. I know you had a thing for him, but I guess you just weren't his type, you know?"

"Do you seriously think that I'm jealous?"

"Well, yeah. Aren't you? Kendall says he's gonna be a big star when our movie comes out. I mean, me too, obviously. But since he has a bigger role, or whatever, Troy will be the bigshot."

Veronica didn't reply. The thought of Troy becoming famous was nauseating.

"Kendall says we may even get some awards. Maybe not the big ones, but some of those crappy foreign ones."

She'd hit the limit of her patience. It was too early for this, and she wasn't nearly caffeinated enough. "Listen, Dick, I've got to go. Meg needs me."

"Kay," he replied. "Later."

Veronica hung up, thoroughly aggravated by every word of that conversation. She glanced down at her phone, checking the time. It was nine o'clock, which meant it was already noon in New York.

Before she could lose her nerve, she found Logan's name in her contacts and typed rapidly into the message bar. "Hope it's good skydiving weather. Sorry I couldn't come. Thanks again for helping me get back home."

She got up and walked across the room. When she reached the door, her phone chimed. Surprised, she looked down to read his reply.

"No problem. And no apologies needed."

Veronica stared down at her phone, dismay overtaking the last bit of hope that had remained. Logan's text message was so formal; so impersonal. He'd left her nothing to reply back to. No questions, no teasing comments.

Yesterday morning, he brought me tea. And today… She looked at the mirror on her vanity, staring at her own reflection. Her face was pale, violet shadows beneath her eyes. The weekend with Logan had felt like a beautiful dream, and she realized now that it was. This was the reality.

"And I'm never going to see him again."

xxXxx

Logan stared down at his phone, waiting for a reply that didn't appear to be coming. Frustrated, he slid his phone back into his pocket. He continued down the jetway, wondering where Veronica's head was at.

He stepped into the airport, where he was met by a stewardess dressed in red and blue.

"Aloha," the young woman greeted him.

Logan smiled. "Mahalo."

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