My Forever

by J. L. Perry

  Suddenly, Logan lets go of me and lunges towards the reporter, grabbing him around the throat. “Don’t you ever fucking talk to my wife like that again, or make insinuations against my children,” he screams.

  Logan’s father and mine quickly grab hold of him and pull him away. “Just ignore him,” his dad says. “He is trying to get a reaction out of you. He is not worth it.”

  A few police officers must have heard the commotion and have come outside. They quickly clear a path for us so we can make our way to the car.

  Once we are in the back of Logan’s parent’s car, I reach over and hold his hand. He doesn’t look over at me or say anything. I can tell by the look on his face and the heavy breathing that he is angry. This is the first time I’ve ever seen him so angry. I feel sick to my stomach from what the reporter just said. Logan would never do anything like that to his children…or any child, for that matter.

  It suddenly occurs to me that the reporter had said “sexual assault of a minor”. I want to ask Logan what he meant by that, but I need him to calm down a bit first. His parents don’t say a word all the way back to the penthouse. I think we are all a bit shocked by what just happened. My father isn’t in the car with us. He is driving Logan’s sports car back.

  When we arrive back at the penthouse, there are more reporters waiting for us outside. Thank god for the underground parking garage. I can hear a few questions being shouted at us, and I see some camera flashes going off as we drive past them. Logan quickly pulls me to his side so I am obstructed from their view, but he doesn’t try to hide himself. We follow my father through the security door of the garage and out of sight of the cameras.

  Once the door comes down, locking the reporters out, I breathe a sigh of relief. We park the cars and make our way over to the elevators. Nobody is speaking and the tension in the air is pretty thick.

  I can clearly see how much this is getting to Logan. His head is down as he runs his fingers through his hair. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. I take the few steps that are separating us and wrap my arms around his waist. He doesn’t hug me back. He just puts his head back and rests it against the wall of the elevator, letting out a deep sigh.

  When we are back inside the penthouse, we make our way to the kitchen. I grab some coffee mugs out of the cupboard, before turning on the coffeemaker. The men sit at the breakfast bar, while Logan’s mother comes over to help me. She doesn’t speak, but she rubs my back and gives me a small smile. I wish someone would say something. The silence is making me feel really uncomfortable.

  Finally, my father says, “How serious are the charges against us?” I like the way he says “us”. That’s what I love so much about Logan’s family. You never have to face a problem alone. Everyone sticks together and helps each other in times of crisis.

  Logan gets up and leaves the room. His father tells us that the receptionist, a seventeen-year-old who is filling in for Rose, is the one who made the allegations. The reporters would have known this, but they were trying to twist it around to make him look like some sort of child molester.

  I excuse myself as I go in search of Logan. I don’t want him to be alone at a time like this. I find him sitting at the bar, his head in his hands. I feel the tears rise in my eyes, but I try to hold them back. He doesn’t need to see me cry. He hates it when I cry, and he has enough to worry about. The last thing I want is for him to be worried about me and how I’m coping.

  The next few days are going to be tough. The aftermath from something as serious as this is going to be huge. The media circus we just witnessed is testament to that. I’m also sure that once word gets out, it is going to get a lot worse. The damage that this will do to Logan’s reputation could destroy his career.

  I quietly make my way over to him and wrap my arms around him. “How are you holding up, babe?” I whisper as I gently stroke his hair. He lifts up his head and turns to face me. When I notice the tears in his eyes, I lose it. I pull him in tighter and he wraps his arms around me.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I say, trying to comfort him as best I can.

  “I didn’t do it,” he pleads. “Why is she saying these things about me? I don’t understand.”

  I’m not sure how to answer that. “I don’t know. I’m sure the truth will come out.”

  “Please tell me that you believe me,” he says in a sad voice. “I couldn’t handle it if you thought I was even remotely capable of doing something like this.”

  I brush my lips gently against his. “I believe you,” I say as I look into his beautiful, sad eyes.

  “I love you so much,” he says. “Since the day I came to your house for dinner, I haven’t even looked at another woman. You mean everything to me, Brooke. I would never consciously do anything to jeopardise what we have.” Those few words are enough for me. Any small doubts I may have had, are gone. I know what he is saying is the truth because I feel the exact same way.

  There is an empty glass sitting next to Logan. He must have had a drink before I found him. I reach for the glass and pour him another one. He needs something to relax him; hopefully, it will help him get some sleep. Once word of this spreads, God only knows what we are going to face. Stupid fucking media! I wish they would mind their own business.

  Once Logan finishes his scotch, I ask him if he wants to come back to the kitchen to talk with his parents. “I’m really not up to it right now,” he says with a sigh. “Can you tell them we can discuss it in the morning?”

  It is already morning, but I understand what he means. He’s been at the police station for hours, probably rehashing it over and over. I kiss his cheek and tell him to go upstairs and take a shower. “I will talk to your parents. Once you’ve had some sleep, we can go over there and discuss how we are going to sort this mess out.” He just nods. I can tell that he is really struggling.

  I talk with Logan’s parents and they understand. I tell them that we will come over later in the day, but they say they will come here instead. With the media we faced when we left the police station, and again downstairs, his father advises us to stay inside and not to leave unless we have to.

  I kiss his parents goodbye before they get in the elevator, and say goodnight to my father as we are walking upstairs together. He hugs me. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?” I just shrug. I think I am still in a bit of shock because I just feel numb. He kisses me on my forehead. “It’ll all work out, Brooke.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I say.

  He walks into the room that Jill is asleep in, and I make my way to the nursery to check on Angel. She is sound asleep and looks so peaceful.

  I wish I knew what the future held for us. Life has a way of really fucking with you sometimes. I, of all people, know exactly how that feels. I kiss my fingers and place them gently on her cheek, before making my way into our bedroom.

  The bed is empty, so I make my way into the bathroom. When I find Logan sitting on the shower floor with his head in his hands, my heart sinks. I can only imagine what is going through his mind. These allegations have the potential to ruin not only his career and reputation, but his life.

  After kicking off my shoes, I quickly open the shower door and wrap him in my arms. I am still fully-clothed, but that is the least of my worries. I want to comfort him any way I can.

  He wraps his arms around me and sobs. I don’t know what to say or do, so I just squeeze him tight. I don’t know why this girl would accuse him of this, but I am going to help him. There has to be a way to prove what this girl is saying is untrue. Surely people can’t make unfounded accusations like this and get away with it.

  Once he stops crying, I help him to his feet. I quickly strip my clothes off and pull him back into my arms. “We will sort this mess out. I promise you.” He wraps his arms around my waist and crushes his lips to mine. There are no words needed. We just need to comfort each other, and this is the best way we know how.

  Logan gently pushes me backwards so I’m pressed against the cold
tiles. He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. In one hard thrust, he enters me, a loud groan radiating from the back of his throat. I try to put the events from tonight out of my mind. The night started out so perfect, but ended in our worst nightmare.

  I am still trying to wrap my head around everything that has happened. I want to believe that these accusations against him are false. Innocent until proven guilty is how I’m going to face this.

  I know my husband and how much he loves me. The things she is saying can’t possibly be true. That is what I have to believe because the other reality is just too much to comprehend. If what she is saying turns out to be true, I don’t think I would survive it.

  Once we dry off, we make our way to the bed. We still haven’t said anything to each other. There is going to be plenty of time to talk about it later. I just want Logan to get some rest. He is going to need his strength to face all this shit in the morning.

  ****

  Logan

  I pull Brooke to my side when we get into bed. She wraps her arms around my waist, and I kiss the top of her head. I am so fucking thankful that she is on my side. Losing her over this is something that I don’t want to even think about.

  “I love you so much, baby,” I whisper. “Thank you for believing in me.”

  “I love you, too, hot stuff,” she replies, planting a soft kiss on my chest.

  My head feels like it is going to fucking explode, and I can’t think straight. I am so fucking tired, but I know that sleep won’t come easy to me tonight. I have no idea what I’m going to have to face in the morning, but I know it isn’t going to be good.

  If I can’t prove my innocence, I will possibly face time in prison. Not to mention losing everything I’ve worked so hard to build all these years. Fuck, the thought of that just makes me feel sick. I am also worried about Brooke. She doesn’t need any more stress in her life. This whole mess is one big fucking nightmare. How one person’s lies can cause so much trouble is beyond me.

  I drift in and out of sleep for the next few hours. I try to clear my mind, but I can’t. There is just too much to think about. I just want this mess to go away, but until I know exactly what we are dealing with, there is nothing I can do.

  I can’t lie around any longer. I quietly get out of bed so I don’t disturb Brooke. I run my hands through my hair, as I think about her and how much this is going to affect her. The more I think about it, the more the rage builds inside me again.

  I quickly throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and quietly make my way out of the room. I stop in the nursery to check on my girl, but she isn’t in her crib. After making my way downstairs, I find her in her highchair, Jill feeding her.

  She smiles and claps when she sees me approaching, which lightens my mood. “How’s daddy’s little princess this morning?” She squeals and claps again, as I bend over to kiss her cheek. She opens her mouth and slobbers all over me.

  Jill asks, “How are you feeling, Logan?” I presume that my uncle filled her in on what had gone on last night.

  “As good as can be expected,” I say with a shrug. I really am not in the mood to talk right now. My mind is still on overdrive.

  Once Jill has finished feeding Angel, she cleans her up and asks me what I want for breakfast. I pick Angel up and tell her that I just want coffee. I can’t possibly eat anything.

  As the day goes on, things just seem to get worse. Unfortunately, the story made the front page of all the papers, and my arrest is the lead story on the news channels.

  My parents and Claire come over in the early afternoon. Claire had seen the story on the news and she wants to see how I am doing. She is just as shocked as I am about Kristy’s claims. Claire knows me well enough to know that what she’s heard isn’t true.

  When I explain to her what happened last night, she is shocked and growls, “That little bitch.” I’m relieved that she also believes my side of the story. She asks me what she can do to help. Claire knows that there is going to be a lot of fallout with my company over these accusations.

  My family, Claire, and I all sit around the table, trying to figure out a way to make all this disappear. I am thankful that I have so much support surrounding me.

  Even if I’m able to prove my innocence, I know this will never completely go away. There will always be those narrow-minded people out there that will want to believe that there is some truth to the claims.

  The first thing we need to do is find out what evidence she has, as well as try to get as much evidence as we can to dispute her claims. I decide to give Mike a call. I need his detective skills to find out all he can about Kristy’s past so we can figure out what sort of person with whom we are dealing. Granted, she is only seventeen so she probably doesn’t have much of a past, but building a case against her character is imperative. Mike is the best detective I know. If anyone can help us, it’s him.

  I can’t imagine what type of evidence she can have against me. She certainly can’t have any DNA evidence. I am worried that if it comes down to her word against mine, it will be a lot harder to prove my innocence. Without enough actual physical evidence against me, there might be a chance that this may not go to trial. But even if I don’t have to face any prison time, unless I can prove that I am innocent, my business and career could be ruined.

  My father and uncle think it would be better if I stay away from the office for a few days. They both agree to come out of retirement to help run everything until we know exactly what we are facing. Thankfully, today is Sunday, but I know that the phone at Cavanagh and Associates will be ringing off the hook tomorrow morning. There will definitely be some clients that are going to pull their business from my company, but I hope that most will stay loyal…at least for now.

  Mike arrives about an hour after I put in a call to him. Even though he’s done a lot of work for me over the years, we are also friends. We’ve become even closer since he helped me save Brooke’s life when she was kidnapped by Jake.

  It is late afternoon, so Brooke and my mother decide to order some Chinese food for everyone. I still don’t have much of an appetite. I haven’t eaten at all today. However, I know I need to keep my strength up if I want to be at the top of my game to fight this.

  I can tell that Brooke is worried about me. She looks tired and stressed. There is also sadness in her eyes whenever she looks at me. That makes my chest hurt. I try my best to put on a brave face around her because I don’t want her to worry about me, especially in her condition. I want this pregnancy to go smoothly.

  After all the drama surrounding Angel’s birth, we both want this one to be as normal as possible. This whole situation is so fucked up. Together, we have faced so much drama. Luckily, our love for each other is strong enough to survive it all.

  My sister, Craig, and Lara turn up later that night. They are concerned about us, and want to do what they can to help. My phone has been ringing off the hook all afternoon, so I eventually turn it off. I am sick of rehashing the same story over and over. I know people are just concerned for me, but I feel like I am on the verge of losing it.

  After everything we went through after the accident, things were finally getting back to normal. I am just so fucking angry that someone could make up lies. Whether it is for financial gain or just to fuck up my life, I have no way of knowing, but I am fucking pissed. You would think that after everything we’ve gone through as a couple, we deserved a bit of happiness in our lives.

  By about nine o’clock that night, I’ve had enough. Brooke looks exhausted. She has already, fed, bathed, and put Angel to bed, but is still running around after everybody. I think we’ve done everything we can for tonight, so I finally ask everyone to leave. Kicking everyone out makes me feel bad, but I just want Brooke to rest. As long as everyone is still here, I know she won’t.

  I thank everyone and we say our goodbyes. I truly am grateful for my family and friends. However, even though I’m facing the possibly of time in prison, as well as the end of every
thing I have worked so hard for, my main concern at this moment is my wife.

  Once everyone has left, I go upstairs and run a bath for Brooke. She is exhausted and I just want her to unwind before getting into bed. I feel like I am on the verge of collapsing myself, but with everything going on, I know I won’t be able to sleep very well again tonight.

  After helping Brooke step into the bath, I strip off my clothes and climb in behind her. Her shoulders are tense as I massage them.

  “You really need to take it easy, baby,” I say. “I am worried about you.”

  She turns around to face me. “You’re worried about me?” she whispers, as she strokes my cheek. “Please tell me you are not serious. You are being accused of something that could destroy everything you have worked so hard for, and you are worried about me?”

  She gently brushes her lips against mine. “You really are a sweetheart,” she says with a slight smile. “Please don’t worry about me. As long as you are alright, I will be fine.”

  I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. I am so lucky to have someone who loves me enough to stick by me through all this. Not many people in her position would do what she is doing. “I love you so much, baby,” I say as I kiss the top of her head. “Thank you for believing me and sticking by me. I honestly don’t know what I would do if you didn’t.” No more words are spoken between us. We just stay in each other’s arms for a while.

  After getting out of the bath, we both hop into bed. Brooke cuddles into my side and rests her head on my chest. “How are you really doing?” she asks. “I know you are putting on a brave face for me, but that’s not necessary. I want you to be honest with me. Talk to me about how you are coping. I want to be here for you. Don’t worry about me. I’ve handled a lot in my life and I am pretty tough, you know.” I feel her smile against my chest. She is right. Not many people could go through the things she has in her short life, and still have a smile on their face every day.