Even the Score(99)

The room started spinning as my mind raced with possibilities. I vaguely heard Andy ask Gloria to take the kids upstairs and put them to bed, but then the voices went fuzzy, drowned out by the blood whooshing through my ears.

“I’m gonna go call Detective Larson and figure out what the fuck is going on. I’ll be back.” I nodded as he walked from the room. At least I think I nodded, I don’t even remember. Everything was finally returning to normal and I felt safe in my own skin, and just like that, with five words from Logan’s mouth, it was all ripped away again.

Logan. Becca.

My mind switched gears to them. I was worried they’d think they had done something wrong or that they’d be scared. I understood why Andy rushed them away the way he did, but I wanted to make sure they were okay. I made my way up the steps as fast as my body would allow and ducked into Becca’s room.

“Hey, sweetie,” I said as I sat on the edge of her bed. The covers were pulled all the way up to her chin, and she had a slight frown on her face. “I just wanted to tuck you in and say good night, okay?”

“Is Daddy okay?” she asked. “He looked really mad.”

“Yeah, he’s fine.” I brushed the loose blonde hairs off of her forehead. “Sometimes things happen, and they make adults mad, but your dad is fine, and I’m fine. You don’t worry about all that yucky adult stuff, okay?”

Her face relaxed as she gave me a small smile and nodded. I bent down and kissed her forehead. “See you in the morning, babycakes.”

“Good night, Dani.” Before I even left the room, she rolled over and faced the wall. I stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as I watched her little body move up and down with each breath. As worried as I was all over again for my own safety, the thought of him harming one hair on Becca’s head made muscles I didn’t even know I had tense up.

“Good night, Logan.”

I peeked my head in the hallway just as Gloria was closing his bedroom door. “Is he still up?” I asked.

She nodded. “What about her?”

“She’s out.” I shook my head as I walked toward Logan’s bedroom doorway. “I’m gonna talk to him for a quick second.”

“Okay, I’m heading down.”

I got to Logan’s door and leaned in close, listening for just a second before I knocked.

“Come in,” he called out.

I opened the door, and he squinted as the bright hallway light hit him in the face. “Sorry.” I closed the door quickly.

“What’s wrong?” He started to sit up.

“No, no. Nothing. Don’t get up,” I said, sitting down at the end of his bed. “I just wanted to say good night and make sure you were okay. Things got . . . kinda weird down there.”

“Yeah. Really fast, too.”

“Yep.” I took a deep breath and puffed my cheeks out. “Are you okay?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I’m just worried. If he’s not in jail, is he gonna hurt you again?”

“Oh, baby. Don’t you worry about that. Not for a second. First, we don’t even know if he’s out or if that was some weirdo playing a sick joke. Second, if he is out and he did send that, they’re gonna haul his butt right back to jail, okay?” I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but I doubt I was very convincing at that point.

His mouth opened wide in a big yawn. “Okay.”

“You get some sleep, dude. It’s been a long couple of days for all of us. I’ll be here in the morning when you wake up.”

He gave me a toothy grin and nodded. “Good. I’m glad you came back here.”

“Me too.” I bent down and kissed his forehead, messing his hair up as I stood.

“Dani?” he called out just as my hand was on the doorknob.

“Yeah, buddy?” I turned back to his bed, his face glowing orange from the Minnesota Twins night-light that was plugged in next to his bed.

“I wanted to say . . . that . . . I love you.”

A huge lump appeared in my throat, and I couldn’t speak past it. I swallowed as fast as I could. “I love you, too, Logan. A lot.”

His cheeks plumped with a smile as he snuggled deep into his comforter and closed his eyes.

I made my way down the stairs slowly, mentally preparing myself for the worst, even though I didn’t know what the worst could be. Andy was pacing the kitchen with his cell phone at his ear. He looked up as I came in and held one finger up to me, signaling he’d be off in a minute. I sat down at the kitchen table and peeked into the family room. Gloria must have gone to bed.

“Okay . . . Yes . . . As soon as possible . . . Okay . . . Bye.” He turned his phone off, tossed it on the kitchen counter carelessly, and ran his hands through his hair. He walked to the kitchen table, too, but instead of sitting, he stood, resting his hands on the back of the chair next to me as his head fell in between them.