Illicit

Chapter Six- Behind Closed Doors

Logan sat outside in his car, going over the address on the file once more to be sure it had been where she lived. After absolute certainty, he moved to the door before hearing glass break against the wall. He moved towards the window to see a man in a plaid shirt and dark jeans angry and yelling at a girl. Through his peered expression, he saw it to be Naomi. Wanting to get her out of the situation, he knocked on the door. Gaining his camera from his side, as he had an already prepared excuse, he was surprised to find the man who opened the door to look at him as if they had been enemies.

"What?" He asked with an obvious anger.

"I am looking for Naomi...I have something from school..."

"Who are you?"

"Her photography teacher."

"Oh..the one she won't shut up about. The loser is in the back." He turned before Logan could respond and yelled her name it almost made Logan deaf. She crept her way from the back before breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing it was him.

"We have that photography meeting tonight, I thought you forgot so I wanted to remind you..."

"Did you forget of something again?"

"It's my fault. I got back from vacation and got dates mixed up."

"Maybe you can screw him-you two seem to have enough in common." The man pushed her out the door and directly into Logan's arms. As she looked up to him, she pulled herself away and walked ahead of him.

"Thank you for the excuse but you don't have to say anything."

"What is going on?"

She got into the car and did not say a word until the doors were closed.

"Can you take me somewhere? I'll explain everything I promise. Just not here."

He nodded as he started the ignition and drove to the lake at the edge of town, miles away from the place she fell a victim.

"My parents died when I was little. I live with my uncle. Not by blood, and he takes comfort in alcohol."

"I've noticed...why don't you tell anyone?"

"He doesn't hurt me."

"Verbal abuse can hurt too."

"I'm tough."

"Why was he so angry?"

"I interrupted him with a girl. Because I came home early."

"About that-"

"Please don't tell me you hate me. I promise it won't happen again I just got caught up. Mr Castelle you are the only person I can trust with my secrets, with my life. I don't want to lose that. Can we please pretend nothing happened? I'll drop out of your class-anything..."

"You don't have to do that. I understand, it was emotional. In fact, I commend you."

"You do?" She asked with tears in her eyes, scared she would lose her only true friend.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have had the guts to do what you did to him. In fact, I wanted to cheer ya on. What he did was not right...and if you ever say I supported you I would have to deny it, but between us-I was impressed."

She smiled.

"Which is also why you can't leave my class. You have an eye in a way I've never seen. Those pictures you took, the negatives were okay but the final product-I don't know what you did to them, but they stunned me when I got them..."

"Really?"

He nodded. "But about that kiss..."

"Please-"

"Naomi...You can't just kiss anybody-and I'm not talking about just me."

"Believe me, I'm staying away from guys for a while. Focusing on my pictures and that's it. I always trust people and this is what happens..."

"I'm not "people" Naomi. I want to be someone you can talk to..."

"Thank you....again..."

"Of course...I told you that's why I'm here..."

When he embraced her to comfort her, he realized just how hard it was to take the higher road. And for a mere second, he thought maybe if he hadn't, things wouldn't change. But even though he saw her as mature did not mean everyone else would.