Aftertaste [COMPLETED]

Chapter 22 :: Implosion

LOGAN'S P.O.V.

**

"DIE YOU UGLY GREEN BASTARD, DIE!" I swiped and clicked with thumbs of fury, in an other-worldly level of concentration, brow furrowed, tongue out, prefrontal cortex fully engaged. "Logan? Are you listening?" I briefly looked up at Rory who was holding a single drooping fry between his thumb and forefinger, and was wearing a less-than-content expression.

Slightly feeling the sting of embarrassment, I cracked a smile and laughed awkwardly to take the edge off, hitting pause on the game, and tucking my phone away in my pocket.

"Sorry, I uh— was playing swaggy space ninja jam." Rory rolled his eyes and threw down the limp fry. "But anyway, what was it you were trying to tell me?"

"Well, that depends, what was the last thing you heard?" I shrugged. "Something about going to buy another baby because you ruined yours." Rory shook his head, clearly disappointed in my communication skills. "First of all, it was Berlin's fault; she's the one who left little Gerry in the window sill, knowing that it was raining... But yeah, we went to Babies R Us but they didn't have it, but this one guy redirected us to a place that did.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Babies R Us? Really?" "Um, yeah? I need to pass that course. Oh! But you'll never believe who we ran into."

"Who?"

Rory wiped the grease and salt left on his fingers from the fry onto the napkin in front of him. "Take a wild guess."

I was already annoyed. "James."

"Bingo."

"Yeah, well what did he have to say?"

"Well all I know is that he was picking out a gift for his little cousin's birthday party. But...now that I think about it,  he was kind of throwing their relationship in Berlin's face."

"What relationship?"

"The one that just ended?"

"Oh."

There was a pause that seemed to stretch on forever.

"How was Berlin?"

"She seemed fine. Annoyed at the most. But who can blame her?"I Sighed in exasperation. "He really just needs to leave her alone. If he's allowed to just get over their relationship, then she should be too." Then more to myself, I said, "maybe I need to have s little chat with him."

I could feel Rory's gaze searing through the top of my head as I looked down absentmindedly at my plate of food.

"You're joking right? So do you not remember what happened the last time you decided to have a little "chat" with James?

"But that had almost nothing to do with James. It was all because you insulted that one guy's beard."

"What? You—"

"Plus," I pushed on, "he'll be alone this time, so he won't be able to have his goons fight his battles for him."

I was growing rapidly irritated, and I think Rory sensed this. He tried to change the subject.

"Oh, um, hey. How— I never asked you how your last prison visit went. Anything crazy happen?"

"Well the guy ended up being an axe murderer from Africa. Oh and there was a giant spider in Berlin's car. That didn't go over well."

I could see the confusion on Rory's face that dissolved into a look of dread. "Axe murderer, huh? Hey, H— how exactly did that spider get into the car did you say?"