Logan

12. Fade To Black

"I don't ever want to make you do anything you'll regret, so do you promise to tell me if I ever go too far? I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you..."

"I trust you Logan. Completely." I gathered up one of the sheets from the bed and held it over my bare chest before scooting behind him and kneeling so I could rest my chin on his shoulder "This is the safest I've ever felt, with anyone..." The tension in his shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back against me, humming a very familiar tune under his breath before turning around, causing me to fall back against the bed.

"You look so beautiful right now..." Logan traced along my arm with his fingers before suddenly leaning down and pressing his lips against mine, his tongue sneaking out across his still swollen lips when he pulled away to take a breath "I want to go somewhere tonight, with you." He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, his lips ghosting over mine before he grabbed onto my hand and helped me out of the bed...
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Logan stared at me from across the room, stretched out across his couch wearing only his jeans. His right hand was resting on his stomach, his left mindlessly running through his hair "You can borrow one of my shirts if you'd like..." He finally spoke up, after I'd picked up my discarded shirt from last night off the floor and studied it to see if it was still wearable. I couldn't help the shiver that ran through me when Logan stood up, walking towards me, taking my shirt from my trembling hands and tossing it on top of his bed "Is something wrong?" His words were quiet, full of concern, and his hand snaked around my back, his fingers inadvertently tracing along the length of my scar. I shook my head, swallowing nervously before looking up at him.

"It's just... I never thought I could feel this happy, or this safe. This is all so new to me Logan..." I glanced down at his bare chest, and I could feel my cheeks flushing, even though we had just seen all of each other "You're so kind, and handsome, and you seem to accept all my flaws..." He opened his mouth to respond, but I quickly silenced him by leaning up and placing a soft kiss against his lips "I know that I'm really hard to love. That my anxiety gets in the way of almost everything... But I finally feel like I can work on that, with you." His hand moved away from my back, his fingers tracing along the outside of my arm before coming to rest against my cheek, and my eyes closed as I reveled in the moment. Logan didn't say anything, as he kissed my forehead, his lips lingering just barely before he pulled away and passed me a t-shirt from his closet.
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"I'll get us some popcorn and meet you right back here?" I nodded, my cheeks flushing pink when Logan placed a quick kiss on my forehead before leaving me in the area in front of the bathrooms. I watched him walk away, my heart still pounding in my chest as my mind still struggled to grasp how lucky I was. To have him, to have us... My phone buzzed loudly in my pocket and I looked down at the screen to see a few notifications from Instagram flash across, and I quickly cleared them, sliding my phone back into the pocket of my black jeans.

"Hey doll... did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" My breath caught in my throat as his fingers traced lightly over the back of my neck.

It was him. Jacob. My body froze in place, my mind unable to fully react to the fact that this was actually happening. I could see Logan standing at the counter, but he was too far away. He'd never hear me call out for help with how busy the theater already was. Jacob moved closer to me, I could feel the warmth coming off of him and my hands began to tremble against my sides. Even if I could manage to move, Jacob would be able to hurt me before I got too far...

"Look at me." I swallowed, defiantly shaking my head at him, and his rough hand was suddenly wrapping tightly around my forearm "I said look at me!" As soon as he raised his voice, my mind began preparing my body for what was about to happen next. My eyes slammed shut, my heart beating so hard that I started feeling light headed...

*Logan's POV*

I'd looked away from the counter just as he grabbed her arm, just as Jacob raised his voice enough to get my attention.

The anger I felt honestly scared me. I slammed the popcorn bucket down on the counter, cracking my knuckles as I ran towards the two of them, and he let go of Natalie just as my clenched fist connected squarely with his jaw and he collapsed onto the floor with a pitiful yelp "What the fuck?!" He moved to stand, but I hit him again, the rings on my fingers breaking the skin on his nose, and blood began dribbling from the corner of his mouth. People were beginning to gather around the three of us but I didn't care... and the crowd didn't seem to care either. Everyone here knew what he'd done to her, knew that he'd gotten away with it on some shitty technicality.

Each time my fist connected, my mind flashed back to something different...

How vulnerable Natalie had been when she showed me the scar on her back...

How shy she'd been earlier today, when we'd made love. The quiet noises she'd made whenever my fingers touched her...

How careful she was with her feelings, because of what she'd gone through with him...

And finally, how much I loved her...

Time stood still when I finally stopped, and I leaned towards him, unable to stop the smirk that ghosted over my face when he flinched away from me.

"If you ever touch her again... I'll fucking kill you." My voice was a low growl, and I still felt this insane, red hot rage coursing through my entire being...

Until I felt her shaking hand grab onto my shoulder...

"Logan..." we walked towards the exit, Natalie's hand gripped tightly onto my left, the one that wasn't bloody. She sighed aloud right as we got to my car, and I let go of her, running my hand through my hair before leaning against the driver's side door "Can you let me look at your hand... please?"

*Natalie's POV*

"I'm sorry..." He held his right hand out, and it trembled slightly as I took hold of it. I carefully pulled his rings off and shoved the three of them into my pocket so I could see how badly he was really hurt "What about you..." He mumbled and traced along my forearm with his free hand, where the skin was already beginning to turn a light purple and blue color "I'm sorry if I scared you." I could tell he was starting to hurt, as soon as he flinched away from me when my fingers traced over the broken skin of his knuckles "I don't know what came over me but I... I just couldn't stop. Seeing him... seeing him hurt you..."