Katie

Chapter 25

The bell rang, signaling the end of class and the beginning of her lunch period. Katie quickly gathered up her books and pens and headed for the door, not surprised to find Logan once again waiting for her. He had been doing this all week. Katie still wasn't quite sure why but she had grown tired of trying to get the answer out of him. He didn't seem to really want to communicate with her at all. He just silently walked with her from class to class. She was pretty annoyed by it by the end of the second day, until she realized she hadn't had anymore run-ins with Sarah or Ben. So for that reason only, she decided she would stop questioning and just go with it.

Walking past him, she felt him turn and keep pace with her as she headed to her locker. As soon as she dropped her things off, they both continued on to the cafeteria. She gave him a small smile at the entrance and then headed off to get her food, while he continued on to the tables, lunch bag in hand.

After she paid for her food, Katie stood in indecision, not sure where to sit. She had been avoiding this earlier in the week by spending lunch period in the restrooms but today she decided she was tired of eating on a toilet. It was time to suck it up and face the crowd. Easier to do while in class, but much more of a challenge at lunch. At least in her opinion. Chewing on her bottom lip, Katie glanced around the room. She avoided looking over at the table she used to share with Ben and even the one she shared more recently with Ashley, Shawn and Logan. Spotting an empty table near the large window at the front of the room, she quickly made her way over. She sat her tray down and made sure her back was to the rest of the room. Looking out the window as she ate, she slowly started to relax. 'Much better view than from the inside of a bathroom stall.' she thought to herself.

She was just starting to fully relax and enjoy her meal when she felt someone sit down next to her. Swallowing her bite, she glanced over and groaned silently when she saw Ashley's pleading eyes staring at her. "What?" she asked abruptly.

"Katie, please. I've been trying to talk to you all week! I am so sorry I never told you! It was a bad decision, ok?"

Katie sighed and looked back out the window as she continued to eat. "I really don't want to hear it right now, Ashley."

"Then when? You can't stay mad at me forever!"

Katie turned and stared straight into her eyes, "Says who?"

"Says me! I realize it was stupid of me to keep something like that from you all this time. I really do! But I honestly never felt it was my place back then. It's not like we were that close. If we were as close back then as we have been lately, I definitely would have told you. I swear! You have to believe me!" Ashley begged.

Katie slowly nodded, "Oh, I do. I believe you. The problem is, I would like to think that if I knew someone's boyfriend was screwing their friend behind their back, I would tell them. Whether I knew them well or not. No one should have to be kept in the dark like that, over something that important!"

"Then I guess that makes you perfect then, doesn't it?" Ashley frowned.

"No, Ashley. That just makes me a decent human being." Katie snatched up her lunch try and stalked off. She angrily dumped her tray in the trash and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Ashley groaned and put her head in her hands.

"I take it that didn't go so well."

Ashley shook her head slowly and mumbled into her hands, "No."

Shawn sat down and put his arm around her. "Sorry, babe. She'll get past this. I'm sure. Just give her some time, and space."

Signing, Ashley lifted her head and leaned into him, relishing the warmth and comfort he offered. "I now, it's just hard. She's my best friend and I just want to fix this. Make it go away."

Shawn placed a kiss on her temple. "I know. Sometimes though, there are things that can't be fixed that easily. But I do think that a little time and space will go a long way to helping." He reassured her. "Come on, let's go finish eating before the bell rings."

Ashley followed him back to the table but her appetite had disappeared.

"Where's Logan?" Shawn asked Brian.

Shrugging, Brian said, "I don't know. He got up and left right after you did. Think he might have been going after Katie."

Shawn frowned, "That's weird. I wonder why he would go after her."

"Not a clue, man. Not a clue."

Katie sat on the stairs just around the corner from the cafeteria. Resting her chin in her hands, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down. She hadn't meant to get so worked up when Ashley was trying to apologize to her but she just couldn't stop herself. She still felt too raw and hurt to be able to calmly sit there while someone tried to justify their hurtful actions, or non-actions in this case. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear anyone approaching until they sat down next to her. Katie quickly looked up and saw Logan sitting beside her, staring off into the distance.

"Seriously?"

He turned and looked at her, "What?"

"Why did you follow me? I don't need you by my side 24/7!"

Logan smirked, "Obviously."

Katie groaned in frustration. "Why did you follow me? If you're planning on trying to talk me into forgiving Ashley, or Shawn, or anyone else for that matter, you can just forget it. I'm not in the mood."

Logan raised an eyebrow, "Why would I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Because Shawn asked you to? Because despite the fact that he is biologically my brother, and lives with me now, he's still your step-brother. And that means a whole lot more to him than being my half-brother does." she replied sarcastically.

"Wow, someone sounds bitter."

Katie's jaw clenched. She looked away from Logan, wishing he would just go away.

After a few moments of silence, Logan finally said, "I didn't come out here to try to talk you into forgiving anyone. Or into 'getting over' your feelings over everything that has happened in the last several months of your life. I know what you've been through has not been easy, and it won't be that easy to just 'get over' stuff." Logan stood up and moved in front of her. "I just came out here to make sure you were ok. The only reason I've been shadowing you lately is because I don't trust Ben. Never have. Obviously, it's not my place to look out for you. I gave up that right years ago when I shoved you out of my life."

Katie glanced up at him, surprised at his reference to their old friendship. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"Believe it or not, I regret doing that, Katie. I had my reasons but they mean nothing now. Just like Ashley and her reasons for not telling you about Ben and Sarah. I'm sorry. I really am. I don't expect you to ever forgive me or for things to ever go back to the way they were. That's not possible. But I just want you to know that I do not hate you. I never did." He shoved his hands into his pockets and frowned down at her. "I will stop shadowing you every where you go, but if you ever need anything, no matter what, you know where to find me." With that, he turned and walked away.

Katie just sat, frozen in place. She was stunned and at a loss for words. Had Logan just apologized? To her? Had he just said that he had never hated her? Her brain couldn't process everything she had just heard, so she just sat there, running his words through her head, over and over, until the hall started to fill up with students.