Chapter 0313
Then the kitchen. The foyer.
Every nook. Every corner.
+25 BONUS
The ring just wasn’t there.
Sitting in the middle of the living room on the carpet, looking around at the destruction of what was once my home, I finally allowed the sense of defeat to overtake me. It pulled me down into a cold dark plt.
Logan’s beautiful heirloom ring, gone before I even had a chance to properly wear it.
Logan came to me as I sobbed. He wrapped his arms around me.
“It’s just a ring,” he said. “I’ll buy you another.”
That wasn’t enough. My home had been violated, my things tore through and destroyed. The taking of the ring was the insult cherry atop the shit cake.
Lowering my forehead to Logan’s chest, I cried and cried. Wordlessly, Logan held me through it.
We collected what we could of my belongings and loaded up the car. I didn’t want to spend the night this broken place, which Logan agreed with, so together we drove to the Christopher’s. They weren’t expecting us until the morning, but I hoped they wouldn’t mind when we knocked on their door.
It was late by now, so they didn’t answer right away. Logan knocked again, louder.
“Alright, alright, keep your shirt on,” Frank grumbled from inside. He flipped the lock and opened the door. Seeing us, his eyes went wide. “Son. Hazel. We weren’t expecting you so soon.” Looking at us closer, he “added, “What the hell happened?”
“Can we come in?” Logan asked.
“Of course, of course. This is your home as much as ours.” Frank stepped to the side and allowed Logan and I to shuffle inside. Tammy! It’s Logan and Hazell”
Tammy rushed out from one of the bedrooms. She was in her pajamas with a simple fluffy housecoat on
top.
“Oh, goodness! What happened? Hazel, have you been crying?”
I wiped at my cheeks. My tears had dried up but I imagined my eyes were still red from my crying. Funny how Tammy could tell even in the dim light of the living room. A mother’s instinct, perhaps.
“My apartment…” I started. I wasn’t able to say anymore.
“Someone entirely ransacked the place,” Logan said. They didn’t steal anything but the family ring I had given to my… wife.”
Tammy and Frank both jerked in surpris
“Your wife?” Frank asked.
“I knew it!” Tammy said. She turned toward the kitchen. “This calls for champagne.”
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Chapter 0313
“This isn’t a celebration, Tammy,” Frank said. “The kids are upset.”
“All the more reason for a drink,” Tammy said. “Good for the nerves.” She glanced back at me and Logan,” You don’t mind, do you?”
“No,” I said. A drink sounded good right now, actually.
“That would be fine,” Logan said. His arm slipped around my waist. “Better than, maybe.”
“Give me just a moment,” Tammy said and disappeared into the kitchen.
Frank sighed. “You’ll have to forgive her. She was hoping…” More seriously, he looked at me and Logan. “I think we can assume your grandfather was responsible for turning over Hazel’s apartment, especially given what’s been on the news.”
“Could he have been looking for the ring?” I asked. “Why?”
“It was my grandmothers,” Logan said. “If he wants to cut me out, he’s going back all the way. It’s a shame. If grandmother could see the man he became..”
Feeling tired, I moved to the couch and sat down. Logan quickly took the seat beside mine.
Leaning into him, I asked, “Will your grandfather ever let us know peace?”
Logan took my hand and, bringing it to his mouth, kissed the spot on my ring finger where the heirloom would have rested.
Frank watched us for a minute in silence. Then he stepped forward and said, “Maybe it’s time we had a talk.”