“Holy shit, how could I have been so stupid?” Logan groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, walking toward the door.
“Logan, don’t go! It started out that way, but it’s real for me now. I care about you, I want to be with you,” she begged him, but he already had one hand on the door.
“Please, Logan, I love you,” she burst out, feeling the foreign words spill out of her mouth in a desperate attempt to keep him from leaving her.
She had never said those words to anyone before. Logan paused and turned his head to the side, looking down at his shoulder, then slowly exhaling.
“If you really meant that, you would have said it in the park. Not now. Not ever again,” he finished, choking out the last words, and closing the door between them.
Chapter Eleven
Logan stared at the bleak hospital wall as he sat next to his mother’s bed while she slept. He’d sent his father home for a few hours to shower and change since he spent every minute here with his wife for days.
Logan hadn’t slept since before his trip to New York yesterday and his eyes were burning with exhaustion, begging them to close. His brain was playing a cruel trick and replaying his fight with Gina again and again, preventing him from anything even remotely close to restful.
“Mr. Clay?” A tall, thin doctor with short blonde hair walked into the room carrying a metal clipboard and sporting a white doctor’s coat over his blue scrubs.
“That’s me.” Logan turned around and stood up, raising his hand and walking toward the doctor.
“Oh, I was looking for Mr. Mickey Clay?” The doctor looked surprised to see the younger version there instead.
“That’s my father, he’s at home showering and picking up some stuff for Momma. How’s she doing? Any news?” Logan asked, his jaw tightened preparing for something negative.
“There is nothing new with your mom’s condition since we are still waiting for an available kidney. Honestly, she won’t be able to be off that machine until then because her only remaining kidney after the accident has been overworked and is only at 5% functioning, if not less.” The doctor looked down at his chart as if to verify what he was saying, but in reality, he just hated seeing pain on people’s face.
“Oh.” Logan mustered up after a moment of silence and ran his hand through his hair, looking bewildered.
“Unfortunately, I am here on slightly different news. Your father’s blood test was negative. We checked it again, like he asked, but it’s definitely negative.” The look of pity on the doctor’s face made Logan’s stomach churn.
“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with my dad?” Logan was confused as to what blood test his father needed.
“Nothing, he is perfectly healthy. His blood just isn’t a match for donating a kidney to your mother. I am really sorry, I know how badly he wanted it to be, but it’s just not a viable option.” The doctor explained further.
“Test me. Please test me. Right now.” Logan immediately understood and jumped at the opportunity. “Where do I go?”
“Well, hold on, sir. This isn’t something you just jump into. There are a lot of risks in that procedure. If you are a match and you decide to donate your kidney, you’re risking being in her same situation in ten, twenty, thirty years.
It’s impossible to predict, but it is very risky, just like any elective surgery would be. It’s not something that you can go back and change either.” The doctor put one hand up as if to caution Logan from any rash impulse he might be having. “Once it’s done, it’s done and you will be walking around with one kidney for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t care, I understand. Just test me. Like you said, the worst case scenario is that I’m not a match,” Logan said.
“Well, no, the worst case scenario is that you are a match, you donate your kidney, and then you end up in the same situation, or worse, as your mother.”“What’s going on?” Dylan walked into the hospital room unexpectedly to see the tension between Logan and the doctor.
He went to stand next to Logan facing the doctor. Rock and Charlie appeared behind him and hovered in the doorway, arms across their chests, looking like body guards ready to protect and defend.
“I want them to test my blood, see if I am a match to donate a kidney to Momma. Doc here doesn’t think it’s a good idea because I could be in the same predicament down the road,” Logan told him as he gestured to his mother still asleep. The pain medications she’d been given not too long ago had a strong sedative effect.
“Test mine too,” Dylan said, staring down the doctor and daring him to refuse.
The doctor sighed and raised his hands in defeat. Rock and Charlie traded glances then stepped further into the room.
“Me too.” Rock announced and Charlie raised a hand in agreement.
“Alright, we will test you both. However, if one of you is a match, we will need to discuss the long term consequences. You’re young, healthy men right now and this could change that.” The doctor warned, looking sideways at the two hulking men who were now joining Dylan and Logan.
“I understand,” Dylan said simply, as if it was not a big deal at all.
“Me too,” Logan chimed in.
Rock put a hand on Logan’s shoulder in solidarity. “I do too.
“Same here,” Charlie spoke up.
“All four of you want to be tested?” An incredulous look on the doctor’s face. Logan looked to his left and Dylan nodded his head at him, he then looked to his right and saw the determined looks on Charlie and Rock’s faces.
“It looks like it.”
“Alright, I will send a nurse in to draw your blood in a moment. Just sit tight.” With that final instruction, the doctor walked out of the hospital room, shaking his head in frustration.
“Do you mean this, guys? You don’t have to do this. None of you. She’s not your mom, this should be my responsibility,” Logan said, rubbing the back of his neck and scrunching his eyebrows together as he looked from one friend to another.
“Okay, first of all, the fuck she’s not. That woman raised me a lot more than any other woman on this planet. Do you know where the fuck my mother is?” Dylan asked him.
Logan chuckled and shook his head, knowing that Dylan’s mother had been in prison for years. They tried to joke about it some, but mostly because it didn’t seem like Dylan was ever ready to talk about it.
“That’s what I thought. So then, second, fuck yeah if you are a match that kidney is coming out of your gut, not mine. You can take that to the bank, kid.” Dylan grinned and punched Logan softly on the left side of his chest.
“I agree with Dylan, and have you ever had your momma’s shepherd’s pie? I’d give a lot more than one damn kidney to keep having that for the rest of my life.” Rock smiled from ear to ear and squeezed Logan’s shoulder as he started walking out of the room.
“What do I need two kidney’s for anyway? You bastards always make me be the fucking designated driver, so I’m certainly not using it as much as your drunk asses.” Charlie jabbed at his friend. “I spend half my night waiting for you jackasses to piss and the other half trying to get you all in the car.”
All four men started laughing and then realized that they were still very close to his mother, so they crept out of the room to wait in the hallway. Logan’s phone began buzzing the moment he had stepped out and he quickly scooped it out of his pocket to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Clay? This is Garrett Vile calling from New York New Music. You left so quickly yesterday that I didn’t get to hear your answer,” Garrett said over the phone.
“My answer to what?” Logan scratched his brain, but couldn’t recall whatever Garrett was referring to.
“The record contract, of course.” Garrett sounded a bit irritated now. “Didn’t Gina go over it with you?”
“Oh, no. I didn’t give her the chance to, my mother got sick and I had to rush back home,” Logan said, covering for Gina.
He was still furious at her, but he saw how much her father’s approval meant to her and, for once, that was something he could relate to.
“Oh, shit, sorry to hear that, son. Well, if you’ve got a minute, I can go over the terms with you right now?” he asked.
“Uhm, sure.” Logan motioned with excitement for his friends to come listen to the conversation. They huddled close on one side of the hospital hallway as he put the call on speaker phone and held the phone out so everyone could hear.
“The contract is for six years, a one million dollar advance and then we split everything fifty-fifty. You will be required to do at least three full albums during that time. We will want to do a tour probably every other year, but there is some wiggle room on that. You will also get five percent of all ticket sales. Merchandise is ten percent. There are a lot more, minor details which I can scan over and email to you right now, but that’s the major highlights. How do you think that sounds?” Garrett held his breath, waiting for an answer.
Dylan’s face was so ecstatic, he was almost jumping up and down. Charlie looked stunned and Rock was grinning like they had all just won the lottery. Logan was lightheaded and found a chair nearby to sit in as his mind wrapped around everything he had just heard. He looked around at his friends who were all genuinely excited for him.
The overwhelming feeling of support laid heavy on his chest and he owed these men for any musical success he would ever have. This would change his life. This would change everything.
He felt his mind slipping to Gina for a few moments, wishing she were here to share in this excitement with him. At least the Gina he had known and loved, not the real Gina. He didn’t even know who the real Gina was. It had all been an act and yet here he was feeling like something was missing, like she was missing. Logan pushed those thoughts out of his mind and focused his gaze back on the phone in front of him.
“Well, Logan, how does that sound?” Garrett asked again, having heard no response.
Logan sat up abruptly, realizing he had completely forgotten to reply in all his excitement. “It sounds amazing, sir. I’d love to sign.”
“Good. Glad to have you on board. Lawyers will send over the paperwork shortly. Make sure to have your lawyer look it over and send it back. Once all that is squared away, New York New Music will officially become your representative,” he concluded.
“Thank you, sir. This is amazing news,” Logan gushed, unable to hold back his eagerness as much as he tried. His friends were high-fiving one another and smacking him on the back in triumph.
“Get ready to be a star, Logan Clay,” Garrett said as he hung up.
“Congrats, Logan. That’s freaking amazing,” Rock said, wide-eyed.
“Fuck yes, man!” Dylan cheered as his, now former, band mates headed back into the hospital room with huge smiles on their face.
Logan stood in the hallway a moment longer, trying to find the feeling in his legs again after everything he’d just heard. A sniffling sound to his right caught his attention however, and he turned to see a young girl slumped down in a chair. She was maybe two or three years younger than him, with dark brown, wavy hair falling over her face.
“Are you okay, miss?” he asked awkwardly, taking a few steps closer.
She waved her hands as if to tell him to not worry about her. “I’m fine. Don’t let me bother you.”
Logan paused and looked back toward his mother’s hospital room. He could hear her voice and his band mates, happily celebrating the news. Biting back the urge to run from anything unpleasant, he stepped over toward the mystery woman. Something about her seemed so innocent, so in need.
“What’s got you so upset?”
“I’m not upset,” she said, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks. “These are actually happy tears.”
Logan smiled, because he definitely could understand that. He was having trouble trying to keep them at bay right now, knowing his entire life had just changed. She looked up at him when he didn’t say anything, and her bright hazel eyes pierced through him. “You must think I’m pretty weird.”
“No,” he assured her. “I get it. I got some good news today too. What about you?”
“You could say that. My cousin had a terrible skiing accident a while back and today was the first time she walked again on her own,” the young woman told him, pride beaming through her smile.
“That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” she said. “What about you? What’s your news?”
He paused, unsure what to say. It seemed odd to say he just earned a million dollar paycheck. “I got the job I was applying for.”
“Oh my goodness!” she gushed, standing and wrapping him in an impromptu hug. He froze for a moment, not prepared for the sudden burst of affection from a stranger. “That must be so exciting. A whole new start to your life. That’s so amazing.”
“Thanks,” he said, faltering. He studied her expression, looking for hints of sarcasm or something negative, but there was nothing. This complete stranger was going through something much more important than his music career, yet she was genuinely ecstatic for him.
He couldn’t help but wonder if Gina would ever be that kind of person. She helped him with his career, that was certain, but had it been because she liked him and his music. Or had it been for her own career gains. This woman acted with care for others, even others she didn’t know, yet his own girlfriend hadn’t been able to do that.
Or maybe he just hadn’t given her the chance. He’d taken her for granted from the moment they met, and never really gotten to know who she was. He thought he had, but clearly there was more to her that he hadn’t even begun to tap. At least, he hoped that was the case, because this was the kind of person he wanted to be around. A sweet and selfless person who would stop to chat with a stranger.
“Well, thanks again, uh...?” He realized he’d never gotten her name.
“Caroline. I’ve got to get going. Congrats again, good luck!” With that, she walked off and turned the next corner. He watched her for a moment, enjoying the warmth in his whole body at such a positive encounter, and wondering if he’d judged Gina too quickly.
ღ ~ ღ ~ ღ
“I really wish you boys talked to me about it before you did that.” Laura sighed and rubbed her fingers over her eyes.
Everyone was crowded into the hospital room the following day, awaiting the results of their blood tests. Mickey was in a plastic arm chair next to her bed, holding her hand. Rock and Dylan were sitting in two folding chairs off to his left and Charlie was leaning against the wall near the door. Logan sat at the foot of the bed, rubbing his mother’s leg to help her circulation.
“You would have just said no,” Logan retorted, shrugging his shoulders.
“Damn right she would have said no,” Mickey grumbled and glared at his son.
“Momma Clay, you don’t need to worry about any of us. We are not the little boys that ran around your backyard playing all day anymore,” Rock said, a softness in his voice that was very unusual.
“Yeah, we are all smart and edu-ma-cated now,” Charlie slowly and purposefully mispronounced the word, teasing her.
She grinned at them, tears flooding her eyes. “My boys. You may be all grown up now, and three or four times my size, but you will always be my boys.”
Laura sighed and smiled at each one of them. Mickey rolled his eyes and grumbled something inaudible, which caused all the men to burst out laughing. Laura squeezed her husband’s hand and wrinkled her nose at him in jest.
“Are we celebrating something in here?” A nurse smiled at them as she waltzed in and picked up the clipboard hanging at the end of Laura’s bed.
“Oh, yes. We are always celebrating, but today is special. Today, my boys are men.” Laura smiled at her.
“They are all your sons? Man, you must have had your hands full back in the day.” The nurse chuckled and pressed some buttons on the machine, writing down numbers on the chart. “I have one boy
right now and Lord knows that is enough for me.”
“Every single one of them.” Laura grinned back at her and all the boys nodded in agreement, smiling back.
“Well, you have yourself a beautiful family, ma’am. Your doctor is over in the next room finishing up, so he’ll be here soon.” The nurse gave them one last smile as she exited the room.
“We should have told her that the real celebration is Logan. Soon, we can all say that we know a celebrity!” Rock chuckled, pointing at Logan with a smirk on his face.
Logan just rolled his eyes.
“Hell yeah, plus we’ll have the hook up to front row tickets for the hottest shows in town!” Dylan said, looking at Logan with exaggerated seriousness.
“Dude, it’s a record deal, but that doesn’t mean I will become famous,” Logan responded.
“The fuck it don’t! You are going to make over seven fucking figures a year!” Rock burst into the conversation from his place by the door.
“Hey, you watch your mouth around a lady, son!” Mickey abruptly cut in. Rock put his hands up and mouthed “I’m sorry” to Laura who was laughing.
“Well I can tell you now, the moment I get my first check, Momma, you’re getting out of this place. The nicest place we can find, with at least six windows. With room service. And a butler,” Logan said, playing into their joke even though they all knew that he was serious.
Laura laughed again at his comment. “I knew you could do it, Logan.”
“We all knew he could do it. It was convincing him that was the problem,” Dylan said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Never a doubt in my mind,” Mickey said quietly.
The entire room went silent and looked at him. It wasn’t often that you heard a compliment from Mickey Clay and Logan was soaking in every syllable.
“Knock, knock,” The same doctor from the other day said awkwardly standing in the door wearing the same scrubs and coat.
“Come on in, doctor! Ignore these boys.” Laura said, smiling.
He walked in hesitantly and looked down at his clipboard. “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news I guess, depending on how you look at it.”