Post by Noxeema Jackson on Mar 7, 2009 15:15:48 GMT -5
Lila sat in her favorite chair in her pajamas with her usual nightly glass of wine sitting on the nearby end table. Her eyes peered through the reading glasses that rested gently on the bridge of her nose and glided quickly along the lines on the page of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express." The day had been more stressful than usual. First attending the doctor's appointment that Cassidy and Ben had practically bullied her into making then on top of it was her rather unsuccessful visit with Griffin at Cassidy's apartment. She didn't really understand the boy. She understood he was hurt by his mother's sudden death but he was filled with so much anger and so much hate that it seemed to be constantly boiling over and burning those closest to him, or at least those who were trying to be close to him.
She cleared her throat and reached over for her glass of wine just as the phone rang. Folding the mark back into place she closed the book and stood, crossed the room to the where the phone sat on its base on the end table at the other end of the couch and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" she said, easing herself onto the sofa.
"Well, hello, darling," Lila smiled as she listened to the person on the other line. "What?"....."Where are you?"...."You what?!"...."All right, I'll be right there."
Hanging up the phone, Lila's lips pursed together in a look of complete and utter disappointment. Well, this was perfect. The perfect ending to the perfect day. Taking in a deep breath and sighing, she lifted herself up from the couch and headed upstairs to change back into her clothes.
Forty-five minutes later, Lila found herself marching into the Los Angeles police station. Her lips were still drawn together in a frown and her eyes seemed downturned in what could only be described as pure disappointment and anger. "Yes," she said, walking up to the counter and speaking to the first officer she saw. "I'm Lila Buchanan, I'm here for my grandson."
Bowing her head, Grace stared at her hands. She felt awful! Ben being arrested was all her fault.. But she'd let the police know that it hadn't been his fault.. She shook her head and glanced up hearing the familiar voice of Lila Buchanan. She slowly rose to her feet and made her way over to where Lila was. "Mrs.. I mean.. Lila? I'm not sure if you remember me...I'm Ben's friend Grace.."
"I remember you," Lila replied curtly then turned her attention to the police officer. "My grandson?" she said as more of an order than a request.
"Of course, Mrs. Buchanan," the police officer replied. "We just need you to take care of the bail and we can release him into your custody."
"Fine," Lila answered. She plopped her purse down on the counter and pulled out her billfold. After several seconds spent fishing around for her credit card she pulled out the plastic and handed it over to the officer.
"There's some paperwork I need you to fill out as well," the officer added, taking the card from Lila then walked away into a room behind the counter. He returned a few moments later with a clipboard and the credit card statement for her to sign.
"All right," Lila said after finally signing all the paper work and handing it all back to the officer. "Now, will you please release my..." Her words were cut off as a door on the far wall opened and Benjamin, his hands cuffed behind his back, was led out into the room by a second police officer.
"Oh Dear Lord!" Lila cried out as she made a beeline for her grandson. "What in the...? Get those things off of him you idiot!" she barked, slapping the officer on the arm with her purse.
Ben felt the cuffs loosen on his wrists and pulled them free, running his hands over the flesh where the restraints had rubbed against his skin.
"Oh my dear boy. Let me look at you," Lila cooed,taking Ben's face in her hands as she looked him over, checking for any scratches, scrapes, bumps or bruises. Then, deciding he was perfectly fine, she smacked him across the face, the sound echoing through the police station and silencing the whole room.
Grace's mouth dropped open, totally not believing that Ben's Grandmother had just slapped him! It wasn't HIS fault he'd been arrested! She took a step forward shaking her head, "Mrs. Buchanan! It wasn't Ben's fault.. It..These guys.. They were.. and Ben... He was.. He was just trying to protect me.." She babbled on trying desperately to get Ben out of any trouble he might be in.
"Gram, I was just..." Ben tried picking up where Grace left off but was immediately cut off.
"Shush, let's just get you home. We'll talk about it there," she said with a very serious look then turned her eyes to Grace. "I suppose you'll need a ride home then?" she asked.
Grace shifted nervously from foot to foot, and glanced at Ben before looking back at Lila, "If.. Well, if you wouldn't mind.."
Lila nodded then quickly started for the door. "Come on, the both of you!" she ordered.
Heading outside to Lila's car, Ben and Grace remained silent. Grace looked over at Ben as they piled into Lila's car and but said nothing. She bit down on her bottom lip as Lila pulled the car out into traffic, and she really wanted to say something to make things better, but.. She shook her head, and stared out the window, just allowing the silence to remain between everyone. After a few minutes, she sat up a bit straighter and leaned forward a bit. "You'll want to take the next left.." She pointed out before sitting back.
Lila turned as she was instructed. All through her drive she kept periodically glancing over at Ben who sat in the front seat next to her. Her lips were pursed closed, barely containing her anger before... "Fighting?! You were arrested for fighting?" she began to unleash upon her grandson. "You are the last person in the world I expected to be fighting, Benjamin Oliver Buchanan! Much less getting arrested for it."
Ben took in a deep breath and sighed once it finally started up again. It had been only a matter of time before his grandmother's worry--and he knew however angry she was, she was more out of worry than anything else--would finally overwhelm her and she would have to vent it. "It's not that big a deal, Gram," he said, trying to diminunize it.
"Not that big of a deal?" Lila repeated. "You broke one man's nose and fractured three ribs of the other, Benjamin. I fail to see where this is not a big deal."
"Mrs. Buchanan.." Grace started, "They deserved.. Well.. What happened is this. Ben went to get something for us to drink, and these guys.. They started harassing me, and they just wouldn't take no for an answer." She paused, her cheeks flushing, "One of them.. They had me backed against a wall.. Saying he wouldn't let me go until I said I'd go out with him.. That's when Ben came, and well.. The guys.. yeah..." Her voice trailed off and her brows furrowed, "It's not Ben's fault.."
Lila glanced in the rearview mirror at the girl as she came to Ben's defense, trying to explain what had happened that night that led her grandson to put two men in the hospital and landed himself in jail with an assault charge. "What were you two doing on the Boulevard at this time of night anyway?" she asked, turning to look at Ben then looking in the rear view mirror at Grace. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to the two of you? Do you?"
"Yeah, I do. But it didn't, Gram," Ben finally spoke up again. "Some assholes started makin' trouble and I dealt with it. Grace is fine. I'm fine. Aside from being a little tired, we're both fine."
"Do you have ANY idea how terrified I was when you called and told me you'd been arrested?!" Lila shouted for the first time that night or in the past few months for that matter. "What if one of them had a knife? Or, God help us, a gun! When you ran away from your father and left Oregon I asked you to stay with me so you could figure out what you wanted to do with your life. That did not include finding the quickest way to get yourself killed!"
Ben's head dropped with his chin resting against his chest in shame. He'd never really considered how it must have sounded when he called Gram up to explain that he'd been arrested for fighting, especially when he'd told her where it had been he'd gotten into the fight. He knew how important she was to him and the idea of her getting hurt would tear him apart. He guessed it had to run both ways, if not more since she was his grandmother. "I'm sorry," he said, finally lifting his eyes and looking at his grandmother. "I guess, I wasn't thinking and...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
Grace paled a bit and she seemed to shrink further against the back seat. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of getting hurt when she'd suggested they head to the Boulevard. And the thought that one of them could have been shot, it really made Grace sick to her stomach. "You're going to need to take the second right, Mrs. Buchanan and then the first right and it'll be the third house on the right." She said softly, unconsciencely rubbing her hand over her chest where she'd been shot earlier in the year.
Lila nodded and took the instructed turns before pulling into the drive of a modest-sized home, in front of which was parked Ben's bike. "Well, if your bike is here how did the two of you manage to get downtown?" she asked.
Grace paused for a moment, and sighed. "My brother Lo-" She cut herself off as she saw the front door to the house open and Logan come flying out of the house, and angry scowl on his face. "Oh man.." Grace muttered pushing the back door open and scrambled out. "Logan! Lemme ex-"
"Jesus Christ Grace! What the hell? Where the hell have you been?" He demanded grabbing onto Grace's shoulders and glaring down at her. "Do you realize I WAITED for you for an hour?" He asked his fingers digging a bit into her shoulders. "Grace! You can't be doing this shit!"
Grace winced, and pushed Logan away. "Lemme go! Jeez! I'm sorry! Logan, I'm really sorry.."
"Mr. Behr, I presume," Lila said after stepping out of the car and rounding the front of it to meet with Grace's brother and extended her hand. "I'm Lila Buchanan, Ben's grandmother."
Logan stared at Grace in shock and shook his head turning to look at the older woman. "Yeah, I'm Grace's brother Logan.." He said shaking Lila's hand. He glanced over at Grace and then back to Lila, "What's going on?"
"Well," Lila said, glancing at Ben as he stepped up beside her after having just slid out of the front seat. "It would seem that Grace and Benjamin decided to take a little walk down on the Boulevard after the movie. And they got themselves into a spot of trouble and ended up in the police station."
"The Boulevard! Police....?!" Logan repeated and turned glaring at Grace. "Have you completely lost your mind?! What were you thinking? Fuck, Grace! Let me guess, you weren't! Are you asking to be shot ag-" He cut himself off. "What did you do to end up at the police station?" He demanded his eyes narrowing as he stared his younger sister down.
"Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time?" Grace demanded blinking back tears. Like she wanted the whole world to know she'd been shot!
"What the hell happened then?" Logan pressed.
She glanced away, fidgeting a bit. She really did NOT want to tell Logan what had happened. "Well..."
"Well what Grace?" Logan sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. "Can someone please tell me what happened?"
"Do you want to do the honors or shall I?" Lila said, turning to her grandson.
Ben swallowed the massive lump that had formed in his throat and clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the verbal, if not physical, assault he was about to receive. "The thing is...I kinda got into a fight. With these guys. And, the cops came and..."
Logan's gaze shifted to Ben and clenched his teeth together. "And what the hell does that have to do with Grace?"
"Well you see.. Logan.." Grace began twisting her fingers together. "There was.. And.." She looked over at Ben, and Lila before looking back at her brother. "And..."
"And? What Grace?!" Logan cried growing more and more frustrated with each passing moment.
"It would seem these gentlemen took a rather fond liking to your sister," Lila replied, trying to take some of the pressure off of the already flustered Grace. "And apparently the word 'no' was beyond their realm of comprehension."
Logan's eyes widened and his gaze moved over Grace making sure she was in fact okay. "Christ Grace! Are you okay?" He asked, his concern evident. And then the concern drained away, and he shook his head. "What the hell were you doing down there?"
"Well.. I just.. " Grace began.
"Did you forget how to speak? Can you just answer what you were doing down there?"
"It was my idea," Ben suddenly blurted out, elicited a shocked reaction from even Lila. "I wanted to go down there...and Grace said we shouldn't but..." He shrugged. "...I dunno, I thought it would be fun."
Grace's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but Logan glared at her cutting her off.
"You thought it would be fun?" He repeated turning to face Ben again. "Do you realize what kinda place the Boulevard turns into after dark?" he demanded.
"Yeah, I do. I just...I dunno... I was curious, I guess," Ben explained, lying through his teeth and hoping his grandmother didn't see through or that she didn't call him out on it if she did. "It was stupid, I know and...I'm sorry."
"Yeah it was stupid, "Logan snapped, and shook off Grace's hand as she stepped forward in an attempt to calm him down. "Grace go inside!"
"Logan..Really.." Grace pleaded.
"Now Grace.." Logan growled.
Hanging her head she turned and began heading towards the house but paused and turned to look at Ben and Lile. "Thank you Ben.. For..For helping me. And Ben? I'm sorry for everything... And Mrs. Buchanan? Thank you for taking me home." She said softly before heading inside.
Logan turned back to Ben and shook his head. "I think it would be best if you didn't come around Grace anymore." He said, his voice flat.
Ben clenched his jaw for a moment then turned to look at Lila who simply gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Ok," Ben said, turning back to Logan, nodding. "That's fair."
"Why don't you wait in the car, Benjamin," Lila spoke up, placing a hand on her grandson's arm and guiding him back. She met his gaze as he nodded and turned back toward the car, pulling open the passenger side door and sliding into the seat.
"I'm going to take Ben home," Lila said, turning to Grace's brother. "I think they're both tired and he's really in no condition to drive. If you have no objection, I'd like to leave his motorbike here for the night and bring him by to get it in the morning."
Logan nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "No problem.." He said and glanced towards the house before looking back at Lila. "I really do think it's best if they don't see each other anymore. This past year hasn't been the easiest for her..With our sister and mother..And Grace barely.." He trailed off and shrugged his shoulders. "She really needs to focus on healing and finishing school right now."
Lila was just turning to go then stopped suddenly. "Would I be too forward if I offered a little advice?" she asked, not desiring to run the risk of offending him by giving her opinion when it wasn't wanted.
Logan shook his head and sighed, "After tonight? I don't think so.."
"Sometimes when we lose people we love we tend to hold onto those that remain as tightly as we can because we don't want to lose them as well," Lila said. She'd heard about the shooting at Wellington and that the girl who was shot had lost her mother and sister as well. It wasn't much of a leap for her to figure out what Grace was a Wellington student and that, from what Logan had said, she had lost her mother and sister which meant Grace was the girl who'd been shot at Wellington. "Unfortunately, sometimes we hold on a little too tightly and only end up driving them away all on our own and lose them anyway."
Logan's shoulders slumped a bit, because he knew what she was saying.. But how could he just let Grace make stupid decisions when he felt he was able to protect her? "So.. What am I suppose to do then?" He asked, arching a brow. "It's not like Grace is the most street smart person out there.."
"No, she's not," Lila replied. "But keep in mind...you can't be everywhere."
Logan nodded slowly, and looked back at the house with a sigh. "Well.. Yeah.." What the hell was he suppose to do with a teenage sister? It had been so much easier when.. Well he couldn't change that now. He turned back to Lila. "Thank you for bringing her home."
She cleared her throat and reached over for her glass of wine just as the phone rang. Folding the mark back into place she closed the book and stood, crossed the room to the where the phone sat on its base on the end table at the other end of the couch and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" she said, easing herself onto the sofa.
"Well, hello, darling," Lila smiled as she listened to the person on the other line. "What?"....."Where are you?"...."You what?!"...."All right, I'll be right there."
Hanging up the phone, Lila's lips pursed together in a look of complete and utter disappointment. Well, this was perfect. The perfect ending to the perfect day. Taking in a deep breath and sighing, she lifted herself up from the couch and headed upstairs to change back into her clothes.
Forty-five minutes later, Lila found herself marching into the Los Angeles police station. Her lips were still drawn together in a frown and her eyes seemed downturned in what could only be described as pure disappointment and anger. "Yes," she said, walking up to the counter and speaking to the first officer she saw. "I'm Lila Buchanan, I'm here for my grandson."
Bowing her head, Grace stared at her hands. She felt awful! Ben being arrested was all her fault.. But she'd let the police know that it hadn't been his fault.. She shook her head and glanced up hearing the familiar voice of Lila Buchanan. She slowly rose to her feet and made her way over to where Lila was. "Mrs.. I mean.. Lila? I'm not sure if you remember me...I'm Ben's friend Grace.."
"I remember you," Lila replied curtly then turned her attention to the police officer. "My grandson?" she said as more of an order than a request.
"Of course, Mrs. Buchanan," the police officer replied. "We just need you to take care of the bail and we can release him into your custody."
"Fine," Lila answered. She plopped her purse down on the counter and pulled out her billfold. After several seconds spent fishing around for her credit card she pulled out the plastic and handed it over to the officer.
"There's some paperwork I need you to fill out as well," the officer added, taking the card from Lila then walked away into a room behind the counter. He returned a few moments later with a clipboard and the credit card statement for her to sign.
"All right," Lila said after finally signing all the paper work and handing it all back to the officer. "Now, will you please release my..." Her words were cut off as a door on the far wall opened and Benjamin, his hands cuffed behind his back, was led out into the room by a second police officer.
"Oh Dear Lord!" Lila cried out as she made a beeline for her grandson. "What in the...? Get those things off of him you idiot!" she barked, slapping the officer on the arm with her purse.
Ben felt the cuffs loosen on his wrists and pulled them free, running his hands over the flesh where the restraints had rubbed against his skin.
"Oh my dear boy. Let me look at you," Lila cooed,taking Ben's face in her hands as she looked him over, checking for any scratches, scrapes, bumps or bruises. Then, deciding he was perfectly fine, she smacked him across the face, the sound echoing through the police station and silencing the whole room.
Grace's mouth dropped open, totally not believing that Ben's Grandmother had just slapped him! It wasn't HIS fault he'd been arrested! She took a step forward shaking her head, "Mrs. Buchanan! It wasn't Ben's fault.. It..These guys.. They were.. and Ben... He was.. He was just trying to protect me.." She babbled on trying desperately to get Ben out of any trouble he might be in.
"Gram, I was just..." Ben tried picking up where Grace left off but was immediately cut off.
"Shush, let's just get you home. We'll talk about it there," she said with a very serious look then turned her eyes to Grace. "I suppose you'll need a ride home then?" she asked.
Grace shifted nervously from foot to foot, and glanced at Ben before looking back at Lila, "If.. Well, if you wouldn't mind.."
Lila nodded then quickly started for the door. "Come on, the both of you!" she ordered.
Heading outside to Lila's car, Ben and Grace remained silent. Grace looked over at Ben as they piled into Lila's car and but said nothing. She bit down on her bottom lip as Lila pulled the car out into traffic, and she really wanted to say something to make things better, but.. She shook her head, and stared out the window, just allowing the silence to remain between everyone. After a few minutes, she sat up a bit straighter and leaned forward a bit. "You'll want to take the next left.." She pointed out before sitting back.
Lila turned as she was instructed. All through her drive she kept periodically glancing over at Ben who sat in the front seat next to her. Her lips were pursed closed, barely containing her anger before... "Fighting?! You were arrested for fighting?" she began to unleash upon her grandson. "You are the last person in the world I expected to be fighting, Benjamin Oliver Buchanan! Much less getting arrested for it."
Ben took in a deep breath and sighed once it finally started up again. It had been only a matter of time before his grandmother's worry--and he knew however angry she was, she was more out of worry than anything else--would finally overwhelm her and she would have to vent it. "It's not that big a deal, Gram," he said, trying to diminunize it.
"Not that big of a deal?" Lila repeated. "You broke one man's nose and fractured three ribs of the other, Benjamin. I fail to see where this is not a big deal."
"Mrs. Buchanan.." Grace started, "They deserved.. Well.. What happened is this. Ben went to get something for us to drink, and these guys.. They started harassing me, and they just wouldn't take no for an answer." She paused, her cheeks flushing, "One of them.. They had me backed against a wall.. Saying he wouldn't let me go until I said I'd go out with him.. That's when Ben came, and well.. The guys.. yeah..." Her voice trailed off and her brows furrowed, "It's not Ben's fault.."
Lila glanced in the rearview mirror at the girl as she came to Ben's defense, trying to explain what had happened that night that led her grandson to put two men in the hospital and landed himself in jail with an assault charge. "What were you two doing on the Boulevard at this time of night anyway?" she asked, turning to look at Ben then looking in the rear view mirror at Grace. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to the two of you? Do you?"
"Yeah, I do. But it didn't, Gram," Ben finally spoke up again. "Some assholes started makin' trouble and I dealt with it. Grace is fine. I'm fine. Aside from being a little tired, we're both fine."
"Do you have ANY idea how terrified I was when you called and told me you'd been arrested?!" Lila shouted for the first time that night or in the past few months for that matter. "What if one of them had a knife? Or, God help us, a gun! When you ran away from your father and left Oregon I asked you to stay with me so you could figure out what you wanted to do with your life. That did not include finding the quickest way to get yourself killed!"
Ben's head dropped with his chin resting against his chest in shame. He'd never really considered how it must have sounded when he called Gram up to explain that he'd been arrested for fighting, especially when he'd told her where it had been he'd gotten into the fight. He knew how important she was to him and the idea of her getting hurt would tear him apart. He guessed it had to run both ways, if not more since she was his grandmother. "I'm sorry," he said, finally lifting his eyes and looking at his grandmother. "I guess, I wasn't thinking and...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
Grace paled a bit and she seemed to shrink further against the back seat. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of getting hurt when she'd suggested they head to the Boulevard. And the thought that one of them could have been shot, it really made Grace sick to her stomach. "You're going to need to take the second right, Mrs. Buchanan and then the first right and it'll be the third house on the right." She said softly, unconsciencely rubbing her hand over her chest where she'd been shot earlier in the year.
Lila nodded and took the instructed turns before pulling into the drive of a modest-sized home, in front of which was parked Ben's bike. "Well, if your bike is here how did the two of you manage to get downtown?" she asked.
Grace paused for a moment, and sighed. "My brother Lo-" She cut herself off as she saw the front door to the house open and Logan come flying out of the house, and angry scowl on his face. "Oh man.." Grace muttered pushing the back door open and scrambled out. "Logan! Lemme ex-"
"Jesus Christ Grace! What the hell? Where the hell have you been?" He demanded grabbing onto Grace's shoulders and glaring down at her. "Do you realize I WAITED for you for an hour?" He asked his fingers digging a bit into her shoulders. "Grace! You can't be doing this shit!"
Grace winced, and pushed Logan away. "Lemme go! Jeez! I'm sorry! Logan, I'm really sorry.."
"Mr. Behr, I presume," Lila said after stepping out of the car and rounding the front of it to meet with Grace's brother and extended her hand. "I'm Lila Buchanan, Ben's grandmother."
Logan stared at Grace in shock and shook his head turning to look at the older woman. "Yeah, I'm Grace's brother Logan.." He said shaking Lila's hand. He glanced over at Grace and then back to Lila, "What's going on?"
"Well," Lila said, glancing at Ben as he stepped up beside her after having just slid out of the front seat. "It would seem that Grace and Benjamin decided to take a little walk down on the Boulevard after the movie. And they got themselves into a spot of trouble and ended up in the police station."
"The Boulevard! Police....?!" Logan repeated and turned glaring at Grace. "Have you completely lost your mind?! What were you thinking? Fuck, Grace! Let me guess, you weren't! Are you asking to be shot ag-" He cut himself off. "What did you do to end up at the police station?" He demanded his eyes narrowing as he stared his younger sister down.
"Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time?" Grace demanded blinking back tears. Like she wanted the whole world to know she'd been shot!
"What the hell happened then?" Logan pressed.
She glanced away, fidgeting a bit. She really did NOT want to tell Logan what had happened. "Well..."
"Well what Grace?" Logan sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. "Can someone please tell me what happened?"
"Do you want to do the honors or shall I?" Lila said, turning to her grandson.
Ben swallowed the massive lump that had formed in his throat and clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the verbal, if not physical, assault he was about to receive. "The thing is...I kinda got into a fight. With these guys. And, the cops came and..."
Logan's gaze shifted to Ben and clenched his teeth together. "And what the hell does that have to do with Grace?"
"Well you see.. Logan.." Grace began twisting her fingers together. "There was.. And.." She looked over at Ben, and Lila before looking back at her brother. "And..."
"And? What Grace?!" Logan cried growing more and more frustrated with each passing moment.
"It would seem these gentlemen took a rather fond liking to your sister," Lila replied, trying to take some of the pressure off of the already flustered Grace. "And apparently the word 'no' was beyond their realm of comprehension."
Logan's eyes widened and his gaze moved over Grace making sure she was in fact okay. "Christ Grace! Are you okay?" He asked, his concern evident. And then the concern drained away, and he shook his head. "What the hell were you doing down there?"
"Well.. I just.. " Grace began.
"Did you forget how to speak? Can you just answer what you were doing down there?"
"It was my idea," Ben suddenly blurted out, elicited a shocked reaction from even Lila. "I wanted to go down there...and Grace said we shouldn't but..." He shrugged. "...I dunno, I thought it would be fun."
Grace's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but Logan glared at her cutting her off.
"You thought it would be fun?" He repeated turning to face Ben again. "Do you realize what kinda place the Boulevard turns into after dark?" he demanded.
"Yeah, I do. I just...I dunno... I was curious, I guess," Ben explained, lying through his teeth and hoping his grandmother didn't see through or that she didn't call him out on it if she did. "It was stupid, I know and...I'm sorry."
"Yeah it was stupid, "Logan snapped, and shook off Grace's hand as she stepped forward in an attempt to calm him down. "Grace go inside!"
"Logan..Really.." Grace pleaded.
"Now Grace.." Logan growled.
Hanging her head she turned and began heading towards the house but paused and turned to look at Ben and Lile. "Thank you Ben.. For..For helping me. And Ben? I'm sorry for everything... And Mrs. Buchanan? Thank you for taking me home." She said softly before heading inside.
Logan turned back to Ben and shook his head. "I think it would be best if you didn't come around Grace anymore." He said, his voice flat.
Ben clenched his jaw for a moment then turned to look at Lila who simply gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Ok," Ben said, turning back to Logan, nodding. "That's fair."
"Why don't you wait in the car, Benjamin," Lila spoke up, placing a hand on her grandson's arm and guiding him back. She met his gaze as he nodded and turned back toward the car, pulling open the passenger side door and sliding into the seat.
"I'm going to take Ben home," Lila said, turning to Grace's brother. "I think they're both tired and he's really in no condition to drive. If you have no objection, I'd like to leave his motorbike here for the night and bring him by to get it in the morning."
Logan nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "No problem.." He said and glanced towards the house before looking back at Lila. "I really do think it's best if they don't see each other anymore. This past year hasn't been the easiest for her..With our sister and mother..And Grace barely.." He trailed off and shrugged his shoulders. "She really needs to focus on healing and finishing school right now."
Lila was just turning to go then stopped suddenly. "Would I be too forward if I offered a little advice?" she asked, not desiring to run the risk of offending him by giving her opinion when it wasn't wanted.
Logan shook his head and sighed, "After tonight? I don't think so.."
"Sometimes when we lose people we love we tend to hold onto those that remain as tightly as we can because we don't want to lose them as well," Lila said. She'd heard about the shooting at Wellington and that the girl who was shot had lost her mother and sister as well. It wasn't much of a leap for her to figure out what Grace was a Wellington student and that, from what Logan had said, she had lost her mother and sister which meant Grace was the girl who'd been shot at Wellington. "Unfortunately, sometimes we hold on a little too tightly and only end up driving them away all on our own and lose them anyway."
Logan's shoulders slumped a bit, because he knew what she was saying.. But how could he just let Grace make stupid decisions when he felt he was able to protect her? "So.. What am I suppose to do then?" He asked, arching a brow. "It's not like Grace is the most street smart person out there.."
"No, she's not," Lila replied. "But keep in mind...you can't be everywhere."
Logan nodded slowly, and looked back at the house with a sigh. "Well.. Yeah.." What the hell was he suppose to do with a teenage sister? It had been so much easier when.. Well he couldn't change that now. He turned back to Lila. "Thank you for bringing her home."
hello everyone!
