Chapter Twenty-One - LoganI liked to look out the window as I ran. It gave me an impression of running through the sky if I got just the right angle. Not that I had any Superman aspirations or illusions. It was just a cool effect.
I had the exercise room put in when I moved into this place, grandpa having had no such interest. His idea of exercise was golfing with a cart. It was amazing he managed to stay so thin. Not surprising he had died from a heart attack at age 62. An age now considered tragically young.
I could kind of see it. He didn't even live long enough to get unnecessary money from the government.
I liked to do the full circuit at least once a day. My record until recently had been three times. Since what happened with Kora though, it had increased quite a bit. I was beginning my eighth circuit of the day. And it was only noon. My choice not to jerk off to memories of Kora caused my sexual energy to redirect itself into self-abuse of a different kind.
My sneakers pounded against the track of the treadmill, the most brutal Black Metal Norway had to offer blasting in my earbuds, shaking my eyes and ratting my brain as I tried to forget. Not only what had happened with me and Kora but the effect it had on Kristen and their friendship. Not once but twice.
Losing Kora still hurt like a branding iron, but I wasn't nearly selfish enough not to know I was the only one in pain.
The machine cooled down as I was slowing to a walk. I slammed a Vodka Gears from the cup holder built into the support bar.
"Speak of the devil," I said, as Kristen came barging in.
"What?"
"Nothing," I said, taking out my ear buds.
"Wasps in a tin can?" she asked, the sound still emanating from the tiny speakers around my neck.
"Mayhem," I said.
"Sounds like it," she said.
I fought down the urge to laugh, not sure if she was kidding or not. At least with dad his confusion was obviously genuine.
"Listen," Kristen said.
"Uh oh," I said.
"What?"
"Last time you said listen, I ended up bleeding from the head."
"The guy was really getting rape-y. I didn't know he was going to hit you with a chair. Especially not the one he was sitting on at the time."
"It really was quite a trick," I agreed.
"And the bouncer had already called the cops so it was mostly just a matter of stalling him until they arrived."
"By acting as a target," I said.
"Can you imagine what he would have done to me if given the chance?"
"Yes, better than you can guess, and I would have killed him. After I had hunted him down anyway."
"You quite nearly did at the time," Kristen said.
"I know! How the cops could have thought I was the perp is beyond me."
"They probably thought all the blood was his."
"As opposed to most of it," I said, seeing her point.
"I've never seen a human head jerk like that."
"I was angry about the chair. Not too happy about you, either, but I had mostly just been trying to hold him in check."
"That’s understandable," Kristen said, not seeming to take any offense.
"It was the chair that unleashed the beast," I said.
"Good thing the paramedics were able to revive him, so it was just an assault charge."
"'Just' being a relative term."
"True enough," Kristen said. "But I actually need to talk to you, okay?"
"Aren't we talking now?"
"I mean seriously."
"Oh.”
We went and sat on the wide sill of the picture window. It had been a while since I had seen Kristen be that serious. I braced myself for something truly terrible.
"I saw Kora," she said.
"Oh," I said, about ten different emotions knocking their heads together at once.
"It was an accident. It was at the spa. I'd been going there for months but was actually trying to avoid her, if I’m being honest, making sure she was no longer there, and I thought she was long gone, but there she was. She had gone from receptionist to trainee masseuse," Kristen said.
"The fates can be strange sometimes," I said.
"Or just cruel bitches," Kristen muttered.
"Yeah, that too," I agreed.
"Anyway, I think she was in a bad way. It wasn't exactly a tearful reunion or anything. No hugging or crying or vows to never part again. She hardly said anything, if I'm honest."
"Then how do you know she was in a bad way?" I asked.
"It was, er, pretty obvious, just, you know, by looking at her. I really thing you should try to get into contact with her if you can. I know I'm overstepping here, but it is really important and I get the feeling that she might need you right now more than you know or she is willing to admit."