Her's abandoned

Taking a stand

Logan's POV

I wake up and look at the girl sitting on the couch writing. She looks so young and innocent. Is it a front? Why do I feel I have to protect her? What is wrong with me? She looks like a young girl sitting in her shorts and a long sleeve sweater. Why would she wear a long sleeve sweater in this heat? She looks up and smiles at me. How long have I been sleeping? It is Saturday, and I have nowhere to go today or anything to do today. I look at my watch. It is almost noon.

"Wow, I slept a long time," I say. Jennifer nods as she finishes what she is writing. She looks tired and not like a young woman of only twenty-one. It is her eyes. They look older and wiser than an ordinary young woman. What has she been through in her life? It is like she does not trust any—even me. I am thirty-one, ten years older than her, and not even I have that much mistrust in humanity.

"There is food on the table. I ordered some as I can not leave the room," Jennifer says. Her voice sounds dead, almost without any feelings.

"Why? What happened?" I ask.

"Well, your parents made a statement with John saying he was just playing me as I am looking for a mighty rich man, that will back my film and that I am using you now, as my backer," Jennifer says with a bitter smile on her face.

"Wow, I am sorry they are doing this. You have no idea how toxic they can be. Jolene mainly, and I guess my brother is getting nasty because he can not have you. I warned you not to get involved with him. He is a spoiled brat. Do not worry.  I will set the record straight," I say.

"Listen, I do not want your family in my life anymore. I had a hard enough life before you entered my life. I want to quit the film, and I will pay any penalties I need to," Jennifer says. I sigh. So she did have a hard life. All I could find out about her was that she was in an orphanage in a poor neighborhood, and I guess she did not want to go back home. That is why she did not want to give her parents names to the orphanage. To her, it was better in an orphanage than being at a house where there was no food and maybe alcoholic parents.

"I am not going to leave you in this mess all alone. My family coursed it, and it is about time you accept help from someone when they offer it to you," I say. I will not let her go through this all by herself, and she needs to know it. There are still good people, and I want to restore her trust in humanity a bit.

"Are you serious? Your family put me in this position, although my fans do not believe your mother and brother. But unfortunately, some people out there do. As a result, I will be followed and pestered by the media and paparazzi for weeks. They will call me a w***e and every lousy name they can think of, and I know some actresses wanted the role you gave to me, and they will use it against me," Jennifer says.

"Well, then there is only one way to shut all of them up. I am not leaving you in this mess alone, and I will go against my family on this one. I don't care if you want my help or not, but you are going to get help and for once, accept it," I say.

"Oh, and how are you going to do that? Tell the world your brother is an asshole?" Jennifer asks.

"Yeah, and announce our engagement, saying that my brother was jealous as he could never get you no matter how hard he tried. Also, my stepmother is concerned since his previous girlfriend is pregnant and he will have to marry her," I say.

"You can not do that. It will sink John's political career," Jennifer says.

"So what. John and my family went too far this time, and it is about time someone puts them in their place. I am tired of them. You know my mother was not even in her grave for a week before that b***h started moving into our house. I wouldn't say I like Jolene, and I have had enough of my father and my spoiled brat of a brother. They think I will always protect them, but as I said, they went too far this time," I say.

"So you will turn against your own family for me? Why? What do you want from me? To play in your movie?" Jennifer asks suspiciously. Is she so used to being used that she can not accept an act of kindness?

"I don't understand why you want to do this. No one but Mabel did this for me," She says.

"Who is Mabel?" I ask. She looks at me, and I see that she is thinking fast.

"A woman that used to work at the orphanage I was at," She says.

"Hmm, I see you do not like to talk about your past, do you?" I ask.

"No," She answers me straight, and I look at her. What are you hiding, Jennifer Preston, and why don't you want your past to come out? Did you do something wrong in your past? Or were you so hurt by humans that you can not trust anyone anymore?

"Okay, then I will not ask you about your past. It is your prerogative to keep it a secret if you want to," I say. I get up and get myself some food. I look at Jennifer where she is still writing then my eye catches the books on her table. They are medical books for students. So she is studying to becoming a doctor? Wow, this young woman surprised me more every time I met with her. Why is she so reluctant for someone to touch her, though?

"So why do you really want to help me? What is in it for you?" She asks as she looks up as if she was overthinking everything again.

"Nothing, I want to help you as I think you are a decent girl and do not deserve what my family is doing to you," I say.

"Yeah, right, I think you just want to keep all the horny girls away from you since everyone seems to want to catch the most wanted bachelor in America," She says and smiles. It is the first time I see her smile, and her smile actually reaches her eyes.

"Hmm, now that you mention it. It will help," I say, smiling back at Jennifer. I will not admit to anyone how much Melody hurt me when she left me. But, like Jennifer, I'm not particularly eager to talk about my past.

"Okay, but how long do we stay engaged?" She asks.

"Well, until we get married," I say. Jen looks at me like I am crazy. Since when did I start thinking of her as Jen, and where did the whole marriage thing come from?

"Stop joking?" Jen says.

"I am not. We can get married for a year or two, and when everything is in the past, we can get a quiet divorce," I say.

"You are crazy. I am planning never to get married," Jen says.

"We will see and figure it out later," I say. I don't know why I am so reluctant to let her go.

"Fine, but let's stick to the engagement story," Jen says.

"For now, okay," I say, and she looks at me with suspicion in her eyes. Finally, I am done eating and am ready to leave.

"I would not go out there if I was you. I told you the paparazzi and media are outside my door," Jen says.

"Well, don't you have a concert tonight?" I ask.

"Yeah, but I usually just ignore them, answers no questions, and walk past them with my bodyguards. I can not really give a s**t what people say about me," She says.

"Well, I do care what they say about you. Now my name is also in this mess, and my stepmother went too far by claiming I will let a woman fool me," I say, smiling.

"Well, you are free to leave but don't say I have not warned you," Jen says as she smiles back at me. She looks cute in her shorts, sweeter, and her hair all messed up. I smile and walk over to her. I take the ring I always carry around a chain on my neck and put it on her finger. It was my mother's engagement ring. The wedding ring is still hanging on the chain around my neck, and one day, I might put it on her finger. Who knows. She looks at the ring and frowns.

"Who's ring was this?" She asks.

"My mother's," I answer.

"I can't wear this. It is sacred, and you must treasure it a lot," Jen says.

"Well, I trust you with it," I say as I smile at her again. I bend down and kiss her on the lips. It feels like an electric current is running through my body as our lips touch. She must have felt it as well as she looks up at me in shock. I can not help but pull her up and hold her in my arms for a while.

"Everything will be fine. I am here now, and I will not let anyone hurt you ever again," I say.

"Don't make promises you can not keep," She says as she pushes me away lightly. I smile as I know I will protect this woman and will find out about her past. She will just not know about it. As I open the door, the media storms me.

"Mr. Hudson, is it true that you and Jennifer Preston are a couple?" One asks.

"Yes, we are engaged. Last night's stunt by my brother was the last effort to win her heart as he knew we were in love. This morning's statement by my stepmother was to make her son look better," I say.

"Isn't Miss Preston too young for you?" A reporter asks.

"Love knows no age, and Logan and I have been in love for a long time. Before I even signed to play in his film. So never call him too old for me. I love Logan and will not tolerate any of you talking about him in any bad way," I get help from an unexpected source. Jen is standing there looking so cute and sexy with her hair in a mess dressed in shorts and a sweater. She does not realize how it looks. As my shirt is wrinkled and my hair is also not combed. It seems like we spent the night together and that we just got out of bed.

"You forgot your jacket, babe," Jen says as she hands me my jacket.

"Did you two spent the night together?" A reporter asks.

"Yes, we are engaged, so why can't we," Jen answers them, and the reporters are shocked that she is actually answering their questions about her personal life. They are so stunned that they can not get a question out before she pulls me back into her room and closes the door.

"Oh s**t! I am sorry. What did I just do? I put you and me in a bad light," Jen says.

"No, you did not, sweetheart. But, you did what you have to, and thank you for standing up for me," I say. 

We switch on the TV, and our little interview is all over the news. Jen looks pale as she sees what we look like. A couple that just made love all night long. My phone rings, and I see it is Jolene. I know she must be furious, but I don't give a s**t and ignores her call.

"Sheesh, I look wild, and so do you. We look like lovers," Jen says. I laugh as I look at her face. She looks so innocent. Her phone rings, and she looks at the screen and shows it to me. John Hudson, it says. I take her phone and block his number.