Page 17

But what does that mean for the version of me I’ve always known? The one who never second-guessed myself or my sexuality? The one who’s always been so sure I was straight? The one who never once wanted to hop in the shower with my male best friend?

That version of me was clearly missing something. But now that I know, I can move forward the right way. I’ve always picked Logan, maybe this means choosing him in a different way.

If he ever wants me back, that is.

Because what I feel for him doesn’t feel like some identity crisis. It feels right and natural, almost like something that’s always been there, waiting for me to catch up.

I glance at Logan, and something in me settles.

“You good?” he asks, noticing me looking.

I nod. “Yeah. Just glad we came out here.”

He smiles at me before looking back out toward the water. “Me too.”

Logan is my comfort, my safe place, my person. Even if that’s all we’ll ever be, it’s enough. He’s always been enough.

We spend another fifteen or so minutes at the lake before we pack up and head back to Logan’s. As soon as we walk in, he drops his keys by the door and heads straight to the bathroom. I take out my phone to look at my emails because I need something to focus on that’s not him alone in the bathroom.

My inbox is mostly filled with newsletters I don’t remember signing up for, and some I’m almost positive I’ve already unsubscribed from. There’s also a new audiobook inquiry from an author that’s in demand, which I’m stoked to see. Plus a few responses to work emails I’ve sent, which I flag for later.

Then I spot what I assume is fan mail, but the subject line is a little odd, and so is the sender’s name.

[email protected]: You make it sound so real.

I hover my thumb over the delete button for a second, but curiosity wins, and I open it.

“I wonder if you know how many nights I fall asleep to the sound of your voice.”

Huh, that’s odd. There’s no greeting or sign-off, just a single line of text sitting there, staring back at me. I’m sure it’s harmless, though, even if the sender’s name looks downright spammy. Plenty of people get really into books—rightfully so—and it’s not the first time I’ve gotten a weird message like this. I’m sure it won’t be the last, either. Just apassionate fan who forgot how emails are supposed to work, I’m sure.

“Everything okay?” Logan’s voice cuts through my thoughts as he makes his way over to me from the bathroom.

“Uh, yeah,” I say. “Just a weird email is all.”

“Weird how?”

“It’s vague,” I shrug, but I know he’s waiting for me to say more. “Like, ‘you make it sound so real,’ that kind of thing. You know, fans get attached to books. I’m sure it’s nothing. Happens frequently enough.”

His face looks cautious, as if he thinks I’m downplaying something.

“Let me see,” he says, holding out his hand expectantly.

I hesitate for a second before handing him my phone. It’s just an email, it’s not a big deal, and it’s not like I have anything to hide. Watching as his eyes scan the screen, I feel a twinge of unease that he’s going to say something I’m not going to like.

“Uh, Ry, this isn’t normal,” he says, and I try to ignore the unease it’s causing.

“It’s notthatweird,” I argue, though the words feel hollow even as they leave my mouth. “Fans get invested. It’s part of the job.”

And it is, at least, that’s what I’ve always told myself. I mean, I have public social media accounts tied to my narration work. It’s not like I post anything crazy. It’s mostly just behind-the-scenes recording stuff, book promos, and the occasional photo of me. But yeah, my real name’s attached to it.Maybe I should’ve used a pseudonym.We’ve even joked about the ‘in love with your voice’ fan comments before, so an email like this isn’tthatweird.

Logan crosses his arms and levels me with a look that canonly mean,who are you kidding. “Do fans usually send creepy messages like this? They didn’t even include a name or any context. It’s weird, Ry. I feel like none of your other ones have given this vibe. This one’s just got a strange feeling to it. I don’t know how to explain it.”

I shrug again. “I mean, no, but people like my voice, right? It’s why I keep getting booked. It’s a compliment, really.”

Logan doesn’t look convinced as he hands me back my phone. “Still. I don’t like it.”

“Same, but I doubt I’ll hear from this person again,” I counter. The last thing I want is for Logan to worry about me even more.