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“I did have platonic feelings for you all these years, except maybe right when we met. But the second you said you were straight, I buried those feelings so deep I almost forgot they were there. Then, whenheshowed up that first night and you kept looking at him before I knew what was happening, I hated it. I felt so fucking jealous you were looking at a man who wasn’t me. Then you walked in on me in the shower anddidn’t immediately bolt…and yeah, all those boundaries I set? They started to blur real fast.”

My entire body burns hotter than the sun. “Seeing you in the shower was my moment, too. Good thing I was on time for once, huh?” I mutter, burying my face in my hands as I laugh.

He chuckles, prying my hands away, forcing me to look at him. His fingers slide between mine, and his voice drops to something softer. “Best timing you’ve ever had,” I agree.

“I just can’t believe that after narrating all these stories, it took you jerking off in the shower to make me realize I wasn’t as straight as I thought. Then laying next to you, horny out of my mind from feeling you on top of me, to the point of telling you I needed to jerk off—that sealed the deal on my bi-awakening. Actually, no,” I laugh. “It was you running out of lube and offering toshare. That finally sent the message loud and clear.”

He laughs at the memory. “You looked like you were about to combust. I had to offer a helping hand. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

“Yeah, well, can you blame me?” I shoot back, glancing at him over my shoulder. “You were lying there, all smug and calm, acting like it was normal for grown best friends to jerk off next to each other in bed. We’re not in college anymore.”

“Itisnormal,” he says with a shrug. “But usually it ends up right where we did. And don’t think I didn’t notice you running mental laps trying to convince yourself it didn’t mean anything before you touched me.”

I groan, covering my face again. “I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to do it but had, like, eight conflicting emotions happening at once. How was that only a couple of weeks ago? And how was it just last night that I finally got to kiss you?”

“You were figuring things out,” he validates. “It’s not supposed to be neat and tidy.” Then he leans forward over me, his smile teasing, his tone soft. “And now you get to kiss me anytime you want.”

I don’t hesitate. I pull him into me and kiss him with everything I’ve got, and when we break apart, I whisper, “This still feels surreal. I should’ve known it was always you.”

“Just because it took us a little longer to get here doesn’t mean what we have is any less real,” he says, and I kiss him again because I can’t help myself.

“Hey,” Logan says, nudging my shoulder with his. “At least we know the story has a happy ending. And that means we’ll get ours too, baby. I know it.”

I glance up at him, and the look in his eyes makes my breath catch.

“Yeah,” I say softly, my chest tightening in the best way. “I can’t wait until we can just be. Go out into the world without looking over our shoulders. Just exist.”

“That day’s coming,” he sighs. “We’ll get there. And when we do, I’m taking you on the cheesiest date you’ve ever been on. Think candles, roses, some overpriced restaurant where the portions are tiny but they charge you double for ‘ambiance’.”

I laugh, and it feels so good. “That sounds ridiculous, and I’m so in.”

“Yeah, well,” Logan says, grinning as he leans in until his forehead bumps gently against mine. “You deserve ridiculous. All the good, ridiculous things, and I can’t wait to be the one to give them to you.” He looks at me and swallows hard. “So…are we doing this? Like, for real? Because I’d like to call you my boyfriend. If that’s something you want, too.”

My heart stutters, and I grin so hard it hurts. “Yeah, Logan. I want that. I want you,boyfriend.”

His grin is immediate, and when he pulls me into a hug, I sink into it without hesitation. “You’re such a sap,” I murmur, as I tuck my face into his neck, still smiling.

“You like it,” he says, and I nod against him, because I really, really do.

18

LOGAN

It’s been quiet since we left the police station, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or the calm before the storm. Maybe Kyle finally decided to back off because he realized we’re on to him. Or maybe he’s being more calculated. The not knowing is what gets me, and I have a bad feeling it’s the latter. It seems far more likely.

Ryder and I have been living in our own little bubble lately. He wants me, and I want him, and for the first time in weeks, we’ve been happy. It’s easy—easier than I ever could’ve imagined. It’s like everything slotted into place the second we realized we both wanted each other.

I walk into the living room with two bottles of beer to find Ryder already on the couch, scrolling on his phone, looking suspiciously pleased with himself.

“You’re grinning like an idiot,” I tease, handing him a bottle before dropping down beside him.

“Maybe I’m just happy,” he fires back, and my smile only grows.

I raise an eyebrow, settling in closer, our knees brushing. “Yeah? What’s got you so happy then?”

He shrugs, taking a sip of his beer before leaning back against the cushions. “Dunno. Today feels like a good day, I guess.”

Seeing him like this makes me the happiest man in the world, and I’d do anything to keep this smile on his face.