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LOGAN

I ’d dreamed about living on my own for so long that I forgot some realities. Like the fact this house creaked in different ways, often freaking me out for a second. Or the embarrassing fact I didn’t know how to cook.

It was a weird situation to be in. My budget was very rigid. I couldn’t go over it without stressing out my parents, which meant I had to learn to cook with the groceries I could afford from the market store down the block.

“Okay, you can do this Log,” I said to pump myself up. Jordan had gone to the rec center pool with a few of her friends from her cohort. Normally, I’d hang with them, but this was my first shopping trip. All the food my parents dropped off had disappeared (into my belly) and now I had to get more.

Meal prepping was a thing. Not one I knew how to do, but it could be?

“You making another playlist over there?”

I glanced up to find Quentin walking into the kitchen. My skin automatically tingled from his presence and intense stare. He was so tall, so thick, and he spoke in this deep voice that made my face blush. He also teased me with a smile.

“I probably should. It’d help with all the stress.”

“Stress?” He frowned. He had strong eyebrows that paired well with his green eyes and dark lashes. “Classes haven’t started yet, right?”

I ran a hand through my hair and quickly put it up into a messy bun. “Correct, but…” I trailed off, my face heating. How embarrassing. I couldn’t admit to this hot hockey guy that I couldn’t cook. “It’s nothing.”

He pursed his lips before shaking his head. “Logan, I’ve known you for five days now, and I gotta be honest with you.”

My breath caught in the back of my throat, every nerve on edge. What was he gonna say? That I should move out? That I was a bad roommate? Every insecurity that I had, made even stronger by Gage, came to the front of mind. You’re annoying. You talk too much. You’re weird. Why are you so different?

He sat in the chair across from me, leaned onto his elbows, and smirked. “Your face gives away all your emotions. You’re pretty easy to read. Now tell me why you’re stressed. Maybe I can help.”

Oh. That wasn’t bad. “Why would you want to help me?”

He blinked, almost like the question surprised him. “We’re roommates?”

“You’ll think I’m a dork.”

“More so than the fact you have spreadsheets with reading stats?” He winked, the gesture charming me to my toes.

No one should have this much charisma. No one could be this good-looking. I pinched the bridge of my nose before tossing my hands in the air in defeat. It wasn’t like I could hide the truth from him or Jordan and Preston when they saw me try to cook. What if we took turns making dinner for one another? I’d burn it, and it’d be terrible. “Okay, here goes. I need to make a trip to the market and plan meals, but I don’t know how to cook or shop or yeah. It’s embarrassing, okay? I’m twenty years old and already want to call my parents.”

Quentin’s face softened, which was dangerous. In the few times we’d crossed paths since the first day, he scowled or was so focused on something else he wouldn’t smile. When he relaxed, I was drawn to him in a way that was unfamiliar.

“I have an idea.” His grin grew. “First, make a food playlist.”

“Wait, what?” My lips quirked, like they were in on a joke before I was.

“You heard me. Make a list with songs that talk about food or have food in the title. Then, we can work on a list together and head to the store.”

My heart grew two sizes in my chest. “I love this idea so much,” I whispered, the earlier stress disappearing bit by bit. Gage would never have suggested that as an idea. He’d make fun of me, and I’d let him. I never stuck up for myself and regretted it later. This was so not that at all. “But what about the whole cooking part?”

“We watch videos.” He rolled his eyes, but then he met my gaze again, his mossy green gaze serious. “I’m new at this too. I know I come across confident, but I’m not. I’ve never had to worry about a budget—” He stopped, his shoulders stiffening.

“Hey, it’s okay.” I reached and squeezed his forearm again. His skin was so warm, his corded muscles thick and strong. “I’m on one too, and I have to follow every dollar. Shockingly… I have a spreadsheet to help me.”

The earlier tension left his shoulders, and his lips curved up on one side. “Are you protective about your spreadsheets?”

“Quentin, you can’t ask to get into my sheets after a week of knowing me,” I teased, hoping it’d land.

He threw his head back and laughed hard. The sound echoed in the small kitchen, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Goddamn it, that was good.” He shook his head, but his grin remained. “You’re clever.”

I shrugged, my heart beating faster than normal and not due to stress. You’re so smart and so dumb, Lo. Gage’s voice echoed in my head, fighting the warmth. He’d never compliment my mind, just my body from time to time. No one called me clever, and it felt pretty damn good. “I have my moments.”

“Let me grab my laptop, and we can work on this together. Is that okay? I also just barged in here without asking.” He frowned. “Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no. I love this! I’m finding that while I like living here, I don’t enjoy being alone or the silence.” I chewed my lip, my stomach souring. “At home, there was always noise. Especially with a five-year-old. Toy sounds, movies, crying, laughing. My parents played music, and here, when everyone is out, it’s too quiet.”

Quentin leaned closer to me, his fingers inches from my face. He tapped the headphones resting on my neck. “When you feel that way, put on a favorite song. That’s what I do whenever I feel some sort of way.”

I took a breath again once he leaned back into his chair. Heat spread through my skin, under my blood, and my cheeks tingled with blush. It wasn’t that I thought he was flirting with me, that’d be silly, but his nearness and intensity was a lot. Plus, even if he was flirting, I wasn’t completely over the heartbreak from Gage. Why are you worried about flirting? He’s being nice.

“Thank you,” I said, hoping the silence hadn’t gone on too long. “So we’re gonna be shopping buddies?”

Hope danced in his eyes. “Yup. Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”

“My dad always said to end the list with produce so it was fresh when you head home,” Quentin said an hour later as we walked into the market. His voice shifted, went a little deeper, before he laughed. “I haven’t thought about going to the store with him in years.”

He grabbed a cart and motioned me to walk ahead. It was nice. Jordan totally would’ve gone with me if I’d asked, but this felt better somehow. Different. Exciting. Quentin made me feel interesting and it was addictive after being told I was boring for so many years.

“I have so many memories of going to the store with my parents. We’d make games out of everything.”

“What kind of games?”

“The alphabet game.” I grabbed a loaf of bread, one for each of us. I’d make sandwiches for the week for lunch. Quentin had one on his list too. He created two sections in our cart, one for me, and one for him. It was cute.

“Not familiar with that game.” He pushed the cart with ease, but it was probably because he was so large. He was at least a foot taller than me and twice my size. Gage was a big dude too, but he was stockier, shorter.

“Oh, it’s so fun. So, it’s about finding names of products in the store in order. You have to go in order, and the name has to be on the item. Apple wouldn’t work because there isn’t an A on it.”

“Auntie Em’s cookies,” Quentin said. “Bermuda chips.”

“Yes, like that.”

“So I’m winning then?” He flashed his smirk, a cocky glint to his eyes, and I couldn’t stop myself from hitting his arm.

“Competitive, much?”

“Always.” He stared at the Post-it and jutted his chin onward. “Let’s keep to our list. We won’t play your game yet. ”

“Coward,” I whispered, enjoying myself more than I would’ve guessed. He had a comfort around him. It wasn’t a sadness, but he was more than meets the eye.

“Logan?”

A deep, familiar voice had me gasp. I stilled and grabbed the side of the shopping cart as a million thoughts raced through my mind. They moved too fast to grasp onto one, and by the time the owner of the voice neared me, I was stuck.

Gage stood before me. My ex.

“Hey, Lo.” He smiled and reached out a hand, touching my forearm and tugging. “Give me a hug, please. It’s been too long, and I’ve missed you.”

I shook my head, but the gesture must’ve not been enough. Gage pulled harder, causing me to lose my balance when a large arm weaved around my waist, righting me. The warmth from Quentin’s body grounded me as my back pressed against his chest. I expected him to remove his arm, but I swore his grip tightened on me.

“You won’t respond to my texts, and you won’t let me see you. Please, Logan. I miss you so fucking much. I made one mistake and regretted it.”

My throat ached, and my eyes prickled with tears as I stared at my boyfriend of two years. The guy I’d lost my virginity to. The guy I’d envisioned experiencing college with. I loved Gage, truly, and he’d broken my heart. Despite the three months that had passed since the breakup, the same shame consumed me. I did miss him. I wished he never cheated. But I’d never go back to him.

“Pretty sure she doesn’t want to talk to you, dude.”

Gage’s brown eyes turned to slits as he finally realized I was with Quentin. His gaze moved to the arm around my waist, then to the guy behind me. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Someone she does want to see. Now, are you really gonna do this in the middle of a store? Everyone knows your face, Gage, and the football team doesn’t need any drama.” Quentin spoke slowly, intentionally.

He didn’t yell or threaten, just kept the same calm tone. That had to piss Gage off.

“Are you with her?” Gage’s wild eyes moved to me. “You’re fucking this guy?”

“You don’t speak to her that way.” Quentin pulled me tighter against him, a pleasant, musky cologne surrounding me. I was so used to only Jordan defending me, so hearing him defending me caused my stomach to swoop. He said the words I wished I could. I never spoke up against Gage then and couldn’t now.

Quentin lowered his face, so his mouth was near my ear. “Log, you want to head home or talk to him?”

“H-home.”

“There you go. She decides what she wants to do. Not you.”

“He calls you Log?” Gage’s voice broke, and he ran a hand over his face. “Fuck, I’m ruining this. I don’t want to upset you, Logan, I just want you back. I love you so much, baby. Please give me another chance.”

“I-I need to go,” I croaked out, somehow able to get through the interaction without crying. I hadn’t seen him in a month, and he was still super attractive to me. I loved his brown hair and eyes, the way his lips curved when he laughed, and how he’d always look to me when something was funny. I’d probably always care about him, but that didn’t mean I ever wanted to talk to him again.

“Come on then.” Quentin guided us out of that aisle, his warmth and scent still all around me. He didn’t release his grip on me until we were the next aisle over. “Are you okay, Logan?”

The tears hit me at the gentleness of his voice. A few dripped down my face, and I wiped them again, hating that they came. I couldn’t look at Quentin. I wanted to thank him, hug him, tell him everything, but I just couldn’t. Too many emotions, too overwhelming. To appease him, I nodded.

“Chips Ahoy. Danimals. Edamame.”

“You can’t use edamame. That’s not on the vegetable,” I said, annoyed that he tried playing the game right now . “Plus, you have to agree to play, not just announce it.”

“Franks, Ghirardelli,” he replied, smirk intact.

“Oh my god. No, you can’t do that!”

“Seems like I’m winning, Log.” He shrugged before staring at the list. “I bet we could make a race of this. Should we time how fast we can get our products?”

“Ooh, a little extra challenge.”

He nodded and met my eyes. The soft expression was there again, and that was when it hit me. He was distracting me. He didn’t pry or ask questions or demand explanations. He used the game to help me get out of my head.

“Quentin,” I whispered, the urge to thank him consuming me.

“I know.” He swallowed, his throat bobbing as his jaw tightened.

A moment passed between us. I had no idea what it meant, but I was so thankful for him and the fact that we were becoming friends. Quentin Hawthorne might have a bad reputation, but he was a good guy. It’d be nice having him around, especially if it helped send Gage a message.