Epilogue

EPILOGUE

JOSH

10 months later

“ H ere, let me just…” Logan reached out, and I held still under his touch as he straightened the knot on my tie. Then he snuck a caress over the exposed skin of my neck that made me prickle with goosebumps. Ten minutes into the fundraising dance at Merriweather Gardens that Nate had coaxed us into attending, and I was already ready to drag Logan out of there. He looked too fucking good in his navy suit and the silk tie printed with lacrosse sticks he’d gotten me for my birthday.

“Better?”

“Objectively speaking, sure. But best would be no tie at all. Or shirt. Or jacket. Or pants.” Logan smirked and caught himself just before he reached to push non-existent glasses up his nose. He’d worn contacts tonight.

“I saw that,” I teased, then dipped down and brushed a kiss over his lips before he could protest. “I was just thinking the same thing about the shirt and the jacket and the… all of it. I say we stay for a half hour and then bail for burgers and a fire at your place. Deal?”

“Deal.” He grinned. “Great minds.”

We’d been virtually insatiable and inseparable since the snowstorm almost a year before. We planned on finding our own place together this summer before our senior year—preferably one with a fireplace. For now, we still took advantage of the one in Logan’s room at Gable House.

“You really don’t miss this at all?” Logan asked, turning to take in the ballroom bedecked with twinkle lights, tables of appetizers, and the packed dance floor.

I draped an arm around him. “Not a bit. Coming as a guest is way better.” I’d dropped out of the frat at the end of sophomore year. Trying to keep up with frat duties on top of lacrosse, schoolwork, and Logan had become too much, and I’d started dreading the obligation of it, especially since being around Logan had inspired me to continue doing better academically. I’d dived deeper into my business major, left Sigma behind, and had no regrets. Though, ironically, I did have some classes with Chet and we’d become friendly. I still had all the friendships I’d made in the frat, which had been the best part of joining up in the first place. Speaking of…

“Incoming,” I said, as Nate emerged from a throng of people and headed toward us, laden with drinks. Jesse was right behind him.

“The bar is a zoo,” Nate groused, passing me a beer.

Jesse offered the same to Logan. “Don’t mind Nate. He’s prickly tonight.”

“Why are you prickly tonight?” Logan asked.

“I’m not prickly, I’m…” Nate inhaled deeply, then guzzled a long draught of beer as he cast a glance over the crowd. Swiping at the back of his mouth, he shook his head. “Never mind. I’m gonna go to the restroom.”

“Maybe check the fit on those Grumpy Pants while you’re in there,” Jesse teased, earning a roll of Nate’s eyes, though it was accompanied by a tiny twist of a smile.

Jesse watched him walk off and then turned to us. “He’s definitely got a bee in his bonnet, but whatever it is, he isn’t sharing it with me. I hate not being in the know.” He sighed and looked pointedly at Logan.

“That was forever ago.” Logan shoved him lightly with a laugh. He’d dared to wait a couple of weeks after we’d initially hooked up to tell Jesse about it, which apparently had been a crime against Jesse’s need to know all the latest gossip. “Do you want me to tell you about our plans for the rest of the night? They’re pretty scandalous.”

Jesse wrinkled his nose. “Pass. I don’t need that kind of imagery in my head when I’m not getting any.”

I gestured around. “Behold the buffet of eligible men at your fingertips, my friend.”

Jesse snorted. “Frat guys are passé.”

Logan cackled. “That wasn’t what you said last week.”

“I changed my mind.”

I’d gotten used to this aspect of Jesse, too, and found him generally delightful in his wide range of changing opinions on basically everything under the sun.

I ticked my chin to my eleven o’clock. “That guy over there is a football player, too. Does that cancel out the fact that he’s in a frat?”

“Which one?” Jesse craned his head.

“The blond.”

“The… oh.” Jesse shook his head quickly. “Nope, not him.”

“What’s wrong with him? He’s cute!” Logan said.

“Well for one, he’s probably straight and for two…” Jesse shook his head again and swiftly turned his back as the guy, Sam, glanced over at us. I lifted a hand to him. He’d been in my pledge class along with Nate. “For two, there was this incident back in freshman year where... you know what? Never mind. I think I’ll go use the restroom, too.” Jesse swiveled and walked briskly off.

“Wow.” Logan cocked his head. “Is it a full moon tonight? Everyone’s acting funny.”

“Maybe we should just skip out now before the zombie apocalypse starts or something.” I finished off my beer and hooked my elbow through Logan’s. “What do you think?”

He leaned to set his beer on a nearby table and then tucked in close to my side. “Sound logic. Let’s go.”

I nudged him as we headed toward the front doors, arm in arm. “So exactly how cute do you find Sam?”

Logan exhaled an amused laugh. “Are you serious? Are you having a rare moment of insecurity, Joshua?” God, I loved when he drew my name out like that, loved even more the twinkle of promise in his eyes. “I’ve already forgotten what he looks like. Funny how that happens when I’m around you.”

“I was just fishing.” I winked, holding the door open for him, and as soon as we were outside, I glanced quickly around for onlookers before shoving him against the wall and stealing the longer kiss I’d been craving.

“Well, you caught me,” he murmured breathily when I pulled away. “You keep catching me over and over, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Let’s go for real, because if we’re here much longer we’re in imminent danger of being cited for public indecency with how hard I am and the things I’m thinking about doing to you.” He shoved me lightly back and then proceeded to reverse course, tugging me along after him.

While on paper we may have seemed an improbable fit, we just worked, some intangible chemistry and understanding between us that never faded. A perfect solution that couldn’t be arrived at with any mathematical formula I’d ever heard of.

There was a cozy fire in our future, and sex, and Logan in my arms afterwards, right where he belonged.

—END—