be heavier than I am.”
“Why do you carry all that stuff around, anyway?”
Bailey sighed. “You’ve met my mom.”
“Clearly. She’s very nice.”
“She is. But she…”
“You can say it, Bails. I’m kinda like her, in some ways. I’d forget my head if it wasn’t attached to my shoulders. I’m distracted a lot and tend to forget little things.”
“Yeah. And growing up, she was so busy, you know? She worked all the time, and when I got older, it got harder. She wasn’t good at keeping everything organized, and it always frustrated her, and then she’d get frustrated with us. I figured out it was easier for me to spend time doing some of that stuff around the house, and it made her life better. Then I started carrying stuff with me that me and my siblings might need when we were out, so she didn’t… I’m making her sound awful, but it wasn’t like that.”
Ashley sighed. “No, it wasn’t. You always try to make everything better for the people you care about. Even if it’s my protein bars, or Will’s favorite mints, or those ginger candy things Joey needs for his stomach.”
“I like being helpful.”
“You are helpful. Do you carry tampons in your bag too?”
“Of course.”
Ashley laughed. “Of course, he says, like most guys carry around feminine hygiene products.”
“Well, they should if they have women in their lives who have their period.”
“You’re adorable. What do you carry for Logan?”
Bailey groaned and put his head back on the table. “No comment.”
“Oh. My. God.”
“What?” Bailey shouldn’t have asked. He knew he shouldn’t have asked.
“You’re carrying lube and condoms now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Holy crap, that’s awesome.”
“You are so weird. How did this conversation get so off track?”
“It’s not off track. You already know you love him, and he loves you. It was one of those magical romance novel things. I knew it from that first night after the incident at the bar. The way Logan looked at you and touched your neck, and then the way you looked back at him all googly-eyed and swoony? Yeah. Love.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. Love at first sight. Bam. Mic drop.”
Bailey groaned again. “That is not mic drop worthy. Whatever.”
“It so is. Now, what are you going to do about Logan?”
“I don’t know. I’m kinda ready to, ya know, try to, ya know.”
“If you can’t say it, you aren’t ready.”
“Sex, Ashley. I’m ready to have sex with Logan again.”
Of course, at that exact moment, Logan opened the door.
He blinked at Bailey.
Bailey blinked back.
“Please tell me that was Logan coming in. Oh, please tell me.”
“Gotta go.” Bailey ended the call and put the phone down. “Um, hi.”
He didn’t need a mirror to know the blush on his cheeks was as red as the strawberries he’d set out for making shortcake later. He was pretty sure Logan could hear his heart racing as well. Was there a scent to embarrassment?
“Do I smell embarrassed?” Logan usually thought Bailey’s questions were weird, but he always answered them.
“A little.”
“So. Sex. I want it.” Bailey decided to dive into the deep end, embarrassment be damned.
“Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it?”
“I’m processing.”
Bailey grinned. His counselor had told him the trick, and he’d been making good use of it. When he needed a minute to think something through, she told him to tell her he was processing. Thinking was allowed and encouraged. He’d told the trick to Logan, and he’d begun using it as well.
“You’re sure you are ready and not thinking you should be ready?” Logan asked softly.
Bailey propped an elbow on the table and dropped his chin onto his palm. “Processing.”
Was that what he was doing? Did he feel like he should have sex with Logan? Or did he just want to?
“Brutal honesty?” Bailey asked.
Logan nodded.
“We’re about seventy-thirty on this one. I mostly want to, but a little bit of me feels like I should.”
“I’m fine waiting until those odds are more like a hundred percent want to.”
“But I’m not,” Bailey said. He stood and crossed the room, then slid his arms around Logan’s waist. “I know if I need to stop, you will. We’re new, and I’m really into you. Physically, yes. A lot into you. But mentally too. Does that make sense? And now that I know what I know about everything, it makes me want you even more? I don’t know how to explain this.”
“You’re doing fine,” Logan said.
He rested his forehead against Bailey’s, and they breathed each other in for a few minutes.
“I do want you,” Logan added. “A lot. Especially now that you know. Maybe we should