responses, but all he earned were two cheerful claps. Seriously, not even a double-blink from Luci?
Had she known he was bi before he did?
Alexander made a low noise into their kiss, and a soft puff of minty air breezed over Logan’s lips.
Logan slid his tongue over the seam of Alexander’s lips and reveled in his shiver. God, he was responsive. Logan couldn’t get enough of the way Alexander came loose in his arms.
Alexander was the finest person Logan had ever touched, and he was drunk on the feeling.
Alexander’s nose tapped his. “Your kisses drive me crazy.” He added, “Literally.”
“Me too, darlin’.”
Alexander’s charged gaze snapped to his. “Logan?”
“Yeah?”
“I like the way you call me that.” The soft, sincere way he said it gave Logan chills.
Remember, this is an act.
His stomach dropped, but he slicked on a smile. “I reckon ya’ll wanna see every second of this monster madness.”
They settled into their seats. Aromas from hotdogs, fries, popcorn, and adrenaline floated around them. The happy cries of a thousand families filled the air, punctuated with hoots, hollers, and foghorns.
Luci and Nico leaned toward the railing, speaking quietly. Nico was pointing things out. Logan didn’t know enough to explain anything, but he made up shit anyway, earning a fond slap to the back of his head and the best worst-concealed smile he’d received.
“Jesus,” Logan said as a truck cartwheeled. “That’s not something you ever see.”
“Never?”
Logan coughed. “Unless you grew up on this madness. Like I did. Every weekend.”
“Madness is right.” Alexander pointed across the dirt pit to an emerging vehicle. “What’s that?”
“That,” Logan said confidently, “is a really big truck.”
Alexander rolled his eyes. “How informative.”
“Sorry. A humungous truck.”
“Just watching, I feel splattered with mud.” Alexander wiped his spotless sleeves while the humungous truck did a double-flip, spitting up dirt.
The crowd roared. The squealing family behind them jumped up and down, and a ten-year-old boy lost his grip on his popcorn.
The popcorn exploded over Alexander’s gold hair. His sleeves. Down his collar.
The boy stopped hollering for trucks and started crying for his lost popcorn.
Alexander gave Logan a silent promise that if the buttery grease stained, Logan would pay dearly.
Logan smothered a chuckle and began plucking popcorn off him.
“I reckon if you take off your shirt—”
Alexander shoved popcorn into his mouth.
Logan raised his hands in surrender, and there, at the corner of Alexander’s lips, was the sweetest quiver.
Logan threw an arm around Alexander’s shoulders and squeezed, silently saying sorry.
Alexander relaxed into his hold and they watched big trucks smash, crash, and defy gravity. Logan’s thumb brushed circles under Alexander’s ear, and he swore he felt Alexander’s heart race as the trucks raced toward glory.
Logan murmured into his other ear. “Despite the incident, you’re having fun.”
Alexander said drily, “This whole thing is simply outrageous.” Logan’s heart pounded. Alexander pressed his lips together and swallowed. “Yet, I’m having fun.”
Between truck wheelies and Bone Shaker’s skull smackdown, Logan reluctantly left Alexander for a trip to the bathroom and made a pit stop at a souvenir cart.
Clutching his buy, he swaggered toward their row. The two people who’d sat at the end were gone, but they’d left an obstacle course for him to climb over.
Ahead, Nico and Alexander sat alone, heads bowed toward one another. Logan stalled as their conversation carried.
“Thanks for telling me,” Alexander murmured.
“Are you gonna confront him now?”
Alexander’s shoulders seemed to freeze, and Logan’s heart pounded in fear—in hope. Alexander answered determinedly. “He doesn’t know I know he knows I know.”
Nico groaned, much like Logan did inside. “What have I created?”
What had Logan created?
“The whole thing is a mess, but I need this, Nico,” Alexander said, pained. “There’s no true love for a rigid, picky perfectionist.”
Logan’s chest tightened as he flashed to Alexander on his birthday, lying alone on his bed. Alexander’s phone never dinged that day with a message from a friend.
It wasn’t right.
Alexander was an amazing person. The way he took care of his parents at the cost of living with strangers in the house he cherished. The way he cooked for Logan. The way he’d tried to spare Logan’s feelings by choosing his cake.
His dry, sarcastic side made Alexander special too.
The man was loveable.
But perhaps that wasn’t the problem. Perhaps the problem was whether Alexander could truly love back. They’d have to be amazing. Worthy of him.
Logan clutched his stupid gift so hard it dug into his palm. His stomach felt like it’d dropped to his knees. It took everything he had to pull himself together and continue toward them. Nico caught sight