Chapter Four
Logan trailedPeter half a second later, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. The room was dark, but for the soft yellow glow of the streetlight shining in the front window, and practically empty except for a twin bed shoved against the far wall and a large wooden desk that ran beneath the front window. Peter stood by the desk, staring out at thestreet.
"Seems strange to be in here without the Barack Obama posters staring down at me," Logan said softly, and Peter turned, almost like he wasstartled.
Had he not expected Logan to follow him? Or was he worried that Logan was here to a repeat of what had happened the last time they were alone together in this room? Not that Logan would be a hundred percent against that idea, himself. Peter was hotter than ever, and neither of them was in a relationship because some idiot had broken things off with him... some idiot other than Loganhimself.
Not here for this, Logan reminded himself.Apologies, nothookups.
He took a seat on the end of the bed, next to the coat Peter had thrownthere.
"My mom used this as a sewing room and guest room for the past few years," Peter told him, sliding back to sit on the desk and glancing at the empty walls. "Her taste runs more to seashells and macramé than political posters." He smirked and Loganlaughed.
"Well, my mom started collecting historical dolls after she moved to Charlotte. I stayed there over Christmas one year when I was a senior in college, and I had the worst bout of insomnia I've ever had. Every time I closed my eyes, I couldfeelthem staring atme."
Peter snickered. "I would have turned them all around to face the other way, and then denied all knowledge of how ithappened."
Logan nodded approvingly. "See, that might have been smart. I ended up lying and saying I needed to get back to campus ten days early. Slept in my car because my dorm was still closed. Still felt safer than all thosedolls."
"Slept in your car? Why didn't you come stay here?" Peter asked, then snapped his jaw shut like he'd suddenly rememberedwhy.
"Wasn't sure what my welcome would be like," he said. Not after the summer when he'd come home from college to help his parents move, and looked at his friend's little brother in a whole new light. Not after he and Peter had spent a summer laughing and hanging together, had become way more than friends - in this very room, no less - and Logan had shut the whole thingdown.
Peter shrugged, but his voice was tight. "You're not the first guy to mess around with another guy before deciding he's not really intoit."
Logan nodded. He leaned forward bracing his elbows on his knees. "That's what I told you, wasn'tit?"
"I believe the exact words were, 'I'm notqueer,Peter.'"
Logan grimaced. "It's like hearing my stepdadspeak."
"Ha. Yeah, you're right." Peter drew one ankle up to rest on his thigh. "Coach George once told me if I was able to climb to the top of the rope, the other guys wouldn't think I was a faganymore."
"Jesus. What'd yousay?"
Peter snorted. "The truth - that given how vocal I was about sucking dick, the guys would still definitely know I wasgay."
Logan laughed. "And then you climbed the fucking rope anyway, didn'tyou?"
Peter shrugged and a slow smile spread on his face. "Well,yeah."
Yep. Of course he had. That, right there, was Peter Kelley. Too good for Logan then, and definitely leagues above him now. Logan shook his head,grinning.
"What'sfunny?"
"Oh, just that you came out to my stepfather like it was the most casual thing in the world, a fact of life." He waved a hand through theair.
"Well, it was," Peter told him. "Stillis."
"Yeah." Logan swallowed, rubbed at the back of his neck which was growing hot despite the chill of the room. "Some of us had a harder time coming to terms withthat."
Peter sat frozen for a moment; his face turned into the shadow so that Logan couldn't read his expression. "But you did? Come to terms with it, Imean?"
"Yeah, I... Yeah. Not long after I left here, actually. The, uh... the dolls weren't the only things giving me nasty looks thatChristmas."
"Even then?" Peter whispered. "Why didn't you... I mean. You could have texted. Or called. If you needed to talk, or a friend,or..."
Logan rubbed his hands over his face. "No, I couldn't. Not after the things Isaid."
