Logan’s mouth snapped shut.
Adrian’s stomach twisted.
Even though Logan hadn’t put Zack on speaker, he was close enough to hear every word.
He forced a small, tight-lipped smile and kissed Logan’s knuckles, like he wasn’t seething. Like he wasn’t burning alive.
Logan looked at him, reading him, knowing, before clearing his throat. “It’s… a bit complicated.”
“Oh shit,” Zack said, his voice shifting, dropping lower. “You found him, and he didn’t want to try again? But wait—you just said he’s there…”
“No, not that. We’re together.”
A pause.
“We’re in a hospital.”
There was silence on the line.
Logan swallowed, then, carefully, briefly, explained.
The leukemia. The hospital. The reality of everything.
Zack was quiet for a long time. And when he finally spoke, it wasn’t flirtation. It wasn’t teasing. Just—”I’m sorry, man. Really. I didn’t know.”
Adrian exhaled slowly, his fingers loosening slightly from their grip on Logan’s hand.
“Thanks,” Logan said, voice heavy, his thumb tracing over Adrian’s knuckles in slow, steady circles. “I huh… guess you need to get back to your shift.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Zack said softly. “See you around.”
The line went dead.
Logan turned off his phone.
And then he leaned into Adrian, pressing their foreheads together, his breath uneven.
“I love you,” Logan whispered.
“I know.”
And Adrian wasn’t angry.
Not really.
But something in his chest ached.
“You did great,” Adrian murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Logan’s head, his lips brushing against the fabric of the knit cap. He loved seeing it on him, loved the way it sat slightly askew, loved the quiet way Logan had claimed something of his as if to say,We belong to each other. No matter what.
Logan let out a dry laugh, his eyes closing briefly as he wrapped one arm around Adrian, pulling him in. “Yeah, right. I think you might be the only boyfriend on earth who encourages me to talk to a guy I used to hook up with.”
Adrian smirked, shifting closer, letting Logan’s warmth seep into his bones. “Well… technically, he sent you back to me. I think I owe him for that. And honestly? I’d rather be okay with it than have you hiding things from me.”
Logan’s expression turned serious, his grip on Adrian tightening slightly. “I would never hide anything from you,” he said quickly, fiercely, like the thought alone unsettled him.
Adrian nodded, his gaze soft. “I know. But still. I don’t ever want you to feel like there are things you can’t tell me because you’re afraid I’ll get angry. I know you love me, Lo. That phone call wasn’t easy to hear, but…” He exhaled slowly, his fingers brushing over Logan’s knuckles. “I’m okay.”
Logan studied him, searching his face like he was looking for any sign of a lie.
