Just as I take a sip, my phone buzzes on the coffee table.
Logan glances down at it, eyebrows raised. “Boyfriend checking in?”
I shoot him a look and snatch it up.
Jackson.
My thumb hovers over the green button for half a second too long.
“Hey,” I answer, sitting up straighter. “What’s up?”
His voice crackles through the speaker, chipper and full of Big Brother energy. “Hey, just checking in. Wanted to see how you’re doing. Everything okay with the new houseguest?”
I glance sideways at Logan, who’s smirking like heknows.
“Yep,” I say, maybe a little too quickly. “All good. Totally normal. Very…wholesome.”
Logan silently mouths the wordwholesome, then bites his knuckle to keep from laughing.
I swat at him and miss.
Jackson doesn’t seem convinced. “You sure? I know he can be a handful. The guy once stole my truck to impress a girl.”
Logan leans in and whispers, “She loved that truck.”
I cover the receiver. “Shut up.”
Jackson pauses. “Wait—was that him? Are you two hanging out right now?”
“Watching a movie,” I say casually. “Nothing major. Logan convinced me to watchBull Durham.”
“Cass.” His tone shifts, just slightly. “You remember the rules, right? I vouched for him. I’m just saying. Don’t make things complicated.”
I bristle. “I’m not. We’re just roommates. Promise.”
There’s silence on the other end for a beat.
“Alright. Sorry. Just looking out for you. And him, too, honestly. He’s got a big shot this season, and distractions…they don’t help.”
“I get it.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up.
I set the phone down, feeling Logan’s eyes on me.
“Well,” he says. “That was subtle.”
I exhale and lean back against the couch.
“He just wants to make sure we’re behaving.”
Logan grins, slow and wicked. “We are.”
Then his eyes drop to my legs. “For now.”
I shake my head. “You’re the worst.”
“And yet, you’re still sitting next to me.”
