“She’s his landlord,” Mitch tells him. I shoot him a ‘thanks for nothing’ look.
“You’re thelandlord?” Finn doesn’t even try to hide the shock on his features. “Shit. No wonder he’s been spending so much time at home lately.”
“I have to be going.” I glance past Finn to the blonde. “I’m sorry to interrupt your date.”
I smile sheepishly and awkwardly wave good-bye. I can feel Finn grinning at my back the whole walk to the front door. Outside, Aspen looks downright giddy as she squeezes my shoulder. “Did Logan really never mention Finn? Like at all? The Hawkins always talk about the Hawkins. They’re so close-knit, they’re almost like a Hydra, one entity with a bunch of heads.”
“Clearly they were too busy doing other things with their mouths besides talking,” Mitch pipes in and he’s gleeful, but it makes me more embarrassed. “Aspy this is a good thing. Our little Chloe is finally wild and free.”
“I should know if he’s got an identical twin before I know what he looks like naked,” I mutter.
“Honey I’ve slept with people without even knowing their last names,” Mitch replies, waving off my concern.
“I’m carrying the baby of a guy who’s middle name I don’t know so it could be worse,” Aspen tells me. “It’s casual. You’ll ease into it—all the details of his life—when things get more concrete. Don’t worry about it, Chloe.”
We part ways with Mitch and on the way home, Aspen sings along with the radio while I zone out and let the anxiety I’ve been ignoring start to creep into my brain. This moment of mistaken identity made it impossible to ignore. Seeing what I thought was Logan with another woman was so upsetting because I’m falling head over heels at a hundred miles an hour for him. And the fact is we haven’t discussed what is happening between us and I might be the only one doing the falling. I mean I think he is too but…do I really know? Are we moving too fast? Are we on the same page? Is this casual for him? I don’t do casual, but I never said that to him. And I’ve been sort of quasi-lying to him about Jackson. Do I tell him the truth now? Did I make my widowhood a bigger bomb than it already was by skirting the issue? What if he thinks it’s too much to handle, especially with Paul pestering me again?
“Hello!” Aspen glances over at me. “Earth to Chloe!”
“Sorry. I was just thinking…”
“About how God made two guys that hot?” Aspen asks and laughs at her own comment. “The Hawkins twins have never been my thing, but I can’t help but admit they’re smokin’.”
“Actually I was thinking I want to invite Logan to come upstairs after his shift,” I announce as Aspen pulls to a stop in my driveway.
“I’d do it!” Aspen replies firmly.
I laugh at her. “I’m not talking for sex…although, I’m not going to stop that from happening if the conversation goes well.”
“Conversation? About what?”
“We haven’t said that we’re exclusive.” I say quietly.
“Oh. Okay,” Aspen seems to think about it and then flips her hair over her shoulder. “I never have the official talk, but then again, my relationships have consistently imploded. So I say have the talk.”
“I will.” I nod. “See you tomorrow. Drive safe.”
I watch her drive away, and after letting the dogs out to pee, I spend the next twenty minutes trying to draft a text that invites him up when he gets home and have it sound witty, sexy, and casual and not needy or awkward. But before I can hit send on the hundredth draft, Logan texts me.
On my way home. Are you still up?
A grin explodes across my face. It seems so simple when he does it. I think briefly about how to respond. Casual? Aloof? Friendly? I bite my bottom lip as I type, trying to keep this grin in check.
Awake. Was just thinking of you.
I hit send and stare at my phone watching the bubbles as he starts to text back.
Me or my brother? ;)
I laugh softly at his joke and type back.
Same difference.
I hope my cheeky humor translates.
He doesn’t respond for what feels like a very long time and I start to panic that he doesn’t get it. And then, after almost ten minutes, I see he’s read it. A few more minutes and my phone lights up again.
Oh there’s a difference. I can show you…if you’re still up when I get home.
