Chapter Twelve
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Elijah managed to grab an early flightback to Dallas, coming in several hours before Logan and Sam would’ve been expecting him. Rather than call one of them to pick him up, he requested a Lyft because he was hoping to surprise them.
When he got home, he found it silent and empty, both Sam and Logan still at the office. He quickly changed, then headed to the kitchen to start dinner. Once he got the baby-back ribs prepared, he put them in the oven. They would need a couple of hours, which would be just enough time.
While those cooked on low heat, he headed for the bedroom he had slept in for the first seven years of his relationship with Sam and Logan. Until Sam had requested they sleep in the same bed, which meant ultimately the same room, Elijah had kept his life separate from theirs in this regard.
He opened the door and flipped on the overhead light.
Everything he’d left behind sat exactly as he’d left it. A few books were still on the small bookshelf, though many had joined those on the larger bookshelf in the living room. The lamp on the bedside table sat alone, his alarm clock having been moved to Sam and Logan’s bedroom. The fancy watch case Sam had gotten him for Christmas one year sat on the dresser, filled with his many watches. The dresser drawers still held his clothes.
He skimmed every surface and felt a weird sensation bubbling in his gut. So many nights he’d spent in here, just him and Sam; others he’d spent alone wishing she was here.
Did he miss it? No. Not even a little bit. When it all began, he’d been the literal third wheel in their marriage. By design. But for the past six months, he’d been doing the trial run he’d promised Sam he would do, sleeping in their room, growing closer to them for the lack of space between them.
Technically, it wasn’ttheirroom anymore. It belonged to all three of them. Or it felt that way, anyway. At least to him.
While it would’ve been easy to keep that separation, to pretend he wasn’t harboring this foreign desire for something he’d never even known he wanted, Elijah had decided this past weekend that his trial was over. He was ready to make that definitive step forward and take the plunge.
Figuring there was no better time than the present, he headed for the dresser and opened the top drawer.
Nearly two hours later, Elijah had transferred all of his things from that separate bedroom into the master. Sam had allocated space for him when she’d selected furniture, and he used it wisely, filling the drawers designated for him, utilizing the closet space. While there were still a few things stored in the extra bedroom, he could safely say it was no longer his. When he paused to take it all in, he felt a shocking sense of euphoria, similar to the feeling he got when he started a new book, not sure what would happen next but eager to find out.
As he headed for the kitchen to check on dinner, he heard the garage door opening. He glanced at the clock.
“Right on time,” he said with a smile.
He headed to the refrigerator and pulled out the asparagus to arrange it on the pan. He started the second oven and had the asparagus roasting before the back door opened.
“Elijah!” Sam said with a wide grin. “Why didn’t you tell me you were home? I would’ve picked you up.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he told her, meeting Logan’s gaze over her shoulder.
“And a nice one it is.” Sam stepped up to him, pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “I’m going to change. It smells delicious, by the way.”
With that, she sauntered off toward the bedroom.
Logan was standing there, hands in his pockets, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Then again, there was always mischief in the man’s gaze; however, he’d never noticed it quite like he did now. There was definitely something different between them, and he felt the familiar hum just under his skin.
A squeal sounded from the bedroom a moment later.
Logan’s grin turned into a grimace. “What did you do?”
“I moved my things into the bedroom.”
And there it was, the moment of truth.
Elijah kept his focus on Logan’s face, waiting for him to reveal his true feelings about what was happening between them. This had been a big step for Elijah; they both knew that.
“She’s been waiting for that.”
“I know.”
The slow smile that formed on the man’s handsome face sent a wave of relief through him. “As have I.”
Elijah honestly hadn’t been sure what to expect from Logan. Since their brief text conversation on Friday, they hadn’t spoken much. And though Logan had been receptive to what Elijah had offered, he wasn’t sure the man would still feel the same when they were face-to-face again. After all, this was not a situation he’d ever thought he would find himself in. He’d grown accustomed to the familiar, enjoying the routine and monotony that came with a relationship. It wasn’t until the relationship had begun to change that he realized how comfortable he’d been.
