“Don’t get your hopes up. I still don’t have the job, and even if I get it, I’d have to find out how much they have people travel between the coasts.”
He squeezes me a little harder, then lets me go. “Well, if you don’t get to do it a lot, then you have to accept me paying for your flights out. I know you hate taking money, but I have to see you.”
I nod at him. “Yeah. I know you do.”
More people start coming up to Logan, and the gala startsto get into full swing. The night becomes a blur of meeting people and getting excited every single time Logan introduces me as his boyfriend, because I guess that’s just how it’s always going to be, with him.
The night is full of mingling, and Logan lets me know who each person is, with tons of good details. I meet some of the writers who work on his show, and plenty of actors from other things, too.
So manyphotos are taken of us.
Some people even congratulate us, too, and lots of people wink at Logan about his photoshoot.
After hours of hanging around in the ballroom, Logan steals a moment to bring me outside onto the long balcony at the edge of the building.
String lights are hung along the edges of the balcony, and there’s an outdoor bar here too, where people are schmoozing and chatting.
But we find a quiet spot at the edge, looking out at the city.
“I couldn’t imagine doing this, even a few months ago,” Logan says to me. “I feel like I came out of a cocoon, or something, knowing you.”
I tap the little Luna moth painting on my suit. “I got one tattooed on me for a reason. They symbolize transformation. I think about cocoons all the time, actually. I’ve painted a butterfly emerging from one, too.”
I pull him close against me, and he rests his head on my shoulder for a moment. “I’m…”
He doesn’t finish his sentence.
I turn to press a kiss to his head, giving him a minute. “What’s up? You doing alright, baby?”
He hums, nuzzling a little closer against me for a moment before pulling back.
When he looks at me, I see the reflection of the city lights in his eyes. “I want to say words to you.”
I smile, puffing out a little laugh. “You say words to me all the time.”
“I know.”
“Even really pretty ones in an English accent, earlier.”
“I know, I know.”
I reach out and pull on his belt loop, and he lets out an exhale, his eyes dancing over my face. “I want to say very particular words, and I don’t know if they’re going to be too serious.”
An inkling of something stirs in my heart. “Oh yeah?”
He swallows hard, nodding. “Yeah.”
My skin heats, like something’s warming me from the inside. “Maybe you should just, y’know, give it a try. I like serious things, sometimes. And I really like you.”
“Yeah.”
I bite back a smile. “You already said that.”
He looks down at his feet, then back up at me. “Chase.”
I reach down and grip his hand in mine. “Hi. You know, if you want, you can?—”
“I love you,” he says forcefully, gripping my hand harder. And I feel like I’m in freefall. “I love you so much. You don’t have to say it back yet, but fuck, I just have to get itoutof me. You’ve fucking changed my life, Chase. I love you so much I can’t stand it.”
