Page 88 of Finlay

“Yes.” Logan nodded enthusiastically. He’d finished hissteak several minutes ago while the rest of us were still working our way through ours. He’d probably say he was just hungry, but I suspected it was that he wanted to have his mouth empty so he could talk with fewer interruptions from the rest of us. “Because he’s been singlesolong. Seriously, it’s been years since he’s been laid.”

“Has not,” I muttered, flushing. It hadn’t, right? There was that night in Edinburgh back in…

Oh fuck. Okay. Maybe it had been longer than I’d thought.

“He’s in full working order, right?” Logan kept his voice hushed, like he was discussing a serious injury rather than my sexual capabilities. “He hasn’t forgotten how to use it?”

I prepared to kick Logan under the table, but to my surprise, Chester laughed. “Nah, he’s all good. Shipshape and shiny. No cobwebs in sight.”

Calan shot me an approving look and I relaxed slightly. Chester was holding his own with Logan, just as I’d hoped he would. This was the version of him I loved to see. The one that could tease and play.

The one that was happy. Unencumbered by worries about what everyone else was thinking about him.

It was probably helped by Logan demonstrating that he didn’t give a shit what the rest of us thought of him. Who knew, maybe his bulletproof self-confidence would rub off on Chester?

Logan wriggled his brows across the table at Chester. “Is he really loud in bed? I feel like he is.”

Okay, there was being himself, and then there was being a dick. My boot met Logan’s shin and he jumped. As I pulled it back, I hit another foot and then a third. Sure enough, Logan shot glares at not just me, but Evan and Calan too. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Stop being so inappropriate,” Evan hissed. “Do I need to take you outside to knock some of your bullshit out?”

Logan batted his lashes. “Oh, please do, baby. I’ll be back in here within thirty seconds having wiped the floor with you.”

Calan gripped the back of Logan’s neck hard enough to make him wince.

“It’ll take you longer if it’s both of us,” Calan said, his tone even. “Don’t fuck this up.”

For Finn.Those were the words he wasn’t saying. My brother met my gaze and I gave him a small smile in thanks.

Once Calan released him, Logan faced Chester with a sheepish smile. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Chester’s face was flushed, but the smile he gave Logan was authentic. “You’re fine. You’ve stopped this dinner being awkward, which I appreciate.”

I snorted, my knee brushing Chester’s. “Sure he hasn’t made it more awkward?”

“Nah.” Chester fiddled with his fork before looking at each of the males on the other side of the table. “It’s been fun.”

Fun.That was something Chester had talked about many times while I’d been Buddy. About how he felt he used to have fun, but somewhere down the line with Matt, he’d forgotten how to do it.

I slid an arm around his shoulders, kissing his temple. “Logan is definitely fun.”

“And when he annoys you too much,” Calan said, “I’ll pinch his phone for you.”

Logan bared his teeth at our enforcer. “You wouldn’t dare. You know I need my boba.”

Chester sat forward, curious. “Wait, how does losing your phone stop you getting boba?”

“He lost his bank card a while back,” I said, laughter rumbling through the words. “Since then, he’s been reliant on his phone to purchase things. Including absurdly coloured drinks that must be staining his insides an unusual shade.”

Evan eyed Logan thoughtfully, spinning his steak knife in his hand. “Want me to cut him open and test the theory?”

Chester flinched beside me and I held him a little tighter. “Don’t worry, Evan’s just joking.”

He wasn’t, but there was no need to traumatise Chester.

Evan backtracked fast. “Yep, all jokes here.”

“No he wasn’t,” Logan said indignantly. “And how come I got kicked and he didn’t?”

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