“And if she hadn’t? If she hadn’t fought today?”

“Then she’s not worth it.”

I nodded slowly.

He was venturing into my relationship, so turnabout was fair here. “Like you think you’re not worth it? For Taylor?”

He closed his eyes, turning away.

“You fell in love with Taylor in college. You’ve not proposed, but I know you. You love her with everything in you. It’s not her who’s the problem. Am I right?” I waited a beat. “You think you’re the problem?”

I was right.

I saw it.

His shoulders were lowered, and he wasn’t answering me.

“What’s the issue, Logan?”

His eyes were torn. He looked all twisted. “Stop, Nate.”

“No. You’re in my relationship. I’m coming into yours.”

“Nate—”

“What’s the issue, Logan?! What’s the issue?”

He threw his hands up, turning away. “I was a fuckboy growing up.”

“Yes. So was I.”

“You weren’t like me, and you know it. I was—I fucked. That’s what I did. I had a bad feeling, I went and got ass. If I marry her, how do I know that I won’t resort back to that? That I won’t be like my father?” His voice broke. “That I won’t destroy her like my dad did to my mom? You can’t know I won’t do that. I don’t know if I’ll do that.”

Jesus. He thought he was like his father.

Mason should’ve been here for this.

But, dammit. He wasn’t. I was. And I’d been the one to push him.

My voice came out quiet. “You’re not like your father.”

“Push comes to shove, I might be. I was when I was younger.” His tone was so bitter. Haunted.

“No, Logan. No.” I shook my head. “You’re not like your father. He didn’t care that he was cheating on your mom. He didn’t care. Not you. You care. You already care, and you’ve not done anything. You love Taylor so much, but dude, you have to let some of your demons go. The fact you’re scared about this is why you won’t do this. Taylor balances you. She’s your anchor. That’s what you need. That’s what Mason did for you growing up. He was the stronghold, and you could go off and do the shit you did. I see it. No one else would work for you. No one else could be your literal other half. I don’t give a fuck what you think; you will only love her and do right by her. The same with children, because if you’re having those worries about you being a husband, I know what you’re thinking about you being a father. You’re wrong, Logan. You’ll do amazing at both.”

He nodded. “I was expecting you to rip into me, and I was ready for it. I had all these great arguments, but basically, I was going to say, ‘Fuck you. You deserve the best.’ And this is what you’re saying to me.”

“You love Taylor. If you’re waiting for permission to be a husband and a father, consider this it. I didn’t know Nova existed, and I’m pissed that I lost out on those months before, but I have her now, and I have to move forward. I have to do right by Valerie and be the best father I can be.”

“You’re already a great dad.”

“I know. And you will be, too.”

Logan drew in a ragged breath, then that emotion was gone. It took some effort before the old Logan was smirking back at me. “Are we good? Is our Soul Brotha Connection couples therapy session done?”

I wanted to laugh, but I stared at him long and hard. “I love you. I love Mason. But I’m going to say this once. If you or anyone else ever pulls something like that on Quincey again, there will be a rift between us, and it’ll be one that won’t get healed.”

I was dead serious.

Logan saw it, and he straightened. The amusement left him. “I know. That’s why I had to see if she’s worth it.”

I wasn’t going to ask if he thought she was. I knew he did. He threw down for her at the dinner against her sister. So did Taylor. Quincey didn’t know what it was like to have a family like I did, but she would.

I clapped him on the shoulder, and we both headed upstairs.

He went upstairs to Taylor, and I headed to my room.

Quincey wasn’t in it, so I poked my head into Nova’s room. She was sleeping. Not wanting to risk waking her, I headed back and around to the other side of Quincey’s room.

Her bathroom light was on, her door closed.

I let out some tension that I hadn’t known I was carrying and went over to her bed. I sat and waited.

When I heard her shower start, I stood and crossed the room.

Opening her door, she was standing under the spray of water, her head down.

Did I love Quincey?

I didn’t know.

But I cared about her, and that was strong enough for me to know this was worth it. What the ‘it’ was, I didn’t know myself, but I was willing to find out.