by Jon Keys
“God, damnit! Where are my fucking markers! I need them.”
Cole worked to understand what had Tara so upset. “Okay, it’s no biggie. I’ll get them.” Dalton nodded and retrieved the ones he’d borrowed. Soon they were holding the missing markers out to Tara. She snatched them from their hands and put them back in order. Cole went back to his assigned reading and heard her mumbling under her breath. After the muttering had gone on for several minutes, he put the book down and considered Tara. Do I really want to ask?
Tara snapped her head up and glared at him. “What!”
“You want to tell us what’s bothering you? We told you we are sorry about screwing with your markers,” Cole said.
Tara’s face became a violent shade of crimson. “Everything’s fine! Don’t worry about it.”
“You want to take a break? Maybe have some cuddle time?”
Dalton nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan to me. I could use a break.”
Tara looked first at Cole, then at Dalton, her mouth a thin line and her brows meeting in the middle of her forehead. “No. I have too much to do. Go play with each other if you need to get off.”
Cole considered her words, aware of the tension, but thought giving Tara some quiet might let her have time to calm down. It had helped in the past. He caught Dalton’s eye and nodded toward the bedroom. Dalton’s eyebrows shot upward and he glanced over at Tara’s rigid form. He mouthed to Cole you sure?
Cole considered for a minute, and decided he could use a study break. Not sex, but some quiet time. Laying his book on the floor, he rolled to his feet and walked toward the bedroom with Dalton on his heels.
As they entered the room, Cole started to guide Dalton to the bed, but was pulled back for a kiss. His body responded to the smell and sensation of Dalton in his arms. Maybe we could do a little more than cuddle. He reached behind them and turned off the lights before going with Dalton to the bed. They ran their hands over each other and shared a soft kiss. Cole stiffened as they pressed against each other.
Cole cupped Dalton’s face in his hands and kissed down his neck. He sighed.
The lights shot on and Tara was glaring at them from the door.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Cole looked into a face more reminiscent of a horror mask from the Halloween shop than their roommate. Crap, This is a major cluster fuck. What was I thinking? But Cole tried to calm the situation he knew was about to explode in his face. “You said for us to come in here and…”
Cole trailed off as cold dread flowed through his body. The expression on Dalton’s face echoed Cole’s thoughts. Tara began yanking clothing from her dresser drawers.
“What’re you doin’?” asked Cole.
“Getting my stuff. I’m moving into the little bedroom.”
“Hey, Tara. Calm down. We’ll stop. We didn’t intend to upset you.”
“This isn’t working. I can’t do this any more.”
Cole stomach twisted and he tasted bile in the back of his throat. “What’d you mean? We can make it work.”
Tara fixed them both with a glare as the tears ran down her face. “No, it’s not working. Maybe I was kidding myself to think I could live with two boyfriends. But I can’t do this anymore.”
“Tara, wait. Let’s talk about the problem. Come on and give us another chance.”
Tara shook her head. “I’ve given you a ton of second chances and look at this place. It’s a pit again. You never do what you say. You took my stuff, then you’re just going to leave me while you two fuck. I’m done. I don’t have to deal with this. My life will be so much simpler. There are other people who would love to be with me, who don’t treat me like another guy.”
Cole’s stomach knotted as Dalton looked at them. Sadness filled Tara’s face as she turned and walked from the room.
Chapter Twelve
Shock played across Zach’s face. “You did what?”
“Well, it wasn’t like we were going to have sex or anything,” Dalton looked a little hesitant. “But it was getting a little hot and heavy.”
Zach laughed. “That’s total bullshit and you know it. How many times have you stopped in the middle of jacking off because you’re done?”
Embarrassment and regret flooded Dalton. He stared past Zach and out the window.
After a minute of silence Zach shook his head. “You, my friend, have fucked up royally. It isn’t like there are many girls who’d put up with you and your apeman boyfriend. You better get your shit together before she finds someone else. She’s good looking, too. Not my type, but still.”
Dalton smiled a little, appreciative of Zach’s attempt at levity. “How do we fix it?”
“Well, what did she say?”
“She said we never listen and she’s sick of it.”
“And?”
“And? I don’t know. She was pissed off because we’d used her art supplies. But we gave them all back when she asked. We’d been studying for awhile.”
“And Cole suggested a romp in the bed?”
Dalton gave Zach a peeved look. “We weren’t that bad. We asked her if she wanted to play, too. But she said she wasn’t in the mood. So we thought we’d cuddle for a while. We’d just lain down on the bed when she flipped the light on and started yelling and crying.”
“In the dark? You were making out, weren’t you?” Zach said.
Dalton paused for a moment and then sighed. “I guess so—we were kissing and Cole had turned off the lights.”
Zach sat, quietly tapping his finger against the table for a few moments. “Okay, well, dating women isn’t my area of expertise, but if you’d treated me that way I’d be pissed, too. Sounds like you’re acting like she’s just a roommate.”
Confusion filled Dalton. “She is our roommate.”
“No, she is—was—your girlfriend. Just like Cole is your boyfriend. You don’t treat your lovers like roommates. And girls aren’t guys with boobs, they think different.” Zach shook his head again. “I still can’t believe you were fucking around with Cole and left her in the other room alone. I would have busted your balls, too.”
“It didn’t seem so stupid at the time.”
“Oh, buddy, it was just as stupid then, but you were thinking with the little head instead of the big head.”
Dalton started to argue, then closed his mouth slowly and slumped into the chair.
* * * *
Nate doubled over laughing. Each time he looked at Cole’s miserable face, he laughed again.
“What the hell were you thinking? Shit, you’ve made a mess.”
“Yeah, I know. But now what do I do? Dalton and I haven’t gotten anything to work. She barely talks to us.”
“You’re going to have to prove you’ve learned your lesson, both of you. This is a bad fuck up, though. I don’t know if my wife would ever forgive me if I pulled something like you did.” Nate paused for a minute and then grinned. “Of course, I don’t have the choice of so many ways to screw up either.”
“We didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. She was all bitchy that night, I thought if we left her alone…”
“And had sex with your boyfriend in the next room? Oh yeah, what a stroke of brilliance.”
Cole dropped his head into his hands and ran his fingers through his hair. “So what do I do now?”
“You mean besides begging forgiveness and sending her flowers every hour for a week?”
Cole sighed. “Really? You think it’s that bad?”
“I think it’s worse.”
“Well, shit.”
* * * *
Tara sat eating her lunch in the union while she enjoyed the rare free time to read for fun. Absorbed in her novel, she didn’t notice Jody until he was beside her.
“Hey, is this chair taken?” asked Jody.
Shocked at Jody’s sudden appearance, she froze for a moment before motioning to the chair beside her. “Hey, sure. Help yoursel
f. I had a few minutes for lunch and to do a little reading. How about you?”
“I’ve got an hour break before an afternoon filled with labs. I’m not sure what I was thinking to stack them on top of each other.”
Jody sat next to her and pulled a burger and fries from a bag he carried. Tara smirked slightly. If Cole where here he’d chew Jody out about eating junk food. He was so bossy about what they ate, it bugged her at times.
Jody caught her expression and paused. “Something wrong?”
“No, just thinking how weird one of my roommates is. How’s your semester going?”
“Good. I’m working to stay caught up. My parents promised a spring break trip to Cabo if I keep my grades up. Don’t want to miss a chance to escape the Minnesota winter for some sun and sand in Mexico.”
Tara’s eyebrow lifted slightly. “Sounds fun, my spring break will probably be taking extra shifts so I have some money.”
“Sounds like a plan. You’ll have to save time to pal around with your old buddy though.”
Tara chuckled. “I think that could be arranged.”
Jody finished the last of his burger and licked the juice off each finger.
Tara flicked her gaze up from the book and caught him watching her. Flirting a little, she reached out, stole one of Jody’s fries and ate it. Jody’s not a bad guy. We had fun together. We just were headed in two different directions when we got out of high school.
Jody picked up a fry and took tiny bites as he stared at Tara openly. He tilted his head slightly and smiled.
Tara paused. “What?”
“You want to do something now? I mean, why wait until spring break. That’s a month away.”
Tara toyed with the idea. It would be the deathblow to any relationship with Cole and Dalton. But going out on a date didn’t have to mean they ended up in bed together, even if they did have a history between them. And the boys had been given a lot of chances. They don’t seem to care enough to make things work. Jody would be safe.
“Sure, sounds fun.”
* * * *
Cole and Dalton wore stunned looks on their faces when Tara came out dressed for a night out. Dalton swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat as he dried the last dish from their supper. He knew they’d screwed up and screwed up badly. Their relationship with Tara hadn’t improved since their colossal mistake from the week before. But he and Cole had talked about the situation and agreed. Telling her they’d learned their lesson wasn’t going to fix anything. They had to show her they could treat her like a girlfriend and not like another nasty male roommate.
As a result they’d been on their best behavior. This time they’d agreed, they had to police each other. Ordering each other around had caused more than one argument between Dalton and Cole. But each time they’d reunited quickly, apologize and got back on track.
As a result, for the past several days not even Tara’s mother would have been able to find fault with the house—everything was spotless. The clothes were washed. Meals miraculously appeared. Basically everything Tara said she wanted, plus anything extra the guys thought might help.
Cole discovered one of the greenhouses on campus sold flowers, and started bringing home fresh flowers every couple of days for the dining room table. They busted their butts to try and show Tara how much she meant to them, but their work hadn’t helped. A few days earlier she had let them know she had a date, and that they had better not pull anything.
Dalton looked again at Tara and his heart ached with loss at the sight as she slithered into a chair in her silk top and designer jeans. She smiled, but Dalton couldn’t read the meaning it held.
“Don’t wait up. Jody and I are going for seafood, and maybe a little dancing.”
Cole looked stricken. “Yeah. Okay. Well, be careful.”
Dalton nodded in agreement, trying to ignore the growing knot in his stomach. “Yeah, if you need us, just call.”
Tara ran her hands down the legs of her fitted jeans. Dalton wasn’t sure what to do. He knew this wasn’t the time to get pissy about her going out with another guy. He and Cole were the ones at fault. It was too much to hope that a couple of days of good behavior would fix everything. Dalton went back to washing the dinner dishes, his focus on the task.
The silence stretched into unusual levels for the trio. Dalton clenched his teeth against the tension. A knock at the door broke the silence.
“I got it,” Tara said.
She opened the door to the blond haired guy they’d met at the mall. Dalton could understand the attraction. He had that boy-next-door look. The high school football hero. The one who led the team to the state championships. The teachers loved him, the coaches doted on him, the girls hung off him, and the guys wanted to be him, except for the ones that wanted to give themselves to him. He’s probably a nice guy, too. Fuck, I hate him already.
Tara motioned him into the house. “Jody these are my roommates, Dalton and Cole.”
Jody held out a hand but when neither of them moved he let it sink back to his side and he nodded. “Nice to meet you again.”
“Hey,” Cole grunted.
Dalton nodded toward the blond. “Hey.”
The men studied each other while Tara pulled on her coat. She slid her arm through Jody’s and tugged him toward the door. “See you later, guys.”
Cole nodded and went back to studying.
Dalton dried his hands on a dishtowel. “Yeah, later.”
Tara glanced between them and then left without another word. Dalton stared at the closed door and flung the towel on the counter. His frustration bubbled over and this time he directed his anger at Cole.
“You and your bright fucking idea. Sure. Have sex while Tara sits pissed off in the next room.”
“Hey, I didn’t see you turning me down, asshole.”
“Well. I thought you knew what you were doing. But obviously you pulled another stupid stunt, and this time we both went down.”
Cole stood and stalked to Dalton with his fists clenched, tension radiating through his body. Dalton moved to meet him.
“You sayin’ it was my fault? ‘Cause I didn’t see you helpin’ clean up either.”
“Fuck you! I have to work.”
“So do I, fuckwad! So does Tara. Just because your parents take care of you and it’s all nicey nice, you think you’re better than we are.”
“Where the fuck did that come from? You know I have to work, too. It’s not my fault your parents are assholes!”
Dalton barely saw the punch before it smashed into his jaw. His responding jab landed on Cole’s nose with a satisfying crunch. Cole grabbed Dalton in a headlock and started pounding his face. The years of martial arts classes kicked in for Dalton and he fought back. He sank his elbow deep into Cole stomach several times, breaking the hold. They crumbled to the ground when he smashed his heel into the back of Cole’s leg.
He clamped his legs around Cole and began punching him in the head. Each of them took out their anger and frustration on the other. They attacked each other like two tigers fighting for territory. Dalton knew one of his eyes was swelling shut, but he didn’t slow down. Neither man emerged a winner as exhaustion softened their punches until both were gasping for air.
Dalton kneed Cole’s thigh a last time, barely moving the muscular leg, then rolled to the floor gasping for air. They both lay panting for several minutes. Cole crawled to his feet, his blood-covered fingers holding his nose shut. He walked into the bathroom without a word. The sound of water running filtered through the walls as Dalton struggled to stand. Footsteps came back to the bedroom door. Cole threw Dalton’s pillow and a blanket into the hallway, then slammed the door shut.
Pushing himself up, Dalton stumbled down the hall, snagging the blanket and pillow. He dragged himself to the couch, threw the bedding on one end and lay down. He rolled himself into the blanket.
His anger at Cole still seethed several hours later w
hen the front door open. Tara flipped on the light and Dalton raised his head to peer at her.
“What the hell happened to you?” asked Tara.
Dalton scrunched his face and winced at the pain. “Cole and I had a talk.” He pulled the blanket around him and spun, burying his face into his pillow. He lay fuming long enough to hear Tara make her way across the floor and the light go out.
The next thing Dalton knew daylight flooded the living room and Cole was pulling the ottoman close to sit beside him.
“Mornin’,” Cole said as he handed Dalton a cup of coffee.
Dalton scooted up until he was sitting, then wrapped his fingers around the warm mug. He took a sip and realized the coffee was exactly how he liked it, lots of cream and sugar. Dalton was surprised Cole knew. He shifted his gaze and discovered Cole’s left eye was swollen shut.
“The coffee’s really good,” Dalton said.
“It’s okay?”
“Yeah. It’s perfect.” Dalton took another sip. “I didn’t know I’d told you how I take my coffee.”
Cole glanced at Dalton with a slight smile. “You didn’t. I’ve just paid attention.” The moment of silence stretched out for a few moments until Cole cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry about last night. I don’t want to lose you, too. I was an ass. I guess all the stress with Tara got to be too much.”
Dalton reached up, cupped Cole’s chin and turned his face to see the damage. “Your face looks kind of fucked up.”
Cole chuckled and grinned at Dalton. “I think I jumped into a bucket of wildcat and got my ass whipped.”
“I don’t think the wildcat came out any better.” Dalton looked down the hallway. “Where’s Tara?”
“She left for class. Today’s her busy day.”
Cole looked sheepish until Dalton asked, “What?”
“I’d like to snuggle with you. I don’t want to think I’ve screwed up with both the people I care about.”
Dalton sighed. “Hopefully this time won’t get us in more trouble.”
“Well, since she’s dating someone else, I don’t see how it could hurt.”