“Take it easy,” I called out, trying to keep my voice low. It wouldn’t do much good to yell at them for being loud if I was, too.
Daniel glared at the door as he passed.
Lovely. As if we didn’t have enough to deal with between school, Matt being sick, and Chase having something on his mind since they came back from visiting his family over spring break, now we had the two of them in a spat.
“What the hell crawled up his ass,” Jayden asked. Daniel detoured to the kitchen. He held up a bottle of beer, offering to grab one for us as well. Jayden accepted the offer, but I declined. I didn't want to get a buzz in case Matt needed me.
“Who fucking knows with him,” Daniel scoffed. “He's been a dick ever since right before spring break. And I'm pretty sure something happened while he was home but he's not talking about it.”
“Well, if he's not talking to you, then you can bet he's not talking to anyone about it.” The two of them had pretty much isolated themselves to their room. In fact, this was one of the few times since winter break that I could remember Daniel hanging out with us.
“All I know is I can't take much more of his attitude.” Daniel tipped back his bottle, emptying half the contents in one much-needed gulp. “He can’t keep acting like such a little shit anytime he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“Oh, and what are you gonna do?” Jayden scoffed, dangling the bottle between his fingers. “You gonna throw him over your knee and spank him.”
“I might, if I thought it'd help.” He eyed the two of us suspiciously. “How do you guys do it?”
“Do what?” We asked in stereo.
“How in the hell do you go from being buddies and roommates to in a relationship without it creating issues?”
Well that was certainly out of left field. I watched Daniel out of the corner of my eye, waiting to see if he’d realize what he’d just confessed. The room was silent for a moment, as if all three of us were waiting to see who’d speak up first.
Jayden didn’t disappoint. “Something you want to tell us?”
“No man, it's not what you’re thinking,” Daniel insisted. “I want to strangle him half the time. I couldn't imagine dating him.”
“I wasn't aware you gave any thought to datinganyguys,” I pointed out, then turned to Jayden. “I feel like we've been living with a total stranger. Do you know who this is? Because it can’t be one half of the ultimate dude bros of Talbert Hall.”
Jayden coughed as he broke into a fit of laughter. I thumped him on the back a few times until he started breathing somewhat normally again. “Seriously. Who in the hell are you, Daniel?”
“I’m the same guy I've always been. Just…thinking, I guess. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “And maybe I should have come out sooner, but it’s never been this huge deal to me. I like sex, period.”
“Uh yeah, that much is obvious. And not to cross the line, but I’m assuming you’re good at it if the moans and screams I have to deal with are any indication.” I expected Jayden to break down again, but when I risked a glance in his direction, he gave me a quick nod. He’d been on my case for a while to let the guys know they were disturbing us, but I wasn’t about to bring it up out of the blue. Now, I had an opening, and I took it.
“I’m not even sure what to say to that.” Daniel pulled his feet onto the couch and wrapped his arms around his knees. “You should have said something sooner. Maybe I’ll gag Zach next time.”
“But not the girls you bring back to the suite?” Jayden asked.
“I’m not sure that’s going to be happening anymore,” Daniel admitted. “It was fun, but complicated, too. Probably for the best we quit while we’re ahead.”
I was the last person who would judge him if he was quietly pining after his roommate, but seriously… Zach? That had heartbreak written all over it, and quite possibly us looking for people to fill a room next fall if things exploded the way I assumed they would. “Man, I don’t wanna be that guy, but are you sure about this?”
“Fuck, man, I don't know,” he admitted. “It was just supposed to be fun, you know?”
“No, I'm pretty sure neither of us have the slightest fucking clue what you're talking about,” Jayden quipped. “For one thing, the two of you haven’t been the least bit quiet about your exploits when you’ve brought random women home. And Zach's made no secret of the fact that he is 110% all-American hetero man.”
Daniel pursed his lips together and glanced away. Interesting. This night was going down a much different path than I thought it would.
“Look, there’s a lot of shit Zach’s never told anyone. A lot of what you guys see is this creation in his own mind of what a real man is supposed to be,” Daniel explained. I shifted in my seat, not sure how I felt about us talking about him without his consent. And that made me chuckle a bit because that was exactly how Jayden felt at one point when he was sharing secrets abouthisroommate. At least one of us in the suite wasn’t a total blabbermouth…
One of the doors at the other end of the suite creaked open. Jayden and I both turned our heads, waiting to see which of the boys was joining us. A muffled cough gave away Matt’s presence.
“Daddy, are you—” Matt looked horrified when he finished scrubbing his eyes and realized we weren’t alone. His chest heaved with panicked breaths. Before he could work himself up—which wouldn’t help his recovery at all—I sprung off the couch and rushed to his side. He was on the verge of tears when I wrapped my arm around him. He buried his face in my chest. “I’m sorry. If I knew…I didn’t mean to…”
“Shhh, it’s okay,” I promised him. He flung his arms around my waist and I kissed the top of his head. I breathed out a sigh of relief because I could no longer feel the heat radiating off of him. “Do you want to come out and snuggle for a bit?”
Matt looked down at his monkey jammies. Before he could answer, his tummy grumbled.
