of mine.” Zach introduced the three guys with him and Dalton shook hands with each one. Once he’d finished Zach stood quietly, obviously waiting for Dalton to introduce Cole. The silence was becoming awkward when Dalton moved with a jerking motion. “Oh sorry, hey this is my—” Dalton paused again, “—friend, Cole”
Cole felt his chest constrict, hurt by the denial. He shook hands with Zach and the other three but the injury of Dalton’s rejection dominated his thoughts.
As soon as the others left, Cole threaded his arm through the backpack straps and started for home. He was on autopilot as he went to their house. Dalton trailed a step behind, both of them wrapped in silence, not exchanging a word. They were almost home when muffled words came from behind him. He spun on Dalton. “What?”
“I said I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“Yeah, whatever. I need to get busy. Tara will be home soon.”
Dalton’s face contorted into a mask of pain and he stood unmoving. As Cole walked past he muttered. “Okay, Tara. Right.”
Dalton picked at his plate. The meal was delicious. Cole was a good cook. But with his stomach knotted the way it was, it might as well be cardboard. I eat any more and it’ll come right back up. Everything was screwed up now.
Tara laid her fork on the table and looked first at Cole and then at Dalton. “Okay, what the hell happened? This morning you two were like long lost army buddies who couldn’t get enough of each other, now neither of you is talking. Spill it.”
“Nothing. Everything’s fuckin’ great,” Cole said.
“No problems. It’s all good,” Dalton said.
“Okay, here’s the way this is going down. You’re both going to tell me what’s bothering you in the next sixty seconds, or you’ll see my raging bitch persona, and you never want to meet her.”
Cole choked out a laugh. “I met her once, I’d just as soon not see her again. Thanks.”
Dalton couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, so someone start.”
“I think I offended Cole today, but I’m not sure how,” began Dalton. “We were at the farmer’s market, talked to my friends and all of the sudden he was pissed.”
Tara turned to Cole to find his face was deep red. His jaw muscles clenched and he refused to meet anyone’s gaze. After a few minutes passed, he spit out. “I’m apparently just Dalton’s buddy.” He snarled at Dalton. “Ain’t that right—buddy!”
Dalton’s mouth worked for several moments before he scowled and lashed back at Cole. “Well you outed me! What the hell was that? At least I respected your privacy, I didn’t announce it to everyone in the fucking farmer’s market.”
“Fuck, it was only Nate. He and I go way back. I told you I’m not good with secrets.”
“Well, this is kinda new to me. It would have been nice if you’d let me get used to it for at least a little while before you crap on me.”
“Crap on you? You fuckin’ asshole! I’m the one who brought you into this relationship, and I—”
“Stop it!” yelled Tara. She shot a venomous look at both of them, then turned to Cole. “Don’t you ever play that card again. Not unless you want to be alone. We’re all in this together, and you didn’t recruit Dalton.”
She turned to Dalton. “You have the right to decide, but we need to talk about stuff, too. Otherwise we’re going to keep having these pointless arguments.”
Cole burst out. “Fuck that! He wants the bennies of the relationship without any fuckin’ commitment. Well, he can go to hell.”
Cole jumped to his feet and stomped down the hallway to their bedroom. Tara watched him go, wincing when the door slammed. She waited for a few seconds, then sighed. “Give him some time to get over being hurt.”
She held up a hand when Dalton started to protest. “I’m not saying you don’t have the right to decide who and how people get told. But you have to understand, Cole is falling in love with you. I’d imagine it’s
Cole felt his chest constrict, hurt by the denial. He shook hands with Zach and the other three but the injury of Dalton’s rejection dominated his thoughts.
As soon as the others left, Cole threaded his arm through the backpack straps and started for home. He was on autopilot as he went to their house. Dalton trailed a step behind, both of them wrapped in silence, not exchanging a word. They were almost home when muffled words came from behind him. He spun on Dalton. “What?”
“I said I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“Yeah, whatever. I need to get busy. Tara will be home soon.”
Dalton’s face contorted into a mask of pain and he stood unmoving. As Cole walked past he muttered. “Okay, Tara. Right.”
Dalton picked at his plate. The meal was delicious. Cole was a good cook. But with his stomach knotted the way it was, it might as well be cardboard. I eat any more and it’ll come right back up. Everything was screwed up now.
Tara laid her fork on the table and looked first at Cole and then at Dalton. “Okay, what the hell happened? This morning you two were like long lost army buddies who couldn’t get enough of each other, now neither of you is talking. Spill it.”
“Nothing. Everything’s fuckin’ great,” Cole said.
“No problems. It’s all good,” Dalton said.
“Okay, here’s the way this is going down. You’re both going to tell me what’s bothering you in the next sixty seconds, or you’ll see my raging bitch persona, and you never want to meet her.”
Cole choked out a laugh. “I met her once, I’d just as soon not see her again. Thanks.”
Dalton couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, so someone start.”
“I think I offended Cole today, but I’m not sure how,” began Dalton. “We were at the farmer’s market, talked to my friends and all of the sudden he was pissed.”
Tara turned to Cole to find his face was deep red. His jaw muscles clenched and he refused to meet anyone’s gaze. After a few minutes passed, he spit out. “I’m apparently just Dalton’s buddy.” He snarled at Dalton. “Ain’t that right—buddy!”
Dalton’s mouth worked for several moments before he scowled and lashed back at Cole. “Well you outed me! What the hell was that? At least I respected your privacy, I didn’t announce it to everyone in the fucking farmer’s market.”
“Fuck, it was only Nate. He and I go way back. I told you I’m not good with secrets.”
“Well, this is kinda new to me. It would have been nice if you’d let me get used to it for at least a little while before you crap on me.”
“Crap on you? You fuckin’ asshole! I’m the one who brought you into this relationship, and I—”
“Stop it!” yelled Tara. She shot a venomous look at both of them, then turned to Cole. “Don’t you ever play that card again. Not unless you want to be alone. We’re all in this together, and you didn’t recruit Dalton.”
She turned to Dalton. “You have the right to decide, but we need to talk about stuff, too. Otherwise we’re going to keep having these pointless arguments.”
Cole burst out. “Fuck that! He wants the bennies of the relationship without any fuckin’ commitment. Well, he can go to hell.”
Cole jumped to his feet and stomped down the hallway to their bedroom. Tara watched him go, wincing when the door slammed. She waited for a few seconds, then sighed. “Give him some time to get over being hurt.”
She held up a hand when Dalton started to protest. “I’m not saying you don’t have the right to decide who and how people get told. But you have to understand, Cole is falling in love with you. I’d imagine it’s
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