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Damn it, that flash of insecurity made him even more attractive. But I still wanted an answer.
The familiar sound of the deadbolt on the front door unlocking made my heart seize, and Colin walked in.
All my curiosity about threesomes rushed back, carrying my reservations about coming between Colin and Tanner along with it.
9
colin
The house was quiet.This time of the evening was Daria still working? She’d looked so good doing so last night on the couch. Relaxed. Those soft moans.
It needed to be okay for me to look at others that way who weren’t Tanner. To admit I was attracted to other people. Maybe not a student’s parent and our temporary landlord, but I really couldn’t think of a better starting point.
I headed toward the basement, startled to find Daria and Tanner sitting at the kitchen table, not saying anything and not doing much of anything either.
“Did I interrupt something?” This was awkward.
“I was just asking when you both ate, and if now was too early.” Did Daria’s voice just waver?
I pulled out a chair and made myself comfortable. “Don’t stop on my account. Hell, mind if I watch?” What was I doing? Deciding not to fixate on Tanner didn’t mean it was a good time to channel him.
“I don’t usually do things for an audience, but there’s a first time for everything,” Daria said.
Tanner grinned. “I do everything for an audience.” Despite the expression, his voice was missing a lilt.
“When you say eating, you’re being literal, not metaphorical?” Oh, God. Did I really just say that? I’d been watching Tannerwaytoo long. “You know what, I’m done. I must have picked up some attitude at work.” I laughed, hoping to take the edge off my temporary weirdness.
“Iwas being literal.” Did Daria relax when she spoke? “We plan meals around our schedules, so I don’t remember when normal people have dinner anymore.”
“Whenever.” I shrugged.
She glanced at Tanner, who made a similar gesture.
He’d gone quiet fast. What did I actually walk into?
“I was thinking Chinese. What do you both like?” Daria grabbed her phone. “It’s on me, so no excuses.”
“We can’t let you—”
She held up a hand, silencing me. “No excuses. Sweet and sour? Pot stickers? Noodles?”
“Schezwan beef, sesame chicken, ham fried rice.” Tanner was back.
Or I’d imagined his silence as being anything other than there. “He nailed it,” I said.
Daria placed the order and disconnected.
“Oh.” Tanner shot up from his seat as if he’d been shocked. He pointed at me. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
“And I was going to run out to the moon,” I teased. What did that even mean?
Daria’s laugh was light and natural. She was really pretty when she was relaxed. She was pretty regardless, but this was a side of her I rarely saw. What else had I been missing by focusing so much on Tanner?
“Here.” Tanner set a rectangle wrapped in several plastic bags in front of me, and took his seat again. “Happy unbirthday. No give backs.” His easy smirk was back.
Not that I was paying that much attention. The shape and rattle of the present were familiar, but there was no way. I unwrapped the gift, my heart sinking and soaring simultaneously when I saw a familiar logo. It was really the hundreds of dollars pen set I’d been eyeing for ages. “I—”
“Shh…” Tanner pressed a finger to my lips. “Unless you’re about to saythank youorthese are the wrong ones—which they’re not—I don’t want to hear it.”
