Yours All Along (5 page)

College

Hunter’s phone vibrated next to his head, startling him awake and making him roll right into Devon who mumbled a “What the fuck?” and flipped over.

Hunter blinked his eyes open, the sunlight streaming in from the windows like an ice pick to his sleep-deprived brain, and pawed around for the phone. When he wrapped his fingers around it, he put it to his ear. “What?”

“Hey, dude,” said a half-whispered voice. “It’s Ahmed. You’ve got a visitor.”

“Huh?”

“Your father was at the door when I got back a little while ago. He said he’d tried to call you and had been waiting a while. I tried to stall him by making him some coffee and telling him you were up late studying, but he’s about to head your way. If you’ve got a girl up there, hide her in the closet.”

“Shit.” Hunter’s heart jumped into his throat. His
dad
was here? He glanced at Devon’s sleeping form next to him. He didn’t have a girl in his bed. He had much worse. At least in his father’s eyes. “On it, thanks.”

“No problem.”

Hunter tossed his phone and shoved Devon’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

“Hmm?”

“Get the fuck up. My father’s here. Like
here
. Now.”

Devon rolled over, eyes wide. “
What?
”

Hunter hopped out of bed, frantically searching for his T-shirt, but when he picked up the one he’d worn last night it was in a ball and sticky with the remnants of last night’s lapse in sanity. Devon’s come was all over
his
shirt.
God
. This was bad. “Shit.
Shit.
”

Devon hurried to his feet, holding up his hands. “Calm down. We’ve got this.”

He opened a drawer and tossed a sweatshirt Hunter’s way and then yanked the blanket off the bed and threw it onto his wet mattress, making it look like both beds had been slept in.

“Put yourself together,” Devon said. “It’s going to be fine.”

Hunter tugged on the sweatshirt, but as he stared at his sleep-mussed roommate, purple and brown hair sticking up every which way, he couldn’t see how this was going to be fine. His father couldn’t know that Devon was his roommate. If he got even a hint about Devon’s sexuality, he’d yank Hunter out of the frat house in one hot second.

Devon disappeared into the closet¸ and heavy footsteps thumped on the stairs outside. Hunter quickly gathered the baby-powdered clothes from the floor and shoved them in his laundry basket. Then he grabbed his backpack and dumped textbooks onto his desk, but one book slid sideways and knocked the bottle of lotion on the bedside table onto the floor. “Dammit.”

He swept it up and ditched it into the drawer. The knock hit the door only a few seconds later. Hunter peered nervously toward the closet where Devon was. Was he going to hide in there? Maybe that was the best move.

“Be right there.”

He adjusted his sweats higher on his hips and did one last visual sweep of the room. It was a disaster. Baby powder, a wet bed, stuff everywhere. But no telltale signs of what had happened last night. It would have to do.

He swung open the door, finding his father looming in the hall and frowning. His gaze coasted over Hunter’s disheveled state, and his lip curled in disgust. “It’s past ten in the morning and you look like a homeless person.” He leaned forward and sniffed. “Are you drunk?”

“No, Dad.” He rubbed a hand over his head to smooth his mussed hair. “I pulled an all-nighter studying. What are you doing here?”

“Studying what?”

Anatomy. My roommate. My life and everything I know about it.
“Calculus.”

He grunted. “I tried calling you three times. And I’ve been banging on the door.”

“You know I’m a hard sleeper. And if you had told me you were coming . . .”

“I’m here on an unexpected business trip. I thought I’d take my son whom I haven’t seen in months out to lunch. And I pay for this school and this room that you’re in and those clothes on your back, so don’t act like I need to send a formal invitation to your secretary to see you.”

“I didn’t mean—”

He stepped past him into the room. “What in the hell?”

“Oh, right.” Hunter spun on his heel. “Another frat pranked us last night. I haven’t had a chance to clean it up yet.”

His father swiped through the powdery layer on the bedpost and touched it to his tongue.

Hunter recoiled. “What are you doing?”

His father eyed him. “Making sure it’s not cocaine.”

Hunter fought the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m not doing drugs, Dad. It’s baby powder. And for the record, my allowance definitely wouldn’t fund this much blow.”

“Watch your mouth, young man.”

“Sor—”

The door of the closet swung open, and Hunter’s heart stopped for a minute.
No, not now. Please, Dev.
But it was too late. Devon was already heading their way. And he was wearing Hunter’s clothes. Sweats and a knit cap that covered any hint of purple.

“Sorry to interrupt. Didn’t know we had company.” He sent a polite but fake smile Dad’s way. “You must be Senator Riley.”

Hunter lifted a brow. Devon’s voice sounded different—gruffer—and his whole demeanor was off.
What the hell?

His father eyed Devon. “And you are?”

Dev put his hand out for a shake. “Devon Crowe, Hunter’s roommate.”

Hunter watched as the two men shook hands. And Hunter wondered how his dad would react if he knew he was shaking a gay man’s hand. Or that the hand he was clasping had been wrapped around Devon’s cock a few hours ago as Hunter lay next to him doing the same thing. Hunter knew he shouldn’t, but he got perverse pleasure from knowing that.

“So I guess you didn’t hear the knocking either?” his dad asked.

Devon released himself from the handshake and shrugged. “Sorry, sir. We both were up late hitting the books, and I sleep with earplugs since Hunter snores.”

Hunter could tell his dad was evaluating Devon, but thankfully for reasons other than sexuality. He was probably wondering if they were up drinking or getting high last night. That suspicion Hunter could deal with.

“Well, I’m not going to interrupt father/son day,” Devon said. “And I need to get going anyway. But it was great to meet you.”

“You could join us,” Dad said. “It’d be nice to know who my son is sharing a room with.”

Devon’s gaze flicked over to Hunter. “Ah, sorry, can’t today. I promised my . . . girlfriend I’d take her out to lunch. And you know how women are if you cancel on them.”

Devon’s smile went saccharine, tight.

His father returned the smile. “Yes, they are a demanding species, aren’t they? Go ahead. Don’t want to get you in trouble with the lady. Maybe some other time.”

Hunter’s fingers curled into his palms. He hated that Devon had to lie, hated that he had to be anyone but himself just for his dad’s sake. And he hated himself for not standing up and putting a stop to it.

Devon gave Hunter a quick glance and then headed toward the door. His father waited until Devon left, then said, “I knew this frat house thing was a bad idea.”

Hunter’s stomach dropped, and he turned around to face his father. “What?”

His father put his hands out. “Look at this place. It’s a dump. And that kid that let me in downstairs reeked of cheap beer and God knows what else. And he’s got a name like a terrorist. How did they let someone like that in the fraternity?”

Hunter gritted his teeth. “Dad, it’s Saturday morning on a college campus. Everything smells like cheap beer. And Ahmed is Muslim and about the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”

His father’s lips pressed together. “Goddamned California. You sound like some bleeding heart already. And was your roommate coming off a high? His eyes were bloodshot.”

“I told you we were up late. Devon doesn’t do drugs.”

“This is not what I want you around. You shouldn’t have to share a room with anyone. I thought fraternities had some standards of who they let in and how they ran things. We can get you an apartment off campus.”

Hunter’s jaw clenched. “I don’t want an apartment. I like it here. My friends are here. And I like that it’s not the Ritz-Carlton. I can be normal for a while.”

His dad’s lip curled. “Normal? You know what that’s a code word for? Mediocre. I didn’t raise you to be average.”

“My grades are good. I’m going to my classes. I’ve never missed a practice with the team. Where I live is not affecting anything that’s important. Back off, Dad.”

His father stepped forward, fire and brimstone in his eyes. “You watch your tone with me, son. You’re here because I allow you to be. If I think it’s not serving your best interests anymore, I will move you back home. A&M will have a spot for you. And your mother will stop moping that you’re gone, so don’t push me.”

Anger steamed through Hunter, but he knew this was a fight he wouldn’t win. The more defiant he got with his father, the tighter his dad would squeeze. He needed to fake surrender. He let out a breath. “Sorry. I know you’re looking out for my best interests, and I appreciate it. But you also raised me to be an independent man, and I feel like I’ve earned the right to make some decisions on my own. If my grades or performance on the team suffers, then let’s talk. And if you doubt what I said about drugs, check the tests I have to get regularly for the team. I’m doing well here. I don’t want to spend this visit fighting.”

His father tucked his hands into his pockets and stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he took a step back and the tense set of his jaw relaxed. “Fine. You’re right that we shouldn’t argue when it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. We’ll talk about this at another time.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded at him. “Now change into something that doesn’t make you look like a hobo and put on a jacket. We have reservations at The Stermont in twenty minutes.”

“We could just grab a burger. There’s a good place right off campus.”

His father shook his head and glanced at his Rolex. “No. I have colleagues who are joining us and they want to meet you. Ten minutes. Wear a tie. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Hunter groaned after the door shut. Great. Just what he needed. Not only his father but also his father’s friends. He knew what that kind of lunch would be like. Look at my son the baseball star. Look at my heir apparent. Dance, monkey, dance.

He wished he was still in bed. Even if that meant he’d be faced with an awkward conversation with Devon. He’d take that any day over this.

But this was his life.

Being away helped him forget it was there. But it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

***

Devon waited until he heard the town car drive away before he came out of the chapter room and into the kitchen. “They’re gone?”

Ahmed looked up from the math book he was flipping through at the table. “Yeah, you’re safe. Why exactly were you hiding again?”

“I told them I couldn’t go to lunch with them because I had a date. But I left my keys in the room.”

Ahmed sniffed. “I don’t blame you for bailing. His dad seems like a prick. He talked to me slowly like I didn’t understand English. I wanted to be like, ‘News flash, old man: You’re the one with the goddamned accent.’”

“Yeah, the guy’s a major asshole.” Devon rubbed his arms, the house still chilly despite the sun being up.

Ahmed pointed to the counter. “There’s coffee left if you want some. May warm you up.”

“Thanks.” Devon went over to pour a cup.

“I can’t believe you guys slept here last night. It was like a meat locker.”

Devon kept his back to Ahmed while he fixed his coffee. “Hunter had extra blankets so we just bundled up.”

“When I called him this morning about his dad, he sounded freaked out. I thought he had a girl up there with him or something.”

“No, just me. But we were tangled up together after a long, sweaty night of hot man sex. Didn’t want his dad to find out.”

Ahmed snorted. “Right.”

Devon smiled and sipped his coffee. It hadn’t been the truth, but it’d been closer to it than Ahmed would ever believe. He turned around and leaned against the counter. “His dad would flip his shit if he knew Hunter had a queer for a roommate. I think Hunter was worried I’d out myself to him.”

“Ah. Yeah, my parents probably wouldn’t be thrilled with that either. But that’s because they secretly worry that I’m gay.”

Devon lifted a brow. “Are you?”

“No. Just completely inept at getting a girlfriend.”

Devon laughed. “I’ve heard you have to actually go out to find girls. Not just hang out here at the house or with study groups at the library.”

“Hey, I drank two beers at study group last night. It was a wild time.”

Devon laughed. “Scandalous.”

Ahmed tapped his book. “My double major is a total cockblocker. It’s hard to find any time to go out anywhere, and most of the girls that come to our parties here have already put me in the friend zone.”

“Want me to set you up? There’s this girl in my accounting class who I’ve gotten pretty close to. She’s quiet, but once you get her talking, she’s hilarious. Cute, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“I’m into cute. And I like funny.”

“Cool. I’ll invite her to the next party and do an intro.”

Ahmed grinned. “Do you charge a wingman fee?”

“Yeah, if you get a date out of the deal, you owe me a cup of the super expensive coffee. Not this shit we call caffeine.” He dumped his half-empty cup in the sink.

“Deal. I’d return the favor but the only other gay guy I know is my bio professor. And he smells like formaldehyde and has unfortunate amounts of nose hair.”

“Sexy. But thanks, I’m good.”

“I’m sure. It’s gotta be easier with guys, right? I mean, figuring out what a girl wants is so damn complicated.”

Devon smirked, thinking of the man who’d just walked out the door. Complicated didn’t even begin to describe it. “It’s as simple or as complicated as you make it.”

And Devon seemed to have a masochistic streak, because he was making this as complicated as fucking possible. Last night should’ve never happened. Seeing Hunter with his father today had cemented that. Even if Hunter has some curiosity brewing, even if maybe there was something there between them, Devon would be a major dick for pursuing it.