Messy Love (Stumbling into Love 3)

“It’s just funny that you said I’m young. I always feel so damn old. Danny’s like twenty-three, maybe twenty-four. The only people I know are him and his group of friends, which includes my little brother, so they’re all younger than me.”

“Nah, you’re just a pup.”

I sure didn’t feel like it.

We chatted for a little while longer. I liked Mark a lot. While I sometimes felt out of place with Will’s friends, though not with Danny anymore, I didn’t with Mark. He reminded me of my friends back home, only gay. Because he’s human like everyone else. Sexuality doesn’t matter. Everyone is different, dumbass.

We laughed a lot, and I found myself telling him random things, like Danny packing my lunch the first week of work and what episode we were on in Gold Rush. How he worked in the lab and told me they always send him in when kids are scared because he’s good with them.

We’d finished eating a while ago, but the conversation continued to flow. Eventually, Mark asked if he could pay the bill, and I told him yeah, but that I’d get it next time.

He pulled the door open for me again, hand at the small of my back when we left. “Which way do you live?” he asked, and I told him.

“I’m that way too. I’ll walk with you.”

“I’d like that,” I replied, and it was true. I wanted to spend more time with Mark, thought we could become good friends, and fuck, Danny was right. I needed that. I needed to meet people, to form relationships.

There was hardly a lull in the conversation the whole walk back to my building. When we got there, Mark stopped me for a second. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” I replied, and then he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Holy fuck, I was kissing a guy in public. His body pressed mine against the building. I opened up for him when his tongue probed my lips. My cock reacted because he was a hot guy and he was kissing me, the two of us molded together. But…there wasn’t a spark outside of a physical reaction. It’s sex. There doesn’t have to be. Ask him to go upstairs.

When Mark pulled away, he said, “I think we’re gonna be good friends.”

Oh…did that mean he wasn’t interested? But then, I didn’t think I was interested in him for anything more than friendship either.

“You should try that with your roommate and see how it feels.”

I stiffened. “Huh?” Yeah, Danny was hot and all, but we were just good buddies.

“Jesus, you’re cute as hell.” No one had ever said anything like that to me before and…I liked it. Wanted more of it, though I wasn’t sure if from Mark or not. “Give it a try. Trust me.”

“We’re not like that.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t sound like he believed me, but I let it go. As much as I agreed with him that we’d make better friends, I was nervous this was him not wanting any more to do with me. “I do wanna hang out with you some more.”

“Fuck yeah,” he replied. “I’m not giving you the kiss-off. I really do think we’ll be good friends. I just don’t think you felt a spark when you were kissing me, but the way you talk about your roommate? I saw it there. See you tomorrow.”

Mark walked away.

He was wrong. He had to be.

There was nothing between Danny and me.

At all.

I went inside and took the elevator up to our floor, telling myself that what Mark said didn’t matter. There was no way I could want Danny. It would be a disaster. He was Will’s friend and my roommate and…my friend, which I didn’t want to lose.

A stab of disappointment pierced me when I unlocked the apartment to see the lights were out. I didn’t know why, but I thought he’d wait up for me—well, not for me, just be up. It was a Saturday night, and it wasn’t very late.

I grabbed some water, then made my way down the hallway. His door was closed, but there was a light under it, so he was still awake. I thought about knocking, but why? So I could give him a rundown of my date that ended up being just two buddies hanging out? Oh, and said date thought I wanted Danny.

I went to my room instead, set my glass on the nightstand, and stripped down to my boxer briefs before lying on my bed.

I didn’t want to kiss Danny…did I? Well, I should probably rephrase that. Danny was hot, and I’d be crazy not to want to kiss him, but Mark sounded like he thought it was…more. Which couldn’t be further from the truth.

When my phone buzzed, I grabbed it from my bedside table.

Either your bed is really fucking quiet, or you came home alone.