My Ex’s Roommates: Chapter 30

I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I mean, I knew what I was doing but I didn’t know what I was doing. Dammit. I’d spent too much money on too much pizza and beer and I’d set up camp in the living room, hoping I got up the courage to ask the guys to eat dinner with me so I could then get up even more courage so we could talk about what the hell was happening. I was trying to be direct, trying my best to channel the person I’d be on the sidelines one day, taking care of players and telling them what they needed. I’d get nowhere if I couldn’t be blunt and upfront. So, I’d just use that same mentality with my roommates. No problem…

Except, it was a problem. A big problem. When I heard them come in that night, I went quiet. I tried to open my mouth and let them know where I was but I was frozen. I hadn’t thought out what I’d want to say. I was petrified that they were all going to end up hating me and kicking me out for real. We hadn’t exactly talked more about me moving out and I was just kind of going with the idea that I was staying, even if I couldn’t really afford to.

“Something smells fucking good. I’m starving.” Silas stomped into the living room first, his eyes narrowing in on me right away. “What are you doing?”

I gestured lamely at the pizzas. “Um, I bought dinner?”

“For us?” He looked pissed about something and it set me on edge.

If he could be pissed, I could, too. “No, for the other men I live with.”

Dylan shoved past Silas and sank down on the couch next to me. “You don’t know how hungry I am. Thank you, Harp.”

Silas shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. I thought you were… Never mind. Thanks, princess.”

“What did you think?”

His cheeks reddened. “Nothing. I thought nothing. This looks good.”

I let it go and glanced up as Carter came in, stripping off his shirt as he came. My mouth watered at the wide expanse of naked skin but I had more self-control than that. Maybe. I grabbed a slice of pizza and nibbled at it, nervous about how quiet it was.

Dylan hopped up and brushed the tips of his fingers against my shoulder as he passed me. “I’m going to grab a water. Want one?”

Carter barely waited for Dylan to leave the room before he took Dylan’s spot next to me. “This is more like it.”

Silas rolled his eyes as he opened a beer. “He’s going to kick your ass.”

Dylan came back in with two waters and scowled at Carter. “Get out of my spot.”

“Nope.” Carter leaned into me and lowered his voice. “You like me sitting next to you, don’t you?”

I was going to die. Of embarrassment or something close to it. Why weren’t they talking about the elephant in the room? Or was it not an elephant to them? Did they share women often? Why did the idea make me want to yank their hair out?

“Move, asshole.” Dylan pressed a bottle of water into my hands and then shoved Carter. “You go sit next to Silas. Y’all deserve each other.”

“Hey, what’d I do?” Silas spoke around a mouthful of pizza. “I’m being a perfect gentleman.”

“Have you shared other women?” The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it. It killed the rest of the bickering between them and left the room as quiet as a tomb. Instantly, I felt like digging a hole and burying my head in it. “Sorry. I didn’t… I don’t know why I just blurted that out.”

Dylan stopped fighting for his seat and sat down next to Silas. His eyes were curious as he watched me. “You want to talk about it?”

I nodded. “Maybe I shouldn’t. I’ve just never done anything like this before and I’m freaking out a bit. I think I need to hear what y’all are thinking. And maybe this is stupid and you’re not thinking anything. Maybe y’all do this all the time and I’m making a thing out of nothing. I-”

Carter sat up and wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me into his side. “We’ve never shared anyone. The idea has never once crossed my mind. Until now.”

Dylan rested his elbows on his knees as he learned forward. “Carter’s right. We’ve never done anything like this. The idea of sharing my kitchen with these two idiots makes me uncomfortable so I never once thought I’d want to share my woman.”

My heart raced. “Your woman?”

Instead of letting Dylan answer, Silas spoke up. “Does it not feel like you’re at least a little bit ours?”

I looked away from them and took a deep breath. I’d wanted the conversation so I needed to face it head on. Looking back at him, I nodded. “As stupid as it sounds after the last week, I don’t sleep around. This is unlike me. Yet it doesn’t feel wrong when it’s happening.”

“You stuck with Jake and his lackluster dick for two years, Harper. None of us think you’re desperate to sleep around.” Silas rolled his eyes but he was smiling. “Now you know that we’ve never done this before. We know this isn’t like you, either. Next question?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “You all want this? Whatever this is?”

“Did it not seem like I wanted it in the library today? If not, I did a really bad job and I’ll need to try again pronto.” Carter grinned down at me but I could see just how serious he was when he pressed on. “I don’t know what the hell we’re doing but I know that I want it. I wanted to shove Silas down the stairs this morning when I saw him coming out of your room. I wasn’t mad that he’d been with you. I was mad that I hadn’t.”

My heart was beating so fast that I felt a little faint. “So… Do you just want to share me between the three of you, or…? I don’t-”

“No one outside of this house has any fucking business touching you.” Silas’s voice was sharp as he spoke, his opinion set in stone. “While I don’t hate the idea of Dylan or Carter touching you, I feel like breaking something at even the thought of some other asshole coming near you.”

I swallowed and nodded. I definitely heard how he felt, loud and clear. Looking at Dylan, I searched his face. “And you? How do you feel?”

His jaw muscles were working overtime as he scooted towards the edge of the couch and leaned even closer to me like there wasn’t a coffee table between us. “I feel like joining Silas in breaking shit. If we do this, there will be rules. No one outside of the three of us touches you.”

My spine stiffened. “Will you be touching other people?”

He scowled. “Fuck no.”

Carter lightly gripped the back of my neck. “I feel the same way. I don’t want anyone else and I don’t want anyone outside of this room touching you.”

I looked at each of them and licked my lips. “Are we… God, this is painfully awkward. Are we dating? The exclusivity makes it feel like dating. But is that what you want? I mean, I don’t want to push-”

Carter closed the distance between us and kissed me, shutting me up. It was a soft kiss, something sweeter than anything he’d given me yet. “I consider it dating.”

Dylan nodded when I looked at him. “We’re dating.”

Silas grinned at me. “Yeah, princess, we’re dating. I wouldn’t expect you to accept anything less.”