The rules we break a roo.., p.16
The Rules We Break: A Roommate Romance, page 16
“What do you mean?”
“Avery made it sound like there’s something going on with you and him.”
“There’s not. And why is Avery telling you about Theo and me?”
“I asked her if you two were getting along. This was weeks ago when I tried to call you and you didn’t pick up, so I called Avery.”
“Well, there’s nothing going on with Theo and me. We’re just friends.”
“Then I guess if he asks, I’ll go out with him.”
“Great!” I say, faking enthusiasm.
Piper’s going out with Theo. Maybe they’ll hit it off and start dating.
I should be happy about that. So why do I feel sad?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THEO
“I hear you’re going out with Piper tonight,” Wes says as I load up the barbell with more weight.
“Did Avery tell you that?” I ask.
“Yeah. She and Piper are good friends. Darcy and her are even better friends.”
I lay down on the bench. “You gonna spot me?”
“Yeah, but first I want to know what you’re up to.”
I sit up. “What do you mean?”
“Are you going out with Piper to make Darcy jealous?”
“No. I didn’t even know Piper was Darcy’s friend until Darcy told me.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“No! What the hell? Why would I lie about that?” I lay back down on the bench. “Why don’t you go yell at Darcy? She agreed to go out with Colton, knowing he’s one of my closest friends.”
“I thought you were okay with that. Eli said you told him she’s no longer off limits.”
“I didn’t have a choice. She’s single. She can date whoever she wants.”
“You should’ve been thinking that way weeks ago. You never should’ve told the guys to stay away from her.”
“Yeah, I get it. I was being stupid. I shouldn’t have done it.” I look up at him. “You better not tell Darcy about that.”
“I won’t, but someone else might.”
“Like who?”
“Eli. When he gets drunk, he spills everyone’s secrets.”
“Then I’ll keep him away from her.” I take the barbell off the rack while Wes gets in place to spot me. I do a set with the weights, then put the bar back on the rack. “Add 20 more,” I say to Wes, but he’s turned away from the bench.
“Coach Hensley,” I hear Wes say.
“How are you doing, Wes?”
“Good. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Curt was officially hired as the new assistant coach right after the new year. It was announced the following Monday. Coach Daley sent us all an email letting us know before it was announced to the entire school. We have a meeting tomorrow morning to officially welcome him to the team.
“Hey, Coach,” I say, getting up from the bench.
“Theo.” He motions to the barbell. “I see you bumped up the weight.”
“Yeah, you were right. I need to push myself more.”
Since getting hired, Curt’s been in the gym a lot, watching us train. It was mostly just me until the other guys starting coming back from break. It gave me time to get to know him better, or for him to get to know me. He hasn’t said much about himself, other than stuff about the team he coached before coming here. He has a lot of good ideas for making the team better. I really hope Coach Daley retires soon so Curt can take over as head coach.
“Just be careful,” Curt says. “You do too much too fast and you’ll do more harm than good. I’ve seen guys push too hard and tear a shoulder or blow out a knee.”
“Yeah, I’ll take it slow,” I tell him.
That’s another way Curt is different than Coach Daley. He actually cares about his players. Coach Daley doesn’t give a shit. Last year I had the flu and he still put me in the game. I had a fever and my whole damn body ached, but that asshole didn’t care.
“Hey, Coach,” Colton says, coming into the gym. He said he’d be here at nine and it’s after ten. He’s never on time, which makes me wonder if he’ll be late to pick up Darcy for their date. I was up all night thinking about her going out with him. I know I need to be okay with it, but I’m not.
“I’m going to head out,” I say to Wes.
“We’re not done,” he says.
“It’s getting late and I’ve got stuff to do. You still coming over later?”
“Yeah, probably around noon.”
I pass Colton on my way out but don’t say anything to him. I just keep going, out the door to the locker room. I shower, and as I’m getting dressed, I think about what Wes said about Piper. I honestly didn’t know she was Darcy’s friend. I liked her when we were talking, but didn’t plan on asking her out until Darcy agreed to go out with Colton. But I didn’t do it to make Darcy jealous. I did it because I need to move on and go out with a girl I could actually date. I didn’t think I wanted a girlfriend, but having Darcy in my life, I realize I do. I like what Darcy and I have, but I want more, and I want it with someone who could be my girlfriend.
“Tonight was fun,” Piper says as I walk her to her door. We went to dinner, then to a coffee place that has live music. The date was okay. We got along well and didn’t have any lulls in conversation, but I didn’t feel any sparks. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Sure.” I stand at her door, wondering if I should kiss her. Maybe I’d feel sparks if I did.
“Well, I’m gonna go,” she says, opening her door.
“Piper, wait. Are you free later this week? Maybe we could go to a movie.”
She hesitates. “Um, I would, but I don’t think this is going to work.”
“I thought you had fun tonight.”
“I did, and I really like you, but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t think you like me, at least not the way you’d like someone you’re dating.”
“If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have asked you out. I had a really good time tonight.”
“Did you?” she asks, in a tone that implies I didn’t.
“What’s going on? What are you trying to tell me?”
“It’s just that you seemed like you were somewhere else tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like you were trying really hard to stay engaged and ask me questions, but your mind kept going elsewhere.” She pauses. “Like maybe to Darcy?”
“Darcy?” I laugh. “Why would I be thinking about Darcy?”
“Because she’s out with someone else tonight? Someone who’s not you?”
“I think you’ve got the wrong idea here. I don’t know what Darcy told you, or Avery, or whoever made you think this, but there’s nothing going on with Darcy and me.”
“You sure about that?” She gives me a look like she knows something—something that refutes what I just said.
“Okay, yes, something might’ve happened between us, but we didn’t mean for that to happen and it’s ancient history.”
“Wait—are you saying you guys had sex?”
“I thought that’s what you meant.”
“No. I just thought maybe you guys kissed.” She shakes her head. “This is bad. I never should’ve gone out with you. I had no idea you guys were that close.”
“It was one time. I swear. And we agreed that was it. We wouldn’t do it again.”
“I’m sorry, Theo, but I can’t go out with you. Darcy’s a good friend and I don’t want to hurt her. And I can tell how much you like her. Why don’t you just tell her?”
“It’s not like that. Darcy is just a friend. I care about her, but it doesn’t work for us to be together.”
“I understand, but I still can’t go out with you.”
I nod. “Yeah. I get it.”
“Goodnight, Theo.” She goes into the house and shuts the door.
So much for a second date. Why does everyone keep thinking there’s something going on with Darcy and me? Just because we spend all our time together doesn’t mean we’re dating. She’s out with Colton tonight. And I was on a date with Piper. That should be enough to prove to people that Darcy and I are just friends.
When I get home, Darcy is still on her date. It’s after 10. I thought she’d be back by now. They were just going to dinner. That should only take an hour or two, so why isn’t she home? Did she go back to his place? Shit, what if she did? What if she’s in his room right now, in his bed?
I can’t think about that. And I shouldn’t. She can do what she wants. Am I angry she’s out with Colton? Hell, yeah, especially when she spent last semester telling Avery I was immature because I was messy and played video games. If she wants a mature guy, she shouldn’t be dating Colton. He’s even messier than me and plays video games more than I do. His grades are worse than mine, he hasn’t decided on a major, and he’s always late. He’s way more immature than me, so why is Darcy dating him?
Just before midnight, I get into bed and turn on the TV. I told myself I wouldn’t wait up for Darcy, but here I am, still awake and wondering when she’ll be home. What if she spends the night with him? I’ll fucking kill him. No, wait, I can’t. She’s single, and an adult. She can do what she wants, even if it drives me fucking crazy.
I hear a car outside, then the door downstairs opening. It slams shut and I hear loud footsteps running up the stairs, followed by banging on my door.
“Theo!” Darcy yells.
“It’s open,” I say.
The door swings open and Darcy storms up to my bed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What?” I shove the covers off me and get up. “What’d I do?”
She puts her hands on her hips and scowls at me. “You told your friends they couldn’t date me! You forbid them from asking me out!”
Shit. She knows.
“Darcy, that’s not what I—”
“Don’t even try to deny it. Colton told me what you said. Now I get why none of your teammates asked me out. I didn’t understand. They’d smile at me, flirt with me, but not a single one asked me out. I thought there was something wrong with me.” She throws up her hands. “I agonized over it, trying to figure out if it was something I said or did or how I looked. But no.” She points her finger at me. “It was YOU! You’re the reason none of them asked me out.”
Why the hell did Colton tell her that? He knows I didn’t want her knowing. Was he pissed at me for ignoring him at the gym today?
“If that were true,” I say, folding my arms over my chest, “then how do you explain Colton asking you out?”
“He said you removed the ban last week.”
“It wasn’t a ban. I never came out and said they couldn’t date you. A few of the guys asked if you were off limits and I didn’t tell them no. They assumed that meant they couldn’t go out with you.”
“Why would you do that? Why would you let them think I’m off limits?”
“Because I don’t think those guys are good enough for you.”
“Oh, please.” She rolls her eyes. “Just be honest, Theo. You didn’t want them dating me because you wanted me all to yourself. And when you realized dating me was a bad idea, you still didn’t want them dating me. It wasn’t until Colton pointed out what a selfish jerk you were being that you finally lifted the ban.”
I shrug. “If that’s what you want to believe, go ahead.”
“Are you saying it’s not true? Then what’s the truth, Theo? Tell me. Tell me why you did it.”
“I tried, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“Because your teammates aren’t good enough for me? That’s bullshit. Any of those guys would be better than some guy who’s been lying to me this whole time, making me think there’s something wrong with me.”
“Why are you yelling at me about this? You got what you wanted. You’re dating Colton, the guy you’ve wanted for over a year.”
“You’re right. I am.” She stands up straighter. “And we’re going out again on Wednesday. But that’s not the point.” She pauses, her eyes on mine. “I trusted you, Theo. I thought you were a nice guy. I never in a million years would’ve thought you’d go behind my back and tell your friends to stay away from me, especially when you knew how much I wanted to date Colton. I told you how I didn’t get why nobody at the party asked me out. You could’ve told me then what you’d done instead of letting me think it was about me. But you didn’t. You’re not the guy I thought you were.” She walks out of my room and down to her own, slamming the door shut.
I call Colton.
“Yeah?” he answers.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You told Darcy I didn’t want you dating her?”
“I didn’t mean to. She asked why it took me so long to ask her out. I said something about you telling the team to stay away from her. I said it like I was joking. I didn’t know she’d get all upset about it.”
“Well, she did, and now she fucking hates me.”
“Just explain why you did it.”
“I tried to, but she wouldn’t listen. She thinks I did it because I wanted her for myself.”
“You did.”
“That’s not why I did it. It’s because you and Eli and whoever else was checking her out at the party that night aren’t looking for a relationship. But Darcy is, so I didn’t want her wasting her time with you guys.”
“But it’s okay for you to waste her time?”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“You had sex with her with no intention of it being anything more. How is that any different than what you assumed I would do? Or Eli?”
“How do you know I had sex with her?”
“I overheard Avery talking to Wes about it.”
So much for keeping it a secret.
“I didn’t plan on that happening,” I say. “It just did. And Darcy wanted it as much as I did.”
“So maybe you’re wrong about her only wanting a relationship. Maybe you should stay the fuck out of it and let her make her own decisions.”
“Thanks to you she won’t be talking to me anymore, so yeah, she’s on her own. She can go date the whole damn team if that’s what she wants.” I pace the floor, my face getting hot, my muscles tight. “I’m done talking about this. Just don’t fucking hurt her, okay?”
“It’s not too late.”
“Too late for what?”
“To get her back. Let her cool down, then talk to her tomorrow. Beg her to give you another chance.”
“Chance for what? We never went out. And she’s dating you. She’s wanted to date you for over a year.” I blow out a breath. “I’m so damn sick of hearing about how great you are and how much she wants to be with you.”
“She didn’t act like that tonight.”
I stop pacing. “What do you mean?”
“It’s like she wasn’t really there, like her mind was somewhere else. If she liked me, she would’ve at least shown some interest in what I was saying, but instead she kept spacing out and asking me to repeat myself.”
“She’s probably just tired.”
“Does she do that with you?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Yeah, actually it does.”
“If she wasn’t into you, she wouldn’t have agreed to go out with you again.”
“Unless she was trying to make you jealous.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t care about that now. She hates me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she moved out.”
“She has nowhere to go. There aren’t any apartments open this time of year.”
“She’d rather sleep in her car than be with me. Trust me, if you saw how angry she was when she got home tonight, you’d know what I mean.”
“I could try to talk to her.”
“No. You’ve done enough damage. Next time you see her, don’t even talk about me. Just let me handle it. I’ll try to figure out a way to fix this.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to cause problems.”
“Yeah, I know,” I say, the anger I had toward him now turning back to myself. I can’t blame Colton for this. I’m the one who told the team to stay away from her and now I’m paying for it.
The next morning, I’m in the kitchen making breakfast when Darcy comes down the stairs. It’s only eight. I didn’t think she’d be up this early. Her hair’s pulled back in a messy bun and she’s wearing her short pink robe. Even first thing in the morning she looks sexy. I try not to think about that and focus on how to get her to talk to me.
“Hey,” I say as she walks past me to the coffee maker.
She ignores me, along with the mug I set out for her. I don’t drink coffee, but she does, so I made it for her and was going to leave a note by it before I left, telling her to have a good day. It wasn’t much, but it was my first attempt to make her not hate me.
“You want some eggs?” I ask, pointing to the skillet of scrambled eggs I just made. “Or I could make you pancakes.”
She opens the cupboard, takes out a mug, and fills it with coffee.
“Guess that’s a no,” I say with a laugh.
She doesn’t even smile. She goes to the fridge, takes out the milk, pours some in her coffee, then puts the milk back.
“I could go get you something,” I say. “Bagels? Donuts? Whatever you want.”
She takes her coffee and leaves, going back upstairs without even acknowledging me. She really hates me. And I don’t know what to do to get her to forgive me.
Maybe this is it for us. Maybe we can’t even be friends. I lost her trust and it might be too late to get it back.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THEO
“Theo,” Curt yells as I’m leaving the gym.
I turn back. “Yeah?”
“Meet me in my office after you’ve cleaned up.”
“Yeah, okay,” I tell him, wondering why he wants to meet.
“What’d you do?” Eli jokes.
I shove his shoulder. “Shut up. You get called into the office all the damn time.”
“With Coach Daley, yeah,” he says as we head to the locker room. “Not with the new guy.”
