Page 4 of Love and History

He furrowed his brow as he stepped into my space. “And it was one too many times.”

“It’s nice to see you two getting along so well,” Tommy interrupted sarcastically.

Ezra and I turned on cue as Tommy and his boyfriend, Noah, entered the kitchen.

Tommy and Noah were an adorable odd couple. Like me, Tommy was a professor at Caltech and a PhD candidate with an emphasis in biomolecular physics. I liked him from day one. Tommy was the most unassuming genius I’d ever met. And trust me, I’d met quite a few. He was a little shorter than my six one, with brown hair, blue eyes, and killer dimples reminiscent of a modern-day Superman. Quite honestly, Tommy was drop-dead gorgeous, and the fact that he had no idea was part of his charm.

His boyfriend, Noah, was a hair stylist and a former soccer standout who loved glitter and didn’t mind long rambling conversations about nothing in particular. He was about five ten with short raven hair, light-brown eyes, and a fabulous way about him. I didn’t know Noah as well, but it was easy to see that he adored Tommy. And that was all I really needed to know.

I was happy for them, but I admit…I missed having Tommy around. Not only was he my best friend and an easygoing companion, but he was good at playing referee and ensuring that Ezra and I didn’t go for the jugular after every squabble.

“He’s impossible!” I seethed.

“I just keep it real,” Ezra bragged.

“No, you’re just rude.”

“I’m the rude one, but you want to charge me ten fuckin’ bucks for coffee.” Ezra threw his arms in the air. “How does that work, Shakespeare?”

“Stop calling me Shakespeare,” I hissed.

“Only if you stop—”

“Gentlemen! Truce.” Tommy stepped between us with his arms outstretched.

“Wow, your foreplay is epic,” Noah teased, hefting a grocery bag onto the counter.

“Foreplay, my ass,” Ezra griped, swiping his hand through his hair as he glared at me. And because he had the attention span of a gnat, he gestured at the groceries. “Please tell me you bought coffee.”

“We did.”

“You two are my new best friends,” Ezra gushed. He stabbed a finger at my chest. “You…I’m kicking you outta my fan club.”

“Oh, no. That’s terrible news,” I snarked in my best monotone voice. “On that note, I’ve spared all the brain cells I’m willing to part with this morning. Have a good day, gentlemen.”

I sailed out of the kitchen, making sure my robe swayed regally behind me.

“Holden. Wait.” Tommy followed me into the foyer.

“I’m sorry. I know I promised not to feud with…him—” I paused on the bottom step, gesturing manically toward the kitchen. “But he gets my goat every time.”

“This isn’t about Ezra. I received an email from the landlord this morning about our lease.”

I frowned. “Why? We have the house through August.”

“Yes, but it’s the end of June now, and I think he wants to gauge our interest to see if we’re thinking about renewing it again.”

“Oh. Are you moving out with Noah?” I asked, chewing the side of my thumb.

The foyer was dark as heck, but I could have sworn he blushed. “We’ve talked about it…a little. I don’t know if it’ll happen right away. He just survived my sister’s wedding. I don’t want to overwhelm him. Living together is a big step.”

“True, but he could always move in here,” I suggested, unthinking.

“Noah’s condo is near his place of business. Giving that up to live with roommates and deal with a commute isn’t logical. But being with him is, so…I don’t know what we’ll do. We don’t have to make a decision today, but summer always flies by and we should probably discuss this with our other roommates.”

Because timing was everything, a gigantic belch rumbled through the walls followed by, “Did you hear that?”

Ugh.That man was a moron.