Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

of water and reached for the other pizza box. "If you're both so hard up for someone, why don't you just skip the middle man and date each other? I think you'd be good together."
    "Just because we're both gay doesn't mean we're automatically attracted to each other," Dev said, grabbing a slice of pizza from the box in front of Sammy.
    "I didn't say you were," Michael said. "You just—"
    "Plus, Devin can't handle a man like me," Sammy said around a mouthful of pizza. "He gets off on going after men who he knows he can't or shouldn't have."
    Devin frowned, his eyebrows drawing together. "Is that your professional opinion?"
    "Did he ever tell you," Sam continued, "the last guy he was with had a girlfriend?"
    He'd also had serious questions about his sexuality that a weekend at a local hotel with Devin answered for him. And Sammy was wrong. It wasn't that he purposely went after men he shouldn't be with, it just happened that Devin always found himself attracted to men he knew wouldn't want more than he was willing to give— a commitment.
    With Michael it was different. He was a good friend, and had been since before Devin came out to him that night in eighth grade. The idea of being with him had always felt as natural as breathing. They'd been joined at the hip since they were ten, and it was partly due to his attraction to Michael that Devin learned to recognize and accept his sexuality.
    As for Mike's suggestion that he try Sammy instead, that was laughable. Where he and Mike were loud and outgoing, Sammy was quiet and reserved, preferring to stick his nose in a book than go out dancing on Friday night. It was a wonder they'd managed to talk him into joining the Savannah Lightning rugby team. The weekly practices and games were the only time Sam seemed to come out of his shell. Dev rarely saw a different side to him than the nerd who preferred to remain in the shadows. With Michael as Dev's ongoing fantasy, Sam couldn't compete.
    "I thought you said Jack was going through something," Mike said, turning to Devin. "I didn't think you meant he was looking to play around. Or was he?"
    "It wasn't like that," Dev said. "I didn't go after him, or try to seduce him. He came on to me and I just kind of conveniently didn't say no." Dev shrugged. "We both knew the thing was going to be temporary anyway, so that isn't relevant." He looked up from his food and smiled. "The point is, you've always been the center of my attention and you know it. And if we're being honest, a healthy bicuriosity is the reason we shared our first kiss. You just need to take the next step."
    Dev grinned as both Michael and Sammy choked on their food at the same time. Mike grabbed for his water bottle and took several long gulps before lowering it to stare at his best friend, his dark brown eyes wide with horror.
    Sam swallowed hard and looked back and forth between them. "Is that true or did you just make it up?"
    "I wouldn't lie about that," Dev said, never taking his eyes away from Michael. "You know what it meant to me."
    "You knew for sure that night," Michael said, nodding. Moments later, he looked away. "And as much as I care about you, I knew for sure that I— we would never be that way." He looked up again, a small smile formed. "Don't let the memory of that little experiment keep you from going after what's right in front of you."
    Devin picked up the slice of pizza he'd barely touched since they'd sat down. "Oh, don't worry about that. I've got my eye on the prize. It's just a matter of getting it to come to me."
    ****
    Pulling the front door closed behind himself, Sammy jogged down the front steps and fell into step behind Mike and Devin, close enough to catch snatches of their conversation, but far enough away that they were sure to leave him to his thoughts. Thoughts which, given the strange lunch conversation from the day before, were filled with the insults tossed his way by his roommate.
    Okay, so maybe he didn't come right out and insult Sam, but the face Devin made when Mike had said they might be good together wasn't exactly flattering. Devin's reaction had been nothing like the salacious thoughts Sam had when Michael made the suggestion. It wasn't as if they didn't have things in common. Besides working well together with the rugby team and their shared love of chess, Devin had a way of appealing to Sam's sense of humor that often had him laughing manically at the smallest joke. And Sam just got him, read Devin as well as any