Pulling Apart

Chapter 1 Noah Riggins pulled his car into the driveway of the house he shared with his lover, Charlie Banks, and for a moment just sat in the car with the engine off. Leaning his head on the steering wheel, he prepared himself for having to go inside. It shouldn’t be this hard. It couldn’t have been that long ago he eagerly jumped from the car and ran into the house. Shaking his head, he reached for the briefcase lying on the passenger seat and got out. Sitting in the car all night wouldn’t change things. He’d already waited until after seven o’clock to leave work. As soon as he entered the front door the lack of light caused heaviness in his chest. He couldn’t go back to the way Charlie had been at the start of their relationship. The living room was entirely devoid of light as was the kitchen and dining room. The hallway light was the only illumination. “Charlie?” “In here,” came Charlie’s voice from the direction of the bedroom. Noah briefly closed his eyes, then flung his briefcase onto the couch. He headed down the hallway, certain he’d find Charlie just lying in bed with the lights off. He flicked on the switch for the light over their bed and sat on the edge next to Charlie’s prone body. His lover, dressed only in a T-shirt and boxers, simply stared at the ceiling. “Feeling sick?” he asked softly. “No.” “Did you eat?” “Not hungry.” It was a struggle to keep the sigh locked inside. “When was the last time you ate?” Charlie shrugged. Noah nodded. “Okay. Well, I stopped and ate something on the way home.” He rubbed Charlie’s bare leg. “Anything I can get you?” “No.” “Charlie—” “Not right now, Noah. I’m tired. Can you turn out the light? I’m going to go to sleep.” “You need some help.” “Don’t,” Charlie whispered and turned on his side to face away from Noah. He got up, flicked off the light, and left the bedroom. In the last couple of months their once great relationship had deteriorated to the point it was no longer recognizable to Noah. He couldn’t even remember the last time he and Charlie had made love. Noah made his way to the spare bedroom he’d been spending far too many nights sleeping in lately. It had become hard to lie next to Charlie knowing the man had shut him out entirely. He closed the door and took out his cell phone. Not that he thought Charlie would overhear or even care. He pressed speed dial number two. “Hello.” Noah instantly recognized Michael Bennett’s voice. “Hello, Michael, is Kev there?” “Hi, Noah. Sure, hold on.” Seconds later, Kevin came on the line. “Hey there, gorgeous.” The sound of his best friend’s bubbly voice never failed to make him smile. A small smile this time, but a smile. “Hi, Kev. I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” Kevin laughed. “Oh, no, we finished our pre-dinner f**k a while ago. What’s up?” “Just needed a friendly voice.” His friend sighed. “Is he still the same?” “Worse, maybe. I don’t know what to do anymore, Kev. I can’t get through to him,” Noah said softly. “It’s worse than even before when he shut me out.” “I’d talk to him but I don’t think he’d listen to me. Want me to have Michael kick his ass?” Noah smiled. “No. I like his ass too much.” “Want to come over?” “No. I’ll deal with it I guess. We’re still on for Friday, right?” “Yeah.” “I’m thinking it might just be me, though. Don’t know if Charlie will come.” Noah closed his eyes and lay down on the spare bed. “Okay, I’ll let you go back to your man.” “All right, I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.” “Love you, too, Kev.” Noah sighed as the conversation ended. It was still early and he wasn’t really that tired. A few months ago he’d have been making love to Charlie. Sitting up, he got out of bed and sat in the easy chair they’d placed in the guest room. Getting comfortable, he grabbed the remote for the television off the side table and began to surf for something to watch. A comedy would be perfect. * * * * Noah kissed the line of Charlie’s jaw, loving the prickliness of the day’s growth there. But he couldn’t stop there and moved to cover Charlie’s lips with his. The man had the best lips on the planet. Big, soft and delicious. Charlie gasped. “Noah, please.” “Please what, angel?” Charlie’s fingers grazed over Noah’s abs. “f**k me.” With a groan, he flipped his naked lover onto his stomach and reached for the strawberry scented lube, a Christmas gift from Kevin, and sloshed out enough to prepare Charlie for the invasion of his c**k. Charlie spread his legs wider, pushing his ass up in the air. His body trembled and for a moment all Noah could do was stare, knowing he did that to Charlie. The man wanted him so much. Once, not so long ago, the possibility had seemed out of his reach. Noah pushed two fingers inside Charlie’s entrance, feeling his lover relax and let him in. After a few moments of prep, Noah slicked his c**k and replaced his fingers with his aching shaft. Just one long thrust and he was balls-deep. “Yes, yes, Noah, hard. f**k me hard,” Charlie begged. Closing his eyes, willing himself to have the strength to make it last, Noah’s c**k pounded Charlie’s ass just as his lover asked, alternating between hard and fast and pounding and slow. Noah gripped Charlie’s hips, driving into him, giving him the rough f**k he begged for. “God, I love you, Noah.” * * * * Noah woke, the dream sliding away almost as though it had never been. Once making love with Charlie had not been just a dream. He blinked. He had expected to find that he had fallen asleep in the chair in front of the television, but the TV was off and he lay in the bed of the spare room with a blanket covering him. Charlie. He swung his legs out of bed and went looking for his thoughtful lover, but it was soon clear the house was empty save for him. Again. Lately, even when Noah was home, Charlie was gone. Forcing away his disappointment, Noah went to shower and get ready for work. * * * * Noah poured himself a cup of coffee from the office coffeepot. It was his third cup and he was pretty sure that was the only reason he was surviving. He didn’t really eat much and he’d lost weight since his problems with Charlie began. “Hey, Noah.” A young guy with soft shoulder length sable hair, tied back with a rubber band, had entered the little office kitchen. He was a pretty man with long eyelashes framing green eyes and plump lips. He held a dark red coffee mug in his hand. Noah smiled. “Hi, Carl. Let me get out of your way.” “No need to move,” Carl Hargrove said with his very slight lisp. “I’ll just squeeze in next to you.” Carl did just as he said and put himself in the tiny space between the coffeemaker and the counter, wedging Noah in. His smile was so engaging Noah couldn’t really complain. The younger man had only started working at the company a few weeks earlier and already he’d become quite popular. “You look tired,” Carl said as he poured the dark brown liquid into his mug. He then held the cup in his hands like he was trying to warm them. “Having trouble sleeping?” “Hmm.” “I know, mind my own business.” Carl shook his head, but smiled. “You know if you ever need help getting off…to sleep, you can call on me.” Noah laughed. “That’s quite all right. I have a boyfriend.” “I know. All the hot ones are taken.” Noah felt himself blush. Hot? Him? “I’d better skedaddle before you get me up on charges of harassment.” Carl winked and then scooted past him, rubbing his ass along Noah’s hip as he moved past. Swallowing, Noah forced himself to ignore the flame of desire the man caused. Maybe if he weren’t madly in love with Charlie and very committed to that relationship he’d give hooking up with Carl a thought. But…he couldn’t. And the fact that he even had the thought wracked him with guilt. He shouldn’t even be thinking such things.