The Holt Conundrum

second january

It's January and Darren is in my apartment.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I automatically say to that piece of trash.

"Oh, hey Eliah. Wow, fancy seeing you here. I gotta say, your taste in male candy is still to die for."

I'm going to punch him. I'm going to throttle him and enjoy it. I'm seeing bright red. Where's Holt? God, where's Holt? "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, of course, he's in the bathroom. We met at a coffee shop, he let me sit at his table. He's so nice. When I told him I needed an ice-cold patch for my shoulder he said he had some at home. What a beautiful coincidence," he explains smugly.

I ignore everything he just said. "Did you put something in his drink?"

"I didn't think I would need to. Is he top or bottom? I hope he's a bottom. Not a power bottom though, stay in your fucking lane, am I right?"

"Get out of my apartment." I rush to the bathroom and swing the door open. "Holt, are you okay." He's washing his hands and looking at me, super confused.

"Hey, Eli, ever heard of knocking?"

"Are you alright?" I press, not in the mood to be joking.

"Yeah, why? Oh, hey have you met Darren?"

"You're okay?" I ask again, just to be sure.

Now Holt looks worried. He should. "Yeaaaaaah," he drawls.

I rush back to the kitchen. Darren is still there, sipping on his drink. "Get the fuck out. Right now."

It's not because you're gay that you're automatically a fabulous person. You can be a shit person and be gay. And Darren is one of the shittiest people I know. He spikes guys' drinks. He's a sleazy scumbag.

I was seeing this guy, Nate. A cutie. Not my usual muscular type, more like the skinny cute type. He went out one night without me. Darren got him. He spiked his drink. He took him home. Nate didn't want to testify to the police. He was too ashamed. He changed college.

"I swear to god, my Dad works for the government, I can find dirt on your grandmother. Don't test me, not after what you did to Nate," I tell that disgusting excuse of a human being. I hate the fact that he's in my apartment, in my space, touching my things.

Darren is just smiling sweetly. "I didn't do anything to Nate he didn't want to. He just told you that story so you wouldn't think he cheated on you."

"How many times does Eliah have to say it? Get out," Holt finally says beside me, reminding me that I'm not alone.

"Wait a minute, we were having such a great time," Darren says surprised. I think he wasn't expecting that. I think Darren met cute shy Holt and thought he would be an easy target, but didn't realize that Holt can hold his own if he needs to.

"Yeah, not anymore. The door is right over there," Holt says, pointing to our front door, glaring at the dude.

Darren drags his feet out.

I think I could kiss Holt. I mean, more than I normally would.

When we hear the front door closing, Holt runs a hand through his hair and says, "Sorry, I didn't know. That he was gay, or that he... well did whatever he did."

I shrug one shoulder. "How could you?"

Holt takes a second too long to add, "Did he ever do anything to you?"

I snort. "No. If he had he'd be buried in an unmarked grave in the middle of the woods."

Holt grins. "I like that way of thinking."

I can't believe I had to protect Holt from a gay guy and that gay guy wasn't even me.