“Never thought I would be here,” I tell him honestly. “Didn’t stop me from longing so deep in my gut for my big brother. Not once did I ever believe I would be in a position to have this moment. Spent fucking years with a hole inside me, Ash. One I know you felt so much bigger than I ever could because at least I knew you were alive.”
Silence ticks on. The silence being what finally alerted me that, at some point while I was speaking, the room cleared, leaving just the two of us. My heart picks up before I remember that Liv is safe with Sway. Doesn’t stop me from wanting her by my side regardless.
This moment, though, this is for the Cooper brothers.
“I’m so goddamn sorry, brother. So goddamn sorry for leaving you and the pain you felt believing I was dead. Never would have left you willingly, big bro.”
A tear falls down his cheek at the same time one escapes to trail hotly down my own face.
He swallows, his throat working hard to keep himself from the same crack I feel ripping through the hold I have on my own emotions.
We both take the first step toward the other instantaneously, breaking the silent standoff. We wrap our arms around each other with a force that pulls a gruff grunt out of both of us. One arm around his back, and the other above his shoulders. His embrace mirrors mine. From the outside, we look like two dudes locked in a manly hug. However, inside our huddle, with his tears soaking my shoulder and mine doing the same to his—the Cooper men are healing.
We stand there, two brothers who lived through hell as kids together—surviving that hell … somehow and barely. We both wasted a lot of time holding on to that trauma and letting it shape our lives back then. In different ways, but still we never healed. We both experienced hell again when we were ripped apart. It didn’t matter why I left. It didn’t matter that I had to make the one person who always had my back the hardest—and everyone else for that matter—believe I was gone in a way I would never come back. None of the bullshit matters.
Nothing, that is, except for one thing; the two Cooper brothers back together and in each other’s embrace finally start to feel that healing solidify.
“Run” by Taylor Swift ft Ed Sheeran
Holy crap, my face feels like it’s going to explode, it hurts that much.
I’m not sure what I thought was going to happen when I jumped in front of Zeke. The only thing I could think of was keeping the man I love from feeling anymore pain today—especially the physical kind.
Was it smart?
No.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
If I have the power to keep him from feeling any more pain in his life, I’ll do it again and again.
“Well, that was something.” Sway sighs.
“You can say that again,” Davey responds.
“Did a good job defusing the situation with your face, darlin’, but let’s maybe not to that again, hmm?”
“No promises,” I whisper to the two of them, just beginning to notice the crowd in the room they lead me into when we left the brothers to have their moment together.
“Uh … hi?” I weakly wave. Then to my absolute embarrassment, my arm rises, and I point at my chest. “Olivia.”
Nine sets of eyes look at me and the two men at my side from across the vast space of the most stunning kitchen. Based on what I know about these people, I have a pretty good idea who is who. I scan the faces of the people who loved my man years before. All of them look just as shocked as I’m sure they were when they realized who was in the office with Asher. It’s one face specifically, though, the one woman standing without a man at her side, that I lock eyes with.
This must be Chelcie. The woman who had Zeke’s child after they thought he was long gone. I can’t even imagine what she’s feeling right now.
I leave Sway’s comforting hold and walk toward her. The room seemingly hangs on the edge of my movements. Energy electric coming off the big men in waves. I walk right up to her and wrap my arms around her, hugging her trembling body against mine. Her head drops, and she returns my embrace with a sob. Her whole body goes slack, and I hold her while she silently cries. My own tears stream down my face as she lets go and cries. I know from Zeke they didn’t have the kind of relationship that would impact her life or marriage to his brother with his return. They weren’t romantic. I can only guess that the enormity of her emotions have to do with not only worry for her husband but for her son as well.
“Thank you,” I whisper in her ear, for her to hear only.
She leans back and studies me for a long moment. “For what?”
I smile sadly. “Raising a piece of the man I love.”
Her lips tremble.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in sadness when life punches you in the gut. I don’t even know you, but I’m sure you’re one of the strongest women I’ll ever meet. You all lost him, but you also had a greater stake in that loss. Could’ve not had the baby, but you did. So thank you.”
“Hardly a baby anymore. More like a pain in my ass,” someone grumbles.
I look from Chelcie to where I heard the voice come from.
Without the heaviness of the situation, I allow myself to look at the man who just entered the room.
Asher Cooper.
He looks so much like Zeke, but also so very different. Both extremely tall, both blond, both blue eyed … if I didn’t know better, I would say they were twins. It’s uncanny. They even seem to stand the same.
I look back at Chelcie, who is looking at her husband with so much concern. “Would you please introduce me to your husband?” I ask her, hoping that little request will urge her past the pain she was feeling moments before.
She nods, wipes her face, and we turn to walk over to the Cooper brothers. Zeke tags my hand the moment I’m within reach and tugs me to his side. His arm goes around my shoulders, and he pulls me into his side tightly. Chelcie walks straight into Asher’s arms. I look away and up to Zeke once I see her relax into her husband’s arms. I study his face, trying to read his emotions. He bends, placing his lips on my forehead, and leaves them there for a beat before pulling away.
“Asher.” He clears his throat. “And Chelcie …” He pauses and dips his chin toward me. “Olivia.”
I smile awkwardly.
“And this …” He trails off, and I feel him shifting us so that we’re facing the rest of the people standing over to the side of us still. “This is my family.”
His voice is so deep, gravelly, and full of oh-so-much emotion.
I wave, looking at each face.
He moves me to stand in front of him so he can look down into my eyes. “Give me just a second?”
“Of course.”
He walks around me toward one of the couples—a tall, dark, and dangerous-looking man and the tiny blond woman at his side. She’s adorable and looks like girl-next-door sweetness. The man, however, is the complete opposite. He looks like he could kill someone by just breathing.
Maddox and Emmy. It has to be them. Based on what I know about these people and the photos that I asked Sway to show me before we left the hotel room, I had a pretty good idea who was who.
Zeke stops in front of Emmy.
“Hey,” he says low and thick with emotions. “Chin up, buttercup,” he adds, lifting her downcast face with a finger to her chin to meet his eyes. “What do you say?”