“Bails, just spit it out b…”
He paused and swallowed, glancing at the stones on the ground or at the statues in front of us.
“It’s about Zane,” I murmured, and he stood so fast that I didn’t see it coming.
“No, I don’t talk about him, ever.”
He began to walk away and I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to stop him, but he paused and came back towards me, anger on every line of his handsome face as he leaned down and spat out, “Out of all of us, you’re the one with the most cause to hate him. I guess you’re just a pushover like your mom.”
I shrank back from his anger and closed my eyes murmuring, “This was a mistake. I thought I could get through to you, but never mind.”
My body thrummed for a moment as desire warred with love and hatred and pain, but when I opened my eyes he was gone. A tear rolled from my eyes and I stood up, shaking with adrenaline as I dusted my hands down my dress.
I began walking towards the door to the roof garden when he barreled back towards me and grabbed my arm, pulling me back to the alcove. His body was shaking with emotion, but he wouldn’t look at me, so I didn’t know which emotion it was.
“This better be good,” he said as he slumped back down, rolling a coin between his fingers.
He didn’t look at me again, so I brushed my blonde locks up and brushed my hair behind my ears to keep them away, so I could talk to him without my hair blowing in my mouth. My eyes darted to his and I saw a coldness there that I’d never seen before.
“Well, talk, Bailey, or I’m out of here.” His tone was ice cold and it burned to have it directed at me.
I stood up and faced away from him, figuring it would be easier to not look at him while I spoke.
“I bumped into Zane four years ago in New York. I was there with friends from college, and he was our tour guide. He worked while putting himself through night school to become a counselor for troubled teens, and he now has his degree and works full-time in a drug rehab center in Queens.” The words spilled out in a rush and Coop drew in a shaky breath.
“So, I’m up here so you can tell me my brother’s a saint now?”
His tone was cold and bitter, and I turned to face him.
“No, I asked you to come up here because your brother made a mistake, and he’s spent the last six years being punished for it. His kids deserve to know their family, and he deserves to be able to apologize for what he did.”
My voice shook hard and I couldn’t look at him after the first words came out.
“He has kids?” Coop asked in a low voice and I glanced at him, seeing his face soften a tiny amount.
“Yeah, he has a four-year-old boy, Oliver, and a one-year-old girl, Serena. They are…”
Coop stood up and marched past me, heading towards the exit. I didn’t say another word and as he entered the stairwell I slumped down hard on the bench.
I leaned over and put my head into my hands. Four years I hadn’t seen or spoken to him, but my chest was humming and my skin buzzing because he had been near me. I needed to get a grip. No wonder none of my other relationships hadn’t worked out. I’d never let him go, not properly. Every guy I’d ever dated never measured up to him, and it was pathetic. I wanted to slap myself and I groaned as I realized I probably still looked like an infatuated schoolgirl to him.
“Bails?” Coop asked and I raised my eyes to his meeting his eyes and seeing fear there. I stared at him, unable to speak as he came and sat beside me.
“Bailey, there is something you need to know about me. Something I should have told you a long time ago, but I guess I couldn’t.”
I moved my body a small amount to look at him, and he pulled me in for a hug.
God, I thought, I feel like I’m home.
He spoke in a low voice, which thrummed in my ears as he rested his head on mine, “I feel like I’ve finally come home.”
He stepped back and shook his head, and I did the same.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” he whispered, and he stared at me for a long moment, before steeling himself.
“Bailey, I’m getting married in a few months. It’s one of the reasons I’m home. I… I should have…” His voice broke off as he took in my horrified expression and I spun on my heel heading straight for the stairs. “Wait, Bailey, please.”
Shaking my head at him I ran down the stairs and walked straight out into the main part of the café. Martine was there, and she was looking around, but she took one look at me and marched me over to the office.
“Bailey, what is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I nodded at her and mouthed, “Something like that. Can you cover for me? I need to get out of here.”
“Of course, mon petit cherie. Take all the time you need.”
Her voice was soothing, and I leaned up kissing her cheek as I grabbed my bag and made my way out. My eyes darted around, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I climbed into a cab and asked to be taken to the apartment. I texted Jay a 911 message and he called me, but I didn’t want to talk, so I ended the call and texted:
Heading to the apartment. Bring tequila. We’re going clubbing
I let myself in and flopped onto the sofa just as the door opened and Jay walked entered. He spotted me straight away and came over, brandishing the tequila, laughing, “Your tequila, my lady.” I smirked up at him, opened the bottle, and drank a few mouthfuls.
As I swallowed the third, Jay grabbed the bottle.
“Girl, what’s the matter?” I closed my eyes and thought back to Coop’s amazing announcement.
“Cooper’s back, and he’s engaged.” Jay plopped to the floor in front of me, his mouth open in horror.
“No. Is he really?” he probed, and I nodded with tear-filled eyes.
Jay took one look at me and then at the bottle, giving both a questioning look as he stood and pushed the button on the sound system. SIA began singing, and we took a shot every few minutes and after a few, I was feeling pleasantly squishy inside, so he pushed me to my room, otherwise known as the dressing room.
“Get purty, we’re going out.”
He went into his room and I grabbed some silver shoes, a short little black dress, and some silver jewelry that I left at his place. I touched up my makeup and left my hair in the clip since my earrings accentuated my long neck.
After spraying myself with my favorite perfume, I walked out into the living room and twirled as Jay whistled. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the door.
“Our cab’s here, gorgeous. We’re meeting some of the guys in Malone’s.”
I nodded feeling the alcohol burn through my system and focusing on that.
Jay paid the cab, and we crossed the street, going into Malone’s to meet some of our friends. As we made our way to the group, I heard my mom’s voice call my name and my stomach dropped like a stone. My hand on Jay’s arm contracted like a claw and he winced, dropping his hand to my arm and then glancing up at me.
Spinning around, my mom, Shawn, and Cooper were sitting at a table we were passing, but it was the girl sitting on the end of the table, sporting a rock the size of a small country that drew my eyes. My eyes widened first in horrified recognition and then in pain. As I fought to school my expression, I smiled and said hello to my family, before Jay excused us and dragged me over to our friends.