As he jumped in, water splashed over me and I yelped as he laughed.
“What can I do for you, Bailey?” he asked in a low husky voice, staring straight ahead.
“I need your help,” I muttered, and he turned to look at me. “Well, to clarify, Zane needs your help. Your father has had him arrested.”
His face tightened, and he nodded, but his eyes darted around guiltily.
“You knew?” I accused him and he nodded slowly.
“He shouldn’t have stolen again. He shouldn’t have come back here.”
His tone was harsh, and my eyes watered as I watched him harden. My words choked in my throat, but I managed to speak.
“Never mind. Get out of my car.”
“Bailey,” he whispered in a voice laced with pain as he reached out his hand towards me. He froze when he caught my vicious glare.
“Zane was here once and didn’t take anything, but why would you believe he’d changed? Your dad wants him gone and wants you to follow his instruction. Whynot think for yourself and choose what you want? Get out of my fucking car, Cooper, I’m so done with you and with this messed-up family.”
Coop’s eyes widened and then narrowed as he sneered at me.
“And why would you always believe him? You never see the bad in people. Even me, I’ve used you over and over, hurt you time and again, but you still loved me. How fucked up is that?”
It would have hurt less if he’d slapped me.
“Get out,” I hissed before muttering brokenly, “I fucking hate you. I really, really hate you. I wish I’d never met you, never loved you…”
I didn’t say anymore as the car door slammed and I slumped forwards onto the steering wheel. After a few seconds, I started the car and drove slowly away, glancing back once and seeing Coop standing on the porch with his head in his hands.
I made it home and was calling lawyers from the phone directory when my dad came into the kitchen in a suit.
“Bailey, what are you doing?” he asked, and I showed him the phone directory. He took it from me and closed it.
“Don’t bother, I’ll represent him.” My eyes widened in surprise and I suddenly remembered when I was a kid my dad took me to a courtroom to see the proceedings.
“But you’re a judge?” I said in wonderment, and my dad smiled and hugged me.
“I am, but I was a lawyer first.”
He kissed my head and for the first time in the longest time, I could sense that he loved me, without Alexa here, he actually loved me.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I softly said against his chest, and he stepped back and moved towards the door.
I sipped a coffee and cleaned as I waited and tried to ignore the pain in my chest that Cooper had caused. While I spent hours scrubbing and cleaning the kitchen my cell rang over and over again, but I refused to answer it. I didn’t even check the number because I didn’t want to speak to anyone. Coop’s words played on a continuous loop in my head.
“I used you over and over, hurt you time and again…”
I scrubbed hard at the worktops and took out at the utensils cleaning the drawers and cupboards and making sure that I was too busy to feel anything.
Eventually, I’d cleaned everything and as the day passed into night, I sat on the sofa and stared at nothing. Sam had gone to bed when she’d put the kids down, telling me that maybe it was all a nightmare and that they’d wake up in their own beds at home.
As morning rolled across the sky, the porch door opened and I rushed into the kitchen hoping to see my father and Zane, but Coop was standing there, soaked and still in his running stuff. My eyes narrowed and he froze.
“Bailey,” he mouthed, and I shook my head at him.
“Out, get out.”
He shook his head moving towards me and pulling me into his arms, I struggled for a moment until his lips crashed down on mine.
He kissed me in the way I’d remembered, sucking on my bottom lip before biting down gently, and I was transported back to my first love, and my first time, but he’d ruined those memories in the car. I pushed him away from me, and he stared across the kitchen at me, breathing hard.
“I knew you still felt it. I knew you still loved me.”
His words were like knives twisting in my gut as I stared at him.
“Cooper,” I spoke firmly, “what are you doing here? Why would you come here?”
He watched me intently and I moved uncomfortably in his stare for the first time.
“Because I shouldn’t have said what I did. I didn’t…” He broke off as tires sounded in the drive. I shot up to the window and glanced out in relief as my dad and Zane stepped out of the car.
“You can’t be here,” I hissed, glancing around for somewhere for him to go.
The broom closet was perfect. I shoved him hard towards it and just before I closed the door, he yanked my arm and pulled me inside, closing the door. We stood in the darkness, and he leaned against the wall. I stood stiffly, waiting on my dad and Zane to move so I could escape from him. Cooper’s hand touched my back and his fingers rubbed gently on the exposed skin. I stepped forwards and was right against the door.
His breath tickled the hairs on the back of my neck, soon replaced by his lips and his tongue. I melted against his embrace, and he ran his fingers around to my stomach, pressing against the skin gently as he licked, sucked, and nibbled on my neck.
“Bailey,” he murmured as he moved closer and ground his erection into my ass.
“It’s never been like this with anyone else.” I froze, and he groaned as he leaned his head on my neck.
“Cooper, stop,” I spat out breathlessly.
For once, he listened and stepped back away from me.
“Bailey,” his hoarse voice whispered, “I never meant to hurt you and I never meant to fall in love with you. You were supposed to be something I used to get back at your mother…”
I gasped and moved closer to the door, hearing the soft voices on the other side for a few minutes. As soon as they left the kitchen, I fled from the kitchen and went straight into my room.
I didn’t think he could hurt me anymore, but he always managed it. He always managed to make me feel more pain and regret. I had to stop seeing him, every time I saw him, he had the power to hurt me. I avoided him for the next few days and left for Paris as planned, coming back a few days later, with a new gallery and a new apartment.
I was leaving; I had a few months to get everything ready, but I was going. I’d gifted my stepbrother and stepsister the house in Florida, but I hadn’t given them any money. My dad agreed that was a fair deal and had flown back out Monday too.
The charges against Zane had been dropped, and on Friday before I returned to work, I asked Zane and Sam if they’d like to live in my house, rent-free. All they’d have to do was keep it clean and tidy and let me visit.
They’d agreed gratefully and I’d gone into the gallery to organize my leaving for Paris. After work that Friday, I bumped into Coop again and I’d decided to stay completely away from him. He was out at his bachelor party, drunk off his ass when I arrived in the bar.
“Bails,” he slurred and waved me over, “come sit here…” He patted a seat beside him, and I walked towards him.
“Cooper,” I laughed, “you’re wasted.”