“I can’t. I know you, Coop. You’ll come after me, and that’s not what I need right now.”
“I need you,” I tell her. “In my life, by my side, in my bed. I need you, Reese. Please don’t push me away,” I plead with her. I know I don’t really have the right to ask because I pushed her away first, but I apologized, and she knows how I feel about her. She’s not once told me how she feels about me, about all of this.
“I have to go.”
“No, wait,” I rush to say.
“Coop,” she says on a sob.
Even through the line, I can hear the anguish in her voice. “I love you, Reese. Not just for last night but forever. Nothing is going to change that. Not time, not distance. Nothing. You hear me?” She’s quiet, except for a few sniffles. “Tell me you hear me, Reese.”
“I hear you,” she whispers.
“Will you call me when you get wherever it is that you’re going? Will you call me while you’re gone? Fuck, I just got you back, Reese. I can’t stand the thought of being without you.”
“I’ll let you know that I made it.”
“I love you.”
“I need to go. Bye, Coop,” she says, and the line goes silent.
Just like that, the bliss of having her in my arms, of us finally being together, is ripped out from under me and is replaced with fear. I was prepared for her decision to marry Hunter. I was prepared to lose her, but after last night… after what we shared, losing her isn’t an option. Grabbing my clothes, I get dressed, and as I’m slipping on my shoes, there’s a knock at the door. I rush, thinking maybe she changed her mind. I pull it open to find Nixon standing there with a bag and two coffees.
“Hey.” I open the door, allowing him space to walk into the room.
“You look like shit.” He places the bag and the coffees down on the small table, pulling up a chair.
“Yeah, well, when you fall asleep with the love of your life in your arms only to wake up to an empty bed and a phone call telling you she’s going out of town and won’t tell you where, that happens.”
“I know. She has my fiancée with her.”
“Tessa’s with her? She didn’t tell me that.” I feel a little of the tension in my shoulders release knowing she’s not alone.
“Yeah, you piss your girl off or scare her away or whatever the fuck happened between the two of you, and she runs off with my fiancée, so thanks for that,” he says sarcastically.
“I didn’t piss her off or scare her away. Not that I’m aware of. Fuck, man, I don’t really know. When we went to bed last night, we were in a good place. I thought we were on the same page.”
“That, my friend, is what you get for thinking.” He points at me, along with an accusing look on his face.
“I don’t even know what she was wearing.”
“Clothes?” he offers.
“Yeah, but I kind of tore her dress last night.” I more than just tore her dress. I tore it off her body. Not just a rip, it’s ruined. There is no way she could have worn it out of this room.
He raises his eyebrows, a smirk on his face. “Oh, do tell.”
“No. But I will tell you she wouldn’t have been able to wear it out of here.” I shrug because I’m not the least bit sorry about it.
“She texted Tess to bring her some clothes at around five this morning.”
“I’m glad.” The thought of her traipsing around in a robe from the hotel or worse, those thin pieces of lace, sets my blood on fire. Reese Latham is for my eyes only.
His phone rings, and I freeze, eavesdropping on him as he answers. “Hey, babe.” He listens and smiles. “I love you too. Call me when you land,” he says, then hits End on his phone.
“Where are they?”
“I’m not allowed to tell you.”
“Why the hell not?” I ask, frustrated. She already told me she didn’t want me to know, but damn it, she’s the love of my life. I should know where she is.
“We all know you, Reeves. What’s worse is we all know you when it comes to Reese. You’re the dumbass who just figured it out.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve been telling you for years that you were in love with her. Go ahead, say it. I was right.”
“You were right.” I don’t even hesitate because I am in love with her. I have no plans of ever denying that truth ever again.
“Hold up.” He grabs his phone from the table, hits a few buttons, and points it at me. “All right, say it again. A little louder for those in the back,” he jokes.
“Fuck off.” I laugh at his antics. “What did you mean, you know how I am when it comes to Reese?”
He takes a swig of his coffee before answering. “You’ve always been protective of her. Not just ‘she’s my best friend’ protective, but ‘I love this girl, and you’re not getting near her’ protective.”
I don’t reply to that, because I know deep down he’s right. Reese has always been special to me. “So what? I’m just supposed to sit around and worry about her while she’s gone?”
“She’s fine, Cooper. Do you really think I would be okay with Tessa being in any kind of danger? If something happens, which it’s not going to, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.” I run my fingers through my hair and let out a slow, choppy breath. It’s going to be a long… hell, I don’t even know how long she’s going to be gone. I assume she had time off work for her honeymoon, but I don’t know where they were going. No, as soon as I got the wedding invitation, I made sure to sidestep any wedding talk. I couldn’t bear it.
All I can do is hope she comes back to me. That we have our chance once and for all, to see where life takes us. Together. Not as best friends, but as lovers, and as life partners, and if I’m lucky, husband and wife.
That’s my end goal.
I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’m in for the fight of my life, and I’m ready for battle. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone like I want her. Whatever it takes, I’m ready.
Chapter 4
Reese
Sliding my phone back into my purse, I smile at Tessa. She’s been my savior in all of this. I don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t rescued me. Not just at the banquet hall but this morning as well. My dress was shredded, and in no way was I able to wear it. Call me crazy, but I’m not much for walking around fancy hotels in my underwear.
“How did it go?” she asks.
“Like I expected it to go. He’s convinced we’re meant to be together, at least for now. I don’t think all this has sunk in for him yet. He’s upset I won’t tell him where I’m going. Oh, and he loves me,” I say flippantly, but it’s my heart that does the actual flipping each time he says those three little words.
“How does that make you feel?” Tessa asks.
I turn to look at her, and she has the most serious look on her face that has me busting out laughing. “What are you? A therapist?” I laugh.