AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You knew?” I know I’m shrieking again, but for fuck’s sake.
“I was trying to be a good friend and feed you first,” she says defensively. “I didn’t know it was an apology, just that he posted a video about you. I haven’t seen it yet. What if it were something bad?”
“We are going to talk about this,” I say, turning back to the screen and checking the volume. Cooper’s voice cuts through my living room.
“—probably saw the kerfuffle a couple of weeks ago online, right?” It looks like a reposted livestream. Cooper’s looking at the camera, reading the comments as they come in and responding right away. “Yeah, you could say that was unexpected.”
God, he looks good.
“He looks like hell,” murmurs Evie. Once I get past the shock of seeing his face again for the first time in weeks, I realize she has a point. He’s got dark circles under his eyes and his hair is drifting into his eyelashes, like he’s been running his hands through it all day.
“I’ll keep it short. The fact is, I need to make a couple of apologies,” Cooper continues. In the video he’s out walking somewhere, walking down a street that looks familiar but that I can’t quite place. “First, I need to apologize to you all. I should never have lied to you like that.” The comments start appearing on screen faster but I don’t bother reading them, my eyes glued instead to Cooper’s face. He smiles.
“I know, y’all. I shouldn’t have lied, but that’s why I’m here. To tell you the truth.” He looks at the camera, all traces of humor gone. “I’m sorry, guys. The truth is, I’m in love with them. With both of them.
Evie sucks in a breath beside me. I can’t breathe at all.
“That’s the other apology I need to make,” says Cooper. He’s staring off camera at something. The scenery around him looks really familiar now. “Bailey, Drew… I’m so sorry. I should never have responded to that article without talking to you both first. I sure as hell shouldn’t have shut you out like I did.” Cooper focuses back on the camera, determination all over his face. “I don’t even know if you’ll see this but in case you do, I want you to know I’m going to make it up to you. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me.”
Cooper takes a couple more steps, and I realize he’s walking into that cafe on Market Street, the one with the croissants Drew likes so much. It feels like years since the last time we met for coffee there.
Cooper starts talking to his audience about subscribing and I recognize the pitch he uses to sign off with every video, so I tune him out, focusing on his gorgeous face.
I walked away from him three weeks ago because I deserved to be fought for, to be recognized. If he’s ready to take a step like that, coming out publicly even though I know it has to cost him…
Maybe there’s still a chance.
“I have to go,” I say, closing the laptop. Evie’s already packing up the boxes of food with a grin on her face.
“Thought you might say that,” she says. “Lemme just pack this one… yep, that’ll do it.” She leaves the rest bagged up on the table and stands up to hug me hard.
The downstairs buzzer goes off again. Evie pulls back, frowning.
“Do you think it’s him?” she says.
“More likely you forgot to tip the delivery guy,” I say dryly. Evie scoops up the rest of the food, carrying it into my kitchen as I buzz up the delivery guy.
“I did not forget—” she calls out, but whatever else she has to say gets lost when I spot Drew Hicks through the peephole, walking up to my door.
“Holy shit,” I breathe. Evie comes up behind me.
“Not the delivery boy, I’m guessing,” she says, shouldering me out of the way so she can look for herself. She stands up, her grin opening up to a smile.
“Right on cue,” she says, pulling me into another hug. By the time she gets the door open, her smile is gone and a vicious glare has taken its place.
“Oh. Hello,” says Drew.
“You better not fuck this up again, Hicks,” says Evie. Tall as she is, she stares Drew down eye-to-eye and leans into his personal space. She gives him a glare, effective enough to have Drew stepping back to let her pass. “Call me later, Beezy.”
A moment later, the hallway is empty and we’re alone. Drew makes no move to come inside, so I step back and wave him in.
“Got a new guard dog?” he asks.
“If that’s a bitch joke—”
“It’s not, I swear,” he says, holding up his hands in surrender. We stare at each other in silence for a long moment after I close the door behind him. He looks miserable.
“I owe you an apology,” he says, finally. “I should never have made it sound like you and Cooper didn’t stand to lose anything by us being together. I know better, especially now.”
