The kitchen door swings open quietly as Aubs leads her and Coop back into the living room.
Aubrey stands behind the couch and clears her throat. “Cooper has something he would like to say.” The red in her cheeks and the way she eyes him as she says that tells me that she had a few choice words for him in the kitchen.
“Wyatt and Sophia, I’m very sorry for my reaction. Obviously, your safety is what is most important to us.” He looks specifically at Sophia, waiting until her eyes meet his. “Sophia, I understand you are a grown adult and can make your own choices, and I let my emotions get the best of me. Wyatt is one of the best men I know. He’s lucky to have you, and you to have him. I promise that I will not stand in the way anymore.”
Yup, definitely all Aubs.
Cooper looks at Aubrey and shrugs his shoulders.
“Thank you, Cooper, but I think you and Wyatt need to have a separate conversation.” Sophia stands tall with her shoulders squared, defending me.
“Well, everybody, I think it’s time to go eat. Roman brought lobster rolls and fries. Everything is set up in the kitchen,” Mom announces.
Everybody follows her into the kitchen, leaving Cooper and I alone in the living room.
As plates clang and voices rise just beyond the door, Cooper starts. “Wyatt, I’m really sorry. I should’ve come to you first before attacking you and thinking the worst. I thought she was just another conquest.”
Cooper fidgets with his hands and looks down at his feet, and I can’t let him suffer anymore.
“It’s partially my fault. I let everybody believe the worst about me, and when you did come to me, I didn’t tell you otherwise. It’s always been easier to be the playboy after everything that happened with Melissa. If everybody thought I was just a dumb player, nobody expected me to do, or be, anything better. And afterthatwhole failure, let’s just be honest, I didn’t want another one under my belt.”
This time I’m the one fidgeting, admitting my own part in why he believed what he did.
“So, are we good?”
“Yeah, brother, we’re good.” I pull him in for a hug, and he slaps my back.
“Good because I’m starving, and… lobster rolls. Plus, I don’t want Hunter and Liam to eat everything.”
The weight of carrying these secrets finally lifts from my shoulders now that we’ve told my family what’s going on and I’ve cleared the air with Coop.
If only I can stay alive long enough to continue the relationship.
Today I feel like a little kid, despite the situation. I get to have a sleepover with my best friend. Even if it means that her fiancé is sitting in my driveway, keeping an eye out for my insane ex—or worse, my father.
Giving Athena her commands, she sits in place and waits for me to open the door and welcome the guest in. Her tail whips back and forth across the floor. If I had to guess, Aubrey is about to get a face full of her tongue in puppy kisses.
“Hey!” I say, opening the door to find Aubrey on the other side with her way-too-large overnight bag. “What the heck did you bring?”
I give Athena the hand signal to come greet our guest. She does exactly what I thought she would and sits at Aubrey’s feet and kisses her hand until Aubs bends down to give love to her.
“Oh my gosh. Too much. I didn’t know if it would be hot or cold in your bed. I mean when Wyatt is here, I assume hot… Ew, wait… Are the sheets clean?”
“Freshly laundered this morning.” I nod.
“Okay, good. I brought all the ingredients for hot fudge sundaes.” She empties the bag out onto the counter. “And new smutty books for us to read together. And face masks. And your favorite red nail polish for manis and pedis.”
“Aubs. You didn’t have to bring all this stuff over.” I pick up the bottle of nail polish and, sure enough, it’sRing the Alarm, my favorite fire-engine red.
She busies herself in the kitchen, putting the sundae supplies away. “Of course I did. Not only is this the first sleepover we’re getting in Maine, but it’s kid freeandthe stress levels are high. So all the pampering is needed.”
She hugs me and hands me the book she brought while Athena sniffs at our hands and the book.
“Are we reading first? I’ve been strictly instructed that we donotgo out on the patio in the hammocks. Or to the beach.” I roll my eyes.
“Probably the smart choice when there’s two assholes out there who want you and our man dead. Which by the way, he just dropped it on his family that he loves you and you love him, and you didn’t even give your bestie any of the details?” She crosses her arms and taps a foot, showing her annoyance with me.
“I’m sorry. I got kind of… preoccupied for a minute.”
