Page 49 of Hating On Riot

“How come you understood him so quickly? Did you use your love language of physical touch on him, and did he turn you down?”

I expected him to get all fired up, but he’s too calm, which isn’t good either. “I didn’t use it on him. I got the vibe early on that he wasn’t into physical touch. Riley is like that. She’s also an acts-of-service person. She has an extra key to my car in case Coop’s away with his team and I lock my keys in my car. One time, she left a full grocery bag of snacks.” I shrug. “The only person she lets touch her that I’ve seen is Syn.”

“What about Midnight?”

I scrunch my forehead. “Are they back on again? The last I heard, she broke things off with him after he crushed an older dude’s Corvette with his lifted pickup truck for telling her she made shit for coffee and should quit her job as a barista.”

Like she could. Her absentee mother owns the bookstore, which was also a coffee shop, and Riley feels obligated to keep it running, even though the business is hanging by a thread.

I answer his question about Riley and Midnight. “She doesn’t do it when I’m around them, and if he tries, she runs in the other direction or puts something between them.”

He reaches up and tucks my hair back behind my ear. “Hearing that makes me grateful your love language is physical touch.” He shakes his head. “That poor bastard.”

“Their love life isn’t any of our business.”

“Nope.” He pops the P. “But Cooper’s is. I mean, we are technically in a love triangle for fuck’s sake.”

I nod with a smile. “True that.”

Riot chuckles. “You’re getting good with the bro talk, babe.”

I beam. “Thank you.” Were I standing, I’d be rocking on my heels, hands clasped behind me, and a cheesy smile on my face. “Back to Cooper and Hope.”

“Yep. Back to the doomed couple.” He moves into a sitting position and taps my knee. I cross my legs. He crosses his too and scoots close enough that our knees knock like old times. I give him a shy smile. He smirks. “Go on. Finish telling me about him.”

“You won’t get angry that I’m telling you about a guy I spent four years with?”

He grasps my chin and pulls me to him until I’m staring into green eyes that live in my nightmares and my dreams. “Nah. I’m grateful you’re a kind person with a big heart who cares for one of her friends so much that you’re pretending to be his fake girlfriend to make the girl he has a hard-on for jealous. Coop either moves forward without her or makes the move that will give him his happily-ever-after or a happy-for-now.”

My eyes must be wide. My mouth would be open if he didn’t have a firm grip on my chin.

“How do you know about that kind of stuff?” I sputter, waving my hand.

His fingers fall from my chin. “Sneaking in a read of my mom’s romance books.”

I roll my eyes. “You surprise me every day, Riot.”

“And I plan on keeping the surprises coming for the rest of our lives, if you’ll give me the chance, Arie Kim.”

His words . . . My heart races. My mouth goes dry. Isn’t that what I’ve wanted since he stole a kiss from me under the bleachers? For us to be together forever?

“I’ll consider it,” I say, earning a wide smile from him. “But first, let’s give Coop his romantic ending.”

Because in romance, happily-ever-after and happy-for-now are a must.

19

Arie

“He’d slipped up about this secret when we did one too many shots on his twenty-first birthday.” I’m not sorry at all for talking about Coop behind his back.

Riot and I are working toward a common goal, so of course I have to share.

Concern flashes across Riot’s face. I pat his knee. “Don’t worry. I didn’t drink. We both know I’m a lightweight.”

His expression relaxes.

“He said the girl he couldn’t let go of was a blonde who talked a lot and was pushy, but he liked that about her.”