AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was afraid her mask would slip again and took an extra heartbeat to get her shit together. She couldn’t do this. Didn’t want to do this. But it was the only way she knew she’d survive.
Retreat. The word screamed inside her head.
She moved past him, sidestepped when he would have grabbed her arm, and headed for the stairs. She heard Cooper swear, and Hank stepped up, blocking him from following Morgan.
She took the first step but paused before fleeing to the sanctuary of her room, searching for the right words to convey what was inside her. He’d lied to her from the beginning. About everything. And now her past, her pain, and her guilt, was there for everyone to see.
“Morgan, let me explain.” Cooper took another step toward her.
“Was I just a muse to you? Inspiration for that book you’ve been working on? Did you use my pain for your art? Is that all I was?”
“No.” The word tore out of him. She almost believed him.
“How can I believe that? You’ve shared nothing with me, and yet you know everything about my life.” She laughed bitterly. “And now the whole world knows. They know about us, my mother. My scars. I tried to hide for so long.” Anger washed over her, pressing hard. So hard she could barely get the words out. “You pulled me out into the open. You made me want to live again and be normal, and, God, you made me feel beautiful again.”
She would not cry. Not in front of him.
“Morgan, plea
se let me explain. I need to explain.”
“I’m sure you do.” She looked back one last time. “But you waited too long.”
He took a step forward, but Hank moved, his large frame blocking the way. “I think you should go.”
Morgan grabbed the railing and, with every ounce of strength she had left, took the stairs in a methodical, controlled manner. She reached her bedroom and closed the door. Drew the blinds. Tried like hell to un-see the images from the report. To un-feel the overwhelming emotions inside her. But the images were there. Burned into her mind so deeply, it left her numb. The pain in her chest cut deep, and with a gasp, Morgan fell onto her bed.
She grabbed her pillow and stared at the wall until hours later she fell into an exhausted sleep. And all the while, a storm gathered out front.
31
The media shit storm hit, and it hit hard. By the time Cooper returned to his place on the ocean, news crews were parked along the road waiting. The flashes of lights as he drove past nearly blinded him, and the slow-burning anger inside festered until it broke open like the waves that beat against the Atlantic coast.
He walked into his silent home, and everywhere he looked reminded him of Morgan. Smiling as she rested her chin on the island and watched him prepare something for dinner. Laughing at some stupid joke he told, or whimpering in pleasure at the touch of his hand.
He couldn’t take it and climbed the stairs to the attic, where he lost it. He roared his anger, swinging at the bag he’d installed only days earlier. He let fly punch after punch, until his hands were bloody and his body covered in sweat.
Still it did no good. The image of Morgan, her beautiful pale eyes filled with pain—pain that he’d caused—was something he’d never forget. Just the thought had him swinging his fist again, and he swore savagely when he felt something give. Didn’t care. Hell, he deserved pain.
“You about done?”
Sides heaving, Cooper spied Maverick standing on the top step, his face filled with concern. He scowled and pushed off from the bag. “Not even close.”
Maverick strode across the loft and stood a few paces away. “It’s getting bad out there.”
Cooper walked past his brother toward the window and glanced down at the circus-like gathering.
“It’s going to get crazy.”
“Yep.” Maverick joined him.
“I can’t stay. It will only make things worse.”
“That’s probably true too, but…”
He looked at Maverick. He knew where his brother was going. “She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me, and I don’t blame her one damn bit. I blew it.”
Maverick looked grim. “You didn’t tell her about your past or the Lee Holloway thing, and she was blindsided.” It wasn’t a question, and Cooper didn’t bother to answer. “Do you love her?”
