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“Hey,” Coop said. “I brought you coffee.” He held out the cup, and he was by himself. “Archie’s on the phone with Jeremy, he hasn’t left.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Want a hand?”
“Need to move the TV.”
“We can do that,” he said, but his expression was guarded. “Are you okay?”
“I’m undecided,” I admitted. “Ian’s upset, but I think he’s trying not to be.”
“Jake will talk to him,” Coop said. “I can call him later, too.”
Sipping the coffee, I turned those words over in my head. “Coop, should I have said no to dating all of you?”
He grimaced.
“No,” Archie said from the doorway. “You shouldn’t have said no. There’s nothing wrong with dating all of us.”
Just like last week when Jake reminded me we had done nothing wrong. I was dating all of them. Except… “I don’t think I’m really dating Ian, anymore.”
“Give him time,” Archie said. “It’s been a tense few days, and he’s thinking long game. He wants to protect you. That’s not a guy who doesn’t want to see you.”
“Except he’s right.”
Coop sighed.
“Sooner or later I have to choose, right?”
Arms folded, Archie leaned against the doorframe. “I’m not asking you to choose. Are you?” He looked at Coop.
“No,” Coop said slowly. “But to be fair—we’ve all kind of been slicing up your time because we’re all a little greedy and want more with you. Maybe that’s not fair toyou.”
“Shit,” Archie said. “Really? That’s the route you’re going?”
“I’m calling it like I see it,” Coop retorted. “Frankie’s got a lot on her plate, and we’re making it more difficult. Ian sees that, and I get where he’s coming from.”
“So you want to back off, too?” Suddenly the coffee tasted like ash.
“Back off might be too big a description, but…make it easier for you? Yeah. I’m always going to be here for you, but I think making sure you aren’t getting nailed from all directions is more important than scratching some itch we all have.”
Scratching an itch?
He grimaced. “Hearing that out loud makes it sound a lot worse than it is. Really—just don’t feel like we need rush, how is that?”
From his position in the door, Archie’s expression was a cross between pained and irritated. “I think it sounds like a bunch of crap.”
“Not helpful,” Coop told him, and I sighed. “Hey, look, it’s Saturday morning and you’ve barely had coffee. We don’t have to make these kinds of decisions. Archie and I will get the TV back in the living room, and then you can start getting ready for work. If you want, I’ll go make waffles. I still remember where the waffle iron is.”
I didn’t want to make anyone do something they didn’t want to do. Maybe I should be focusing on other things.
“For what it’s worth, I think they’re both idiots, and I’m not going any-fucking-where.” Archie’s staunch declaration made me smile a little.
“And you call me dramatic,” Coop feigned fanning himself. “I do declare…”
And I laughed.
When Coop winked at me, the smile I had this time was real.
