AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Elle,” she says with that tone I hate so much because it usually means she’s about to throw some truth my way. “We both know you’ve been Cooper’s business since junior year of college.”
“Come on!” Miles shouts in the background.
“Go. We’ll talk later.” I stand, unable to sit anymore with all this nervous energy rolling through me.
“No, Miles can wait. Want to meet up for lunch or something?”
She really is a great friend.
“No, spend the day with Miles. Just let me know when you see anything in the media. I want to be prepared for when my dad and everyone else sees it.”
“Done, and I’ll try to squash as much as I can on my end, but we’re just one publication.”
“Thanks.”
“It’ll all blow over, Elle.” Bryce covers the phone. “Miles, you act like we haven’t had sex in a week when you had me bent over the couch before you left for San Francisco,” she shouts.
“Go,” I insist.
“Love you,” she says.
“Love you back.”
We hang up, and I pace my living room, pulling up Bradley’s text message. I could call Cooper and get his side of it. Him playing protector pisses me off, especially since I’m not sure if he did it for my benefit or his. Bradley and I aren’t close to being exclusive—I haven’t even slept with the man.
I hammer out a message before I become a chickenshit.
* * *
Me: Breakfast?
Bradley: Name the time and place, and I’m there.
Me: In an hour at Gloria’s on Lincoln.
Bradley: See you then.
* * *
I set my phone on the coffee table and head into the shower, thankful this is my day off. If this fight goes public and, for some reason, my name gets mentioned, I do not want to face Dr. Murphy and his snide remarks.
The worst part is that Cooper has yet to reach out to me. I should’ve been his first call, which tells me a lot about the state of our friendship.
I miss him so much. Is this what we’re in for when one of us gets into a serious relationship? It’s going to change us, and I’m not prepared for that, as much as I guess I need to be.
Bradley’s already sitting at a table by the window when I arrive. He’s talking to the waitress when the hostess shows me over, his black eye on display. They’re talking about how the game went yesterday, and I inwardly roll my eyes. Cooper would’ve been in the back of the restaurant with a hat and sunglasses on so no one would recognize him. But I have to stop comparing every man to Cooper.
Bradley stands when I approach, waiting for me to take my seat before sitting back down. He’s always had all the right moves, but now I’m wondering if those moves clouded my judgment. Maybe they aren’t as genuine as I’d like to believe.
“Hi,” he says, lifting the coffee carafe on the table.
I flip over the cup. “Please.”
He pours me a cup, and I don’t drink from it right away, letting it cool.
“I’m assuming Cooper has called you.” He frowns.
“Actually, no, so I’m a little in the dark here.”
