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I was about to light into him about "how he rolled" when I heard a deep, angry voice behind us, rushing up the stairs, "You're about to see how someone bigger and scarier rolls motherfucker," and there was Cooper in an explosion of fists as Marcus crumbled down into the seat by my front door.
"Cooper!" I cried out, but Cooper wasn't done.
He fisted Marcus's tie and brought him up so they were nose to nose. "If you ever come near her or speak to her that way again, you're going to get much worse than a broken nose. Do you understand me?"
"Cooper," I tried to break through to him, but he was incapable of hearing me. He was singularly focused on the arrogant man with a bloody nose, staring up at him in fear. "Stop, please, this isn’t necessary."
He let go of Marcus long enough to turn to me in angered surprise. "What do you mean, this isn't necessary? I heard him threatening you, Haley."
Marcus was already on the move, putting much-needed space between him and Cooper. "I wasn't threatening her, you dumb oaf. I was merely laying out the consequences of her actions. It's the least I could do after everything she's pulled. And you can expect to hear from my lawyers for medical expenses," hespewed out with vitriol as he held his nose, backing down the steps.
"Then you can expect to hear from my lawyer about harassment and trespassing," Cooper said.
That's when Marcus stopped and looked between the two of us. "So this is why you don't want to come back. You found yourself a little surfer fuck boy, huh? Well, I hope you're happy Haley, and I hope you’ll be particularly happy when I sue you both. You," he said, pointing a finger at Cooper, "for assault, and you," he said, pointing a finger at me, "for alienation of affection. I'll see you in court."
I would've laughed if I wasn't so upset with Cooper.
As soon as Marcus was out of sight, I wheeled on Cooper. "What the hell was that?"
Cooper looked shocked. "What do you mean? He was threatening you—and he was close enough to put his hands on you."
"He wouldn't have done that. He's an idiot, but he's smart enough not to get assault charges on him."
"Are you seriously upset with me for defending you?" Cooper asked in disbelief.
He looked so earnest and hurt and angry that I couldn't take it anymore. I turned around and stomped into the house with him hot on my heels. "Haley, answer me," he insisted.
"Yes, I'm upset with you. I don't need to be defended. I'm a big girl. I can handle these things myself."
He let out a frustrated growl. "I never said you couldn't," he insisted, and I thought for a moment he was going to stomp his foot. "But dammit, Haley, you can let people help you every once in a while. You don't have to do everything all by yourself."
"I know that Cooper, but Marcus is my problem, not yours," I said, squaring up to him, needing him to understand I didn'tneed him coming in like a white knight trying to fix all my problems.
But Cooper’s stubborn ass wasn't getting it. "I cannot believe you're actually more upset with me than that douchebag."
"That’s because I expect more from you than I do from him, because he is, after all, a douchebag."
"I don't understand what you want from me. I only did what any man would do for someone he loves. Did you want me to just run away?" he spit out, looking at me with wide eyes. We both stopped and straightened. Cooper's mouth snapped shut, his jaw clenching.
His words warred inside me as I looked him dead in the eye and said, "You have no idea what I've had to sacrifice for the people I love and it's clear to me now that you never will... get out."
His jaw unclenched, his face registering surprise. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, I think it's pretty obvious I'm not in a kidding mood. Get. Out."
He shook his head, then turned on his heel and stormed out of the house, the screen door slamming behind him with a finality that made my heart ache.
I found my way to the couch on shaky legs and then plopped down, waiting for the tears to come, but they never came.
As I sat there, I couldn't help but notice the room was almost exactly mirroring what I was feeling, because with each passing second, the room grew darker and darker.
It took me entirely too long to realize that the sky had turned a dangerous shade of green in the time it took to have it out with Marcus and then Cooper. The sunny, peaceful morning I enjoyed earlier was now a gloomy afternoon, and the wind had picked up.
I peeked out the back window and some of the neighbor's kids' toys left in the yard were now flying through the air. "What the..."
There was a storm coming, and it wasn't just the one in my heart.
Cooper
