AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I know you’re mad, Bea.”
“I’m not mad. I’m tired. Standing outside in the middle of the night because you two are fighting like children.”
“I just want him to stay away from you.”
“It’s not your decision to make. Go back inside to your fiancée, Rob.” I turn to go inside, and his arm darts out, grabbing mine.
“Bea, please. I fucked up. I hurt you. I know all of this with Carly is hurting you, and I hate it. I can’t fix those things, but I can stop you from getting hurt again if you’ll just listen to me. I know you see a family with him. A future with him. But if he couldn’t do it for Lizzy’s mom, there’s no way he can do it for anyone else. He loved her and couldn’t make it work. There’s a reason he’s never had a real relationship since, and I don’t want you to get hurt again. You deserve a good guy. One who treats you right. One who can make up for all the shit I fucked up. I don’t want to see you alone, Bea. I just don’t want to see you with him.”
“I can take care of myself. Focus on you and your own future, Rob. Make sure you’re making the right decisions for yourself because asking the rest of us to lie for you to your fiancée seems like a problem that should have all of your attention right now. She seems like a very sweet person, and I’d hate to watch her end up hurt too.”
“Fine. Fuck him if you have to then. But don’t fall in love with him.”
I want to laugh at the audacity of him giving me permission and telling me what not to do—particularly when it’s a thing I couldn’t help if I wanted to.
“It’s too late.”
I open the sliding door and slip back inside, pulling it shut behind me but not locking it as I watch Rob turn on his heel and walk toward the boat dock. The house is dark and quiet, and I’m hoping that means everyone else missed the show. I only discovered it when I went to find Cooper after he didn’t return with drinks.
I head to our room now and knock softly before I open the door a crack. I can’t see much in the dim light, but I can tell he’s sprawled out over the bed. His feet crossed at the end closest to me.
“Coop?” I whisper.
“Yeah.” It’s a low, flat response. My stomach takes a soft roll on the anxiety I feel swirl there.
I step inside and close the door behind me, walking toward the bed.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you really?”
“As good as I can be.”
I sit down on the edge of the bed, and it sinks a little under my weight. I reach over and touch his shoulder and look at him through the darkness. The moonlight is just enough to hit the highlights of his brow and cheeks. The man is beautiful even when he’s grumpy.
“I hope that wasn’t about me.”
“He wants you back. He’s doing the math to figure out how he can make that happen,” Cooper grouches.
“He doesn’t want me back.”
“He does. Surprised he didn’t get on his knees and beg the second I went back in the house.”
“I think he loves Carly in his own way. Maybe he has some regrets about me. But he doesn’t want me back, Cooper.”
“Do you want him back?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You sure? Because you stayed out there with him.”
“He was bleeding, and you obviously hit him. I was just trying to figure out what was going on.”
“Yeah, well he fucking deserved it. For talking shit about my daughter. He’s lucky his jaw’s still attached.”
“He’s an asshole for saying anything about Lizzy. I can’t believe he would do that. He loves her, and it’s such a low blow.”
