Page 68 of Collide
“How am I supposed to make it a few days without that?”
Noah smiled into Cooper’s chest. Holy crap did he love this man.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Cooper kept busy while Noah was gone. Between work and cleaning out space for some of Noah’s things, the few days his guy was gone passed quickly. He still felt like shit that Noah had had to go to California by himself but he’d make it up to him. In as many ways he could think of.
He wasn’t embarrassed to admit he missed Noah. He’d never been surer of anything in his life than he was of Noah Jameson. It didn’t matter that he was a man or that Cooper had never planned to settle down. Noah was his and he was Noah’s, and fuck anyone who had a problem with it.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous to talk to his aunt and uncle. There was still that voice in the back of his head that made Cooper feel responsible for others, that felt the need not to let down the people he loved. And there was no doubt in his mind; that was exactly how Vernon would feel.
He wouldn’t understand it. He would see Cooper as weak and he would be let down. Because the way he’d see it, that wasn’t how he’d raised Coop. Vernon would think himself a failure, and after the way his uncle had taken him in, raised him and cared for him as best he could, Coop hated the idea of that being marred by being seen as a failure.
Which was why he’d waited until the day Noah was supposed to be home, to head to his uncle’s house. Or, maybe it was because he knew he’d need the other man when he was done.
When his cell rang, Cooper reached over and grabbed it from the passenger seat. Braden’s name lit up the screen. “What’s up, man?”
“Waitin’ on the phone number. You work your magic with your guy?”
Coop rolled his eyes. “I mentioned it to him once. What do I look like, your matchmaker? Why do you even want it so bad? You had a good time, and now it’s over, just how you’ve always liked it.”
Braden gave a humorless chuckle. “Did you see him? He’s gorgeous. And that was with his clothes on. You didn’t see—”
“—I’m thinking you should end it there.” Coop cut him off. “The last thing I want to do is hear about what went down with you and Wes.” Cooper knew it made him an ass, but he still wasn’t real fond of the man. He felt bad for his situation but he’d also wanted to fuck Noah. That was the part he had trouble getting over. “Holy shit. I still can’t believe I’m talking to you about men. What happened to my life?” Cooper laughed.
“Nothin’ wrong with exploring your sexuality. There’s beauty in both men and women.”
Even though Braden obviously couldn’t see him, Cooper nodded. “I guess…though I can’t see feeling that toward any other man, but Noah.” And he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but figured it didn’t really matter. All he knew was he did go wild when he looked at Noah and he loved the man. The rest of it was just labels.
“Look at you, you’ve turned into a romantic. So you get why I want Wes’s number, or where he lives. I’m not adverse to showing up.” Even though Braden laughed, Coop had no doubt the man was completely serious.
“So you spent one night with the guy and you’re in love with him?”
“Fuck no. I’m in lust with him. Big fucking difference. And…I don’t know. There’s something about him. Like he’s completely alone.”
The seriousness in Braden’s voice tugged on Coop’s guilt. All he wanted to do was talk to the man. What was the harm in that? And since Wes was losing his sister, maybe spending some time with Braden would do him some good. At least help him forget for a few hours.
“I don’t have his number but I’ll talk to Noah again when he gets home from California tonight. I’m pretty sure his last name is Jensen though. Not sure if that’ll help.”
“Hell yeah. That’s a start. What ya up to? Wanna go play some basketball or something?” Braden asked.
I wish. “Can’t. I’m heading out to my uncle’s. Shit, man, I’m going to tell him about Noah.” Cooper’s tires hit the gravel a little as he took a corner, but he corrected it quickly.
Braden was silent for a minute before asking, “And that won’t go well?”
“No. It won’t. Partly because he’s going to have a huge problem with his nephew being with another man, but the fact that it’s Noah, won’t help.”
“Sorry about that. You need to go out for a beer or something after, let me know. I thought you grew up with Noah. Your family doesn’t like him?”
“They did, that’s what I don’t understand. Noah was always at my house but after they left, their family was off limits for Vernon.”
Cooper’s heart dropped when the smell of smoke hit his nose. It wasn’t something he could ever forget. His eyes ran over the mile marker sign before landing on a house off the side of the road, red flames engulfing it.
Coop slammed the breaks, jerking the wheel so he didn’t miss the driveway. “House fire. Thirty-two mile marker off Old Stage Highway. Ah, fuck this thing is huge, Braden. Call it in.”
His foot slammed down on the break as he skidded to a stop. Just like every time he saw a fire, his heart became a battering ram, slamming against his ribs.
Coop rushed out of the car as a little girl ran up to him. “Help! You have to help! My big brother!”
