Agony(Entangled Hearts Duet #1) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,19
works for you? Nixon’s inches?”
“Damn straight. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“You made him wait six months.”
“He earned it, now he gets this.” She runs her hand up the side of her body. “Anytime he wants.”
“You’re terrible.”
“You ready to go home and start packing?”
I bite down on my bottom lip. “Coop asked me to stay. Said we could all grab lunch when they get home. I made him promise they would come and help us pack if we did.”
“Oh, my bestie is a genius.”
“Right? Free labor, and he has to pay for lunch.”
“So, what do we do now?” she asks. “Go back to sleep?”
“Nah, as much as I’d like to, I’m wide awake.”
“Me too. Let’s go see what they have to eat in this place.”
Together, we make our way to the kitchen and end up eating leftover pizza from last night. Nothing beats cold pizza for breakfast. We lounge around the rest of the morning. We did pick up from the get-together last night, and tossed all the trash, wiped off the counters, before settling in the living room and watching a movie.
“This is nice to come home to,” Nixon says about an hour into the movie. He bends to kiss Tessa. “Glad you stayed.”
“Thank Reese, or better yet, Cooper. It was his idea.”
“See how this could be? I could come home to you every day.” Nixon bats his eyelashes at Tessa.
“You’re relentless.”
“Just when it comes to you,” he replies.
“How was practice?” I ask Cooper when he sits on the arm of the couch next to me.
“Good. Team is tight this year. Let me grab a shower, and we can go get some food.” He squeezes my shoulder and heads toward the stairs. “Did you all pick up?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“Thank you.”
“See,” Nixon says, taking a step back from Tessa. “This could be the life.”
“Me picking up after you all the time? No, thanks.”
“Babe.” He clutches his chest. “You wound me.”
“Go, you stink. Why didn’t you guys shower after practice?”
“We were in a hurry to get home.” He blows her a kiss and rushes up the stairs.
“That’s Cooper’s influence. You know that, right?”
“He probably just felt bad that he asked me to stay and just wanted to get back sooner. That, and I’m sure he’s starving.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Reese.”
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. I know Cooper, and Tessa is wrong. Too bad my heart can’t help but wish that I wasn’t.
Chapter 7
Cooper
“How is it possible that two tiny little women managed to pack so much shit into a single dorm room?” Nixon asks.
“They have their own bathroom.”
He stares at me with a blank expression. “They use a ton of shit they don’t need, to get ready every day.”
“And the clothes,” he says, taping a box shut. “I’ve been dating Tessa for a year, and haven’t seen her wear half of this shit,” he grumbles.
“Don’t question it, man. Just roll with it.”
“I don’t understand women.” He shakes his head in utter confusion.
“You don’t have to understand them, but imagine your life without her.”
“I don’t want to. Seriously, Coop, she’s it for me.” His tone is serious, and the grin that’s pulling at his lips tells me that his revelation is not something new.
“It?” I ask him.
“Yeah. You know, the forever and ever, all the bathroom shit, and clothes she wants. Marriage and babies forever.”
“We’re starting our second year of college. We’re not even of legal drinking age yet.” I don’t know why I’m surprised. From the very first meeting, he’s been head over heels for Tessa.
He shrugs. “When you know, you know.”
“I guess so,” I say dismissively. It’s not like he’s going to propose today or anything.
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
“What’s that?”
“A girlfriend. The one person you can count on no matter what.”
“I have a best friend for that.”
He nods. “For now.”
“What do you mean for now?”
“What are you going to do when she meets someone? What happens when he gets pissed because she decided to drink and spend the night in your bed, curled up in your arms? What’s going to happen then, Cooper?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Keep telling yourself that, buddy.”
It’s hard for me to imagine a situation where Reese and I aren’t close. That’s just how it’s been and how it will continue to be with us. Our bond is tight.
The dorm room door opens, ending our conversation. “You guys are the best,” Tessa says, wrapping her arms around Nixon’s waist. He bends to kiss the top of her head.