Agony(Entangled Hearts Duet #1) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,59
best friend. I need to be happy for her.
“Coop?”
I look up to find Nixon watching me. “You good?”
“No.” My voice is gritty.
He nods. “Just tell her that you love her, man. Why put yourself through all this?”
“She’s my best friend.”
“You’re a fucking idiot, Reeves.”
I don’t reply because he’s right. My fear of losing her is causing me to be miserable with the possibility that another man gets to kiss her, hold her close at night, and be the most important person in her life. “We fooled around last night,” I blurt. “Just kissing and… touching, but she wanted more, fuck me, I wanted more, but I stopped us.”
“What?” The disbelief is evident in his voice.
“I can’t lose her, Nix. She’s been by my side for every major moment in my life. Sex complicates things, and if it didn’t work out, and I lost her…” I shake my head. “I couldn’t deal with that.”
“So you let the girl you’ve been in love with for years just walk into the arms of another man?”
Pain slices through my heart. “You don’t understand.”
“You’re right. I don’t understand.” He pauses before speaking again. His voice is calm, but his words pack a punch. “What I do understand is that you’re letting the fear of losing her control you. What you don’t understand is that things are going to change, Cooper. You’re moving to who knows where, and she’s going to be here. You can’t expect her not to have a life. She’s going to move on, and things are going to change with the two of you. Regardless of whether or not you confess how you feel about her or not.”
“No. Distance won’t change the connection we have.” I say the words and will them to be the truth. Our truth.
“I know you have good intentions, but long-distance is hard. Even if it’s just friendships.”
“I don’t have any other choice. I can’t ask her to come with me. That’s not fair to her.”
“Not as your best friend, but as the woman in your life, the love of your life, there’s nothing wrong with that. Tessa is coming with me.”
“You’re engaged.”
“You could be too. There are these things called jewelry stores.”
“Fuck you.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Look at you, man. You’re a fucking mess.”
He’s right, and I don’t want Reese or hell, even Tessa to see me like this. “I need to go.”
“What? Why?”
“I can’t be here. What if she brings him home? I can’t…. I’ve gotta go. If Tessa can’t bring you home tomorrow, call me.” I stand and stalk toward the door.
“Running away isn’t going to solve the problem, Coop.”
“No, but that’s the best I’ve got right now.” With a wave, I disappear out the front door. In my Jeep, my chest heaves as if I’ve just run a marathon. I don’t like that she’s with a man I don’t know. What if he hurts her? “Fuck!” I scream, slamming my hands down on the steering wheel. “You fucked up, Reeves. That’s what you get for touching your best friend,” I say to myself. Grabbing my phone, I send her a text.
Me: Hey, you. If you need me, or a ride home, you know how to reach me.
I stare at the screen, waiting for the screen to show me that my message has been read. My eyes stay glued to the screen, and I have to keep tapping it to keep it from going into sleep mode. I can’t move from this spot until I know she’s safe, and that if she needs me, I’m there.
I’ll always be there.
I don’t know how long I sit in my Jeep, staring at my phone like it holds the answer to world peace. Finally, my message shows as read, and those three little bubbles bounce.
Reese: Thanks, Coop. Hunter is taking me home.
Hunter. Fuck. That’s the guy who was dancing with her at the party. The night we kissed. He’s had his sights set on her, and now he’s with her. He seems like an okay guy, but Reese deserves more than just okay. She deserves everything.
Me: Be safe, Reese.
Reese: Always.
That’s it. She doesn’t need me. I don’t know how I feel about that. I gave into temptation, and now she’s leaning on someone else. She doesn’t need me to pick her up because he’s with her. Someone who’s not me. Putting my Jeep in Drive, I pull out of the parking lot and point the it toward home. I’m in a daze most of the