ear. “You’re getting married today,” she sing-songs.
“Tess.” My voice cracks.
“Oh, Reese. I’m almost there. I was on my way to drive you to breakfast. Give me five minutes.”
“O-Okay.” I end the call. After throwing the covers off, I go to unlock the front door. Tessa still has a key from when she lived here with me, but I don’t know if she carries it. Curling up on the couch, I let the tears fall. I don’t bother trying to wipe them away; they’re falling too fast for me to make a difference.
“I’m here,” Tess says a few minutes later. She drops her purse and keys to the floor and comes to sit with me on the couch. “What’s going on?”
Knowing that if I speak, I’ll sound like a blubbering fool, I pull up his message and hand her my phone. I close my eyes, not wanting to see her reaction when she reads it.
“He told you,” she says softly.
Her words have my eyes popping open as my mouth falls open, and I gape at her. “What do you mean, he told me?” I wipe at my cheeks with the backs of my hands.
“Last night, we found him sitting in his Jeep in the parking lot. He was a mess, Reese. He blurted out that he loved you. Not that that’s news.” She shrugs.
“What? Of course it’s news.” How could she think it’s not?
“No, really, it’s not. Anyone who knows the two of you can see it. I’ve seen it for years. I stopped mentioning it because you didn’t believe it or were in denial or whatever. Nix has actually called Cooper out on it a few times over the years.”
“You didn’t think you should have told me?”
“Why? You were finally moving on with your life. I didn’t want to see you miserable, waiting around on him forever.”
“So, now, here I am.” I laugh humorlessly. “The day of my wedding and I’ve not slept in over twenty-four hours, and all I can think about is the look on his face last night. The pain in his eyes when I told him to leave.”
“Why did you tell him to leave?”
“How can you even ask me that? Why are you asking me that?” Am I suddenly living in some kind of alternate universe?
“Just answer me honestly. Why did you ask him to leave, Reese?”
“Because I couldn’t listen to him any longer. He wants what he can’t have. He’s always been protective of me. He will never think that anyone is good enough for me. So he’s using the one thing he knows will get to me. Telling me that he loves me.”
“I think you’re wrong. In fact, I know you are.”
“How? How could you possibly know that?”
“I know because I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I know because anytime we see him or talk to him, all he wants to talk about is you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were happy, Reese. At least I thought you were. These tears are telling me another version of the story.”
“I am happy. Hunter is great.”
“But?”
“No.” I shake my head. “No buts. Cooper had his chance, and he rejected it. Rejected me.”
“Did you ask him why?”
“He said he didn’t want to lose me, but now he’s lost me anyway, or something like that. I don’t know. It’s all starting to run together in one giant loop in my mind. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I’m sure my eyes are red and swollen, and I have to get married in a few hours.”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“What?”
She gives me a sad smile. “You said that you have to get married. You should want to get married because you can’t imagine your life without him, not because you feel like it’s the right thing or the next step.”
“I love Hunter.”
She nods. “I’m not saying that you don’t love him. Do me a favor. Close your eyes.”
“I don’t have time to play games, Tessa. My life is falling apart here.”
“Trust me, Reese. Just close your eyes.”
“Fine.” I do as she asks and close my eyes.
“Now, I don’t want you to say a word. I don’t want to know what you see unless you want to tell me. I’m going to ask you a few questions, and you need to let your heart give you the answers. Not your head. Got it.”
“This is crazy.”
“Maybe, but humor me anyway.”
“Okay. My eyes are closed,” I say, even though I know that she can see me.
“Think about your wedding