Bliss by Kaylee Ryan Page 0,18

stay here until she comes home from Mexico, and then take it day by day. I love her.” I look him in the eye when I say this. “I love her, and I’m going to fight for her. I’ve pushed her away for years.” I gloss over the hottest night of my life in college, that was up until our night together in the hotel. “I’m going to show her what she means to me.”

“You sound determined,” he observes.

“I am.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have your work cut out for you,” Eve chimes in. “She’s loved you for years, Cooper. She was sure there would never be anything between the two of you. I don’t know what happened to make her think that. Give her some time, and please don’t give up on her.”

“Never.” The conviction in my voice is unmistakable.

We spend the next hour catching up on life. Garrett and I talk about my first year of playing in the league, and Eve asks about living in Indy. I’ve missed them. They were such a huge part of my life growing up. It’s been nice to catch up. I just wish Reese could have been here too.

“I should get back.” I stand. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I never meant for it to turn out this way, but I’m glad that it did. Watching her walk down the aisle to him… it broke me. I never want to feel that way again.” They don’t say anything, and they don’t need to. I said what I needed to say. The looks on their faces tell me more than words can.

They’re rooting for us.

Walking back to my parents’ place, I feel as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Our families know where I stand. Now I have to decide which course of action to take. How am I going to prove to her that she’s all I want?

Making my way into the house, I find it’s quiet. Mom left a note on the counter telling me that there are leftovers in the fridge and that she and Dad ran to the hardware store. Grabbing the plate from the fridge, I pop it in the microwave and pull my phone out of my pocket. There is a two-hour time difference in Mexico, which means that Reese and Tessa were on the beach bright and early this morning. She’s always loved the ocean. I wish I could be there with her. I decide to send her a text.

Me: Hey. Just had a visit with your parents. I told them you calling the wedding off was my fault.

Her reply is immediate.

Reese: It wasn’t your fault, Cooper. I just realized I wanted something different.

Me: Does that something rhyme with Trooper?

Reese: You’re impossible.

She follows her message with a line of laughing emojis. It’s not a confession of love, but it’s not a denial of one either.

Me: Enjoy Mexico. Stay safe.

I follow it up with some hearts. My emoji game is on point.

Reese: Damn it. Cooper, please don’t come here. I need some time.

Her words sting a little, because all I want to do is be with her. All the time. However, I know she needs this time to work out what’s going on in her head. Just like her mom said, Reese is a thinker, and a lot has happened in a very short amount of time.

Me: I won’t. Not unless you need me. I love you, Reese.

Reese: Thank you.

The microwave dings, and I pull out my plate of food, taking it to the living room. I turn the television to the sports network that’s talking about the upcoming draft. I get lost in the sport I love, all the while still thinking about Reese and the possibilities of our future.

Chapter 6

Reese

I’m on my flight back to Ohio. Tessa and I said our goodbyes at the airport as she’s flying home to Louisiana. I already miss her.

I’m so grateful she was able to come with me this week. It was nice to just catch up and talk about her wedding, while trying to forget about mine. There’s a churning in my gut for what I did. How I acted. I was unsure after hearing Cooper’s confession. However, if I’m honest, the doubts were there long before Cooper ever confessed he loved me. I just didn’t know how to handle it. I’d let it go too far. Hunter is a great guy. He didn’t deserve to be treated that way. I should have