same.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Exactly,” Cole said softly. “Would it be so bad to bring him here if you feel that strongly about him? Not everyone is like Anders.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t think he’d do what Anders did, but he’d expect better treatment, you know.” My lips curved into a smile as I recalled Opie sitting in front of the mirror, doing his makeup for the club. “He’s high maintenance, plain and simple. I don’t blame him for that, but I just can’t be what he needs.”
“You don’t know that. He might surprise you. You know him for what? Four, five weeks? Besides, even if he is, people change. How do you think he feels now that you’re not responding to his messages?”
“Hurt, disappointed.” I gestured my hand in front of me. “He has this very expressive face, and every emotion is on full display. Desire. Fear. Happiness. Sadness. He shows it all, and I like that about him. I didn’t have to second-guess if he was happy to be with me, and no, I’m not talking about just the sex.”
He snorted. “Someone actually enjoys your personality. Just for that, I’d say give the guy a chance.”
By the time we stumbled out of the bar, I was too drunk to get into my truck and drive the long distance on the snow-covered road and then climb into my very lonely bed. A bed that didn’t have warm slender legs thrown over me while I slept.
Cole convinced me to crash with him instead of sleeping off the alcohol in my truck as I’d planned. It wasn’t the first time I’d be doing this. We stumbled along the road, arms around each other, although I couldn’t say if we were holding each other up or dragging each other down. I strongly suspected it was more the latter.
Cole’s house was nothing like mine. He’d bought a small cottage-like house in the heart of town. He had renovated it to a high standard while keeping the rustic details that gave the house a warm and cozy feeling. When I was still married, I used to come here all the time, but since Anders had left me, I’d lessened my visits. Not because I was jealous—I loved his place and what he’d done to it—but it hammered down the disparity in our lives.
Cole fumbled with the lock, then finally opened the door. I wobbled after him, almost bumping into the wall, but I stayed upright. Once I was in his guest bedroom, I sat heavily on the bed, then took my boots off, cursing enough to raise my grandfather from the dead. I’d suddenly traded my right hand for another leftie, and it took me three tries to get the offending items off.
I didn’t bother pulling off my jeans and shirt but fell back against the bed on my back and stared up at the dark ceiling. Everything was spinning.
With a groan, I rolled over, my phone poking in my hip. I dug it out of my pocket and was about to throw it onto the bedside table when my muddled brain formed an idea. If I could just hear his voice again, maybe I’d know what to do.
Before I could stop myself, I punched in Opie’s number. Right then, Cole entered the room, careening into the door.
“Who the fuck put that there?”
I laughed, but it came out as an awkward oink-snort. I was so wasted.
“Whadyouwant?”
“Move over on the bed. Let me lie with you.”
I shifted, still clutching the phone in my hand. Cole dropped heavily beside me and grunted.
“You didn’t have to get me drunk for me to hop into bed with you.” He snickered.
“I know, Cole. You’re easy.”
“Yeah, maybe too easy. I still haven’t found the right person yet, but a guy can hope.”
I stretched a hand across to nudge his shoulder but ended up hitting him in the face instead.
“Fuck, that hurts,” he grunted.
“Sorry, Cole, I meant to move slower.” I patted his face with my free hand. “There, there, does that feel better, you big baby?”
A muffled sound startled me. It took me a while to figure out it had come from my phone. My call to Opie had connected. My heart leaped with joy. There was no use pretending the emotion was something else.
“Opie,” I said into the phone.
Sniffling.
“Opie, beautiful—”
“Don’t call me that!” Was he crying? I couldn’t tell. My brain felt like it was filled with cotton. “I hate you. I hate you so much right now.”
I clamped my eyes