Come fly with me, p.5
Come Fly With Me, page 5
“Uh, yeah, in a minute.” I’m not moving a muscle from where I’m standing. Right now this dresser is the only thing hiding my erection from his sight. If I turn at all he’ll get an eyeful and that is the last thing I need.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you in the living room.” He gives me a bewildered expression and then leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I let out a breath, run my fingers through my hair, and stare down at my hard on, willing it to go away. It has to go away. I don’t have time for a jerk off session and I really don’t want to be jerking off to thoughts of Cooper, anyway. He’s not supposed to take up space in my head anymore. Okay, who am I kidding? He’s taken up space in my head since the moment I met him. But he hasn’t taken up that kind of space in a long time, and damn it, I refuse to let him worm his way back in so easily. He hasn’t earned that just because he’s fucking gorgeous. He treated me like shit and as I remind myself of that, my erection subsides.
I change quickly and join my brother, his wife, and my fake boyfriend out in the living room.
“Hey, you finally made it,” Derick says.
“Perfection takes time.” I gesture at my clothes. I’m wearing a pair of fitted black gym shorts and a pink tank top with writing across the front that reads, Kinda wanna workout, kinda wanna take a nap.
Derick and Macy chuckle but it’s Cooper’s reaction that grabs my attention. He’s legit checking me out, and I feel my cheeks heat, especially when he puts his arm around my shoulders and says, “You do look cute.” Then he kisses my head. And goddamn him my stomach fills with butterflies, and I find myself wanting to nestle into his broad chest at the same time that I want to push him away. Instead I slide my arm around his waist and paste on a smile.
“Do we have sunscreen?” I ask Derick.
“Right here.” Macy holds up a bag with towels, sunscreen, and the volleyball.
“Cool, let’s go.” We make our way outside through the sliding glass doors. Cooper removes his arm from around my shoulders as we wave goodbye to my parents who are relaxing on the back patio, enjoying the sunshine and fresh sea air.
As soon as we step off the stairs and onto the ground, Cooper is taking my hand in his again, and he doesn’t let go until we’ve made our way down the beach and are standing at our destination in front of the volleyball net. It’s private property so we’re alone, save for the sea life. It’s warm, but not hot, given that it’s January in Florida. The sun is shining and the waves are crashing. Seagulls fly overhead and land every so often to pick up morsels on the sand. I kick off my sandals and let the warmth envelop my feet, digging my toes in. There’s a slight breeze that blows through my hair and I notice it doing the same to Cooper’s dark locks.
Then I watch as he squirts sunscreen on his arms and starts lathering it in, and holy hell, arm porn. His shoulder and arm muscles are rippling like nobody’s business and I can’t look away. Fuck, that’s hot. Cooper has the perfect amount of arm muscle. It’s not ridiculous, like a bodybuilder, but it’s certainly noticeable even without him flexing.
“Hey, Wes, you want a towel to wipe off some of that drool?” my brother asks, holding one out to me, and I damn near take it before I realize he’s just being a prick. I glare at him instead. I notice Cooper glancing at me, and he smiles but doesn’t say anything. Fuck, he can’t catch me perving on him.
“I might need a towel,” Macy says, and I laugh. Derick smirks at his wife, and she giggles.
Once we’re all finished with the sunscreen Macy grabs the volleyball out of the bag and tosses it in the air. “Let’s make this interesting. Losers have to cook dinner tonight for Derick and me.” She looks at me and Cooper and grins widely, then tosses the ball up again.
“Very funny,” I reply, jumping up and snatching the ball out of the air. It earns me a playful jab in the ribs from Macy, and a snide remark from my brother.
“Ooh, way to go, short stack. I didn’t know you could reach that high.”
“Hey,” I reply. “First of all, bite me, and second, we can’t all be tall. Some of us have to be attractive.”
Macy laughs and gives me a high five. Derick gives me the finger. When I turn to Cooper, he winks at me, smiling.
“No, but for real though, whoever loses cooks dinner tonight for everyone else,” Macy says. “Deal?”
“Okay,” I say, with a shrug. “But I hope you know how to make peach cobbler and Mom’s famous casserole, cuz that’s what I’m in the mood for.”
An hour later I’m showered and in the kitchen, writing down the ingredients for Mom’s casserole while I mumble about the game being rigged, and Derick and Macy stand near me, gloating.
“Happy shopping,” Macy says with a grin, holding up the keys to my car.
I grab them out of her hand and stick my tongue out at her because apparently I’m a five-year-old. She just laughs. I turn to Cooper who’s sitting on the couch, also freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a clean T-shirt. “You coming, babe?” I ask.
He glances out to the back porch where his mom is visiting with my parents.
“She’ll be fine,” Derick says. “She seems to be enjoying herself.”
Cooper watches her for a moment longer. She’d had a nap and has been visiting for a short while now. She seems content. Happy even, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, and the company. Her scarf blows in the breeze and she even laughs now and again.
“Just let me tell her where I’m going,” he says, and stands up, the rest of us exchanging glances as he heads out to the back porch. He places a kiss on his mom’s cheek, and rubs her back. He says something and she smiles, squeezing his arm, and then he’s back inside.
“Okay,” he says. “Let’s go.” He gives me a smile but I notice it’s a forced one.
“I’m sure I can manage on my own, if you’d rather stay,” I tell him. “Or I can take Derick with me.” I smile at my brother.
“No, no,” Cooper hurries to dismiss my offer. “I’m coming. Let’s go.”
I nod and grab my wallet off the counter. He does the same and we head out to the car. I’m sure to put the top down again because Cooper won’t let me not. I can’t help but chuckle a little as I do, and he smirks at me.
“There are some advantages to being short,” I say.
“I’m sure there are.” He gives me a smile. A gorgeous, knee buckling smile. Well, it would be knee buckling if I wasn’t already sitting down. Thank god I am.
“Can I ask you something?” I say once we’re on our way. I have to talk loud to be heard over the noise on the road and the sound of the wind blowing by as I drive through town. It’s a short drive to the grocery store with a few stop lights between here and there but I can’t sit in silence the whole way. It’ll drive me crazy.
“Sure,” Cooper says, a little hesitantly.
“Do you always get this nervous about leaving your mom?”
He wrings his hands together. “Probably,” he admits, looking down at his lap. “I’m all she has, you know?” His gaze meets mine for a moment before I’m watching the road again, but that’s all it takes for me to see the pain behind those big brown eyes. It cuts me. Shit. I can’t imagine what he must be going through. What he’s been going through. For years. Taking care of his mom on his own, while trying to hold down a job. God. I wish I could have been there for him. I would have been, if he had wanted me to be. I would have done anything for him.
“Not right now, you aren’t,” I say. “Let us help you this week. Take a break. What do you do when you go to work?”
Cooper scoffs. “Worry a lot. Spend a lot of time texting her to make sure she’s okay. She’s got a medical alert button if there’s an emergency. Fortunately she’s able to do most things for herself, like changing and feeding herself, and showering, but it does wear her out really fast, so she spends most of her time sleeping anyway. I used to spend a good deal of my time driving her to appointments, but...” He shrugs. “You’re right. I should let you guys help. And I do think being here is good for her. It’s just hard to break a habit, you know?”
“Can I ask you another question?”
Cooper nods.
“How is it that you are this tall and yet you suck so bad at volleyball?” I grin as he gives me the finger.
“Maybe if my partner wasn’t hobbit-sized and could actually block,” he retorts, but he’s smiling.
I pull into the parking lot of the local Publix and we climb out, making our way inside. He grabs a basket because we only need to get a few things. I can’t help ogling those delicious arm muscles again. They’re teasing me this time, just peeking out from beneath the sleeve of his T-shirt. As we add things to the basket and it gets heavier, his muscles strain more, and I’m sort of tempted to put extra things in just to watch them at work. His phone rings as we’re gathering what we need, and I can tell his mind immediately goes into panic mode as he pulls it out of his pocket, resting the basket on his forearm.
“Hello?” he says. “Oh, yeah, of course. You’re sure you’re okay? Okay. Love you, too.”
“Everything all right?” I ask once he hangs up. His breathing is a little heavy and his cheeks are flushed. I can tell he’s trying to calm himself down.
“Yeah. Sorry.” He looks sheepish, but I don’t know what he’s sorry for.
“What’s up?”
“It was my mom. She just wanted to ask if we could pick up some wine for tonight. I just, of course, assumed the worst. She’s fine, though. Really.”
“Are you?” I ask, noticing the tremor in his hands. I reach over and take the basket from him and he clenches his fist, letting out a deep breath. I find myself putting my hand on his back and rubbing circles on it, even though there’s no one around to put a show on for and I don’t need to convince anyone of anything. I just can’t stand to see him so upset.
“Yeah, I will be.” He gives me a soft smile.
“Come on. We’re almost finished. You’ll feel better once we’re back home.”
COOPER
“Okay, first things first,” Wesley says when we’ve gotten back to the beach house and I’ve checked on my mom. She’s lying down again, but told Greg and Christine that she’d like us to wake her for dinner. They are sitting outside with Derick and Macy, sipping on lemonade and ice tea while they visit. The sound of their laughter carries through the sliding glass door and warms my insides. “Preheat the oven.”
“To what?”
“375.”
I suck at cooking, but I can at least do that. I turn the oven on.
“Okay, do you think you can handle cutting up the biscuits?” Wesley asks, taking them out of the grocery bag.
“Guess we’ll find out.” I’ve never been much of a cook. My mom was always a great cook and she tried to teach me, but it just didn’t take. I find it stressful, and honestly, overwhelming. It’s difficult to keep track of everything and even when I try to follow a recipe, I find myself reading each step multiple times, and I still miss something, or get it wrong. And then there’s all the words that I have to look up because I don’t know what they mean. The kitchen is honestly my least favorite place to be, but it’s always seemed to be where Wesley comes alive. I envy that about him. I wish I enjoyed cooking because I feel like it would make life simpler, and even happier sometimes. I’ve been living off of frozen meals and take out, which means Mom has, too, and it’s not ideal. Having dinner with his family the other night was amazing. I can’t remember the last time food tasted so good. And while I don’t mind helping out in the kitchen, I’m terrified of messing up.
“Okay, I’ll do the onion,” Wesley says, and gets to work, washing his hands and pulling out a cutting board and knife.
I start smiling a moment later when I hear Wesley humming, “Better When I’m Dancin”, by Meghan Trainor. I smile even more when he starts swaying his hips to the music, and bopping his head. I hiss a second later when a stinging, sharp pain shoots through my hand.
“Shit,” I say, dropping my knife, and cupping my hand as blood drips down my palm.
“Fuck, Cooper,” Wesley says, looking over at me and realizing that I’m injured. I’m utterly embarrassed, but he just grabs my wrist and hauls me over to the sink, turning on the water. “What happened?” He looks up at me as he holds my hand under the cool stream.
“Just got distracted.” I bite my lip as Wesley grabs a clean washcloth and holds it against the cut, putting pressure on it.
“By what?” He glances up at me, then brings his attention back to my hand.
I swallow. You, I want to say. Your stinking adorable ass, and the way it moves when you dance. Your fiery spirit. Your heart. The way you let yourself go. Your stubbornness. I want to say all of that. But I can’t. I want to tell him how much I still care for him. How I’ll always care for him. The effect he still has on me, even after all these years. How unbearably beautiful he is. How hard it is to look at him and not kiss him breathless. How the kiss we shared earlier that day had been the best thing that had happened to me in a long time, as short as it was, even if it hadn’t meant a thing to him. I want to tell him how much I miss just talking and laughing with him; how desperately I wish we could go back and relive those days as teenagers, when we were so young and in love, so sure of what we wanted and how the world was going to work out. But none of that matters. Wesley doesn’t want me anymore. He hasn’t wanted me for a long time. This isn’t real. I have to remember that.
“Just stuff,” I shrug.
“Stuff,” Wesley scoffs, his tone clipped. “That’s not vague at all.”
“It’s none of your business,” I snap. Shit, I don’t mean to be a dick, but the thought of having all of these feelings for Wes again is driving me crazy, especially when I know they can’t go anywhere, and that he wants nothing to do with me; that every single touch, every look, every word of endearment from him is a lie.
“Okay, fine,” he says. Then he lets out a sigh. “Look, keep applying pressure and I’ll be right back. He hurries off and returns a moment later. He pats my hand dry, applies some antibiotic ointment, and then a bandaid.
“Thanks,” I say, not meeting his gaze.
“You okay to keep going?” he asks.
“Yeah, I think so.” I hold my hand gingerly for a second. It stings a little still but it’s not bad. “I guess we found out if I’m capable of cutting up biscuits or not,” I add, in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Wesley gives a small smile. “I can finish them if you want.”
“No, I can manage.” As long as I keep my eyes and my mind on my work, and not on you, and that perky little ass of yours. I never said I was perfect though, so I do give it one last glance before I pick up my knife again.
CHAPTER 6
WESLEY
“Well, that was delicious, boys,” Natalie says, wiping her face off on her napkin and smiling at Cooper and me as we sit around the dinner table that evening. It’s a beautiful night so we decided to eat outside on the patio. The stars are twinkling overhead and there is a light breeze.
“Yes, you should lose at volleyball more often,” Dad adds.
“Plenty more opportunities,” Macy says, grinning.
“Yes, but I only have one hand left.” Cooper holds up his injured hand. Natalie takes it into hers gently and places a kiss on it.
“My poor baby,” she says.
My mom smiles. “You three rest,” she gestures to Cooper, Natalie, and I. “The rest of us will clean up.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say. Making dinner wasn’t bad, but I am worn out. It’s been a long day, emotionally and physically, and I’m still thinking about how awkward it will be to crawl into bed with Cooper tonight, and it’s making my stomach twist. Part of me wants to curl up next to him and let him envelop me. I haven’t felt that warmth and safety in a long time. But another part wants to be as far away from him as possible.
I get up and make my way to the bathroom, trying to clear my head, but also because I have to piss. I take my time, and when I get out the dishes have been cleared and everyone is gathered back on the patio. Mom and Dad are on the love seat and Derick and Macy have taken the couch, leaving Natalie with the chair, and of course, the bed swing for Cooper and I. But fuck it, I’m exhausted, so it’s looking pretty amazing right now. I go over and lie down. A second later Cooper is crawling up behind me and draping his big arm over me. I can feel his warm breath on my neck and his body pressed against mine, and I shiver.
“You cold?” he asks, rubbing my arm.
“No,” I say. I breathe in the scent of his musky body wash. His voice and lips are so close to my ear it’s giving me goosebumps and my cock is twitching again. Goddamn it. I really have to give my dick a talking to. I can’t be dealing with this all week.
Cooper keeps stroking my arm gently, his body pressed close to mine, and before I know it, I’m drifting to sleep.
It’s the sound of our mothers’ low conversation that wakes me. I don’t know how much time has passed but I let my eyes crack open enough to notice that everyone else has gone inside, save for Cooper who still has his arm snugly around me. I let my eyes fall shut again as Natalie speaks. I don’t want her or my mom to know I’m awake.
“It warms my heart to see them together again,” she says. “I was never really sure what happened, but I know it was hard on Cooper when they broke up. He just told me that it was the right thing to do, and that was all I could ever get out of him. But he just wasn’t the same after that. I know what they meant to each other, as friends and as boyfriends, and I couldn’t imagine two people more suited for each other. I mean, I know no relationship is easy, or perfect, and I don’t believe in soul mates, but they were just good for each other, you know? Even as teenagers.”
My heart clenches in my chest and I almost can’t breathe. I swallow. What is she talking about? It was hard on Cooper? It didn’t seem hard on Cooper to me. He just told me we were done and that was it. It gutted me. I thought we were good for each other, too. I thought we were going to be together forever.
