Page 70 of Enticed

“He called me babe because we’re fucking, Liv. That’s right. I’ve been banging your brother behind your back. And it’s been great. But it’s just sex, because that’s all it could ever be for me, right?” I cast my eyes in Amy’s direction just as her mouth drops open.

“Clara,” Cooper reaches for me from behind, but I shrug off his hand from my shoulder and step away from him and closer to Liv, never turning my head to look back at him because I know if I do, I’ll crack.

“I’m sorry I lied to you, but I knew how you felt about the two of us. Doesn’t matter now I guess because it’s over. I’m leaving,” I declare and then side-step my friends and run across the deck to go back into the house.

“Clara!” Cooper shouts from behind me, but I can’t turn around and see his face—how distraught he must be with how I just handled that moment.

And I can’t bear the thought of facing my friends after my outburst as well. So many emotions are coursing through me, I’m finding it hard to breathe. This is not how this was supposed to go—the plan for that conversation was so far removed from what actually happened that I almost feel like it wasn’t real because I don’t want to believe it.

I may have just ruined everything and I want to blame everyone else.

But the blame truly lies only with me.

Once inside, I fumble around the couches in the living room, searching for my purse. I need to get out of here, away from the explosion I just caused. I need to run—the flight response overpowering the fight.

“Liv, did your water break?” I hear Perry say outside from the open kitchen window, whose presence has effectively ruined tonight—damn open screens for people to hear through.

“No, I think I might have just peed myself—as if anything else can go wrong right now,” she says as her voice gets closer and my head turns toward their conversation.

“No, I think that’s your water, hun,” Perry adds and then she calls for Kane.

“Well, I have been having contractions for a few hours now, but I figured they were just Braxton Hicks… oh, wait! There’s another one,” she cringes as her face comes into view through the sliding glass door.

“Babe, what’s going on?” Kane arrives, rushing to Olivia’s side as she hunches over.

“I think I might be in labor. We need to go,” she says as they make their way into the house and walk right past me.

“Do you have your hospital bag in the car with you?” Perry asks while trailing behind me, shooting me a sympathetic gaze.

Olivia nods and then shoots me a look too that I can’t quite decipher, but the moment is so quick, it doesn’t leave me time to dwell.

I can imagine she’s hurt and pissed, but there was something else there behind her eyes besides pain or anger—something that looked like disappointment.

Kane walks her out the front door just as I hear the loud boom of fireworks above us. My head twists to the backyard, but Cooper is standing in the open sliding door, staring at me.

“Cooper, look…” I start to speak but he cuts me off.

“No. I don’t want to hear it, Clara. I’m fucking done.” He walks inside, throwing his hands in the air and gliding right past me, grabbing his keys from the entry table.

“What do you mean?”

His head snaps in my direction so fast, I swear I’m hit by the whiplash. “You had the opportunity right there to say what you needed to say… and you said THAT!” He shouts, pointing in the direction of where everything went down outside, then shaking his head and walking past me.

“Cooper, I’m sorry. Look, something happened…” I try to explain, but Cooper isn’t having it.

“I don’t give a fuck! You’re sorry? I’m in LOVE with you!” He throws his hands in the air higher this time, pulling at his hair in frustration. “I wanted to tell everyone weeks ago that you are the woman I want, but I didn’t—because I knew you weren’t ready. And shit, I finally thought you were—but you just proved me fucking wrong! I can’t be near you right now…” The rage coming off of his body hits me as he walks out the door and slams it shut.

I stand there, trembling from nerves and the realization that I just ruined everything in one moment of insecurity.

He loves me?

Fuck. What did I just do?

Chapter 25

Cooper

“Care to talk about what happened?” My dad leans over in his chair in the waiting room of the hospital and speaks just loud enough so I can hear.

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