Page 45 of Boots & Scars

Her hair cascaded over her shoulders like liquid gold, catching what little light there was and making it shimmer. Shewore a dress that rode up her legs in the position she was, revealing a flash of pale thigh. Her face was serene, lips slightly parted as she slept, completely unaware of the chaos inside my head.

Her presence felt surreal in this room full of relics from my past—trophies, posters, and old photographs that told stories of victories and losses. Yet here she was, an anomaly among the familiar, asleep in my armchair as if she belonged there.

I blinked several times, trying to clear my vision and make sense of it all. But no matter how many times I blinked, she remained there, peaceful and real.

What had happened last night? How did she end up here? None of it made sense. But at that moment, with her so close yet so far away in her dreams, those questions could wait.

I leaned back against the pillows, closing my eyes. My head still pounded but now there was another ache—a longing I couldn’t quite place but knew had everything to do with Everly Hawthorne sleeping in my armchair.

I woke up again,my head still throbbing, but the room had stopped spinning. I blinked, trying to adjust to the light streaming through the curtains. The armchair where Everly had been was now empty. A mix of disappointment and relief washed over me. I wasn't sure which feeling was stronger.

I forced myself to sit up, gritting my teeth against the pain. The movement sent a wave of dizziness crashing over me, and I groaned, clutching my head gingerly. It felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to my skull.

Suddenly, footsteps approached my room. I looked up, and there she was, still wearing that dress from last night, her hair amessy halo around her face. She looked like she'd just woken up, but somehow, she still managed to take my breath away.

"Coop?" she asked, her voice soft and tentative.

I winced. "What'd I tell you about calling me that?" I drawled, my voice laced with pain. "Why are you here?"

She tilted her head, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. "You mean, you don't remember?" she asked.

I stared at her, trying to piece together the fragments of last night. But my mind was a hazy mess, and the harder I tried to remember, the more my head hurt.

"Remember what?" I asked, my voice rough.

She stepped into the room, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. "Last night, you called me. Twice. I don't even know how you got my number, but you stopped talking while you were on the phone with me. You were pretty out of it."

"Fuck, do you ever shut up?" I muttered.

I frowned, trying to recall what had happened. Call her?Her?

I squinted at Everly, my head still pounding. The idea of food made my stomach churn, but I couldn't deny the gnawing hunger that twisted my insides.

"I made you some breakfast," Everly said, her voice too damn chirpy for my liking. "I read up on hangovers. Did you know you dehydrate yourself by getting too drunk?"

I scoffed, immediately regretting it as pain lanced through my skull. "Of course you did," I said snidely, holding my head. "Would you get me two ibuprofen and lukewarm water?"

She frowned, concern etching lines into her pretty face. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes, instantly regretting the action as the room spun. "Darling, I know it's a great fucking idea," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Now, since you're here, make yourself useful."

Everly placed a hand on her hip, glaring at me with those big, expressive eyes. The gesture was so familiar, soher, that it caught me off guard.

"What?" I asked, trying to keep the amusement out of my voice.

"You could say please, you know," she said, her tone sharp.

And damn it all, she looked so cute standing there with that wrinkled dress and messy hair, her cheeks flushed with indignation. I couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at the corners of my lips.

"Fine," I said, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. "Please."

Everly blinked, surprise flashing across her face. She straightened, as if my words had caught her off balance.

"Okay," she said, her voice softer now. "But only after you eat. You need something in your stomach."

I stared at the empty doorway, bewildered. This had to be some kind of dream. Why was she here? Thinking about it hurt, and I almost didn't want to question it because I didn't want to push her away.

I actually liked having her around. Which was all kinds of wrong.

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