Page 90 of Rejected Heart

Despite his surprise at my response, Cooper wasn’t deterred. “No? Well, let me tell you why I think you’re wrong, and it does concern me.”

I licked my lips, my eyes momentarily darting to the little girl in Cooper’s arms. She was utterly adorable and entirely oblivious to the turmoil I was experiencing.

When Cooper started speaking again, I shifted my attention back to him. “I’ve spent eight years watching my brother disappear. The guy you might remember him being is gone. He’s still around in the physical sense, and he puts forth tremendous effort to celebrate the big moments in the lives of his family members, of the people he loves, but he’s a shell of himself.”

My hand flew to my twisting stomach. Why was he telling me this? Surely, if he was here now, Liam had to have told him about what happened between us, about what I’d shared. Was Cooper trying to make me feel worse than I already did?

“A few weeks ago, my brother came to me and asked for me to cover for him at work, because he believed he was getting a shot at a second chance with you. He was going to do whatever it took to grab hold of that opportunity and make every effort to ensure things didn’t go south. I remember him coming back to work not long after and seeing an immeasurable change in him. For the first time in eight years, there was a spark there. Hope. And I thought it was possible he was finally goingto get the one thing that’s mattered most to him. I don’t know what happened that night when you two got together, but whatever it was, it destroyed him worse than it did the day you rejected his proposal. So, I can only assume that you really don’t know what it is that you’re giving up?”

Cooper’s words hit me like a blow to the face.

He believed he was getting a second chance.

It destroyed him.

My throat became thick with emotion, and I had to try repeatedly to swallow past the tightness in order to speak. “I’m aware what being married to a Westwood would mean for me.”

His eyes narrowed. “That you said a Westwood and not Liam tells me you don’t have a clue.”

“Excuse me?” Maybe I’d been right to feel intimidated by Cooper.

“That man woulddiefor you,” he declared. “Some might say he already did. Because he’s not the same. He hasn’t been since you left. When I asked you if you understood what you were giving up, I wanted to know if you realized just how far Liam would go to make you happy. He loves you. Liam loves you in a way I know he’ll never feel whole again without you.”

My heart was officially broken. Had I hurt Liam so badly that this was how the people closest to him now saw him?

Cooper could say whatever he wanted. I didn’t doubt that some, likely most, of it was true, but he didn’t know everything. He’d said as much himself.

“You’re wrong.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“I’m not wrong, Layla. Trust me, I know what has been staring me in the face for years.”

“And I know what happened when I finally told him the truth,” I retorted. “It was your brother who decided to take me home that night and never speak to me again. I told him about the mistake I made, about how sorry I was for doing what I’d done, and it was Liam who gave up the fight. We sat together in silence for a long time before he took me home and never came back. I don’t doubt that Liam loves me, but I don’t think he loves me the way you believe.”

Cooper shook his head. “No. No, you must have said something that made him think there was no reason for him to try. Trust me. He wouldn’t have just given up. Liam hasn’t been very talkative ever since you left, but there’s one thing he’s championed, particularly in recent years. Wyatt and I got lucky enough to not get caught up in too much turmoil when we each found the woman we’re now married to. Tate wasn’t so lucky, and when he was making a foolish decision about how to handle things with Ava, Liam stepped in. It killed him to watch what was happening, knowing he didn’t have the same chance with you. Tate had the opportunity to make things right with Ava, and it was Liam who nearly broke because of what our brother was doing. I’m telling you, there’s got to be something you said to make Liam think there was no chance for the two of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re looking for me to say, Cooper. I told Liam the truth. I apologized for my mistake.”

My mind drifted back to that day. Liam had been eager to get all the answers from me. He pushed hard for them. But once he had them, he sort of gave up.

His response to everything I’d told him left me feeling confused and saddened. Obviously, I didn’t believe he’d have no issues with anything I’d confessed. But I thought that once he heard the truth from me, he’d at least want to keep some connection. If he had no intention of doing that, why had he pushed so hard to talk to me that day? Was it really only just about getting the truth?

“Do you really love him?”

“I already told you I did.”

“Then you have to do something.”

“What are you talking about?”

Frustration washed over his expression, and he hoisted the little girl higher in his hold. “You need to do something, Layla. Whatever you said to Liam that day led him to believe that you don’t want him, that you don’t love him. A man that would give up everything to be with you is not just going to walk away unless he believes that you don’t feel the same.”

I didn’t know what Cooper expected me to do differently. “I told him that I loved him, that I regretted what I’d done.”

“So, why doesn’t he believe it?” Cooper’s eyes searched my face, like he was hoping to find the answers. “If what you’re saying is true, then I can only tell you that it’s not enough. So, you need to do something if you want to make this right. And after the way you left him, afterthe way you cut him out, do you honestly believe he should be the one who chases after you?”

And that was like taking a punch to the gut. It hit so hard, I stumbled back a few steps. “You weren’t there, Cooper. He’s finished with me.”

“You’re kidding yourself if you believe that’s true.” The girl in his arms began to squirm, so he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “This is my daughter, Roselle. We call her Rosie. Of everyone in the family, Liam’s her favorite. These days, I swear she’s the only thing that makes him genuinely happy. He’s the best uncle in the world, and you’re missing that. You’re missing out on all the things that everyone loves about Liam. The one person he wishes would be there isn’t there to see it. It’s tragic. I can’t force you to do anything, and if he’s not who you want, then I apologize for overstepping. He has no idea I’m here on his behalf. He would probably lose his mind if he did. But I had to do something. Again, it’s up to you, but I think you’ll be making a bigger mistake than before if you don’t fix this.”

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