Page 30 of Chasing Elliott
“Neither do you,” I snapped back. “If you even think about bringing Kara into this again, I’ll make sure there’s no audience next time.”
Andrea took a subtle step forward, standing half in front of me. “And she won’t be alone, either.”
Laura glared at mebut didn’t say a word as she turned her back on us and started to walk away. Growing frustrated all over again, I tried fighting against the death grip someone still had on me with no luck.
“Quit trying to start shit or I swear to god this was just the beginning,” I yelled after her. She whipped her head around and stared at me intently before disappearing into the crowd of people.
Whoever was holding onto me finally let me go and I stormed off back towards Andrea’s car, but not before I noticed Benjamin lingering in the crowd of people. I was halfway back to the parking lot when I felt a hand on my arm before I was spun around.
I looked up into Cooper’s honey brown eyes and shook my head as I tried to escape to thecar, but he refused to let go of my arm.
“Let me go, Coop,” I said through clenched teeth, but he wasn’t having any of it.
“I don’t think I will,” he said softly, brushing some of the loose hairs that had fallen from my ponytail back behind my ear. “I’m not letting you walk away when you’re this upset. Talk to me.”
I shrugged, already finding myself calming down in his presence; I hated it. “What is there to say? Laura can’t stand the fact that her boyfriend at the time lied to me and told me hewas single before I slept with him. Not only that, she seems to think she has some weird claim over you even though you two have been broken up for over a year. It drives her nuts that you want me instead of her. But honestly, none of that compares to her trying to ruin Kara’s happiness because she realized she can’t destroy mine.”
“So,you’re happy?” He pondered, a wide smile covering his face. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, trying my hardest to not let my own grin appear.
“I have a feeling if I tell you yes, you’re not going to let it go.”
Cooper shrugged, placing a hand on my hip and pulling me closer into his body. “You know me well, Hurricane. But can I ask you something?”
“You can,” I started to say, resting my hands on his shoulders. “Doesn’t mean I’ll answer it though.”
“What did you mean earlier when you said you weren’t ready to talk to Johnathan?” Hequestioned.
I took in a sharp breath, still taken aback even though I knew this question was going to come eventually. I swallowed the lump in my throat, speaking quickly before I talked myself out of it. “I haven’t hooked up with him since that night at the baseball house and I’ve been dodging his calls for the last month and a half.”
Before I could gauge his face for a reaction, Cooper grabbed my cheeks between his hands and crashed his lips to mine. I stood there frozen for a couple seconds, shocked that this was happening in public when I had wanted to keep this between us. However, on instinct, Iwrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.
I wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted but when he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine as we both tried to catch our breath. I looked up and smiled which caused him to chuckle slightly as a grin of his own reappeared on his face.
“If you’re not dating, you most certainly should be,” Andrea said from beside us and my head turned in her direction to see her and Benjamin standing together. “That was hot.”
“Can we go get lunch?” I asked, ignoring her statement. Cooper started laughing as heshook his head and wrapped an arm around my shoulders before leading me toward the parking lot, the other two trailing behind.
“Punching someone really takes it out of you, huh?”
“Something like that.”
I kicked open the door to our townhome a few hours later, walking into the entry as Inoticed Benjamin and Kara wrapped up in one another one the couch, our arrival startling them.
“Will you quit being so fucking stubborn and just put some ice on it?” Cooper scolded as he closed the door behind us while I made my way into the living room.
“It’s fine,” I told him as I fell into the chair and gave Kara a small smile. “Awe, you guys made up.”
“Thank you, El,” she replied instantly. My smile grew as I waved my hand dismissively.
“No one messes with my baby,” I told her with a wink.
I curled up in the chair, pulling my knees into my chest as Cooper came to stand near thecoffee table with his arms folded in front of himself. We stared at one another before Kara brokethe silence.
“You really do need ice though,” she informed me, taking Cooper’s side.
He threw his hands up inthe air dramatically and said, “Thank you,” before walking over to the fridge.
He came back into the living room not long later carrying a bag of frozen peas, taking aseat on the arm of the chair and pushing it to my cheek. I recoiled slightly, narrowing my eyes up at him before he gave me a look which made me stubbornly fold and allow him to help me.
