Page 8 of September's Bad Boy: Cooper
Kinley looks up first, her smile soft but tight. “Hey, Riley.”
“Hey.” I shut the door behind me and walk toward the counter. “You both look like you’ve been whispering secrets.”
Kara huffs. “Gossip, mostly. The bad kind. Did you hear what happened to Cooper’s gym?”
My heart stutters. “No. What?”
Kinley exchanges a glance with Kara before speaking. “Someone trashed it last night. Spray paint, broken windows, tools smashed, the works. It happened late last night or early this morning.”
I grip the edge of the counter. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Kara says quickly. “Found it this morning. Already cleaned most of it up himself.”
The tightness in my chest doesn’t ease. “I can’t believe this.”
“Oh, believe it,” Kara mutters, crossing her arms. “This town has a long memory and a short tolerance.”
Kinley nods. “There’s more. The Wilkins place and the duplex over by the river both caught fire in the last two weeks. Both were reclaimed properties being renovated.”
“You think they’re connected?”
Kara leans in. “Word is the old developer who tried to take over Main is still trying to make trouble. Wants to scare folks into selling again.”
“And Cooper’s gym is the biggest eyesore in his plan. He wanted to buy up any empty store, but that one didn’t even go on the market before Cooper got it,” Kinley finishes.
I swallow hard, heart racing. “That’s more than just sabotage. That’s criminal.”
“Someone needs to prove it first,” Kara says, sighing. “But until then, we’re stuck with whispers and warnings.”
Kara sets down the shipment list and leans her elbows on the counter. “It’s not just Cooper. Second chances in this town are always earned in blood and ash. I remember when Caitlin forgave Shane. She’d walk into the diner, and the room would go quiet. They acted like she betrayed them by loving someone they’d written off.”
“That sounds familiar,” I say with a bite. “They don’t want to see the good. It’s easier to keep believing the worst.”
Kara snorts. “Easier, yes. But wrong. Cooper isn’t the man they say he is.”
Kinley gives me a long look. “You know that better than anyone.”
Then, she pushes a small box of paperbacks toward me. “Hey, while you’re out, can you drop these off at the little free library at the community center?”
“Of course.” I grab the box, grateful for the excuse to get moving. “Thanks for the update.”
Kara catches my arm before I can leave. “Riley, just... be careful, okay? Not everyone’s happy you’re spending time with him again.”
I nod, jaw tight. “Let them talk. He saved my life, and he deserves my support now more than ever.”
These girls know the story. They were there at girls' night when I told Luna too.
As I leave, they give me a hug and tell me to call them if I need anything.
The walk to the community center is only a few blocks, but my thoughts race the whole way. Who would do this? What kind of person targets buildings meant to help others? That someone would go to such lengths to ruin Cooper—or drive him away—churns my stomach.
By the time I reach the community center, the sounds of sneakers squeaking against hardwood and the deep rumble of Cooper’s voice float through the open doors. I step inside and stop cold.
Cooper is shirtless, sweaty, and barking out instructions to a group of teens mid-drill. The light streaming through the windows catches on the sweat slicking his back and chest, making every cut muscle gleam. He’s focused, all coiled power and grit, moving among them like a general and a guardian at once.
God help me.
His tattoos wrap around his biceps and across his ribs, a map of pain and survival. I’ve seen him shirtless before when he’d take Jason and I swimming, but never like this. Not ever when he wasn’t holding himself back or bracing for judgment. This version of Cooper is free, in control, and alive.
