Page 25 of Begin Again
“Aw, come on, babe. Don’t be like that,” Cooper pleads, but she pushes him away still. He doesn’t take the hint, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her deeper into his embrace.
When they turn toward me, it feels like the world slows down…I’m almost certain my heart stopped for a moment. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I’m pretty damn sure it did.
I know him, and not because I know his name or have heard the stories about him. There’s something about him that feels…familiar.
“What are you doing here?” Cooper hisses when we finally make eye contact. His reaction is all the confirmation I need. There is history here, but how is that possible? I’ve never seen this man before now.
Charlie finally breaks free from his hold, taking two big steps away from him and closer to me. “Zay, this Cooper…myex-boyfriend.”
“Oh, don’t be like that, Char.” His attention returns to her, almost like he’s already forgotten I’m even here. “I’ve missed you!”
“That’s how you ended up in bed with Missy?”
“You were gone!” Cooper defends himself, earning an eye roll from the green-eyed beauty. “How many times do I have to apologize for—”
“Save it for one of your fuck buddies, Coop. I don’t care! We are never getting back together.”
Cooper tries to say more, but this time I step in. “I think it’s time you leave.”
“You movin’ in on my girl, city boy?”
“Nobody is moving in on me, Cooper Hayes.” Charlie huffs, planting her hands on his chest to push him out of the billiards area. “And the only personmovingbetter be you. Moving on out of here.”
Cooper doesn’t budge. His feet remain planted in the same spot, her shoves barely even registering to him.
Charlie groans in frustration. “Cooper, get out now!”
He finally relents when she practically punches his chest. Turning away from me to look at Charlie, he says, “Why don’t you come with me, babe? We can talk. That’s all I want.”
“I’d rather bury myself six feet under.”
That was dramatic.
“I can make that happen.” Cooper smirks and Charlie deadpans. “I’m only kiddin’, baby!” He kisses her forehead and allows her to push him through the crowd. I watch them swim through the sea of people until they disappear out the front door.
I know I should follow, but the weight that has settled in my stomach after seeing him tells me otherwise. Despite whatCooper said, I’m sure hecanand has buried someone “six feet under.”
After about five minutes, the door swings open again, and Charlie walks back inside…alone. She looks even more annoyed than she did when she walked out.
“Everything okay, birthday girl?” Katy asks when Charlie rejoins us.
“Can we go?” Charlie asks me, ignoring her friend.
“You sure?” I ask. “We can stick around for another—”
“No, I want to go home.” Charlie doesn’t wait for any more conversation, ripping her jacket and purse off the back of the chair and walking straight out the front door.
“Well, looks like we’re leaving. Have a good night, everyone,” I say, offering an apologetic smile for the way she ditched her friends.
Leaving the bar, I find her propped up against the side of the truck. Her hands stuffed deep in her coat pockets, Charlie stares down at her shoe that toes through the gravel beneath her feet.
“Let’s go, troublemaker,” I say, opening the passenger door for her. Unexpectedly, she doesn’t say anything in return, only climbs into the seat without a word.
That’s odd.
“I can’t believe you dated that guy,” I add after I’ve settled into my seat.
Charlie scoffs. “Coop wasn’t always that way. He used to be pretty sweet when you got to know him.”
