Page 98 of Play the Game
“Stay?” I murmur to her, pushing her hair off her forehead.
She curls deeper into my hold, turning her head to kiss my shoulder, bringing one arm up to cover mine. “Yes.”
My heart clenches even as everything inside of me settles. Evan’s breathing slows, and I close my eyes, soaking in the feel of her next to me. It’s not the first time Evan has fallen asleep in my arms, but it’s the first time it feels like maybe she’ll stay, and nothing in the world has ever felt so right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
COOPER
My bedroom is still dim when I wake up, the late winter, early morning light weak as it filters in around the blinds. The smell of cherries surrounds me, and I bury my face in Evan’s neck, grinning because she’s still here. I entirely underestimated how it would feel to wake up with her like this, her back pressed tightly to my chest and my arm wrapped securely around her, knowing that there will be a next time. That this time, maybe she’ll stay.
It feels awesome. Amazing. The best thing that has ever happened to anyone. I’m so happy I could die.
I close my eyes, contemplating another hour of sleep, when I feel a light tapping under my hand and then one strong jolt. I grin again, because I guess I’m not the only one in this family up early. Pushing up on my elbow, I glance down at Evan. Her face is relaxed in sleep, her mouth slightly open and her hair falling around her face.
She’s the prettiest girl in the world.
Pressing a light kiss to her shoulder because I can’t help myself, I carefully unwrap myself from her and reach down tograb my discarded boxers, tugging them on. Then I slide down her body, moving around her so I’m on her other side propped up on my elbows, my face next to her belly and my chin resting in my hands. Evan would hate every single second of what I’m about to do, but I’m fucking delighted by it.
“Your mom would probably kick me in the balls if she knew I was talking to her stomach right now,” I whisper to her belly. “But what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Or me,” I say wryly. “She’d think it’s weird and maybe it is, a little, but I hope eventually you and me will be having all kinds of talks, so I figure, why not start a little early, right? You don’t know this yet, but your mom is a really smart lawyer and she’s also a writer. She writes when it’s still dark outside, before anyone else is awake. She’s happy being a lawyer, but I think writing early in the morning with her coffee and her candles and her pink notebook next to her makes her heart the happiest, and I don’t ever want her to lose that. So, once you’re here, I think morning will be our special time, so she never has to stop telling her stories. I haven’t asked her this, but I hope one day we can all live here together. That’s what I want more than anything. Your uncles and aunts all live here, and your great grandma lives right next door. Your grandparents come over all the time, too. There’s just so much love here, and that’s what I want for you and your mom more than anything. To be surrounded by all the love and family you deserve. She’s amazing, your mom. The most amazing woman in the world. I wasn’t expecting her, and I know for sure she wasn’t expecting me, but I think things happened just the way they were supposed to. I haven’t told her this yet either, but I think maybe it makes sense that you’re the first person to know. I love her so fucking much. Shit, sorry. Fuck. Dammit. Oh my god, please don’t judge me for this. But I guess you should probably get used to it. We’re a sweary bunch, and I can’t imagine that changing much. Your uncles will try, but they are who they are, you know?”
“You love me?”
At the sound of Evan’s raspy morning voice, I shoot up, my gaze meeting hers, her eyes full of amusement that has my lips curling up in a grin. Pressing a kiss to her belly, I slide up the bed and lay my head on her pillow, taking her hand and lacing our fingers together between us. “You look really pretty in the morning.”
Evan smirks at me and squeezes my hand. “Are you avoiding answering the question?”
I press a kiss to her knuckles. “Nah, I just thought you should know that you’re the prettiest girl in the world, and when I look at you it’s sometimes hard to breathe because I can’t believe you get to be mine, and I think maybe we have to make it so we can wake up together every morning because waking up with you is my new favorite thing. And also, I love you.”
Evan’s eyes swirl with emotion and a happiness that makes my heart soar. Brushing her hair behind her ear, I lay a hand on her cheek, stroking my thumb over her skin. “You’re my favorite person in the world, and maybe it’s too soon and maybe you’re not ready, and that’s okay. I can tell you this now and not ever again until you’re ready to hear it, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m in love with you, Rhodes. I’ve been in love with you for a while, and it’s never, ever going to change. So, you take all the time you need, because I’m not going anywhere.”
Evan grins at me and tangles her legs with mine. “I love you, too.”
My heart thuds and my brain short-circuits, and for a minute, I just stare at Evan, her blue eyes sparkling as she watches me try to get my shit together. “I’m sorry, I’m going to need you to say that again. I think my brain went offline for a second.”
Evan laughs, and the sound is the prettiest music. “I love you, Cooper. You’re my favorite person too. There’s still so much I don’t know about what’s going to happen once the baby is born and how we’re going to make it all work, but I do know I want to figure all that stuff out with you. Everything feels easier with you next to me, and I want to keep you forever too.”
EVAN
The love swirling in Cooper’s eyes, mixed with the tiniest bit of disbelief, has happiness bubbling up in my chest.
I didn’t realize how much saying the actual words would mean to him.
I didn’t realize how much I needed to say them.
I didn’t realize it could feel this way.
Cooper leans forward and lays his lips on mine, kissing me slowly, thoroughly, sweeping his tongue into my mouth where we tangle together, a groan rumbling in his chest when I wrap an arm around his neck and run my fingers through his hair, tugging in the way I know drives him wild. It feels different, kissing him withI love youdancing between us, the words swirling inside me, filling up all my empty spaces.
I was serious when I said I have no idea what’s going to happen when the baby is born. Whether I’ll even make partner at all and how I can work the way I’ll need to with another human to keep alive. Whether my parents will ever speak to me again and whether I even want them to. How two people who are still figuring out a relationship can learn everything they need to know to raise a baby. But laying here in Cooper’s bed, wrapped around each other, our mouths fused together saying more than words ever could, I relegate all of that toanother day, and just exist in this moment with him.
“I want to figure out all that stuff with you too,” Cooper murmurs, reading my mind. He swipes his tongue along my bottom lip and sucks it into his mouth until I’m practically panting.
Running a hand down my side, he rests it on my hip and meets my eyes. “I have no idea what’s going to happen either, but nothing feels all that scary when we can do it together. Stick with me, Rhodes. Let me be your purveyor of cherry JollyRanchers and seasonal coffee, bake you cookies in secret, scour the internet for feminist sweatshirts to add to your collection, learn how to take care of your weirdly cute pets, and listen to you plot your fanfics in that brilliant, fascinating brain of yours. Laugh with me and cry on my shoulder when you need to and talk to me because I love the sound of your voice. Take me to baseball games so we can hang with Rio and watch your brother kick ass and share my family with me because they love you too. Let’s meet our baby girl and learn how to be parents and maybe one day have more babies, or not if that’s what you want, because the three of us together are already going to be the most perfect family in the world.”
Cooper’s voice is thick with emotion as he brings his forehead to mine, and despite my best efforts, I feel a tear slip down my cheek that has nothing to do with pregnancy hormones and everything to do with a love so enormous I can’t hold all of it at once. Cooper leans in and kisses it away, his lips lingering on my skin. “Just be here with me, Evan. Because I think as long as we’re together, we can do anything.”
Laying a hand on Cooper’s cheek, I lock eyes with him, my brain still absorbing his words. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
