Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
No one would have to know how broken she was. Because she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this time would break her, and she was still going to do it.
“I don’t know.” She had to be honest. “I think it might be too late, but I also can’t seem to help myself.”
Kala put the curling iron on the counter and sank down on the padded bench beside Lou. She had the start of a serious shiner because apparently Sami had accidentally gotten a good one in. Kala leaned over, resting her head on Lou’s shoulder. “Maybe it’s okay if it’s you and me and cats. I want to be okay with that, but I also hate the thought.”
“Which makes you human.” She rubbed her cheek against Kala’s hair. When Kala was affectionate like this, Lou tended to shower her with love. Kala could be so withdrawn, and Lou understood she was one of very few who ever got to see this side of the woman. “You deserve love, too.”
Kala groaned but didn’t move. “I hate that word. I don’t understand that word.”
“Yes, you do. I should know because you have loved me for a long time, and that changed my life,” Lou whispered.
“I do love you,” Kala replied. “And I’ve been your best friend for a long time. So I’m not going to ask you to give my dumbass cousin a second chance.”
That was a relief.
But Kala wasn’t finished. “I am going to ask you to give you a second chance. Lou, you’ve loved him since you were a kid. Don’t let your current and his younger self’s insecurities cost you more time. The last thing in the world I want is to not get to spend all my time with you. But I do know how to love even if I hate the word, and part of that is wanting the best for you, wanting you to get everything you need out of life. Think about it, okay. You don’t have to make decisions tonight because you put yourself in a corner neither of you can get out of. Smart play, by the way. Gives you some time.”
Time with TJ. Time to build some memories for when he was gone.
Time to decide if she was brave enough to ask him not to leave again.
“I’ll think about it,” she promised. She was fairly certain she wouldn’t think about anything else.
She stared at herself in the mirror and hoped she was ready.
* * * *
TJ stood outside the women’s locker room, his eyes on the door that Lou would soon walk through.
“Are you sure about this?” Cooper leaned against the wall. He was lean and muscular in his leathers. Cooper was elegant.
TJ was well aware he looked like a linebacker. He was kind of bulky and didn’t look great in a suit the way Coop did.
What kind of guys was Lou dating? Maybe he needed to do some research. He’d checked into the real Miguel Garza’s profile and he seemed more like a Cooper.
“Am I sure about Lou? Yes. Am I sure this is going to go well? Absolutely. The sex part is going to be spectacular. The rest? No idea, man.” He was fairly certain that despite the fact Lou had placed them in a position where they had to look like they were together, she was still wary of him.
Which was why tonight was so fucking important.
Cooper chuckled. “Well, at least you’re going into this with some confidence.” He sobered, crossing his arms over his chest. “All right, I’m going to ask. What changed between the two of you? I mean why now? I know Lou’s been telling certain people that she thinks it’s a response to what happened to you.”
TJ groaned. “It’s not. Or maybe it is. Does it matter why the wake-up call happened? I think all that should matter is that I am awake now, and I know what I want.”
“Yeah, well knowing what you want doesn’t always make her want you back,” Cooper replied, and then shook his head. “Forget I said that. I don’t want to talk about that right now.”
“You sure? Because we can go there. I probably know her better than any of the other guys,” TJ offered. Kala was tight with him because they shared Lou’s friendship.
“I know my mom’s an actual psychologist, but I do not see the need to talk shit out,” Cooper admitted. “I guess I’m more like my dad. Well, not biologically, of course.”
“I don’t think your dad gives a shit about biology.” Sometimes he had to be reminded that both Cooper and his younger brother, Hunter, had been adopted. His parents had never hidden that from either of them, and there was zero evidence the boys had been treated differently than their sister, who had been born to their parents. Vivian didn’t see them as anything but her big brothers. Still, TJ often thought Cooper tried to be perfect in order to make sure he fit in, to ensure his parents never regretted adopting him.