CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Cooper kept busy while Noah was gone. Between work and cleaning out space for some of Noah's things, the few days his guy was gone passed quickly. He still felt like shit that Noah had had to go to California by himself but he'd make it up to him. In as many ways he could think of.

He wasn't embarrassed to admit he missed Noah. He'd never been surer of anything in his life than he was of Noah Jameson. It didn't matter that he was a man or that Cooper had never planned to settle down. Noah was his and he was Noah's, and fuck anyone who had a problem with it.

That didn't mean he wasn't nervous to talk to his aunt and uncle. There was still that voice in the back of his head that made Cooper feel responsible for others, that felt the need not to let down the people he loved. And there was no doubt in his mind; that was exactly how Vernon would feel.

He wouldn't understand it. He would see Cooper as weak and he would be let down. Because the way he'd see it, that wasn't how he'd raised Coop. Vernon would think himself a failure, and after the way his uncle had taken him in, raised him and cared for him as best he could, Coop hated the idea of that being marred by being seen as a failure.

Which was why he'd waited until the day Noah was supposed to be home, to head to his uncle's house. Or , maybe it was because he knew he'd need the other man when he was done.

When his cell rang, Cooper reached over and grabbed it from the passenger seat. Braden's name lit up the screen. "What's up, man?"

"Waitin' on the phone number. You work your magic with your guy?"

Coop rolled his eyes. "I mentioned it to him once. What do I loo k like, your matchmaker? Why do you even want it so bad? You had a good time, and now it's over, just how you've always liked it."

Braden gave a humorless chuckle. "Did you see him? He's gorgeous. And that was with his clothes on. You didn't see—"

"—I'm thinking you should end it there." Coop cut him off. "The last thing I want to do is hear about what went down with you and Wes." Cooper knew it made him an ass, but he still wasn't real fond of the man. He felt bad for his situation but he'd also wanted to fuck Noah. That was the part he had trouble getting over. "Holy shit. I still can't believe I'm talking to you about men. What happened to my life?" Cooper laughed.

" Nothin' wrong with exploring your sexuality. There's beauty in both men and women."

Even though Braden obviously couldn't see him, Cooper nodded. "I guess…though I can't see feeling that toward any other man , but Noah." And he couldn't. He wasn't sure what that meant, but figured it didn't really matter. All he knew was he did go wild when he looked at Noah and he loved the man. The rest of it was just labels.

"Look at you, you've turned into a romantic. So you get why I want Wes's number, or where he lives. I'm not adverse to showing up." Even though Braden laughed, Coop had no doubt the man was completely serious.

"So you spent one night with the guy and you're in love with him?"

"Fuck no. I'm in lust with him. Big fucking difference. And…I don't know. There's something about him. Like he's completely alone."

The seriousness in Braden's voice tugged on Coop's guilt. All he wanted to do was talk to the man. What was the harm in that? And since Wes was losing his sister, maybe spending some time with Braden would do him some good. At least help him forget for a few hours.

"I don't have his number but I'll talk to Noah again when he gets home from California tonight. I'm pretty sure his last name is Jensen though. Not sure if that'll help."

"Hell yeah. That's a start. What ya up to? Wanna go play some basketball or something?" Braden asked.

I wish. "Can't. I'm heading out to my uncle's. Shit, man, I'm going to tell him about Noah." Cooper's tires hit the gravel a little as he took a corner, but he corrected it quickly.

Braden was silent for a minute before asking, "And that won't go well?"

"No. It won't. Partly because he's going to have a huge problem with his nephew being with another man, but the fact that it's Noah, won't help."

"Sorry about that. You need to go out for a beer or something after, let me know. I thought you grew up with Noah. Your family doesn't like him?"

"They did, that's what I don't understand. Noah was always at my house but after they left, their family was off limits for Vernon."

Cooper's heart dropped when the smell of smoke hit his nose. It wasn't something he could ever forget. His eyes ran over the mile marker sign before landing on a house off the side of the road, red flames engulfing it.

Coop slammed the breaks, jerking the wheel so he didn't miss the driveway. "House fire. Thirty-two mile marker off Old Stage Highway. Ah, fuck this thing is huge, Braden. Call it in."

His foot slammed down on the break as he skidded to a stop. Just like every time he saw a fire, his heart became a battering ram, slamming against his ribs.

Coop rushed out of the car as a little girl ran up to him. "Help! You have to help! My big brother!"

Cooper didn't hear anything else.

"Wait, Cooper. I just called it in on my other phone. Don't you fucking go in there!" Braden yelled.

But he had to. This is what he did. "And you wouldn't?" There was no doubt in his mind he would do the same thing.

Braden didn't reply and Cooper didn't have time to wait. He ended the call and put the phone in the little girl's hand, dirt and ash covering her. "You call your family if you can. I'm going to get him, okay? Is he the only one in there?"

"Yes!" she wailed.

"Where?"

"He was listening to his headphones upstairs. I was scared."

"What's his name?"

"B—Billy."

He touched the little girl's hair. "It's okay. You did real good. I'm gonna go get your brother. I promise you. Stay out here, okay? No matter what."

Without another word, Cooper ran for the house, determined not to fuck up this time. Determined not to run, not to leave someone else to die.

Heat scorched him the second he stumbled through the doorway. Holding his breath, Cooper went straight for the stairs. He knew he had to get in there, get the kid out and go. He didn't have much time. Couldn't take many breaths.

Smoke billowed around him. The fire had obviously started up there, he just hoped like hell it wasn't in the same room as the kid.

Instinct took over as he hit the landing. The heat, the smoke, none of it mattered as much as finding that fucking kid. He took a breath. "Billy? Can you hear me?" He yelled as he went in the first room he came to. It was on the front side of the house, the fire all along the far wall, spreading, crawling through the walls.

Another breath. "Billy?" he called out. Sewing supplies burned all around the room. He doubted this was where the kid slept so he went to the next room. Loud popping and cracking mixed with the roar of the fire, as Coop moved on.

Save him, save him, save him. He had to fucking save him.

Red and smoke was all he saw down the hallway. This fire was moving and it was moving fast.

The first thing he saw when he pushed his way into the second room was a small basketball hoop hanging off the wall, fire dancing all over it.

Jackpot.

"Billy? Are you here? I'm a fireman. I need you to come out , so I can get you out of here."

Cooper's burning eyes scanned the room before stopping on a figu re huddled in the corner. As he went to walk toward the kid, flames lashed his arm, singing him. Fuck. He had to move. Now.

Coop ran to the corner lifting the limp kid in his arms. He couldn't tell if the kid was awake or not , but it didn't fucking matter. All that did, was getting him out.

The floor cracked beneath him as he ran from the room. The hall , even more taken over than it was, just seconds ago. Dizziness hit him but he pushed past it. Flames now blocked the stairs.

He felt Billy's hand tighten around his neck. Fuck, the kid couldn't be any older than twelve.

Looking behind him, Cooper saw fire making an escape from the window impossible. Sirens called to him from a distance.

Ignoring his rapid-fire heart, he ran to the room at the end of the hall. Thank God. There was a window that faced the side of the house. The room was hot as hell, but he could get to that fucking window.

Cooper kicked it out, somehow keeping the kid in his arms. Another small favor. There was a section of roof below it. He only hoped like hell it could hold them.

A red engine pulled to a stop out front. He could see it when he stuck his head out. "Over here!" Cooper yelled , as more cracking and popping went off around him. The floor rattled. Ah, fuck.

"Help…" Billy's voice rasped in his ear. Help came running around their side of the house as if they heard him.

Above him, came a loud banging sound. Cooper pushed the kid out the window, just as something hit the back of his shoulders, pain piercing through him. Part of the floor next to him gave out as he went down, and Cooper's world went black.

***

It was dark when Noah pulled the rental truck into the driveway at home. He was tired as hell. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed with Cooper, and pass the hell out. He'd made this trip much faster than he should have, just wanting to be home.

As soon as he pulled to a stop, he noticed the house was dark and Cooper's truck was gone. Before he could put much thought into it, Noah's cell rang. He almost didn't answer Wes's call but then…what if something happened to his sister?

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" Were the first words out of Wes's mouth.

"I'm at home. What's wrong?" Noah's gut cramped. Something had happened.

"I'm with Braden. We're going to come get you, okay? You stay right there. We're on our way."

The cramp became a fist, squeezing the life out of him. There was only one thing that would make Wes sound like that. "Where is he?" His voice cracked.

Wes cursed. "Wait for us and we'll drive you."

"Where the fuck is he, Wes?" Noah's hands shook.

"There was a fire," Wes told him. "He's okay. Fuck, it took Braden forever to find me. No one had your number or we would have called you earlier."

Noah's whole universe rocked. Fire. "Tell me where the fuck he is. Now."

Wes cursed again before rattling off the name of a local hospital. Noah ended the call the second he had the information. Noah ran from the rental to his car, knowing it would get him there a whole hell of a lot faster. It felt like two seconds and at the same time ten years later , before he pulled up in front of the hospital.

Braden and Wes were already standing outside when he got there.

"I told him not to fucking go in. He was on his way to his uncle's. We were on the phone and he saw it," Braden said. All Noah cared about was getting to Cooper.

"What room?"

Braden paused before replying. "ICU."

Noah fought the bile threatening to crawl up his throat.

The two men flanked him, as they ran for the intensive care unit. Double doors blocked the entrance. Noah went straight for the nurse's station. "Cooper Bradshaw." His voice cracked. "I need to see him."

"We only allow two visitors at a time , and there are already two people back there."

Noah's body tense d as he gripped the counter. "I need to see him. How is he? What happened?" He couldn't lose Cooper. Not again. Not permanently.

"Are you family?" she asked.

Wes and Braden both groaned beside him.

He is the only family I have. I love him. "He's my partner."

Her eyes widened, before she smiled kindly at him. "Let me call back there and let them know you're here."

Noah's feet wouldn't keep still as he paced in front of the nurses station. "What do you know?"

It was Braden who spoke. "He saved a kid. He ran into that house and saved a little boy."

And as scared and angry as he was, there was pride there, too. That was his guy. He expected nothing less of Cooper.

"Just as he got the kid out. We don't know if something hit him and then the floor collapsed, or how it went down. He's got a puncture wound where a piece of metal went through his shoulder. He was knocked out, and there is obviously worries because of smoke inhalation."

When he heard the phone click behind him, Noah turned back to the nurse. The way her eyes cast down told him everything. They weren't going to let him see Cooper. "No one's stopping me from getting through those doors," he told her. As he did they slid open, Vernon and Autumn stepped out.

Thank God. Noah rushed over to them. "Is he okay? They won't let me see him." Noah reached for Autumn, but she chewed her lip and looked away.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Vernon growled.

And that's when he knew. Things hadn't gone well when Cooper told them. "Listen, I know you might not agree with things between Coop and me, but now's not the time. We need to be here for him."

"His family needs to be here for him , and we are," Vernon replied.

No matter what they thought, Cooper was his family. Wes's hand came down on Noah's shoulder. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. "He'll want me there. I know this has to be confusing for you guys. I understand that , but I love him and he loves me. I can promise you he'll want me in that room with him."

Autumn gasped, leaning on her cane. Vernon's eyes turned to ice.

"There is nothing I wouldn't do for him. You might not like it but he feels the same way about me." Then he realized Cooper never made it there. They'd said he saw the fire on his way. Damn, this was a hard time for them to find something like this out but there was nothing to do about it now. "He was going to tell you, today."

"Today, huh? You lying piece of shit. You show up, out of the blue and tell me my nephew is in love with you? You haven't talked to Cooper in seventeen years! How the hell did you know what happened? What makes you want to push your way into that room the way your whole damn family shoved their way into our lives all those years ago?"

"Now , wait a minute." Braden stepped forward, but Noah grabbed him.

They didn't know. They didn't even know Noah had come back. Why wouldn't Cooper have told them that much? "You didn't know I was here? That I've been living with Cooper for months?"

Cooper had said his aunt wanted to see him. He looked at Autumn, hoping to see knowledge there, but she looked just as taken aback as Vernon.

Cooper had lied to him. He'd even kept their friendship hidden , just like David had.

"Whatever you thought was going on between my nephew and yourself, you're wrong about. I won't let you try to ruin his life like—"

"—Vernon!" Autumn cut him off. "It wasn't his fault. Noah was his best friend."

"I'm fucking in love with him!" Noah yelled. He didn't give a shit what any of them said. Even as angry as he was at Cooper, he wasn't leaving this hospital without seeing him.

Noah went straight for the doors. Vernon tried to stop him, a look of disgust on his face. A glance at Autumn showed him, she was crying, a hand covering her mouth.

Noah just needed to see Cooper.

Before he could get a chance to do anything, security grabbed him. He hadn't even realized they were here. His muscles tightened—chest ached.

Both Wes and Braden started yelling, trying to defend him.

But none of it mattered. Noah wasn't family. Noah wasn't even officially Cooper's partner. Security escorted him from the building. He felt like he was cracking apart, his breath cut off. None of it mattered to them. There wasn't a damn thing Noah could do about it.