15. Cooper

Cooper

Stupid fans.

Okay. Yes. I know I’m a fan. I know I’m guilty as hell of being obsessed with the lives of celebrities. I love seeing videos of celebrities out and about. But now that I know it’s things like that keeping me from another kiss with Maverick?

Yeah. I hate it all.

I’m pouting, and I know I am. But I can’t seem to help it. I started out the new year kissing my dream guy and finding out he’s actually attracted to men too. God, that he’d actually love to keep kissing me. Only to find out we can’t do it again.

Because he wants to protect me.

Which . . . is sweet. But also annoying as hell.

I know I seem all nice and cute—that’s fine—but I’m strong, damn it. I’m independent. I can make my own choices. And yes, the celebrity thing would be a lot. I know that.

I’m a fan and a follower. I know how often Pheobe and Maverick are posted about. I know Maverick can’t really leave the house without being accosted by fans. Hell, I know that’s why he shows up at the bar when it’s almost closing and super late—he doesn’t like the attention.

That much was clear from day one.

He isn’t like Axel and Royal. He doesn’t love being out there with the crowd surrounding him. He doesn’t stick around for very long after races to chat with reporters and fans.

And if it came out that he was kissing—and okay my hopeful stupid little heart is hoping much more than kissing—a man, well, that would gain a lot more attention for him. When he’s hoping it’ll die down.

I know this. But also . . . damn it. This sucks.

“What’s the matter?” Of course, George picks up on my mood when he comes into the shelter today. He’s not an official volunteer, but now that he’s back in town and we don’t start school for another two weeks, he’s come down to help out a little.

“Oh, you know. It’s all snowy out.”

“You love the snow, Cooper,” he says, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Damn it. He knows me way too well.

“I do.” I sigh, looking out the large glass front window and watching the fat flakes fall from the sky. It’s not too cold today, so it melts almost instantly, but it’s really pretty. “I’m just all in my head today.”

“Okay, it has to be about that kiss,” he says, pulling up a chair at my desk and flopping down. His eyes focus intently on me. Of course, he knows about the kiss. He saw it, and how it’s not all over the damn internet can only be chalked up to everyone else being too involved that night to notice us. And it was so crowded in the bar, no one could lift a phone in the air to take a picture.

And even if it felt like time stopped, it was quick.

Still, George saw and has been hassling me for details ever since. Even nursing a hangover all day yesterday, he kept asking about what had happened the night before. I can’t betray Maverick, though, by talking about it. I won’t ever out him or anyone.

The door dings, and that’s when I see Sebastian and Axel bouncing happily into the shelter.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite animal lover!” Axel says and then he sees George. “Oh no. Did he talk you into more animals at your place?”

George chuckles. “Hell no. One more and we’re all out.” He stands up and pats Axel on the shoulder. “Good luck.” He smiles and waves over at me. “I’m out. I’ll see ya later.”

I roll my eyes, I’m pretty sure I could talk our landlord into letting us stay if we brought another animal home. But I just wave goodbye to George before he heads out and then focus on the pair of racers in the shelter. “What brings you all in today?” I sit up hopefully. “Oh! Here to adopt?” Maybe I won’t have to bring a couple home tonight if they are.

“I told you if we came here, we’d be leaving with an animal,” Sebastian says, but he doesn’t look too bothered by that fact. Maybe there’s hope to get one of these cute little animals home with them after all.

“We aren’t here for an animal. Sorry, buddy,” Axel says, “We’re here to see if you want to go to a fundraiser.”

“A fundraiser?” I ask, my nose wrinkling. “Me?”

“Yes you.” Axel sweeps his hand in my direction. “One look at your adorable little face, and I’m sure they’ll be writing checks for all the little sick kids.”

“Sick kids?” I frown. That hurts my stomach as much as these animals not having a roof over their heads.

“Yeah.” His look turns solemn. “It sucks, but the fundraiser does really well. Cash Phillips organizes this one every year. It’s all fancy black tie and shit, good food. Really good booze.”

I smile. “But why me?”

They share a look, one that married people do where they talk without actually speaking, and then Axel looks at me. “Thought maybe you could go with Maverick.”

“What?” I squeak. I really need to get my voice under control, but my head is spinning. “You want me to go as Maverick’s date? But . . . why?” I cock my head to the side, eyeing them. “Did he tell you about the kiss? Is that why?” Their eyes both go wide, and uh-oh. I quickly backtrack. “I mean, not a kiss. No. No kiss. Never mind.” I wave that off and try to stand up, but they’re both blocking me when I do, and I can’t run away like I want to.

“Kiss?” Axel has his eyebrows raised. “I fucking knew it!”

He fist-pumps, and Sebastian nudges him. “You didn’t know anything.”

“I told you Maverick is all hot and bothered for Cooper.”

“You what?” I ask, shock running through my core. “He’s not. That’s . . .” I huff loudly and then move past them both to go over to the puppies playing in one of the enclosures. “He’s not hot and bothered for me. That’s insane. He’s Maverick Adair.”

“And you’re Cooper Moon,” Sebastian says defensively.

“Exactly,” I say as if that proves the point I was trying to make, but he doesn’t look amused at all.

Axel is all over it, though, walking to me and draping his arm over my shoulder. “But there was a kiss.”

“He really told you about that?” I ask, trying to keep a calm head.

“No,” Axel says, and my stomach drops.

“Oh my God. Did I just out him? I mean, not out him because there’s nothing to out. It was just a stupid kiss. I mean, not a stupid kiss. It was an incredible kiss. The most amazing kiss I’ve ever had. My legs are still a little shaky from it.”

Axel finally stops my rambling with a laugh and a gentle squeeze of my shoulder. “No. You didn’t out him. We’ve known for a while.”

I let out a relieved breath, but I still feel sick.

“We didn’t know he kissed you, but I did think he was gaga. Though Sebastian said you two are just friends,” Axel explains.

“We are friends.” I’m proud at how firmly my voice comes out when I say that.

“Friends who kiss?” Axel releases me, his tone dripping with cocky confidence. “Yeah. We did that for a little while.”

“We weren’t friends,” Sebastian teases, and Axel walks over to smack a sloppy kiss on his husband’s cheek.

“You fucking love me.” There’s no denying it when Sebastian looks at Axel and rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling.

“I do.”

Their love is wonderful, that’s for sure. I could listen to these two being grossly in love all day, but my head is still spinning.

“You know about Maverick being . . .”

“Bisexual?” Sebastian asks, and I nod. “Yes. We know, and since you know, it’s fine to talk about it. You aren’t outing him, and he’s not really hiding it anyway.”

“But he doesn’t want it out there,” I say because he said as much.

Sebastian shakes his head. “No. The press would be all over it.”

“He really does hate the fame, doesn’t he?” I grab one of the smaller puppies and sit down on the cold tile floor with the sweet baby in my lap.

“He does. The man loves the race, but that’s about it,” Sebastian confirms.

“He doesn’t mind the bigass paycheck either,” Axel has to add, earning another eye roll from his husband.

“Honestly, I don’t think he needs that either. Maverick would love to live the simple life.”

I’ve gathered as much in my time knowing Maverick. I’ve always been fascinated by the lives of the rich and famous. Wondering what it would be like not to have to stress about money at all. To have a large house and glamorous vacations, but I guess I haven’t thought about the other side of celebrity.

About not having any privacy to just live your life how you want to.

“So you guys didn’t know about any of it? You just want me to be his date?”

“Well, now I must insist.” Axel’s chest is all puffed up, and he looks far too mischievous for my liking.

“Why?” I ask carefully.

“Because it’s time for him to move the fuck on, and I can’t think of anyone better than you, Coop.”

Sebastian smiles, but his eyes are kind when they meet mine. “You would be a really cute couple.”

I try to shake that off and pet the puppy’s sweet head. “No. He doesn’t want to be a couple with me.”

“He said that?” There’s an edge to Axel’s tone when he asks.

“He said the kiss can’t ever happen again. That it was a one-time thing.”

The words nearly crush me as I say them because I can’t think about anything else since that night. All I want is to do it again.

Sebastian folds his arms over his chest, and he surprisingly looks a little angry. “He said that? What the fuck is he thinking?”

I wince, wondering why he’s so upset. I try to shrug it off, but I know I fail with both men’s eyes on me. “He doesn’t think I’d be okay in the spotlight. He doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

Axel snorts an angry laugh. “So he decided to hurt you, so he doesn’t hurt you?”

Sebastian stays stiff, and I expect him to defend his friend. “What a dumbass.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

Sebastian and Maverick are really close. I’ve never seen Sebastian not come to his defense. “He’s an idiot. And that’s not at all fair to do to you. He has to know that.”

“Told you my friends are better than yours,” Axel taunts, and then Sebastian uncrosses his arms and shoves him.

“Still not true.”

Axel just catches himself after the small push and laughs. “You need to handle your dumbass friend.”

“Oh no.” I stand up so fast I nearly fall, but the puppy was totally safe the whole time, don’t worry, I made sure. I scramble over to them. “Don’t talk to Maverick about this. It’s fine. I’m totally fine.”

“Yeah. I’m not going to promise that. He needs to pull his head out of his ass.” Sebastian shocks me again.

“It’s fine. I’m really fine,” I try again, but I know I’m not convincing them.

“Just so happens I’m going to see him today,” Sebastian says happily, and I want to die a little from shame because okay, I’m not trying that hard to talk him out of it.

“He’s worried for me. He’s being nice.”

“He’s being an idiot,” Axel says, and Sebastian nods in agreement before they both distract me with questions about the animals and how they could help get them homes.

I’m easy, and it totally works.

It’s only when I’m going home later, walking to my apartment in the cold snow that I realize I didn’t tell them not to talk about Maverick again.

Uh-oh. This can’t go over well.