16. Maverick

Maverick

“You’re a dumbass.”

“Nice to see you too,” I say to Sebastian as he walks into my house, and I close the door behind him. My dogs rush to greet my friend.

He pets them, but his stern look is firmly on me. “Nice to see you. You’re a dumbass.”

I fold my arms and lean against the back of my couch, wondering what the hell I did to him. “Why?”

He walks closer to me, my dogs still on his heels. “You hurt the sweetest man alive. The sunniest of sunshine. You hurt him.” He points at me. “Dumbass.”

“You saw Cooper?”

He nods his head, still glaring at me. “I did.”

“And I hurt him?” Fuck. I definitely didn’t want to do that. He seemed fine when I saw him yesterday.

“Of course you did. With your bullshit about not wanting to hurt him, you hurt him. He really likes you.”

I swallow hard, my gut turning with guilt. “I shouldn’t have kissed him.” I know I shouldn’t have. It’s been so damn hard to regret it though. But now, hearing he’s hurt? Yeah, I shouldn’t have kissed him.

“You’re an idiot.” He punches me in the arm, and I move to cover the spot with my hand.

“Ouch. What the hell?”

He didn’t hit me that hard, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him this upset with me before. “What the hell is he wanted you to kiss him. What he didn’t want you to do is tell him what’s best for him.”

I frown. “What?”

He rolls his eyes at me, shaking his head like I’m insane. “I know what you’re doing. You want to protect him.”

“Damn right, I do,” I say easily. “Everyone should. Cooper is the best fucking human.”

“He is,” he agrees easily.

We’re at a standstill now because clearly, we agree. So why the fuck is he so mad at me? I crack first. “So why are you pissed off?”

“Because he’s not a goddamn child. He’s strong and capable of making decisions for himself, and you took that away with your knight-in-shining-armor bullshit.”

I open my mouth to argue, but then close it again. I mean, yeah. That’s kind of fucked up. But I really do want to protect Cooper. “I don’t want him to get hurt. The internet is fucking brutal. You’ve seen it. Hell, you see it every single day. People calling your asshole husband an asshole.”

He smirks. “We rarely read the comments. And who cares?”

“Cooper would,” I shoot back. No doubt, he’d be more worried about what they said about me. But I know if they said anything brutal about him, it would be in his head. He’s only human. It gets to all of us.

Even the cockiest of shitheads . . . a.k.a. Royal.

“You still don’t get to make that decision for him,” he points out angrily. “Do you want him?” he asks bluntly.

I know my face can’t hide the truth. Of course I want Cooper. “Yes.” I don’t bother lying.

He huffs. “Then be with him. You didn’t allow me to be a dumbass when it came to Axel, and I’m not going to let you let the love of your life slip through your fingers.”

“I didn’t say love,” I point out like a child, but I think maybe I could love Cooper. Hell, he’s not hard to love. But I could fall for him, no doubt, and that scares the hell out of me.

“Be with him, you idiot.”

This time, when he calls me an idiot, I smile. “It’s not that easy.”

“It is. It really fucking is.” He sighs and then leans next to me against the couch. “What are you worried about?”

“You know what it was like with Pheobe. We had no privacy. Not ever. I was a new racer, just getting used to fame, and then boom—way too much fame.”

“So you’re worried he’s going to be like Pheobe?”

“No.” I laugh because he’s being an asshole. “I would be the Pheobe in this situation.”

He holds up his hands in front of him, mocking me. “Wow. Who knew you thought that highly of yourself?”

“Shut. Up.”

“I’m sorry, your majesty.” He doesn’t shut up, his voice pitched and still mocking. “You aren’t a popstar, my dear friend. You’re just a lowly motorcycle racer.”

I nudge him in the side with my elbow. “Fucker.”

He’s still laughing. “I’m just saying . . .”

“Yeah. Everyone knows that motorcycle racers have twice the balls racecar drivers have.”

“And half the brains,” he says, jumping off the back of the couch before I can punch him.

“Fuck you,” I quip, and he grins.

“Oh, good one. You got me.” He holds a hand over his heart in fake hurt, and I roll my eyes, but then his smile fades, and he grows very serious. “You don’t need to protect him.”

“Everyone protects Cooper.”

He grins widely. “Yeah, even Jenny. You know she calls him cutie pie?”

I chuckle. “I do. And he’s fucking precious. No one should hurt him. I’d rather die.”

“And yet. You hurt him because you act like he can’t make his own damn decisions and stand up for himself.”

“Hence, why you’re here?” I try to point out. Cooper is strong. There’s no doubt in my mind, but he’s not here. He hugged me and told me he wanted to be friends the other day. He didn’t fight me on it because I think deep down he knows I’m right.

Sebastian opens his mouth, no doubt to argue with me, but there’s a knock on my door, and we both look that way. My brow furrows in question as I walk over to the door, jerking it open when I see it’s Cooper standing there.

“Coop—”

“Listen.” He walks inside my house and pokes me in the chest, which surprises me so damn much, I nearly trip over one of the dogs. “You may not be ready to come out yet, and that’s totally valid.”

“Coop—”

“No,” he cuts me off. “If you’re not ready for that, it’s really okay. You don’t ever have to come out until you’re ready. But if it’s because you think you need to protect me, you don’t get to do that. I’m not weak.” He takes a quick breath, but not long enough for me to say anything. “I’m awkward and maybe a little naive, but I’m not weak, damn it. I know being with you . . .”—he looks a little flustered now, waving his hand in the air and backtracking a little bit—“or kissing or whatever . . .” He waves his hand again, tripping over his words and making my heart flutter. “I know it would be a lot of attention on me, and that’s a lot for someone like me. But still, you don’t get to decide for me.”

I can’t help looking back over my shoulder at a very pleased-looking Sebastian. “Did you know he was here? Or coming here?”

“Nope. I had no idea.” He looks just as surprised as I am to see Cooper, but when I look back at Coop and see him looking sheepishly over at Sebastian, I know he was telling the truth.

“Sebastian? You’re . . .” He clears his throat. “You’re here?”

Sebastian walks to Cooper and pats him on the shoulder. “I am, but I’m heading out. You’ve got this from here.”

He shoots me a threatening glare before heading out the door and closing it behind him. Leaving Cooper and me in the foyer.

“Cooper . . .” I try to start again, hating how visibly shaken he is. Sebastian was right. I did hurt him.

He shakes his head, the fire gone, replaced with sadness that might kill me. “Do you not want to date me?”

My heart stutters in my chest, and I take a step into him. “Of course I do. I’m crazy about you, Cooper.”

He looks up at me, blinking in shock. “That’s what Axel and Sebastian said.”

I silently curse my meddling best friends, but they aren’t wrong. “They were right. I am, but it doesn’t mean . . .”

He places his fingers across my lips and gives a firm shake of his head. “Do you think I’m weak?”

“What? Hell no. Never. Not at all,” I say pointedly.

“Then why are you trying to take this decision away from me?”

“Cooper.” He drops his fingers, and I sigh. “I don’t want you to be hurt. It’s brutal, being in the spotlight. Hearing all your flaws. Seeing headlines that you’ve broken up when things are just fine. Seeing headlines that you’ve broken up when things are really rocky. You wear the wrong shoes or support the wrong company on accident. Everything is reported on. It’s exhausting.”

“But you want to date me?” he asks with his eyes wide and so much damn hope in them, I realize now how badly I’ve fucked up.

“Yes. I want to date you.”

So damn badly.