6. Maverick

Maverick

It’s not stalking.

It’s so not.

I just happen to be in the area again. I mean . . . it’s over an hour from my house, but still. This is totally normal.

I walk into the small bar in downtown Kansas City and immediately see Cooper behind the bar. He looks worn out, wearing his glasses tonight and a t-shirt with the bar’s name on it. But he’s smiling and laughing with the customers at the bar like he was born to do it.

When his eyes meet mine, they practically shine, though, and God do I love that feeling. I’m not sure anyone has ever looked at me like that before. “Maverick, hi!” He waves me over, and my feet are already moving in his direction.

I reach the bar and take an empty seat. “I’m not stalking you, I swear.”

His eyes grow wide, as if he can’t believe I said it. And then that beautiful blush is back. “Well, you can. You totally can. I would love it.” He covers his mouth with his hand, and I chuckle.

“Good to know.”

“What brings you here tonight?” he asks curiously.

“I was in the neighborhood,” I say, and he smiles like he knows I’m lying. “Thought maybe you’d want to hang out after work.”

“Yes,” he says immediately, and I like it. I love that he doesn’t make me guess if I’m annoying him by showing up unannounced. He wears his heart on his sleeve, for sure.

We hang out while he finishes his shift, and then I follow him to his apartment. When we get there, it’s strangely quiet. “Where are your roommates?”

“Oh, they went home for Christmas.”

I frown. Christmas is only a couple of days away. “You didn’t want to go home?”

His face falls, but only for a moment before he covers it up. Some people may not have even caught it. “Oh no. I don’t ever go home for Christmas or home at all.”

“You don’t?” I can’t help asking as we take off our coats and hang them near the front door.

He moves to the couch, and I follow, sitting down next to him. “I don’t. I came out when I was fourteen. They were unsurprisingly not happy about it. I always knew it would be a problem. And boy, was it a problem.”

I’m angry as hell at his parents, and it shows on my face, I’m sure. “Assholes.”

He chuckles and shrugs. “They were really never big fans of mine. It was like they always knew, but when I said it out loud, that was it.”

“They’re worse than assholes. How the fuck can they care about something like that? They should love you for who you are. And who you are is amazing.”

He’s watching me closely now, his eyes a little misty. “Thank you. It’s fine though, I’m over it.”

There’s no way in hell he’s over it. Who could be? They were his parents. They should have loved him, no matter what. “What did they do?”

Again, he tries to remain unaffected, like he doesn’t care. But I see how badly it hurts him. “Oh, no big deal. They just, you know, kicked me out. Called me a sinner. All that fun stuff.”

My frown deepens, and he hops up from the couch. “I’m worn out, but you can definitely stay again. I know it’s really late.” He heads to his room, and I follow. He sits down on his bed, looking so damn lost. I think he’s used to always being the happy one. The bright shining light. And while it comes easily to him, no one can be like that all the time.

This subject definitely darkened his light. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” I say as I move to sit next to him on the bed.

“No. It’s okay, really. I don’t even think about them much anymore.”

I hope that’s the truth, but I don’t think it is. I wrap my arm around him and pull him tight into my side. I’d love to take away every hint of sadness from him. A guy like Cooper isn’t meant to be sad. He doesn’t pull away from me, and thankfully, he seems to sink into my hold, resting his head on my shoulder.

“It hurts. I hate that they couldn’t just love me for who I am. That they were so fully against that part of me, they couldn’t love me.”

“Fucking assholes,” I growl. “You deserve all the love, Cooper.”

My heart breaks when I feel a single tear drop on my arm, and I shift us so we’re fully lying down on his bed, our heads on the pillows. He snuggles into me. “What did you do when they kicked you out? Fourteen is really young.”

“They sent me to live with my aunt in KC. She had this tiny little apartment and about six animals. My parents never let me get any animals, so I was in heaven.”

I smile. “I bet. How did you end up at the animal shelter?”

His voice is a little muffled with it being buried in my shirt, but I can hear him just fine. “I saw an ad on Facebook. They needed volunteers. I was in high school, and my aunt was nice but not too thrilled with me being in her space. So I started volunteering. Never left.”

“They’re lucky to have you.”

He sniffs but doesn’t look up at me. “They saved me.”

His voice is so quiet, I barely hear it, but I do hear it all the same. I can’t imagine what the hell it would be like to be kicked out of your home at fourteen years old because of your sexuality.

Granted, I haven’t told my parents I’m bisexual. The only one I’ve ever told is Sebastian, but I know in my heart that it wouldn’t matter to my parents. My mom was a little bit heartbroken when Pheobe and I ended things, but it was only because she loved her.

I could tell my parents right now I’m bisexual, and neither one would blink. But for your parents to have so much hatred in their hearts that they kick you out for being gay?

I can’t even imagine that.

I smooth a hand over Cooper’s back, hating that pain for him. Hating his parents for him because I’m sure even after what they did, he couldn’t hold any hate in his heart for them.

Well, lucky for him, I absolutely can. I hate those motherfuckers.

“You deserve better.”

He looks up at me, his eyes watery and wide, his bottom lip being pulled down by his teeth. I want to free that trapped plump lip. I want to run my thumb over it and press my lips against his.

I want to taste him and find out just how sweet Cooper really is.

My dick is definitely on board. Stiff in my jeans and pleading with me to make that first move, but I can’t do it.

Cooper stares at me with wide-eyed innocence. It’s so beautiful and pure, I just can’t do that to him.

He’s too good. Too damn sweet for the likes of me.

He’s quickly become the best friend I’ve ever had, and I won’t risk losing that for one night of passion.

I can’t.

But God, do I want to.

I’m a weak, weak man. But I want to so badly, I swear I can taste it.

Instead, I settle for hugging his tight little body against mine and switching the topic to Rosie and Ralph and how they’ve started working together to tear up all my shoes.

But the thought of kissing him is this living, breathing thing inside me, just staying in the back of my mind like a total menace.

I’m not sure how I’m going to keep this up without messing up everything.

There’s no part of me that believes I’m that strong.