18. Cooper

CHAPTER 18

COOPER

"Coppertop, you got a guest," Rye hollered. A few catcalls went up, a few hisses. I raised my middle finger. Grabbing my towel, I headed for the locker room door in my flip flops. Practice had been brutal but good—preseason started in just a few weeks, and we were going to kick so much ass. I could feel it in my bones.

"Who is it?" I called out as I passed Rye, hoping he'd say Lucas.

He rolled his eyes. "Your new BFF."

Huh?

I stopped by my locker, grabbing my shirt and some loose shorts. If it wasn't Lucas, I didn't want to shock whoever it was by standing there mostly naked. It might be Phil, but according to his last text, he was in Beaumont dealing with some player drama for another client. Stepping out into the hallway, the slightly hungover person of Jameson Creel greeted me. "Oh lord," I sighed. "What is it?"

He chuckled dryly. "You got me thinking last night. To be honest, it wasn't something I hadn't thought before. And something my agent mentioned."

When he fell silent for a long moment, I leaned back against the wall. "Go on."

"Look, I'm not saying what I did was wrong. Lucas wasn't gonna fit my image, and there's no two ways about that."

"Okay then," I muttered. "Good talk."

"Hey," he barked when I turned to walk away. "I'm not here to make excuses."

"Seriously?" I whipped back around, crowding him against the opposite wall. "That's all you've done! Why are you here, Creel? You gotta understand I will not be on your side in this. You cost Lucas his job. You treated him like trash. Why would I sympathize with you?"

"I'm not asking you to," he snarled, but I was sure he was lying. "I wanted you to know... I'm trying to make things up to him."

"Huh?" I rocked back. "Why are you telling me and not him?"

"Because he won't accept it coming from me. So it's going to be private. But you'll know." He gave me a nod. "And so will I."

"Forgiveness in secret? It doesn't work like that," I laughed. "Creel?—"

"What're those head shrinkers fond of saying? You can't love anyone till you love yourself?"

"That's RuPaul."

Brushing that information aside, he waved one hand. "Whatever. The point is I'm patching up holes I've made. And right now, Lucas don't need to know I've tried. But I'll know. And now you will too." He eyed me one more time, a smile curling over his expression. "You're gonna go far, Coppertop. You're one of the best out there. Don't fuck it up like I did."

"You had a blown knee and broken femur," I said. "Wasn't your fault."

"I don't mean the game. I mean everything else."

As he walked down the corridor, back towards Coach's office, I stared after him. "What the hell was that?"

Lucas was curled up asleep on my sofa when I got home. He'd let himself in with the spare key I'd given him before heading out that morning. He'd made himself right at home, from the looks of things. Quietly, I toed off my shoes and set my keys and wallet down on the table by the door. Padding past him carefully, I took my things to the laundry room to sort and headed into the kitchen. It was late, past ten, the day stretched out by interviews with various sports agencies, meetings with coaches and medical team checkups. A rumor zipped around that Byrne was fired from Texas Sports News, and none of us were sad.

Lucas was still snoozing when I found the leftovers he'd put in the oven for me, a little heart drawn on top in parmesan.

I grabbed my phone and called Ouisie. "I think I love him," I said as soon as she answered.

"Hello to you too, Coop," she yawned. "Is this a good thing?"

"Yeah... yeah it is." Lucas snuffled in his sleep but didn't wake as I carried my plate to the table and sat down, Bluetooth in my ear and phone in my pocket. "I wasn't sure, but... he put a heart on my food, Ouisie."

"Well, that does it. Now you have to marry him," she said dryly. "That's true love right there."

"There's more," I laughed softly. "God, this week has been a mess."

"Tell me about it," she said, sounding sleepy. "I'll make some coffee."

"Don't keep yourself up. I'll call tomorrow. I just... I had to say it. I had to let someone know."

"Maybe you should let him know, huh?" she teased. "And when you call, don't make it too late. I've got a date."

"What? With whom?"

"Renny. Gotta go. Byeeeeee!"

"What? Ouisie!"

Lucas snorted. A moment later, his feet hit the floor. "Coop?"

"Kitchen!"

He shuffled in, not stopping until he perched on my thigh. "I made you a heart," he said sleepily. "How was your day?"

"I know." I smiled, drawing him in to kiss the side of his face. "And it was long. Tiring. Good. How about you?" I decided not to mention Creel and his odd visit unless I had to.

"It was... weird," he yawned. "You will never believe what happened."

"Oh? Try me."

He was right, but not for the reason he thought. As he told me about the ups and downs of his morning, he grew really animated about the scholarship. "I don't know who set it up, but it's like they knew me," he sighed happily. "I guess Marisol was right—it's time for me to take the next step. I'm so freaking excited, Cooper! I just… I wish I knew who set it up. I want to send them a thank you note or, I don't know, a basket or something!"

"Maybe," I said carefully, "someone wants to make things better for you." He tipped his face back to raise one of those expressive brows at me, a silent oh really, and I held up both hands in protest. "Not me. I mean, I would if I could! But I honestly didn't even think about the possibility of a scholarship."

Smiling, Lucas stretched up to give me a smacking kiss on the lips. "I believe you." He leaned back against me, drowsing as I took a few bites of food. "What were you so loud about earlier?"

"Hm? Oh, my sister is going on a date with her bookstore nemesis."

"Awwww! Enemies to lovers! My favorite!" He bounced, craning his neck back to kiss me. "Well, second fave after opposites attract." He grinned, wiggling those brows at me.

"Oh! That reminds me!" I shifted him from my lap, hurrying to the bag I'd brought in with me, the poor bedraggled thing having seen better days. "It's past time we trade."

Lucas' eyes went wide. "I… now? Okay?" He reached under the coffee table and pulled out his own beat-up bookstore bag. "On three?"

I laughed. "Sure." We held out the bags towards one another and, in his best cheer voice, Lucas counted to three. I grabbed his, he grabbed mine, the plastic bags flying. But the book in my hands gave me pause. "Wait. I think we swapped bags somehow…"

Lucas snorted, eyes shining as he held up a copy of the same romance novel I was holding. "Nope. Opposites attract, queer cheerleader and football player…"

"It's a sign," I laughed, my own eyes stinging a little, joy bubbling in my chest.

I managed to toss the book aside just as Lucas leaped for me, his arms and legs looping around me as I grabbed his ass to hold him up. Grinning, I dipped him back to kiss his throat as he squealed. "I love you," I said suddenly, and he went quiet and still. "Lucas?"

"I heard you," he whispered, lifting his chin to meet my gaze. "And I love you too. Now let me up before I faint." I shifted, taking us both down to the sofa so he could get more comfortable, and I wouldn't have to let go.

He settled against my chest, both of us quiet, glowing in the late-night glare of the kitchen lights. "Not now," I said after a while, "but one day soon, can we talk about moving in together?"

He nodded. "So long as you're okay with my cat."

"Baby, I'm okay with everything about you."

"Sap."

"Damn straight."