15. Monroe

CHAPTER 15

MONROE

O nce Cobb was back, I did my thing then got my pajamas on and crawled back into his bed. The lights were off so at least he wouldn't be able to see what I thought was likely written all over my face.

I'd buried any feelings I had for him because neither of us wanted anything more. But this… it showed what could be and that was the best experience of my life. Maybe it wasn't for him but there was no universe where anything would top that.

"Hopefully you can sleep now," he said in the dark.

My eyes were closed and I snorted. "I think I'm halfway there."

If he said anything after that, I didn't hear it.

I snuck out the next morning because looking him in the eye after what we'd done was something I needed to work up to. It wasn't the sex. It was the fact that I now knew that I really wished it had been more than sex.

Since I didn't leave a note or anything, I expected an irritated text from him, but one never came. In fact, I didn't hear from him at all.

Well, shit.

After going home, obsessing about Cobb's hands on me… his mouth… and showering, I did everything I could to waste hours of my time before going into my dads' house to see what the plan was for the game tonight.

"Hello, Fathers," I greeted them. They were both in the kitchen with a cups of coffee in their hands. Dad was wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt, which was basically his uniform when he wasn't working in the summer. While Papa wore gray shorts with a white T-shirt and a checkered button-down that was open.

They were far more stylish than me, given that I was wearing a pair of jean shorts with a Kalamazoo Knights tank top.

"Hey there, baby." Papa pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head, his nose hitting the bun I had painstakingly put my hair in. It was going to be a hot day. "So what's the plan? Game is in a few hours."

I swallowed hard. There was no chance I wasn't going to see Cobb there. "Well, I thought we could eat then head to the game. Tickets are at will call. Cobb wants to hang out after and drive me home, but I might rethink that."

Dad set his coffee cup in the sink. "If you would've told me, I wouldn't have given my seats away."

"I know, but it's last minute. I didn't know I wanted to take you. You'll be so impressed with what I've learned."

Dad narrowed his eyes on me. "So you wouldn't learn for us, but some pitcher comes along and suddenly you love baseball?"

I snorted at the ridiculousness of his statement. "Not some pitcher , right? Isn't he the best ? Aren't I supposed to be savoring seeing him play so that one day I can tell my children that I saw the greatest play? Even if he's not playing today, it would still spark and interest, right?"

Papa laughed loudly. "Not exactly."

Once I'd stopped laughing with him, I said, "I have always had fun with you at games. I've also gone to every game you've ever invited me to. Us going isn't unusual."

"Some guy providing the tickets is," Dad countered.

"OK." I shrugged. "We'll buy tickets instead, but since his mother is the owner of the team, I'd bet these are going to be pretty fantastic."

And that wasn't something either of them could argue with. Instead, they agreed for us to head out to dinner. Dad took us to his favorite non-fancy restaurant where we could get burgers because other than hot dogs, what else said summer baseball game ?

We were settled and eating, having a good time with lots of laughter, when Dad finally cleared his throat, clearly wanting us to be more serious. "We've talked about it, Monroe, and we don't want you to pay us back for the damages."

"I never wanted you to," Papa clarified, making Dad scowl. "What? I didn't. I may not have said it but I never did." They didn't have the kind of relationship where one backed the other up no matter what when it came to me. I guess they sort of did. Papa made his opinion known but didn't try to go against what Dad said.

"Right." It was hard to not giggle at the unbothered look on Papa's face. "I don't mind paying it back, though." I hadn't actually started at the coffee shop yet. The owner had said he'd meet with the manager to work it out and have the manager call me. It was only one of his locations so maybe he was still trying to figure out where to put me. After all, it was a favor he was doing.

Dad shook his head. "I realize now that what you did wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing where you were acting out or anything like that. I don't know what happened, but after seeing the doorbell camera video, I know he must've pushed you hard."

"He did." But I didn't want to go into that here.

"So, we're good. You don't have to work at the coffee shop unless you want to. I know you haven't started yet. You just had the meeting."

"It's your last summer," Papa told me. "Next summer, it will be all work… you can take this summer. Besides, if you want to work a little, you can come work for me. Or help Dad at his office."

Both of which would've paid better than the coffee place, guaranteed. "I'll think about it," I told them.

"With that settled…" Dad popped a french fry into his mouth. "What's the real story with you and Cobb?"

"We're friends." The answer was so automatic that it should've been received without question. My dads questioned everything.

"Then why do you have an edge of panic on your face because we're talking about him?"

Papa put a hand up like he was stopping me before I tried to play it off. "And don't try to tell us it isn't him when it's only there when we talk about him today. It hasn't been there any other time."

I took a deep breath. My dads and I could talk about everything. I hadn't told them about Owen as a choice but this wasn't going to be any different. "We had sex last night," I told him, not lowering my voice because we were in a restaurant. It wasn't like I was being loud and there wasn't anyone else in the booth behind him.

Dad's jaw tightened and he winced. "So you're together?"

I shook my head. "We're not. We just had sex. We're friends… who help each other out?" I shrugged because that might've been the dumbest sentence I'd ever uttered.

"Ah…" Papa nodded his head slowly like he knew what was going on. How could he when I didn't? "In our day, that was called ‘friends with benefits.'"

I cringed. "Yeah, I don't like that and it was a one-time thing. No big deal."

Dad took a deep breath then leaned his folded arms on the table. "You sure it's not a big deal? We can talk about this."

"I don't need to." I pushed my plate away. I was done eating for sure. "It had been a long time and… It was just once. No need to go into it."

Dad said, "OK," then he leaned back, watching me the way he did when he was trying to figure out what I wasn't telling him. He wouldn't push, though.

We finished up, Dad paid, then we headed to the park. The seats were right by the home team's dugout, which was uncomfortable for me, to say the least. Great seats, though, and when I caught a glimpse of Cobb, he gave me the guy head nod. I waved a lame hand then focused on the game. At least he wasn't pitching.

He wouldn't be out there on the mound taunting me with every freaking movement.

Camden showed up right as the last inning ended. It was a win for Kalamazoo and I knew that next she'd take us down to wait for him by the clubhouse.

That's where Dad, Papa, Camden, and I were when the players started filing out of the clubhouse. Man, they could change quickly. Camden waved her brothers over and introduced them to my dads. Brooks didn't hang around. After shaking my dads' hands, he said he had to go to the store.

"Where's Cobb?" Camden asked.

"He's coming," Urban told her. "He's got to deal with his future baby mama drama real quick."

Camden reached out and slapped Urban's arm as his gaze slid over to me. My dad's eye weighed heavily on me and everyone was looking at me as I stared at the wall behind him.

"You're an idiot," Silas said, then he pushed him away from us.

"Sorry about that," Camden said. "My brothers can be idiots."

"Not a big deal," I told her and gave her what I hoped was a smile.

Cobb had baby mama drama. Future, which meant the baby wasn't here yet, which meant that sometime in the last nine months, he'd gotten a woman pregnant and then broken up with her. What could the drama be? Was he refusing to take care of his portion of the responsibility? Was she insisting that they be together.

None of this should matter to me. We were friends. Nothing more.

It felt like forever with my dads gazes burning a hole through me, waiting for me to explain, but I couldn't. I didn't know what that meant. Finally, Cobb came out of the clubhouse with a tight jaw and angry eyes.

Once he'd gotten to us, Camden looked at him and said, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

But I shook my head. "It's fine, Camden. There's really no need." She opened her mouth, but I silently pled for her to let it go, so she did and told us she'd see us later.

"These are my dads," I told him. "John and Christopher. Dads, this is my friend, Cobb."

Cobb shook their hands, but my dads weren't all that nice. They were stranger-pleasant and not Dad-nice. Cobb's brows pinched together in evident confusion. The words they said were clipped and full of tension.

"Are you ready?" he asked me.

Now, I didn't want to ride with him or do whatever else he had planned, but if I said no and went home with my dads, they'd know that what I'd heard bothered me.

That was the last thing I wanted to deal with.

I gave him the best smile I could muster. "Ready."

"Honey." Dad grabbed my arm and gently pulled me away from Cobb. "Are you all right with all of this?"

"Yeah, of course." My voice sounded more sure than I felt. "We're not together, Dad. We scratched an itch. That's it."

"That's not like you."

I took a deep breath out of frustration. "Maybe it is now. I don't know, but he and I aren't together. We're friends. He can have ten baby mamas. It has no effect on me. We're friends."

Convincing them wasn't the issue. I was trying to convince myself.

Though I would've thought that as my friend, he would've told me about all of this.

Then I realized he hadn't told me because this situation had to be the exact reason why he'd always been clear that he could only be friends with me. Or anyone. Nothing more.

And I'd stupidly let myself fall for him, anyway.