Bittersweet Symphony (The Damaged Souls series Book 2) (7 page)

Chapter Seven

Cooper

“Shit, that might be your best yet, Coop,” Aidan praised, grinning from ear to ear as he silenced the still vibrating cymbal on his drum kit.

We’d been rehearsing for the past two hours and the new song I’d written last night was coming along nicely. It usually didn’t take much before the melody took hold, claiming the song’s words, and creating magic.

While I’d laid down the bare bones in the early hours of this morning, it wasn’t until meeting with the guys and adding in the different instruments that it became real.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, concentrating on the chord I was trying to tweak. Something wasn’t quite right with the ending notes. Strumming my favorite pick over the strings, a more harmonious tone echoed and I nodded.

Better.

“Caylee should take a break from you more often,” Marty teased, his own guitar in his hands. I didn’t even bother entertaining his comment. I’d listened to more than my fair share of moaning and groaning from him whenever Rebecca was busy.

Marty was like a little puppy when it came to Caylee’s roommate, regardless of how many times he denied it. It was actually a nice change of pace to see him being serious with someone—or as committed as he knew how to be. The guy was a major player. He put my efforts to shame.

Not that I was out there—sowing my wild oats, as my father liked to describe it.

While I wasn’t a horse, I’d definitely been an ass.

Not anymore . . . at least not intentionally. I wanted it to work with Caylee, more than I was comfortable admitting, but there was no denying spending the night apart had been rough. I’d become accustomed to seeing her whenever I wanted—needed. I just hadn’t realized how important she’d become to me.

The pulse of fear that always seemed to follow thoughts like that was joined with a brand new emotion, one that was unexpected but very much welcomed.

Happiness.

Fuck. I was happy—really happy—the
grinning-like-a-fool
kind of contentment.

Damn. She was good.

“Have fun with Rebecca last night?” I fired back, enjoying how satisfying it felt to see his features drop. I guess he didn’t realize that Caylee had confided Rebecca had stayed home as well with no Marty.

I wasn’t the only one missing his girl.

“This is why I refuse to tie myself down to one chick,” Troy chimed in, feigning a sense of superiority as he jokingly looked down his nose at us. “You both sound like miserable old men, lost without your women telling you what to do!” He followed his ribbing with a good-natured wink. It was hard not to remind him he loved the girls just as much as we did.

“You’re just jealous you have to go out searching for a willing bed partner,” Aidan laughed, quickly beating on his drums like he’d delivered the punch line to a funny joke. “Every day . . . you’re a trollin’.”

“And tell me you’re not doing the same.” Troy’s brows lifted, challenging his fellow band mate and best friend to deny it.

Aidan sniffed. “I have standards, bro.” He placed a heavier emphasis on the bro—his lips curled into a smirk. “Just because she has two legs and a nice rack, doesn’t mean she needs to go home with me.”

“Who says I take them home?”

“Fucking semantics,” Aidan countered. “Their place then.”

“Wrong again.”

“If the next words out of your mouth is you take care of business in the bar’s bathroom, you’re nastier than I’ve ever given you credit for,” Marty interjected, giving Troy a wary glance.

To which Troy rolled his eyes in response. “I’m not a complete heathen.” When his eyes twinkled, I knew he was getting ready to be a smart ass. “That doesn’t mean I don’t take advantage of a nice and quiet alleyway . . . the back seat of my car.”

“Dude,” I blurted, forgetting my inward vow to remain silent throughout this twist in topics. What my friends did with their sex lives was just that . . . private. “I fucking sit back there!”

Troy shrugged. “And I don’t fuck where I sleep. It keeps things simple.”

“You keep telling yourself that then.” I chuckled. I’d lived where he was—held the same beliefs of keeping people at arm’s length—keeping pleasure and business separate.

That was until Caylee showed up.

She’d changed everything.

Marty shrugged, agreeing to disagree. There was nothing much he could say. He’d also held that same philosophy for years. “As long as you remember, no glove no love. Need to protect your . . . assets.”

“Sock your cock.”

“Wrap your crap.” Aidan snickered. “You know . . . to avoid the clap. Damn, I’m good. I rhymed and everything.”

“Whatever.” Troy waved his hand, dismissing us. “All I meant is you guys sound whipped. Didn’t mean to turn it into a hate-fest.”

“Don’t be a crier when your dick’s on fire!”

Spinning around, my heart skipped a beat. Caylee was standing in the garage doorway, arms folded against her chest as though she’d been listening all along to our crazy banter.

“Oooooh, she’s brought her A-game!” Aidan crowed, finally standing up from behind his drums. He clapped Troy on the shoulder as he passed by. Approaching Caylee, he high-fived her.

Every part of me shouted to rush over—my body aching to hold her tight against me.

Inside, I stood there like an idiot . . .watching . . . willing her to come to me so I didn’t look like the desperate school boy in need of some affection.

Even though that’s exactly what I felt like.

Fuck, when did I become
that
guy?

My next thought was just as revealing—who the hell cared.

She was mine and I would act however I wanted. I just needed to get out of my own way.

“Hey, darlin’,” I whispered, my breath brushing over her ear as my arms wrapped around her waist. She was a perfect fit. It was tempting to never let her go.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Caylee answered softly. I caught a glimpse of how tired she was. My girl needed some serious pampering. “I lost track of time in the library.”

“Hey, better late than never.” Bending forward, I kissed her eyelids, savoring the way her mouth puckered in a contented sigh.

She leaned in closer. “Mmmmm, that feels good.”

I accepted it as the unspoken challenge it was. Cradling her gorgeous face between my hands, I brushed my lips over hers lightly, like a feather. Just the faintest of touches that hinted with the right spark, it could ignite the fire always burning between us.

Her hands fisted the front of my shirt, wrinkling the fabric, but that was the least of my worries. My entire focus was set on wiping away her exhaustion and showing her how much I’d missed her. Hell, the only thing stopping me from throwing Caylee over my shoulder so we could retreat to somewhere a lot more private was the fact this was my parent’s home—where me and my brother grew up. While the thought rekindled plenty of my teenage fantasies, it didn’t eradicate the line I’d be crossing.

Call me weird, but it didn’t seem respectful.

Plus, there was the awkward niggle in the back of my mind that liked to torture me with the idea that being home alone; my parents had probably had sex in every room.

I shuddered—momentarily distracted.

Way to go, Cooper,
I mentally chided.
Now’s not the time to let your mind wander.

“You okay?” Caylee asked, sensing something had changed.

“Nothing that kissing you can’t fix,” I replied smoothly, dipping forward again to capture her mouth. This time the only thought racing through my head was how incredible she tasted.

I couldn’t get enough.

She was everything.

Somewhere I heard the strumming of a guitar, the tapping on a drum, but as Caylee’s tongue pushed past my lips, gently stroking mine, the only sound that remained was the heavy thudding of my heart. This was how it was like every single time. Gripping her face tighter, holding on for dear life, I return her enthusiasm with my own.

In the end, I didn’t know who groaned louder—Marty or me. Of course, the asshole had a comment for everything.

I just didn’t give a shit.

“Mmmmm, I like hello’s like that.”

“It’s been so long my memory’s a little foggy.”

There was no hesitation. “It’s been two thousand one hundred and sixty minutes . . . give or take a few hundred.”

“Like I said . . . forever.” The sexy purr in Caylee’s voice was almost my undoing. “And don’t think I didn’t notice how adorable you were counting the minutes.”

I’d revealed my inner dork and she liked it. “So what you’re saying is you need a reminder?”

Lifting up on her tiptoes, she captured my bottom lip between her teeth gently, nipping before letting go. “Maybe a few. Just to be sure.”

In the background I barely heard Aidan mumble to Troy. “And that, my friend, is why I’d take what they have over playing the field any day.”

Chapter Eight

Caylee

He was turning me inside out and upside down. If this was how he kissed me after spending a day apart, we needed to do it more often.

Not that I enjoyed the separation. After looking at my phone forlornly, picking it up to see if he’d texted or called for the millionth time, I’d deemed myself a hopeless case and hid the device. What I couldn’t see wouldn’t constantly distract me.

I’d let that idea fool me for a few hours before I caved. But that was yesterday’s history. Everything was right in my world—I had a great scholarship coming my way, incredible friends, and a sexy-as-hell boyfriend.

My ducks were in order, or as Rebecca liked to say . . . something much dirtier that rhymed with ducks. She thought sex made everything better.

She was right.

Scratch that, sex with
Cooper
made everything better, and after the good news today, the cherry on top of a very delicious sundae.

“How much longer before we can head home?” I asked, murmuring against Cooper’s lips, loving the fact he also seemed reluctant to move from where we were standing so closely together.

Home was any place he was.

“I was thinking the same,” he softly growled, his seductive rasp sending tingles over my body. Cooper cast an over-the-shoulder glance at his band mates. “Maybe another hour? We’ve got a gig this weekend and thought about testing the new song. Think you can last that long?”

There was no mistaking he was feeling the same desperation as I was. Skin-to-skin . . . it was all I could focus on.

“Do us a favor, Caylee, and listen to what we’ve got so far,” Marty interjected, finishing the final tweak to tuning his guitar. “Let us know if it sounds okay.”

Cooper had shared a few sentences of the song last night, too excited to keep it a secret until it was completed.

Nodding, I slipped my hand in his, savoring the moment. He made me greedy for everything—big and small—every piece of him. After losing Owen, there was never a guarantee that things lasted forever. I was determined to never take someone I loved for granted again.

Life was too short.

“Dazzle me,” I answered, smiling. Dropping down into the armchair they’d dubbed my special
throne
, I snuggled up with Lola who’d been keeping it warm with her napping body.

“Be honest,” Cooper added, slipping his guitar strap over his shoulder and pulling the pick out from under the strings. “It still needs some work, but you’ll get the gist.”

I loved how nervous he got. It was definitely a side to him he didn’t reveal to too many. “Play it already, then!” I teased, waving my hand in the air for him to start.

The second the melody filled the room, I
knew
it was magic. It was that first impression—the one that I’d succumbed to over and over whenever I was buying something that screamed it would become a favorite.

My one-click addiction would one day get me into a lot of trouble. Even now, my finger moved as if it had a mind of its on—needing a button to press so I could own the song.

Cooper’s gaze never left mine as he stepped closer to the mic, his lips beginning to form the words. Damn, the man sure knew how to look the part of a sexy rockstar.

Lying across my bed

She’s everything I need.

With each breath she takes

Another part of me

Falls a little more.

The words, paired with his heated stare, made it hard to catch my breath. He’d written this for me—for us. I could see us in each line as the song unfolded; feel his heart in the music.

Four sets of eyes stared at me—waiting for my response.

“Wow,” I whispered, the emotion catching in my voice. “I can’t wait to see you play that in public, because people are going to lose their minds over it.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Troy asked.

His doubt made me laugh out loud. “How can you seriously ask? It was amazing!” I gushed, trying to find the right words for how the song had stirred my excitement. “I can even see it being played on the radio and going viral. Seriously, guys, it’s a money maker.”

“KA-CHING!” Aidan and Marty crowed, high-fiving each other like frat boys.

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Cooper murmured, surprising me by using a reference to God. I knew they had a rocky relationship from the time he’d taken me to honor my weekly ritual of lighting candles at the local church of Immaculate Heart of Mary. He’d warily had a conversation with Father Michaels, but that had been it.

I’d later found him sitting outside on the church steps, waiting for me. I didn’t push him any further, either. Instead, that had been where we’d shared our first kiss.

It had been magical and perfect.

Now, here we were.

He was writing songs inspired by our connection.

“I believe in you, babe,” I mouthed back. I believed enough in who he was for him—his own self-doubt often getting in his way. Sooner or later he’d realize what an incredible man he was—not just the sum total of all his failings and weaknesses.

Time and healing would bring him that clarity. All I had to do was love him, which was getting easier and easier, not that it was difficult to begin with. He was just a little rough around the edges sometimes.

Hell, it was part of his appeal.

“I know you do,” Cooper whispered softly, once again taking me in his arms. It seemed like there was no other place I wanted to be recently.  There was something about his touch—his energy—that skirted across my skin, bringing a sense of calmness with it.

I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I craved it.

“How about you go in and visit with my mom. I’m sure she’d appreciate the company.” I hadn’t missed Cooper’s quick glance at the clock hanging above the garage door. He was counting down the seconds until we could be alone. “My dad’s not due for another thirty minutes and by then, we’ll be done.” When Marty snorted, he added. “I’ll make sure we’re done.”

The thought of talking with Heather again made me smile. I didn’t think Cooper realized how much his mom liked talking about him, or how I always walked away with some juicy tidbit from his childhood. She was proud of her son—it was blatantly obvious each time she looked his way or mentioned him.

Lifting up onto my tiptoes, I kissed his lips once more . . . then again for good measure.

He was addicting.

“Okie dokie,” I replied, stepping out of his reach and watching Cooper’s hand slowly drop to his side. “Maybe today she’ll bring out the blackmail material.” I couldn’t help the cheeky grin that spread across my face. “Maybe even some bath-time photos.” Casting him a mischievous wink, I didn’t stay long enough to hear his response.

That didn’t stop the guys, however—their shouts for inclusion in whatever dirt I managed to uncover echoed behind me. The fact they hadn’t already tried conning Heather out of juicy details was a surprise.

Crossing the well-maintained yard, walking along the paved path I was sure Cooper had helped install, I tentatively knocked at the back door. “Heather?”

“Come on in, honey,” came her warm response from inside the house. I’d been there plenty of times to follow the sound. Sure enough, she was sitting at the dining table, shuffling through opened envelopes, a pen and notepad by her arm. “You caught me doing something completely glamorous.” She chuckled, lifting one of the many letters . . . a bill if I guessed correctly. “If only there was a way to escape it every month.”

Groaning, I slid into the empty chair near her. “If you figure out how, please tell me. Just the thought of what awaits me back home in my own mailbox gives me an ulcer.”

Nothing gave me a headache faster than knowing in the same breath that I received money, I then had to part with it. Just another
perk
to being an adult.

Heather dropped the sheet of paper with a long, exhausted sigh and absently rubbed at her forehead. “How are you, Caylee? How’s school?”

It was rough being so far away from my own parents. Having Cooper’s welcome me so eagerly into their family took away the gentle sting of being homesick. They’d accepted me wholeheartedly and I’d started considering Heather as my second mom.

It helped on those days when all I needed was a hug from someone who wanted nothing else but to offer comfort and listen. I sometimes wondered whether Cooper knew about some of the impromptu visits I’d made when I’d simply been in the area and needed to chat.

Seeing how close he was with her, I didn’t think he’d mind.

Sometimes the only one who could reach through that moment of panic was a mother.

“Same old, same old. I haven’t told Cooper yet but I found out earlier that I won the scholarship I’d applied for.” My face heated, even though I wasn’t embarrassed.

“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” Heather gushed, placing her hand over my own affectionately. Pushing away from the table, she entered the kitchen, the sound of glass clinking together filling the air. Moments later, she returned with two iced tumblers of homemade lemonade. “I’m sure you probably have plans to celebrate with Cooper, but it’s not every day we get to hear awesome news like this.”

Heather Hensley was pretty much a genius when it came to culinary skills—one of them being an expert at making lemonade. Until I’d started dating her son, my absolute favorite place to drink it ever was at
The Venetian
in
Las Vegas
. I’d gone there once and been singing its praises ever since. That was until a few weeks ago when we’d stopped by quickly so Cooper could talk with his dad.

She’d offered me a glass and I’d been hooked ever since.

Taking that first blissful mouthful, I didn’t bother disguising the orgasmic groan that erupted from within me. Eyeing the pitcher on the counter, three-quarters full, it was on the tip of my tongue to ask for a ginormous to-go cup of the heavenly mixture.

She must’ve seen my covetous glance because she nodded knowingly. “I bought a plastic container the other day that would do perfectly for you.”

This time I didn’t bother ducking my head, my skin heating with a blush. “You know me well, Mrs. Hensley.”

“Heather,” she murmured, taking a sip from her own glass. “It’s good to find someone else who appreciates such lemony goodness.” Winking, she rested the tumbler on top of the cork coaster, lightly fingering the ignored bill.

“It was the same in our house growing up. Me and my brother used to fight over it . . . determined to drink it all before the other.” The memory made me smile. There were countless occasions where I thought I’d had the upper hand, only to have Roman sit on me or do some fancy wrestling move he’d learned in gym. This would then lead to me screaming for my dad, complaining that once again, Roman was cheating.

If I had a dollar for every time my punk brother would smirk, retorting with his customary
all’s fair in love and war
, I wouldn’t have needed a scholarship for tuition and school fees.

Heck, I wouldn’t need to contemplate a part time job either.

I glared at the Hensley’s pile of bills—stabbing it with my mind. Life would be easier if money wasn’t an issue.

Heather smiled wistfully as memories took hold. “I’m surprised this house is standing after Cooper and Bryce.” The thought of them made me grin, too. I could just imagine the two of them tearing around each room, a frantic mother trailing behind them, desperately trying to salvage the furniture.

Which raised a question I’d wanted to ask, but never really found an appropriate time to bring it up. “Is that what happened there?” Pointing at the shadow box hanging on the far wall in the adjoining living room, it was hard to miss the shattered and cracked facade. I hadn’t gotten close enough to see what was hiding beneath the sheet of broken glass.

My stomach dipped at the sight of Heather’s features clouding over, her brow wrinkling as her gaze followed mine. “If only,” she murmured, paperwork forgotten.

Silently, I kicked myself for speaking up. I’d obviously struck a nerve or painful memory. Heaven help me, but it also stoked my curiosity more. What could be so bad yet still on display for everyone to see?

Pushing back from the table, Heather stood, crossing the small room before entering the next. She didn’t stop until she was facing the destroyed shadow box. Her hand stretched out so she could lightly brush her fingertips over it.

Without another thought, I joined her quietly—the two of us staring at the wall. That’s when I saw what lay hidden underneath.

That’s when a lump formed in my throat, tears threatening to spill.

Medals.

Cooper’s medals.

I knew they were his because Owen had been awarded the same at the banquet held in their honor.

Suddenly, I wished we were anywhere but here. A careless question and now we were trapped in different memories—our earlier laughter fading away.

“We were so proud of him, Caylee. As a mother, I want the very best for my children . . . whatever made them happy. It wasn’t a shock when Cooper announced after graduation he planned on enlisting in the Marines, choosing to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather. I’d smiled and hugged him tightly, biting my tongue as the rest of the family surrounded him. It wasn’t that I didn’t think he’d excel or that his dreams of helping others was misguided. He was my son . . . I just wanted him safe. I’d raised him, and watched him grow into this incredible man. In my heart of hearts, it was tough realizing I couldn’t keep him close anymore—that I would need to share him with the rest of the world. So when the day of his deployment finally arrived, I did what any proud mother would do . . . I kissed him, told him how much I loved him, and let him go. Even as I offered up a silent prayer that God would watch over him and return him to me in one piece.”