Damaged and the Beast (22 page)

“Oh.”

“Don’t fucking tell anyone,” Skye hissed. “Don’t think it’s cute or cool and talk about it with anyone. Not your mom or anyone. If you do, Cooper will have to cut you loose. I don’t think he’d have the stomach to get rid of you himself because he seems really into you, but Tucker would do you in a minute. That’s what the idiot’s good for. He doesn’t care about that shit, so don’t fucking talk.”

“I won’t,” I promised, thinking of how I’d have no one to tell even if I wanted to blab. “I wouldn’t hurt Cooper or his family.”

Skye’s angry expression eased and she sighed. “I just don’t want you blabbing and anyone getting mad at me, okay? My dad is an accountant. He’s not some badass. If we were in trouble, he wouldn’t know how to hide like some other fuckers. Man, you better not tell.”

“I promise I’ll never tell. I just want to go to school and hang out with you and be with Cooper. I have no reason to start trouble for anyone.”

As Skye nodded, I saw both fear and anger in her eyes. After a few minutes of sitting silently, she nodded again.

“You’re cool, Farah. It’s why I told you,” Skye said, calming herself. “I have a good life though and my parents worked hard to do well. I don’t want anything fucking that up.”

“I’ll never tell anyone what you said.”

Skye looked around the room then back at me. “You need to fuck Cooper soon if you want to keep him. I’m not trying to be mean, but he doesn’t go long without fucking. He shouldn’t need to wait for anyone and no other girl would tease him. If you’re teasing to make him like you, just stop. If you’re scared or nervous or whatever, get over it. Guys like Cooper get what they want and he wants you. Either you’ll give him what he wants or he’ll stop wanting you. Again, I’m not trying to be mean, but if you want to keep him then you need to ditch your emotional shit and put out.”

“I was thinking this weekend.”

“Good. Anything longer and I don’t think Cooper would want you anymore. I mean, he likes you for real, but he’s got needs,” Skye said, glancing towards the door where girls talked loudly. When her gaze returned to me, she smiled. “I know he likes you, so maybe he’d wait. Not wait for sex, but for you. He’ll just fuck someone on the side until you’re ready. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want Tyler fucking someone on the side because I was too uptight to put out. Not that you’re uptight. I mean, if you’ve had crappy fucks before then you’re bound to not want to jump in bed. Still, Cooper’s really good so just put out as soon as possible.”

“This weekend,” I said quietly, feeling anxious now.

“Look,” Skye said, sitting closer and softening her expression. “I get how you’re scared. A guy like Cooper can be overwhelming, but he can also be a great friend. Like even after he’s done with you, he’d still help you out if you needed something. Like if you were short on cash or if someone’s hassling you, Cooper would make things easier.”

“I heard he acts like he doesn’t know girls’ names after he’s done with them.”

“Oh, yeah, sometimes, but only if they get clingy. Also, a few of those girls were bitches to Bailey. Cooper can’t have anyone shitting on his sister. Still, with Kacey, he was always nice. When her ex was hounding her, Cooper busted the guy’s head open. Problem solved. They weren’t even fucking anymore, but Cooper helped her out. That’s what you need to keep in mind. You have a tough life with being poor and having nothing, but Cooper can make it easier. Not just while you’re together, but even afterwards. It’s a long four years you’ll spend here and why not have a friend like Cooper? So when you think about how maybe you’re not ready or whatever, just think about how being a friend to Cooper is better than being the bitch that teased him and never put out. Don’t be that bitch.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded. “I won’t.”

“Of course, you won’t because you’re cool. That’s why you’re my best friend. Even better than Bailey who threw a beer at me because I have a boyfriend and she doesn’t. You’d never do that, would you?”

Shaking my head, I smiled at Skye who smiled back at me.

“Bailey is like a cousin to me. That’s how family is, you know? They suck sometimes, but you still love them. Well, I love Bailey, but she sucks a lot. You better be ready to duck if you go out with us this weekend. She’s really pissed about not having a boyfriend.”

“She’s so pretty and fun. It seems weird that she can’t find someone.”

Skye frowned at me then reached for another pizza slice. “Would you want to date a chick like Bailey, knowing who her family was? Like what if you pissed her off and Tucker showed up at your place with a baseball bat? Not cool.”

By the time Skye drove me home, I was ready to cry for the rest of the night. I felt stuck in a relationship with a scary guy from a criminal organization. A scary guy I couldn’t get enough of either.

Arriving home, I found Amy at the kitchen table with a hippy-looking guy. While he was probably a decade younger than her, my mom screamed MILF. Cougars ran in my family too.

“Yo,” the guy said. “I’m Tex.”

“That’s my oldest girl. I have two, remember?” Amy mumbled, sounding drunk.

“Oh, I remember,” Tex said, giving her a grin. “I remember every sexy word you say.”

Amy laughed while I tried not to roll my eyes. Walking to my room, I shut and locked the door before considering whether to shove a dresser against it. I wanted to call Tawny, but my thoughts were all jumbled up.

I needed to have sex with Cooper that weekend. It was all I could think about as I waited for Skye to pick me up for work. If I put off sex any longer, Cooper would punish me. Or cheat on me. I didn’t like either consequence. If I made Cooper happy, he could be a good friend. I needed good friends.

Under all of the panic, I missed Cooper. Like when Skye scared the shit out of me during our friendly chat, I wanted Cooper to hold me. He made the ugliness in the world fade away. Yet, he was scarier than Tex or Skye. Cooper was the guy other scary guys were afraid of and I was planning to have sex with that uber scary guy. I just hoped I didn’t do anything wrong to make him my enemy.

On the ride to work, Skye talked about Tyler’s chest. How she liked to touch it with her fingers. How she liked to lick it. How she liked to rub her nipples against it. Skye was deeply in love with Tyler’s chest. I also sensed she was getting me revved up for my sex weekend with Cooper. Instead, I felt worse because I doubted I would ever like Cooper’s chest as much as she liked Tyler’s. I just wasn’t that horny of a person.

Work sucked. My only customers were rude college students who tipped me a dime then came back and asked for change. My normal older customers arrived during my break so they ended up with Piper. Overall, it was a crap shift until Aaron arrived an hour before I was ready to leave.

The cobra up the neck gave him away and I doubted he could do stealth well. Once Aaron was seated, he ordered coffee and a burrito then kept his head down. I glanced at his sketches when I delivered the food and he really was an artist. I suspected he was the one who did the beautiful black and gray angel on Cooper’s arm that I loved so much.

Aaron wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Quiet and clean cut, he looked like an average guy except for his tattoos. He also had a great smile as he walked me to his little Honda.

“You’re not what I was expecting,” Aaron said as we drove to my apartment.

“Why?”

“Cooper is in heat over you,” he said then added quickly, “Not that you aren’t hot. I just thought you’d be a wild harlot or something.”

“Oh.”

Aaron smiled. “Coop’s a great guy. Loyal to a fault. He’ll bail you out when you’re in trouble. Do whatever necessary to help a friend in need. He’s loyal with girls too. Not that I’ve seen him in a relationship that lasted more than a week, but he didn’t mess around for that week.”

Nodding again, I wasn’t sure what to say so Aaron continued as we neared my apartment, “So Coop’s great, but he’s also an entitled ass. He was born thinking the world owed him shit. Things have always been so easy for him too. He’s got money, a good family, looks, brains. Everything is just handed to him so he has no patience. He wants what he wants that very second or the world has screwed him.”

Remaining quiet, I thought everything Aaron said was dead on.

“I know Cooper can be too much. He can be loud and rude. He can dominate those around him and see nothing wrong with it. I’ve been ready to tell him to fuck off plenty of times over the years. He just takes what he wants and only after people complain does he ever think about consequences. Yet, if you like him even a little bit and think you can endure the stupid shit that comes out of his mouth sometimes, I’d suggest you hold onto Cooper. He’s pretty crazy about you and that doesn’t happen with him. Who knows, maybe you can train his rude mouth so it doesn’t spit out whatever insane shit he’s thinking?”

“I don’t know if I’m that good.”

Aaron pulled to the curb and turned off the car. “Don’t get offended by him sharing this with me, but I know you two haven’t slept together yet. Cooper has a rule about waiting a week for a girl to put out. It’s been longer than a week since he started talking about you. You haven’t put out in that time, but he’s still waiting. You have more power than you think so don’t let his big mouth make you think otherwise.”

“I really like Cooper, but he’s a bit…” I said, unable to finish.

“Rough? A huge asshole? I know, but he’s gotten away with that all of his life. If he needs to behave, he can though. I hope you’ll give him a chance. He’s my friend and I want him to be happy, but you’re not what I thought you’d be. I prefer what you are because it makes me think he has good taste.”

When I smiled, Aaron sighed. “I want to make it clear that I’m not kissing your ass or coming onto you. I should just point out how if Coop ends up with some loudmouth ballsy chick that he’d never shut the fuck up. He needs someone to keep him from turning into a fulltime asshole.”

“Do you think he’s okay? I don’t really know what he’s doing and his leaving happened so fast.”

“He’ll be fine. Coop gets what he wants, remember?”

Nodding, I still felt lonely with Cooper so far away. He was the person in Ellsberg I trusted the most. I knew it was foolish to become so attached, but he was mine and I needed to know he still wanted me. I’d have to wait two more days to find out.

One of the evening regulars was an older woman named Nancy. She came in nearly every night for dinner and every morning for breakfast. For her evening meals, she began requesting me. Piper hated me a little for this, only because I think Piper was homesick and was happiest when hating someone.

Nancy and I were talking about the weather when her gaze focused on the person waiting to be seated. Looking towards the front of the restaurant, I nearly giggled with relief at seeing Cooper. For whatever reason, I had started worrying he would never come back.

Excusing myself with Nancy, I tried to casually walk to Cooper, but nearly ran instead. Then, he gave me a cocky smile, knocking the wind out of me. As if I was the latest stupid girl to think she mattered.

“What now?” he asked, losing his smile. “You were happy then somehow the walk over here made you unhappy. I have a talent apparently.”

“I missed you.”

Cooper’s smile returned, but this one was softer. His dark eyes studied me then he pulled me to the front door where there was more privacy.

“Hell yeah, you did,” he whispered, kissing me as his arms wrapped me against him.

My fingers gripped his white tee and I wished everything I thought about him was true. Could he be mine forever? Forget his money and influence, Cooper’s affections made me feel special. I had never felt that way before and it was addictive.

Pulling his lips away, Cooper kept me snuggled in his arms. “Never have I missed a girl like I missed my girl the last few days. You can’t know how crazy bad I wanted to get to town.”

“I missed you,” I said again, unable to explain how much better I felt with him back.

Cooper studied me in a gentle way like maybe he did understand. His strong fingers twirled my ponytail. “Baby, let me hang out until you get off. Then, I’ll drive you home and we’ll stop missing each other.”

Nodding, I thought of sex. Cooper used his ability to read my every facial expression to figure out what I was thinking.

“You look tired,” he whispered in my ear. “I drove half the day and my ass is asleep. I’m not having our first time happen with a tired butt.”

Laughing, I tugged at his shirt. “I really missed you and I didn’t take any shifts for this weekend. Hopefully, your ass will feel better by then.”

Cooper lifted a brow and gave me a little nod. “Oh, it’ll be tiptop by then.”

“I hope so,” I said, squirming free of his warm embrace. “Will you have your usual?”

“When do you go on your break?”

“In an hour.”

“I’ll wait to eat until then so you can join me.”

Smiling like an idiot, I missed him more than I should have. Even so, everything instantly felt better knowing Cooper was nearby.

Saying nothing specific about his trip, he mainly asked about Aaron and if anyone hassled me. I told him I was fine except for missing him. This comment sent Cooper’s horniness into overdrive and he proved how much he missed me when we got to my place.