Chapter Twenty-Three

Cooper

This day is going to shit. First, I was interrupted while eating my favorite meal—Parker. Then I get home to a strange car in my driveway only to be confronted by Monica, my ex. My very clingy ex. Her coming to visit me shocked the shit out of me. I had no words for her. I just wanted to get away from her. I hadn’t spoken to her in over four months. Why she chose to show up and act like it wasn’t a big deal was a reminder of why we could never work.

A shower was my out of that conversation. I had to get rid of her. She had to leave.

I’m dressing in my joggers when I think I hear the front door shut , which is strange since I didn’t even hear the doorbell ring.

When I’m finally fully clothed, I walk out just as Monica is coming into the kitchen from the front door, wearing my motherfucking T-shirt. The same T-shirt I was wearing some twenty minutes ago.

She must have gone in my bedroom while I was showering, which is crossing the fucking line. We haven’t been with each other in over six months. What she is doing here is baffling me.

“What the fuck are you wearing, Monica?” I ask with not one ounce of patience. This has gone on for long enough.

“I thought I’d get more comfy since I was in the car driving here all day, silly. I knew you wouldn’t mind if I got comfy, and you know I love wearing your stuff,” she says, smiling and walking toward me, trying to snake her hand into my hair. I dodge that bullet and go to the fridge to look for juice or something, anything, to make sure I’m out of reach from her hands.

“I think you should go put your clothes back on since you’re leaving in about ten minutes anyway. This visit is over.”

“Baby, I spent four hours driving here ‘cause I missed you. I know you don’t want me to leave just yet. We can have a picnic like we did back home. Remember when I was the main course and—”

Was she always this ditzy? Was she always this annoying? Jesus, what the fuck was I thinking?

“Monica, we are over. We were over a long time before we were over. We won’t ever be back to where that place was.”

“Baby, just one night. That’s all I’m asking for. We could watch a movie. Then see where it goes.”

“It’s not going to go anywhere.” I cringe, thinking of her calling me baby and think how I ever thought she was what I wanted. I breathe in deep, looking at the ceiling, not sure what to do next. After we broke up, she moved three hours away from ‘our condo’ and when I say our I really mean mine. “Okay, fine, I know it’s a long drive and it’s late, so you can stay the night, but come morning you have to go. I don’t want to drag this on, Monica.”

She looks defeated, but something in her eye sparkles. I don’t even know why.

“Okay, baby, want to order something to eat or do you want me to cook something for you?”

“Yeah, I guess we can order something for you. I’m training, so I can’t eat that food.”

I’m standing in the kitchen thinking I need to text Parker and cancel the plans for tonight. The thought of Parker writhing beneath me gets my dick semi hard, but I block it out before Monica thinks that it’s for her.

Babe, something came up. I gotta bail tonight. Will explain tomorrow.

I send the text, waiting by my phone for that ping with a response since she is always near her phone. When ten minutes go by, I look at my phone and see that I don’t have an answer, so I text her again.

Babe, did you get my text?

Ten minutes later still nothing.

Babe, call me.

One hour later.

Babe, is everything okay? I’m getting worried.

I haven’t heard anything from Parker, which doesn’t make sense. She always answers, but now my texts remain unanswered, my phone calls going straight to voice mail. I’ve been sitting down watching this chick flick, biding my time till I have to go to bed and making sure Monica doesn’t get too close.

Who the fuck knew she was this annoying? It’s been four hours since I’ve heard from Parker, and I’m about to lose my mind. I don’t know why but something in my gut tells me that something is wrong.

When my alarm rings at two-thirty, I wake up covered by a naked Monica. What. The. Fuck. Before going to bed, I closed the door and told her to take the spare room. How I didn’t hear her come in is beyond me. This is fucked up. I shake her off me while getting out of bed. She sits up and makes the cover fall off her tits, tits I loved, before Parker’s.

“Monica, cover yourself up.” I’m starting to get pissed. “What are you doing in my bed?”

“Baby, I couldn’t sleep.” She’s batting her eyes. “I just wanted to cuddle. When I came in last night you didn’t say anything, so I didn’t think it was a big deal. I mean, we’ve been with each other naked before.”

“That was before. This is now. I’m trying to be a nice guy, but”—I put my hands on my hips—“I don’t want you here. I don’t want you naked or clothed or happy or sad. I want you gone. I train till one-thirty. Can you please be gone when I get home?”

“But, baby, I booked off work for the week,” she complains like she’s going to get me to change my mind.

“That isn’t my problem. I’m here to concentrate on getting better. I don’t need nor want you here. You have to go.” With that, I turn and walk away, slamming the bathroom door. She needs to fucking leave.

I leave without a second glance. It seems Monica isn’t fucking getting it. She is now prancing around fucking naked. I swear she better be gone when I get home or I’m driving her ass back home myself.

I pull up to the arena on time and look around. I don’t see Parker’s Jeep, which isn’t strange since she always gets here two minutes before, and just thinking about her makes me smile. It makes my heart full. I can’t wait to see her. Being away from her was torture last night. We don’t have many sleepovers, but when she doesn’t have the kids she’s with me, and I look forward to that. I crave it.

I get out just in time to see Tom’s car pull up. What is he doing here?

“Hey, bud, what’s up?” I ask, grabbing my equipment bag from the trunk.

“I’m your trainer today. I thought you knew,” he says while looking at me like I have two heads.

“What are you talking about? And where the fuck is Parker?” My heart is hammering in my chest. The blood is going to my head. I’m feeling lightheaded. Fuck, maybe I’m having a heart attack. What if something happened to her and I wasn’t there?

“She called us yesterday maybe around three-ish. Told me that she’s done with her level of training, and it’s time for mine. I have to admit I was pretty surprised since she usually gives me a heads-up. Then she and Meghan went on a ‘road trip’.”

Around three. Isn’t that the time I was home in the shower and Monica was in my shirt coming back from the fucking door? I drop my bag and start pacing.

“Okay, Tom, I need to know exactly what she said, word for word.”

“Bro, chill. I didn’t even speak to her when she called Meghan. She was the one who gave me the message when she ran around the house gathering things and making plans for the twins. Is something else going on that I don’t know about?” he asks, and I see the confusion on his face.

“FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. She probably passed by the house yesterday on her way home from work and Monica answered the door in my T-shirt.” I’m pulling my hair. This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening. It’s all making sense. The unanswered texts, the calls sent straight to voice mail.

I look up and see Tom’s face filled with rage, and I know what’s coming.

“I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t give a shit who the fuck you are. If you fucked Monica last night, I’m going to knock you the fuck out. I wasn’t here when the shit with her ex went down, but from what Meghan told me it fucking gutted her, so if you are standing here telling me you were fucking around on her, I’m going to give you five seconds to get your sorry ass in that car and get the fuck out of here before I kill you.”

And I know in that moment he would. It is also in that moment I realize that I might have lost the best thing that has ever happened to me. I had found my purpose to breathe and knowing that I might never get to hold her again has my chest seizing. I have to rub my chest because, at this moment, it feels like an elephant is sitting on me.

“I swear to you and everything else I. Didn’t. Fucking. Touch. Her. She showed up out of the blue, changed into my shirt while I was in the shower. Wanted to get back together. I told her in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t going to happen. I woke up with her naked in my bed, but I told her she better be gone by the time I get home.”

I’m pale, and I need to sit down. I bend over and try to calm my breathing. “Nothing happened. I wouldn’t do that to her. I couldn’t do that to her. I love her. I love her with everything that I am. I would give up everything for her. She doesn’t know this, but I would, and I do. I need to find her. I need to fix this. I need to hold her.” In that moment, I fear I may never be able to do that again.

“I don’t know where they went. I got a call last night from Meghan telling me they arrived, but I never even thought to ask where they were. I assumed it was girl shit.”

“You need to call her and ask her where she is. I need to go to her.”

“You know she won’t want you there. I believe you that nothing happened, but I know those two. She isn’t giving her up if she doesn’t want to be found. I know this sucks, but you just have to wait for her to come back. You know she will. Her kids come back to her Friday night.” He looks at me. I see he’s apologetic, but I can’t do it without her.

“That’s four days. I can’t have her thinking I did something wrong for four days. It will eat her alive. What would you do if it were you?” I ask, hoping he finds pity in me and just finds an address.

“I would turn over every rock in sight to find her.” He pauses. “But I know that if Parker was involved and she thought she was protecting Meghan, there would be no way in hell I would find her. Those two would die for each other. Heck, she’d probably choose Parker over me. Why don’t we go and train so we can get your mind off things at least till I talk to Meghan?”

I know he’s right. I have to wait till he talks to Meghan. I just hope she lets me in.

It’s been six hours. Six fucking long hours, and I’m no closer to knowing where she is. Tom called Meghan, but her phone was off. He is trying to make excuses, but I know Meghan isn’t going to let me near Parker.

I’m just getting out of my training session with Adam when I see the blond head that has started all this, and in that moment I feel hatred like none other.

She finally spots me and runs over and throws her hands around my neck, kissing my cheek.

“Hey, baby, I found you. I was looking everywhere for you,” she says loud enough that Adam turns around, looking at the scene. It takes a minute for Monica’s words to register in his head and for him to glare at me.

“Monica.” I remove her hands from my neck. “What are you doing here? I told you I wanted you gone. As in goodbye. As in go home. As in we are done.” I’m done. I’m fucking done with this shit.

She pouts. Why I thought that was cute before I have no idea.

“Did anyone pass by yesterday when I was in the shower?” I’m glaring. I’m sure she sees it, and she steps back, unsure.

“Um, yes. Oh my gosh.” She giggles. “I forgot to tell you some girl dropped by and said she isn’t training you anymore, that she made arrangements for someone else. My bad. I was just so excited to see you, I forgot,” she says while trying to get closer to me. I hold my hand up.

“She isn’t some girl, she’s my girl. She is mine, and now because of you she isn’t around.” I’m leaning into her. My teeth clench, my hands balling into fists. When she looks into my eyes, I see her vindictiveness come out.

“Umm, the old girl is your girl? The one who is training you? The one who was wearing the ugly sundress that says mom alert? You want that over me?”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think. She has more class in her pinky than you do in your whole body. Word to the wise, think again before you insult the one I plan to spend my life with. It’s going to get ugly, Monica, and you don’t want that. Don’t make me an enemy.” My voice is laced with the threat. She sees I’m not kidding. She knows this is only going to end ugly if she continues.

“I gave you everything, and it was never enough.”

“You gave me a good time. I gave you the status. That is all you ever wanted anyway. You never wanted me, you wanted the star hockey player. Be honest for one second, and admit we had nothing. I’m going to grab a shower. I want you gone by the time I get out. Adam.” I turn to look at him. “Make sure she’s gone from here by the time I get out.”

“My pleasure,” he says with a smirk on his face.