“She hasn’t said as much, but I think we’re heading in the same direction.”
Stepping into the driver’s seat, Spencer said, “I hope you’re right, buddy. But if you hit a snag, you’ve got friends, okay?”
“No snags in sight,” Cooper said, more for his own benefit than Spencer’s. “But that’s good to know.”
For all intents and purposes, Haleigh should have been a walking zombie considering how little sleep she’d had in the last few days. Instead, she’d never felt so awake in her life.
Each night, they talked about their day while making small meals in Cooper’s kitchen. Another benefit from the high-energy sex was a return of Haleigh’s appetite, and her new lover was more than happy to feed her, body and soul. Never much of a domestic goddess, she’d been surprised to feel so comfortable in Cooper’s kitchen. She made sandwiches while he mixed sweet tea. Or he flipped the grilled cheese while Haleigh stirred the tomato soup.
What they were doing didn’t seem to matter as much as that they were doing it together. And heaven help her, Haleigh wanted to keep doing everything with Cooper for a very long time.
Not that she’d admitted as much, at least not aloud. To say Cooper had gotten a head start on this relationship was like saying the sun was kind of far away. For Haleigh, this was all brand-new. Shiny and bright and possibly misleading. What did she know about healthy relationships? She still didn’t even like herself all that much, though the more Cooper preached of her awesomeness, the more she grew to believe him.
That fact was, each day she spent with him, the happier she got. And the happier she got, the greater the fear of messing up.
“You just couldn’t stay away from him, could you?” asked a voice behind her.
Haleigh jumped, splashing coffee onto her hand. “Hot hot hot,” she said, shaking the steaming liquid off her skin. “Warn a girl before you scare her half to death, Abby,” Haleigh mumbled as she reached for a napkin.
Since Abby’s shift had ended hours ago, encountering her in the cafeteria at ten in the morning was unexpected. And based on her opening line, her sentiments regarding Haleigh dating her brother hadn’t altered in the last two weeks.
“I talked to Jessi this morning,” her roommate said, ignoring the sarcastic comment. “She’s exhausted. It seems Emma still isn’t sleeping and there hasn’t been anyone else around to help during the night.” Tilting her head, she added, “I’ve been at work. What’s your excuse?”
Abby must have caught Jessi in a weak moment. She never would have squealed otherwise.
“It’s obvious that you know where I’ve been, so excuse me if I refuse to play your interrogation game.” As much as she loved her best friend, Haleigh was creeping extremely close to her limit where this attitude was concerned. So she didn’t have a great track record. Big effing deal. Everybody deserved a second chance.
Haleigh moved to step away from the coffee counter, but Abby blocked her path. “You promised.”
“I promised not to hurt him,” Haleigh clarified. “I never said I wouldn’t see him.”
“We both know that one always leads to the other,” Abby insisted.
Taking a deep breath, Haleigh battled with the desire to tell her best friend exactly where she could stick it. Instead she said, “What did I do, Abby? What unforgivable sin did I commit to bring this on? Every relationship I’ve had didn’t end with a man going down in flames. Have they all been healthy? No. Was I always the worst person in the pairing? Absolutely not. I admit that I have issues. Everyone does. But I’m doing my best to make a change, and I am not going to continue being unhappy because you and my mother believe I haven’t yet paid my penance.”
Once the words were out, Haleigh felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She was not a villain, and she would no longer accept being treated like one. Since Abby didn’t respond, she said, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to work.”
Unfortunately, Abby wasn’t finished. “I want you out,” she said, jerking Haleigh to a stop with her words. “You have thirty days.”
Open-mouthed, Haleigh watched the dark-haired stranger walk away. No way in hell was this all about Cooper, but whatever the source, Abby had officially pulled the plug on their friendship. Haleigh fought down the bile collecting at the back of her throat.
Twenty-three years and Abby tossed her away without showing a hint of regret. As if cutting Haleigh out of her life was as simple as taking out the trash. Feeling empty, she waited for the urge to hit. The desire for a drink that would tip her off the wagon once more.