“We’ll sort something out when we get home.” Pretending his use ofhomedidn’t curl around my heart, I focused on my confusion.
“Have one lying around from an ex-girlfriend?”
“Something like that,” he replied with his signature grin.
Ugh, how anyone could look that good all the time was beyond me.
“What time will they be there?”
“Four and they’re always on time.”
“Of course they’re coming atfour,” I said more to myself. “What time is it now?” I was already wondering if I would have time to shower and change.
“Time for you to get a watch, Evs. You ask me that same question no less than five times a day.” He challenged.
“Maybe I just like to ask questions,” I threw back.
“We both know you love to ask questions. Here,” he said, handing me a mint green leather jacket he’d retrieved from under the reception desk. “Got you one of your own.”
“You bought me a jacket?” I asked dumbfounded, not only at the gesture but at the way it made my tummy feel swirly. I held it up before bringing the leather to my face and inhaling deeply.
“Is that another question?” His grin broadened.
“Don’t you know the answer to that already?” I smirked, before pressing the aesthetic jacket to my nose again and taking another whiff.
“Oh, wow,” I breathed. “She smells so good.” It smelt like those midnight secrets which saw my face in my pillow and the other stuffed beneath me as…
“You like it?” Cooper asked, drawing me back to the present.
“Are you serious? I love it! And I will most definitely be paying for it. Thank you so much.”
He rolled his eyes, taking it from me.
“Here,” he helped me into the sleeves, spinning me around and fastening the zipper and buttons, before smoothing the sides.
I spun exaggeratedly, happy I’d worn jeans and boots now that I had this gorgeous jacket to go with it. “Do I look like the fake fiancée of someone who rides a bike?”
He cleared his throat, nodding quickly. “Unfortunately, yes,” he mumbled, and I grinned.
“Excellent. Let’s go have abeveragethen,” I said playfully, snuggling in behind him on the bike in an act which was becoming a little too effortless for two people playing pretend.
CHAPTER 13
Cooper
“Your little sister got hot over the summer, Micallef. Reckon I might have to pop her cherry.” Kenny sneered at Seb.
“Shut the fuck up, Ken.” Seb spat back, his eyes darting to mine before he shook his head ever so subtly.
He knew. He knew I’d heard and how I felt about her. But I was done listening to Seb telling me to leave it. Kenny had been talking shit for over a year. Anything and everything to get a reaction and he’d just discovered exactly how to get it.
Family was off limits, especially like this. Especially when it was Evy.
I was on my last warning. Another fight and I’d be suspended which meant I had to make this one worth the weeks of silence I was bound to get from my parents.
“It’s those tits, bro.” Kenny continued, although not even his mates smiled at that one. They knew the line was crossed and even Sebastian was having a hard time containing his anger now. The teacher, entirely unaware, was still writing equations on the board, but none of that mattered.
My ears rang, clouded with a pulsing echo driven purely by the need to seek justice.
