Oliver swallowed down all the water in one gulp. “What are you doing here?” He was going to repeat it until he had an answer.
“Are you just getting back from work?” Cooper ran a hand over the granite top on the breakfast bar.
“Shop doesn’t run itself.”And I’m all I have, thanks to you.
“I drove by, earlier. Pulpability. You know that’s a terrible name, right?”
Oliver’s grip could have shattered the glass in his hand. He considered squeezing harder. A trip to the emergency room would wrap this up quicker than being polite.
And if he called 911, he might even get to talk to Nick, eventually.
The idea of Nick and Cooper in the same place made his stomach roll.
“What. The fuck. Are you doing. Here?”
“How’s the store? Have you conquered the Seacroft wellness market? I like the hipster look. That must be doing wonders for your foot traffic.”
Dropping the glass was safer than squeezing it until it cracked. It shattered into a million tiny projectiles. The crash and the sound of shards skittering over the ceramic had the desired effect. Cooper’s smooth facade, his easy smile, faltered the tiniest fraction, and he danced back, hands coming out of his pockets defensively.
Oliver took the retreat as an opportunity and stepped forward, glass crunching under his feet. He was going to track it through the house, scratch the floors, grind it into the carpet, and he didn’t care. Not if it got Cooper’s attention. “Get out.”
“I called. I emailed. You wouldn’t answer.”
“You should have taken that as a hint.”
“Ollie, I’m sorry!”
“For what?”
“Everything!”
Oliver was breathing hard, sides heaving. “What are you doing here?”
He had never been so angry in his life. Not when Cooper broke his heart the first time. Not that morning at the market when he thought Anya was Nick’s wife.
“You need to leave.” He’d break something else, something bigger than a glass, if Cooper didn’t go.
“Can I—” Cooper held up his hands. “Please. Can we talk?”
“What the fuck for?”
“I—” Cooper glanced around nervously. “Look. Clearly showing up at the house was a mistake.”
“You think? And it’smyhouse. Not the house. You have no right to this place.”
Cooper stumbled. “I need to talk to you. Things have changed. Please. It’s important.”
An old fear bubbled up. “Are you sick?”
“No.”
“Dying?”
“No more than anyone else.” Cooper smiled, then seemed to realize that might not be the best choice, and it vanished. “I’m sorry. All right? I surprised you, and that was my fault. Can we start again? Tomorrow? I can come by the store.”
Oliver was irked he could say it so easily, like he had any right to be there either. Never mind they had picked out the location together. That was ancient history.
“Fine.” If Cooper got out of his house, Oliver would deal with the repercussions in the morning.
