Page 42 of Collide

He wasn’t surprised that Cooper knew exactly what he thought—how he felt. He never wanted to be that man. The one who let someone walk all over them. “You’d think I’d know the signs though. I saw it enough, Coop. Since David hid his relationships, well I guess, hid ours; that made it easier for him to do what he did. No one knew we were together, and, therefore, I didn’t know he was with someone else, either.” Noah’s hands squeezed the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

He’d sworn when he walked away from David, he would never hide who he was again. Not hide who he was with. And what had he gone and done? Found himself in an even worse situation. Noah not only had to keep his relationship a secret, hell, he didn’t even know if it was one. He wasn’t with a man who was in the closet, but a man who considered himself straight. Who’d always been straight, until they started fucking around.

Noah flinched when Coop’s hand squeezed his thigh. The grin on his face said he didn’t see where Noah’s thoughts went. Didn’t see the similarities. “You’re better than him. It wasn’t anything you did.”

Noah appreciated the sentiment, but he was also very done with this conversation. His body hadn’t loosened up since Coop started talking, and now Noah was drawing lines between Cooper and David that didn’t need to be drawn. They were only fucking around. Cooper didn’t even consider himself gay. He needed to remember those things. “I’m hungry. You wanna go grab a burger or something?”

Cooper’s smile grew. He could always be distracted by food. “I could eat.” He still had his hand on Noah’s leg and he had the urge to stop the car, and distract him with something other than food.

Not in public though. No touching because no one can know what’s going on.

“Why am I not surprised about that?”

Noah drove to one of the small diners in town. A really local place that everyone who lived here came to. They used to get ice cream here when they were kids. The building looked like it had been painted, the sign still saying, “Blackcreek’s.”

When they walked into the place, Noah stumbled a little, surprised at the differences. The Formica was gone, replaced with new tables and counters. The floors were redone and the walls had been painted from the old aqua color they used to be.

It was all warm browns, a very masculine feel to it.

“New owners,” Coop told him. “They moved here a few years ago and updated the place. The food’s a whole hell of a lot better too.”

Before Noah could reply, the hostess asked, “Two?”

“Yeah.” Noah replied, and followed her and Cooper as she led them toward a both in the back. Cooper sat down first and then Noah across from him.

About halfway through their meal, the warmth of Cooper’s leg pressed against Noah’s under the table. At first he figured the other man was stretching, shifting, something like that, but it didn’t move—the rough hair and Coop’s leg rubbing against his own.

Across the table, Noah made eye contact with him, and Cooper gave him a small shrug before looking down to take another bite of his food. It was such a small thing, and crazy fucking thing to like, but he did. It wasn’t something David would have done, yet already Coop did. Maybe their friendship made the difference.

Maybe somehow this would turn out okay.

***

Cooper hated the guilt that churned in his gut. He shouldn’t put off visiting Uncle Vernon and Aunt Autumn like he did. Watching Vernon now, as he carried a plate of lunch in to Autumn, who sat in her favorite living room chair, he forgot why he did.

The graying man across from him put his hand on Autumn’s shoulder. “Is everything okay, dear? Do I need to get you any more of that no-salt seasoning?”

Autumn’s legs didn’t work as well as they used to. They swelled a lot and filled with fluid. Neither of them were incredibly old, but they hadn’t been blessed with the best health either.

“I’m fine, Vernon. Thanks,” she replied.

“What about your tea?”

She leaned over and kissed his hand. “I’m fine.”

Cooper respected Vernon for the way he loved Autumn. He’d never loved anyone like that. It wasn’t the only reason he had to respect the man. No, he wasn’t perfect. He had a bit of a temper and was strong-willed, and not very forgiving, but the man treated his woman better than anyone Cooper knew. He’d been a good cop, and he’d taken Cooper in and raised him as his own. It had always been important to Cooper, that he did the man proud.

Vernon sat on the opposite couch to Cooper. “It’s been too long, Cooper. We live in Fenton, not on the moon.” There was laugher in Autumn’s voice. He loved the woman. She had the kindest heart of anyone he knew.

“I know. I’m sorry, Aunt Autumn. Between work and then fixing up my house, things have been a little crazy.” No they haven’t been. Not with Noah’s help. He’s worked just as hard as me. You remember, Noah? My best friend from childhood who I haven’t told you moved back? The one you let practically live with us and then never wanted to talk about when he left?

Which made another healthy dose of guilt settle in his gut. It was wrong of Cooper to hide Noah. Hell, they’d spent almost all their time together for three years. But then, Noah hadn’t been gay then. Coop hadn’t been sucking his cock.

And Vernon and Autumn had both been strange about Noah and his family, after they had left. Who could blame them, though? His aunt had always complained about Noah’s parents dragging him around to a different state every few years.

“How’s it coming along?” Vernon asked.

“Good. We got a deck built, planted some trees out back. I’m thinking of putting a Jacuzzi in. I want to get the outdoor stuff going, before the weather gets cold. We can work inside the rest of the year.”

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