Page 72 of Collide

Noah wanted to tell him, thank you. Who would have thought Wes would be someone he called a friend? He couldn’t bring himself to do it right now, though.

“He lied to me, Wes. He didn’t even tell them I was here. I’ve been here months and he didn’t even tell them I was here. I don’t think…”

“Now’s not the time to think, anyway,” Wes interrupted.

He wished he could turn it off like that. “Thinking is all I can do right now. He’s not ready. I wanted to believe so bad he was, that it didn’t matter that he’d never been with a man before. We loved each other and that’s all that counted, but hell, he didn’t even want his family to know we’re friends again.” Which confused the hell out of Noah. Vernon had been so fucking angry the other day. There’d been more to it than finding out about Noah and Cooper. A deep seeded hatred that Noah didn’t understand.

“I saw the way he reacted that night at the bar. He’s in this just as much as you are. I don’t give a shit if this is his first time with a man; he wants you. Don’t think he doesn’t.”

Noah couldn’t deny that. “I believe he wants me. I even believe he loves me. But that doesn’t mean this will work. He kept everything about me hidden.” Noah had seen people ignore the signs. Seen his dad ignore them, not wanting to believe his mother had cheated again. Hell, he’d ignored them with David, too. He couldn’t ignore this. Actions spoke louder than words.

“I can forget the rest of it for now, though. I just need him to be okay.” Noah ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t fucking lose him like this.”

It was then that Braden walked up with a redheaded woman. She looked around as though she was nervous stopping in front of him.

“Well, I’ll be damned. So you’re the reason Cooper Bradshaw told me he couldn’t meet up with me anymore.”

Noah dropped his head back. What the hell had Braden been thinking? Like he was in the mood to see a woman Cooper used to sleep with. Plus, this was Cooper’s private business. He had no right to share it with this woman. But then he looked at her again, noticed the scrubs she wore. Fuck yes.

“Can you get me in to see him?”

She cocked her head. “If he wants to see you.”

“He does.” He did, right? Cooper would want to see him. Wait. “Is he awake?”

The woman, Adrianna her nametag said, glanced away. He was awake yet he hadn’t asked someone for Noah? He hadn’t called? It’s over…. He’s decided he can’t do this.

“Look, unless Cooper tells me he wants to see you, I can get into huge trouble for this. Let me see what I can do. I’ll try to talk to him today. Meet me at seven thirty, and I’ll see what I can do, okay? That’s usually when his family goes to dinner.”

“Thank you,” Noah told her. “And please, he hasn’t…people don’t know.”

She looked sad again. “It’s not my business to tell.” Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Now if Noah could just forget the fact that not only had Cooper kept everything about him a secret, but he was awake and hadn’t tried to get a hold of Noah, once.

***

Cooper’s throat was killing him. He knew his shoulder should be too, but somehow the pain medicine helped more with that. He hardly spoke because his voice only came out in a whisper and he knew he needed to rest his vocals but still, he asked his uncle again, “No-ah…?”

How stupid could he be not to have Noah’s phone number memorized? It was in his cell and he remembered giving it to the little girl, but no one knew what happened to it.

The parents of the little boy and girl had been in to see Cooper. Billy had smoke inhalation too but like Cooper, the little boy was on the mend. He’d saved him and as happy as that made him, he couldn’t get his mind off Noah. Cooper needed him. How could he not be here?

“Now’s not the time to worry about your friend. Focus on getting well. He knows you’re here.”

Then why isn’t he with me?

Cooper fought to stay awake. To push his way through the fog of pain and medicine but he couldn’t do it. Just like every other time he woke up, he slipped right back into blackness in no time…

***

Cooper had no idea how much time had passed when he woke up again. They’d moved him out of the ICU, he could see.

He let his eyes case the room, waiting for them to land on Noah, but again, the man wasn’t here.

Cooper squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get a hold of himself. Had Noah decided Cooper wasn’t worth the hassle? Did he change his mind? The pain in his shoulder, traveled to his chest. God, he fucking needed Noah. He wanted him here.

When he heard the sound of the door, he turned his head, hoping to see the man he couldn’t get enough of, but it was his aunt who slowly walked in.

---