Page 40 of Interception

“No fair. I want details! You got to hear all the sordid details of my deflowering.”

“The whole of America got to hear the details of you being devirginized, Faith.”

“I can’t argue with you there.”

“I’ll see you shortly. I’m hanging up now.” Before she gets a chance to protest, I end the call. She unwittingly hit a nerve. I haven’t let Coop see me in my birthday suit since I started to show. The way he has always looked at me—as if I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on—I don’t want to lose that. Pretty soon. I’m going to be a mother, and he’s not going to see me as the hot, sexy, carefree girl you can fuck every which way.

We’ve had some lights-out activity since my sex drive has kicked up a notch. For me, that’s still nowhere near my sexual appetite before the impregnating and all the puking. Hugging the toilet bowl hardly screams ‘come get me, tiger.’ It’s easier on my dwindling confidence just to put some distance between us. The other side-effect of housing Coop’s babies is that every time I look at him, I go all weird and gooey inside. It’s disconcerting, and I don’t like it. I feel like the Grinch, and my heart is reluctantly growing three sizes. Coop is a Who down in Whoville, except that he’s really fucking hot, and he’s an NFL god. Maybe not the best analogy, but I claim baby brain twice over. It’s going to be a rough day all around.

The press conference is interesting. I hang at the back of the room with Faith and Hunter flanking me on both sides. Coop is just as charming and heartfelt as I expect him to be. He reads a brief statement confirming that he’s going to be a daddy and that I am, in fact, his baby mama. He used those exact words, so he’ll be getting a punch in the nuts later.

Reporters erupt into a barrage of questions, and there are some not-so-nice comments, but Coop keeps his cool and speaks with conviction. From what I know about him, keeping his cool isn’t usually on the menu, but I’m happy he doesn’t rise to the bait. Faith is the one I really need to worry about—she’s ready to kill every reporter who has a bad word to say about me. She’s a one-woman lynch mob! God, I love that girl.

Coop is happy to see me here, and when it’s all said and done, he gives them all a show. The second he’s done, he makes his way to me, cameras flashing left, right, and center. He slides his hand over my stomach—it’s the first thing he does when we’re together. He gets this goofy grin on his face that I kind of love. Then he pulls me into his arms and kisses me as if our lives depend on it.

Hunter is the one to step in, and he yanks Coop from my arms, making a path for us to leave safely. Faith is at my front with Hunter, and Coop is at my back. I’m a baby sandwich. I don’t think I’ve ever had three people be so invested in my well-being. That’s a sad fact of being Zoey Porter. I let myself drink it in for just a moment, but only for a moment. Faith is the only person I trust implicitly in this world. She won’t hurt me or stop loving me, that much I know is true.

A friend like Faith is forever.

Men are a temporary fixture. Their love is fleeting. Sure, Coop thinks he has strong feelings for me right now, but they’re not even about me, they are about the babies. Once we’re in the thick of parenthood, I’m not going to be as appealing anymore. There’s a reason I don’t get involved with guys—I don’t want to give them the power to break my heart. I’ve already given Coop more than I’m comfortable with, but there’s something about him. He makes me want to believe I could have a happily ever after.

* * *

The press conference has stayed with me for days. Coop was so sure of himself, even in the face of ridicule. You have to expect it when we made sure not to be known as a couple in public and then coming out saying we’re having twins. I get why they’re surprised, and I only have myself to blame. If I had listened to Coop in the beginning, we wouldn’t be facing any blowback right now. I’m the gold-digging fame groupie to the press.

I sometimes wonder if I’m defective. I don’t get all gooey at the idea of tying myself to one man for the rest of my life. I struggle with the fact that I hate spending a night alone in my bed now. The bigger my belly grows, the more I crave falling asleep in Coop’s arms. He’s gotten under my skin, and I can’t seem to shake it. He’s like a barnacle, a super-hot, sexy, mouthwatering barnacle.

“Penny for your thoughts.” His voice is so gravelly when he wakes up. It makes me want to mount his morning wood every damn time, especially with these pregnancy hormones running rampant.

“Just that you’re a barnacle.”

“What?” Shit. I really said that out loud.

“Never mind.”

“You just called me a barnacle. I’m not likely to forget about it. Spill. Your mind is a freaky place. Just when I think I’m figuring you out, you come out with some random shit that throws me off.”

“I was just thinking about Faith. Our best friends are married. What does that mean for us? Am I going to lose her as a friend when we stop seeing each other? Like, who gets them in the break-up? Hunter is your best friend. Will I get phased out? Usually, when you split up with someone, you don’t see them again. We’re always going to be linked by our friends and by our babies. Everyone knows these things end badly. We’ll be splitting the kids between households, and that’s when animosity sets in. I don’t want to lose Faith if we can’t make it work.”

Coop throws his hand up over his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Why are you worrying about shit that hasn’t happened? Is there no scenario in your mind where we go the distance?”

“It’s just not realistic, but I want our kids to feel loved and wanted. Maybe we should quit while we’re ahead? Be friends so that we can be the best parents for these little people growing inside me.” My heart hurts at the suggestion, but that’s just more confirmation that I should stop this before I get too dependent on Coop.

“Fucking hell, Zee. You’re depressing as fuck right now. Just accept that we’re giving this a shot, we’ll have it all, and will be the happiest people on planet Earth… you, me, and the babies. We’re going to be a family, and I’m going to love you. So shut the fuck up about breaking up with me, and let me love you, woman.”

“You don’t love me, Coop. You love the idea of me. I’m all pregnant with your twins and your mighty seed or whatever you’re calling it. That’s what you ‘love.’”

“Right, because I couldn’t possibly be cognizant of my own thoughts and feelings. Jesus, you really are a tough woman to love, but I’m going to do it anyway. Okay?”

“Okay.” Even as I say it, I know I can’t.

Chapter Eleven

Coop

Today is the day. I’m going to ask Zee to move in with me. She’s going to freak out, and she’s probably going to shoot me down, but I want it out there in the ether. I want her to have options, and with every week that passes, we get closer to the babies being born. I want to live in the same house as my children and see them every day.

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