Page 64 of Bound by Family
“Fuck, boys, I’m goin’ home to make some art.” Scary Rhys claps a few of the guys on the shoulders as he takes off.
Cooper makes introduction, and each of them are very nice and welcoming. What’s not welcoming is the woman sitting on a white plastic chair with dark hair and red streaks throughout it. She looks pissed as hell at something; either that I’m here or that the guys are back, I’m not sure which. The way she cracks her knuckles, though, is not reassuring on my end.
Cooper laughs at something one of the guys says, not seeing the woman stand up and come our way. Not going to lie, part of me screams that I should run and hide, that she’ll tear me a new asshole and then some. But I refuse. With straight shoulders and head held high, I meet her head-on.
Cooper comes up to my side and puts his arm around my shoulder. A noise comes out of his mouth, but he doesn’t finish because the woman speaks.
“I don’t like her.”
This woman, who doesn’t know a damn thing about me, doesn’t like me? Anger burns in my belly, and my entire body tightens.
“And why’s that?” I ask, although she was addressing Cooper. If she doesn’t like me, she should say it to my face, not Cooper’s.
“You’re bringin’ trouble, and we don’t need that around here,” she replies.
I cross my arms in front of me. “I didn’t bring anything to your doorstep.”
She laughs. “Yes, you did. You think this shit’s over?”
“What do you know about it?”
“That you’re usin’ my boy to get out of a bad spot with your family,” she fires back.
“Mom,” Cooper says, shocking the shit out of me.
“This is yourmom?” The words catch in my throat. It takes me a minute to spit them out.
“Yep.”
“Great.” I look up toward the heavens, but they have nothing to give me. Guess I’m on my own here.
“She did—”
I interrupt Cooper by putting my hand on his chest. “I didn’t use Cooper. Did my family give me a little push? Yes. But I’m not using Cooper.”
“Where are you going to live?” she charges, hands going to her hips.
“I’m taking care of it, Mom.” Cooper’s tone turns a bit harsh. He’s getting angry.
“I’m going to take care of me. I have my own money and will get a hotel room until I find a place. The fact you think I’m using your boy means you know nothing about me at all. If you’d taken just a minute to introduce yourself and get to know me just a little bit, you would have seen that I care about Cooper. A lot. Do I want this to work out? Yeah, I do. If it doesn’t, then I’ll deal. Any way you look at it, I’m not going back to Crest, Florida. So, whether it’s here I settle or somewhere else, so be it.” By the time I end my little spiel, my breaths are coming in heavy and Cooper’s arm around me has tightened.
“Are you done?” Princess asks. I know her name from Cooper telling me during our many phone conversations.
“For now.”
“Mom, this isn’t any of your business. I’m gonna do what I damn well want. You know this,” Cooper tells her, and a small smile tips the corner of her lip up.
“She’s got grit and a brain.”
“No shit,” Cooper responds, while I say nothing.
Cruz, her man, comes up to her and wraps his arm around her shoulders. “Calm your shit. He’s growin’ up. You knew it was comin’.”
My heart instantly warms. This woman may not like me, but it’s really not for me. It’s because she doesn’t want her boy to grow up. What she doesn’t get is Cooper looks like he’s been grown for a while now.
“Sucks,” Princess says, her eyes going soft for Cooper. “I wish I could smash you small again.”
Cooper laughs. “Don’t think that’s smart, Mom. You gotta chill, though. I want you to get to know Bristyl. Trust me on this.”
