Page 47 of Bound by Desire
“You have no idea what it’s like to be in your shadow. To want something so fuckin’ bad you can taste it, but it’s out of your reach. You have no idea the shit I’ve been dealt, but I deal and move the fuck on. I had to become the man I amtoday.”
He turns fully toward me, raking his hands through his hair. “You done bein’ the manyou aretoday?”
Smartass.
“Fuck no,” I clip, and hechuckles.
“Look, I was pissed you left. Fuck, if I get real, I was pissed you didn’t see the potential in you everyone else saw. Pissed you acted like an entitled fuck. More pissed when I saw your mom cryin’ because you weren’t around. Pissed seein’ Emery watchin’ the brothers and sisters hassling each other and the look of despair every damn time crossing her face. Pissed for a long fuckin’ time for a lot of fuckin’reasons.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Now you’re notpissed?”
“Oh, I’m pissed.” To this, I feel my lip curl. “We’ll work that shit out later. Right now is about family. Need to know where yourhead’sat.”
This sounds like something my father would do—let Cooper come to feelmeout.
“My fathersendyou?”
He looks up at the ceiling. “Fuck, you got your hands fullwithhim.”
Coop’s been payingattention.
“Like that’s somethin’ I don’talreadyknow.”
“Youstayin’?”
I lean back on the couch and stretch my legs out in front of me. “For awhile.”
He crosses his leg over his knee. “That doesn’t soundpromising.”
“It’s all I can give ya. I’ll be here for Mom, and that’s whatmatters.”
He adds, “AndEmery.”
“Fuck, I don’t want to think about tellin’ herthisshit.”
“Betnot.”
“Emery tells me you got awoman.”
The jackass smiles hugely. “Bristyl. Things aresolid.”
“Good,man.”
“Hey!” Austyn chimes, coming out of the hallway in her sleep shorts and top. “What’re youdoin’here?”
Cooper’s face softens at the sight of his sister. “Came to talk to Deke,littlesis.”
Austyn pushes Cooper’s shoulder. “Don’t call me that,” she growls, but it’s fake and moreteasing.
“Shut it,” Cooper tells her as she walks over to the couch and plops down on the other end, propping her legs up. There are so many questions that I still want to ask her, but I keep them incheck.
“So, what do we owe for thiswakeupcall?”
Coop responds, “Havin’words.”
“Bein’ nice?” she asks, and I hold in achuckle.
“Always.”
