Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
ABBY
Maya Lowry.
My psychiatrist and trusted confidante.
The same woman who had never once mentioned having any kind of relationship with Cooper McAllister, let alone an intimate one.
Confusion pinched my chest as I flustered on the doorstep.
“Can I help you?” Maya asked, her tone edged with false kindliness.
I tried to find my voice. It was in there, somewhere, hidden within the simmering anger and shellshock. “Um…what are you doing here?”
She smiled, head canting thoughtfully. “What are you doing here?”
Cooper appeared in the doorway, his eyes flashing with surprise when he spotted me. “Abby. Hey.”
“Hi,” I squeaked out. Cooper was already dressed in his uniform, his hair still damp from a shower.
“Sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”
He glanced at Maya with what looked to be contempt. “She was just leaving.”
“No, I’ll go,” I said quickly. “We can talk another time.”
I didn’t wait for Cooper to reply. I couldn’t bear to see the woman I’d confided in, standing next to the man I had feelings for, wearing nothing but said man’s T-shirt. I couldn’t stand to even look at Maya, with her smug eyes and long, toned, do-me-now legs.
It made me want to vomit.
Hardly halfway down Cooper’s driveway, I felt him jog up behind me. I turned to face him, trying my hardest to hold back the dam of ridiculous tears.
Hazel eyes shimmered with something akin to an apology as he gazed down at me. “Uh…that’s not what it looked like,” he said, scratching his head, looking fidgety. “That was Maya. She’s—”
“I know who she is,” I bit out. My gaze shifted to Cooper’s house, where Maya was watching with interest from the doorway. “She’s my psychiatrist.”
“What?” Cooper frowned, reeling back. “I didn’t realize you were seeing one. Plus, I would have assumed you’d be referred to someone in Crow’s Peak.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, well…she never told me she was dating you.”
“She’s not. We’re not…” Pausing, he rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. “Abby, she’s my ex-wife.”
I choked.
Blinking rapidly, I tried to absorb the physical ramifications of that bombshell. I could practically feel the color drain from my face as my throat closed up.
A hot flush crept up my neck.
“She never told me any of that. I talked about you. I told her things…” Oh, my God.
Maya Lowry was Cooper’s ex-wife? I’d implied that I had feelings for him.
I’d opened up, handed her my heart, and allowed myself to be vulnerable.
Maya had used those feelings to feed her own agenda. “I-I have to go.”
“Abby, wait.”
I ignored him, racing down the driveway and turning onto the sidewalk. My pace quickened with every step. I couldn’t let him see me like this.
I couldn’t let him see how much it hurt.
“That trashy bitch.”
Daphne sat on the edge of the guest bed, chewing on one of her manicured fingernails. I huffed out a response as I re-packed some of my belongings into a box.
A few days had passed since the awkward confrontation with Maya on Cooper’s doorstep, and the sellers had accepted my cash offer on the property down the street.
It was a much easier process than I’d anticipated.
We had settled on a quick closing, so I was able to schedule my move-in day in just over two weeks.
I didn’t have a ton to pack, but I took my time as a way to keep my mind busy.
I blew a strand of hair out of my eyes. “Yeah, she’s lovely,” I muttered miserably.
“I never liked her. I have no idea what Henry sees in her.”
“You don’t like anybody,” I teased.
An eyebrow raised. “Rude. I like you.” Then she squinted with mock scorn. “Sometimes.”
Shrugging, I crinkled my nose. “Anyway, I don’t think she’s seeing Henry anymore, from what I gathered.”
“She’s probably banging them both. She’s a giant ho.” Daphne pretended to shove her finger down her throat while making gagging sounds. “Have you talked to Cooper about it?”
“Nope. I’ve been avoiding him like my annual dental exam.”
I wasn’t angry at Cooper; I had no reason to be. He was allowed to sleep with whomever he wanted to sleep with, even if it happened to be the traitor I’d apparently been paying to crush my already fragile psyche. I just wanted to distance myself.
I needed to distance myself.
“Good. Maybe he’ll take a hint and find a new driveway to stalk.” Daphne twirled a piece of red-orange hair around her finger. “Hey, want to go out tonight? I could use some tequila and bad decision-making.”
Tequila.
I could almost smell it on Cappy’s breath as he snarled in my face. My own breath caught, and my body momentarily froze.
Apparently, I still had a few triggers.
Daphne noticed my reaction and sat up straight, her hands lifting to her chest with horror. “Oh, shit, Abs. The last time we went out… Shit. I’m sorry. It’s way too soon.”
“No, no. It’s fine, Daphne.” I pushed the feelings away and tried to center myself. “I’m just not really feeling up for drinking tonight. Rain check?”
She nodded, her medium-length hair fluttering over her shoulders. “Of course. Want me to stay in with you? We can find a new show to binge and drink an unhealthy amount of cheap wine?”
The proposal sounded appealing, but I shook my head.
Daphne had sacrificed too much of her free time making sure I wasn’t alone.
Between her shifts at the hair salon and self-proclaimed “Best Friend Duty,” Daphne deserved a little fun.
“Go out, have fun. A quiet night to myself sounds nice. I can plan my interior design schemes.”
“Girl, you know I’m all in for that. Let’s—”
A knock at the front door interrupted the conversation.
I stood from my place on the floor. “I’ll get it.”
“Hell no. It could be the Publishers Clearing House with my big, fat check.” She fluffed her hair as she hopped off the bed. “Am I camera-ready?”
I snorted. “You always are.”
She winked, then dashed to the front of the house.
Disappointment flickered across her face when she returned, sighing out loud. “It was literally no one.”
I frowned and peeked out through the blinds. Kate McAllister was standing on the porch with crossed arms and venom shooting from her eyes. “Daph, did you just shut the door in her face?”
“So? As if one McAllister hanging around here all the time isn’t enough?” Daphne shot back.
Groaning, I sent her an irritated look before racing to the front door. I whipped it open to find Kate already making her way down the graveled walkway. “Hey, wait.” The screen door squeaked on its hinges as I stepped outside.
Kate swiveled around, her hands stuffed in her cargo pockets. “I was really hoping she wasn’t home.”
“Sorry.” I offered a sheepish smile, tightening my long ponytail as I approached Kate. “Trying to make friends with my best friend’s sworn nemesis will be much easier when I’m not living in her house.”
She chuckled, her posture relaxing. “No reason to be sorry. It’s not your drama.” Taking a tentative step forward, she bounced on the toes of her shoes. “I came by to see how you were doing. My brother said you’ve been avoiding him.”
My eyes panned to the orange-and-yellow lilies lining the side of the garage.
I fumbled for words, feeling mildly guilty for letting Cooper sit alone in his patrol car for the last few days.
I hadn’t bothered to say hello, or even invite him inside.
He wasn’t to blame for my own insecurities, or for Maya’s unprofessional slap in the face, but I couldn’t find the courage to talk to him just yet.
The hot summer sun blazed down on us as I finally glanced back up at Kate. She was squinting against the light, her hand pressed to her forehead to block the glare. “Avoiding is an exaggeration,” I said. “I prefer ‘keeping a friendly distance.’”
Kate strolled toward me, her petite frame drowning in her oversized pants and T-shirt. She was a tomboy but still strikingly pretty. “He’s not with her, you know.”
I pretended to have no idea who Kate was referring to. “What do you mean?”
“Maya. He’s not with that hoochie.”
“Oh, well…that’s none of my business.” I fiddled with my ponytail, my focus darting around the front yard.
“Whether it is or it isn’t, those are the facts. I don’t know all the details, but I know enough. And I know my brother,” Kate said with conviction. “When he’s checked out, he’s checked out. And he’s been checked out of Maya’s mind games for a long time.”
I swallowed.
Then why did she open his front door with no pants on?
I was too much of a coward to ask.
“Look,” she continued. “Maybe it’s not my place, but sometimes I enjoy sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. I’m obnoxious like that.” She grinned, her white teeth and wide smile lighting up her face. “Cooper cares about you. This is more than just a case to him, you know?”
My insides shimmied at Kate’s words. “You’re sweet, but I think you’re reading into things.”
“Actually, I’m not sweet. I’m quite literally the opposite,” she volleyed back. “I call it like I see it. You can be pissed at Maya. She’s an awful person, and she deserves whatever you throw at her. But cut my brother a little slack. He’s sacrificing a ton of his free time for you.”
Ouch.
I wouldn’t be opposed to melting away into the sidewalk cracks.
In fact, I welcomed it.
Looking up at the sun, I beckoned for it to work its fiery, melting magic.
“Sorry.” Kate winced. “That came out a lot bitchier than it sounded in my head. It’s a curse.”
“I deserve it,” I replied, sighing miserably. “This whole Maya thing just threw me for a loop, and I’m not sure how to navigate through the awkwardness. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure how to ‘people,’ in general. I’ve never been any good at it.”
Kate shrugged. “You and me both. That’s why I have one friend—and he’s related to me.” She hesitated for a beat, tapping her white sneaker against the pavement. “Hey, we’re having a game night this weekend. You should come.”
My chin lifted with surprise. “Game night? With you and Cooper?”