Chapter 9 Cooper
COOPER
Dad Joke Of The Day:
What has five toes and isn’t your foot?
My foot.
I haven’t needed a workout this bad in ages, but today it feels like my entire life depends on it. Or maybe just my sanity; either way, I’m on edge. I’m filled with adrenaline, my body tense, practically ready to snap, all because I can’t stop thinking about her.
The cold air of the gym hits me in the face as I walk in. The sound of weights clanking and feet pounding down on the treadmills intertwined with Yellowcard blasting from their oversized speaker and I’m ready to go.
“Getting started without me?” I tease as I walk back into the gym.
Today’s a push day, which is one of my favorites, so I’ll be damned if I miss a set. I love working out on chest and triceps day. It always burns so good the next day that even shaking a protein shake or lacing up my skates feels like too much effort.
“I didn’t think you were actually making it back to work out with us since it’s the first day with Ally and all,” Jax says as I make my way towards the back of the gym where they’re set up.
The three of us usually try to meet here a few times a week after practice just to get in a good strength training session.
We talked last week after we found out Kenna was leaving because I wasn’t quite sure I was going to be able to make it this week.
It’s not that I don’t trust Ally—actually, that’s not it at all.
The girl may have an attitude as tall as Mt.
Everest, but she’s also got a heart the same size.
She doesn’t show it in grand gestures, but she’s consistent and is always willing to help… behind the scenes.
She probably doesn’t even know I know this—I doubt anyone does—but I still remember when Nash and I were living together and had the stomach flu and Ally went and got groceries and medicine for us. She may have knocked on the door and ran away, but it was still super sweet.
I’ll never forget when I found out it was her, because it was the moment I realized the ice queen wasn’t all bad. She’s just a little rough around the edges, and that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes we get a little prickly when we feel the need to protect ourselves.
I’m just more curious what it is that she feels like she needs to protect herself from.
What’s going on in that mind that’s got her twisted up?
Why does she react so negatively to everything around her?
Especially when I can see that it’s just a shield she puts up whenever she feels like she’s on the defensive or if she’s being confronted with something.
I’ve noticed it over the years, but all the drama with her and Levi overshadowed everything else, and back then, I was pretty busy being a new, single dad.
Now that Lucas is older, and Levi and Quinn are happy, and there’s less going on in my life, I’m noticing her reactions more and more.
I mean hell, it’s only taken having her at my house twice for her to have invaded my brain.
Her scent has already taken over—a sweet lemon soapy fragrance that I wouldn’t normally think is feminine but on her, it’s that and so much more.
But that’s the thing with Ally. She’s so out of the ordinary from what I’m used to that none of my usual rules or walls are working to keep her at bay.
It’s like she’s this contradiction to my entire life, and I’m so intrigued, I can’t stay away.
She calls to me, and I feel helpless to resist it.
I just can’t stand seeing the pain radiate from her, even when it comes out as anger or vile words.
It wouldn’t be a problem if the reasons that I’m drawn to her weren’t the same reasons I should stay away from her.
“Yeah, Ally didn’t have an issue with it. All things considered, it seemed to be going pretty well,” I say as I pull off my shirt and grab some dumbbells.
“What does that mean?” Asher asks as he sits up after a set of bench presses.
I chuckle, thinking back to seeing her standing at the grill, grumbling nonsense before her remark of Fuck me that I couldn’t help myself from responding to. Or the way her eyes lit up when she turned around and saw me, quickly covered up by annoyance as she snapped back.
“Whatever it is must be good if it has him smirking in a daydream like this,” Jax pokes, and I flip him off like usual.
“Nah, when I got home earlier, she was struggling with the grill—couldn’t get it to turn on and she was getting pissed. I gave her a hard time about it, and there was just a weird moment that was quickly ruined by her yelling at me,” I tell them, trying to ignore my cock responding to the memory.
Something about the way this girl bites with her words just makes me hard.
“Go on…I’m sure there’s more if it has you grinning like a teenage boy.”
“No, just a silly, dirty joke that sounded like a proposition, but it was enough to make me smile that’s for sure.”
“Wait. Mr. Celibate asked if someone was propositioning him? You’re aware of sex?” Jax says, dumbfounded as if this is new news.
I’ve always had an interest in sex, just never the time, so what was the point?
“Alert the press, the man still has a dick,” Asher adds.
“Are we going to work out now?” I ask as I get ready to start a set of skull crushers.
“Someone’s sensitive. We must’ve hit a nerve,” Asher adds before starting another set.
I ignore them for the next thirty minutes as we all take turns on equipment—only bullshitting about the workouts we’re doing, not our personal lives.
Which is good because the more I think about it, the more I realize that they really did hit a fucking nerve…
I just don’t know why. But that only lasts until the workout is done and Jax immediately dives in with more.
“So, what about Ally makes your dick want to come out of retirement?”
“Fuck you both,” I say with a smirk as I grab my stuff. “Besides, who says my dick has been retired?”
“Well, seeing as the only time you have is either with Kenna or on the road where we always share a room, I think it’s safe to say you’ve been celibate or at least damn close since Lucas was born.”
“Maybe I just don’t kiss and tell.”
“You forget how long we’ve known you,” Asher deadpans.
Looking down, I see my phone ringing. KJ lights up, my nickname for Kenna since college.
Her last name is Jenkins, so KJ clicked as soon as I met her.
Showing the guys my phone, they both roll their eyes—sharing in the annoyance of this girl’s persistence.
Especially when this workout is on the calendar that I know damn well she has access to because she made me add her.
“Yup. I really gotta get going. Time to make dinner and figure my shit out.”
“Good fucking luck,” Asher says with a laugh.
“You might need a professional to help you at this point.”
He’s not wrong.
Walking into my house, I’m surprised to see all the lights off except for the small one over the oven and the glow of the TV from the living room.
It’s still light out, not even six in the evening, but by the looks of it, Lucas convinced Ally to do a movie day after I left, which is one of his favorite things to do.
Especially when he gets to be in charge of picking the movie, and based on the fact that A Minecraft Movie is playing on the TV, I can pretty much guarantee he called the shots.
“Hey,” I say as I walk into the living room.
Ally notices me, quickly shooshing me with her hand as she points over to Lucas who’s asleep on the couch.
He’s not always a napper, so the fact that it’s already six and he’s asleep tells me this may just be an early bedtime for him tonight. “When did he fall asleep?”
She looks down at the clock and then back up at me. “Not long ago, maybe 5:30?”
“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely bedtime for him,” I tell Ally as I walk over to where Lucas is and pick him up. He doesn’t stir at all as I carry him through the house and up to his bed. Laying him down gently, I tuck him in before pressing a kiss against his forehead.
Fuck, I love this kid.
Looking down, I smile at how peaceful he appears laying in his bed. He really is a happy kid. That’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted for him—to be happy, healthy, and know he’s loved—and in that aspect of his life, I think I’ve done pretty damn well.
Getting up from his bed, I head back into the living room where Ally is sitting on the couch, still watching the movie.
I figured she’d be packing her things up to get going the second I walked through the door, running for the hills.
But I’m thankful she’s not. I want to know how her first full day went with Lucas.
And secretly? I kind of just want to talk to her a little more.
Maybe try to understand what it is about the girl who’s having such an effect on me.
I would never tell the guys that they were right, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if maybe there’s some truth to what they were saying.
I mean, the girl’s starting to fuck with my head, and my cock is starting to notice.
“Hi,” she says quickly, biting down on her bottom lip as she smiles over at me and I sit down next to her on the couch. Her pouty lip is so tempting I want to pull her in my lap and bite it—taste her like I’ve wanted to since she stepped foot in this house. “Did he stay asleep?”
“Oh yeah, he’s down for the count. I’ll be surprised if I see him before the morning. When he falls asleep early like this, he’s usually out for the night. Late naps aren’t exactly his thing.”
“I get that. If I take a nap, I’m usually a wreck. I honestly think it makes me more tired than if I just take a double shot of espresso and push through the day.”
“Not me. I’m a napper, but they can’t be too long. Give me thirty minutes, maybe an hour, and I’m good as new. Any longer, though, and I agree. I swear it feels like a body hangover when I wake up from a long nap.”