Chapter 10 Ally
ALLY
Coffee is a necessity this morning even more than usual, and it’s not even because I drank last night.
It’s because by the time I finally made it home, it was later than I normally prefer when I have to be up and moving first thing in the morning.
Don’t get me wrong; I still took Advil and chugged a water before bed because I’m too whiny to be able to handle any sort of headache, but that was just preventative.
No—this exhaustion is a combination of Wilson blowing up my phone last night which turned into a thirty-minute argument of him going back and forth between rubbing it in my face that he broke up with me to getting pissed off that I’m refusing to hook up with him, all while calling me a whore or a slut any chance he got.
How I can be called a whore one moment and vanilla the next is beyond me, but he makes it happen. I’m not sure why I stayed on the phone. Guess I just didn’t want to give him another reason to yell and get pissed off, especially when he reminded me that they’re in town soon and he wanted to visit.
He didn’t like when I told him I couldn’t because I would be nannying that night. He was even more pissed off when he found out who it was for.
Not sure what Wilson’s issue is with Levi, Cooper, and their friends, but he’s never been nice to any of them. Personally, I think he’s just jealous. He can’t wrap his small brain around how they can be better than him on the ice, so instead he’s just a fucking twat to them.
But if he thinks I’m ever hopping back in bed with him after the way just being around Cooper sets my entire body on fire, he’s crazy. I’m not really in a hurry to run back to Wilson and his mediocre dick.
But between that phone call and then spending the rest of my night tossing and turning in bed, wondering what would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted? Yeah, I utilized the top drawer of my nightstand last night more often than I have in months.
Except it was more hurtful than helpful because every time I would get close, the second I was about to fall over the edge…it disappeared.
Every.
Single.
Time.
It was torture. It started incredible, feeling like I was winning at life at just the mere thought of his mouth licking me in other places and driving me wild. That alone was the best feeling I’ve ever felt in my entire life—and it was self-induced.
Well, unless you count that I was imagining Cooper the entire time, then I guess it wasn’t 100% self-induced.
But as quickly as it started, the second I felt myself start to tip over the edge, poof—it was gone in the wind, and it was the most infuriating thing in the entire world because all I needed was a little relief.
So now as I sit at Cooper’s kitchen island with a cup of coffee in hand, I’m extra thankful that Lucas is sleeping in because this girl is exhausted.
I had to get up even earlier than I wanted because Cooper reminded me last night that he had a late game tonight and wouldn’t be home until way past Lucas’s bedtime and asked if I would mind just staying in the guest room after all.
I should say no, especially because the amount I want to get naked with this man is in direct proportion to the amount of time I spend with him.
Unfortunately, I don’t seem to be in any rush to stop spending time with Cooper. Or daydreaming about what it would be like to be with him, like really with him. Motherfucker. He’s invading my mind.
Taking a sip of coffee, I grab the book next to me and open it up to the weathered bookmark I’ve been using since I got my first Jane Austen book when I was a kid. I wore that copy of Sense and Sensibility out.
I think, deep down, I always compared me and Quinn to the two sisters in the book, always feeling like I could relate to the uptight, irrational sister more than the calm, collected one who reminds me more of Quinn.
Hearing my phone buzz, I grab it and can’t help but smile when I see Cooper’s name.
Fucker. I should be mad at him. It’s his fault I was so turned on, so that means it’s his fault I’m tired.
Cooper: Morning Ally, sorry for not stopping and chatting, but you looked like you needed some time with your coffee.
Me: Appreciate it.
As soon as I press send, it’s marked as read, the bubbles that quickly appear letting me know he’s already responding. Looking up at the clock, it’s 7:45, so they have fifteen minutes until they need to be on the ice and ready—ten if they’re smart and don’t want to piss off their Coach.
My uncle is a kind, loving man who’s always there for his people.
Coach Sullivan is cutthroat, expects the best, and isn’t afraid to call people out on their shit.
But that’s really just another example of how he’s always there for his people.
Cooper: Is Lucas up?
Me: Not yet.
Me: Didn’t you just leave like twenty-three seconds ago?
Cooper: Ten minutes ago.
Cooper: When he’s up, will you check his temperature? When I did this morning, it was over 102 so I gave him Tylenol. Just hoping it goes down.
Me: Okay, I’ll go check at eight even if he’s not awake.
Cooper: Thanks. Thermometer and medicine are on the counter.
Cooper: Are you sure? I can always tell Coach I need to stay home with him.
Cooper: Lucas is a little needy when he’s sick. And he usually cries until he gets me and that can be a lot. Kenna had a hard time with it and would usually beg me to come home.
Me: You want my uncle to think he’s right? That I can’t handle this?
Me: No thanks.
What am I doing? We shouldn’t even be texting.
Me: Lucas and I will be fine.
Me: Now get on the ice before Coach gets pissed. You guys have your morning skate then you have to get on a plane—I wouldn’t piss him off before that.
Cooper: Fair.
Cooper: I’ll call when we get there.
Cooper: Are you sure?
Me: We’ll be fine!
News flash: We are not fine.
Not by a long shot, and all it took was that I couldn’t find soup.
At least not one that Lucas wanted. Then the thermometer stopped working and I couldn’t find batteries.
Once the two of us were close to tears, I called my aunt who grabbed everything needed for an army of sick kids.
She came over and whipped up a bunch of what is easily the most mouthwatering chicken soup I’ve ever smelled, as well as medicine and cough drops and a thermometer—a brand new one because she wanted to make sure we were both okay.
She didn’t stay too long because she had dinner plans with her friend, but she stayed long enough to check on us, and I think she was pleasantly surprised the house wasn’t on fire.
Me too.
Now I’m fine. I’m sitting on the couch watching Trolls for the second time today because Lucas is convinced that this movie is the only thing that’ll make him feel better.
Surprisingly, though, he hasn’t asked for his dad. I was a little worried when Cooper mentioned Lucas usually wanted only him, so it’s nice to see that I didn’t have to deal with that. My phone vibrates next to me, but Lucas doesn’t stir.
My heart skips a beat when I see Cooper’s name light up my phone. I shouldn’t be getting butterflies over a text, especially from my boss.
Get a grip, Ally.
Apparently Trolls does more than make you feel better; it makes you sleepy.
Cooper: How’s my boy?
Me: Napping. Still has a fever and was whiny for food, but other than that he’s okay.
Cooper: No fits?
Me: Nope.
I snap a picture of Lucas sleeping on me and send it, earning me smiley faces that make me feel better than it should.
First week and maybe I’m not entirely fucking this up.
Cooper: Thanks for taking care of him. I’ll be home around midnight, and you’re all set up in the guest room.
Me: Amazing news. I could sleep just about anywhere.
Cooper: Anywhere?
Cooper: You mean I didn’t have to get the guest room ready?
Me: You didn’t have to! I could’ve gone home.
Cooper: I’m joking Ally. It was already done.
Cooper: Besides, there is another bed in the house.
Me: Really? I thought I’d seen all the rooms.
Cooper: You have. I have a bed.
Cooper: Big enough for at least four grown men to sleep in.
I roll my eyes, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me smile a little bit, but I choose to ignore his question, instead going back to safer territory.
Me: I’m so tired.
Cooper: Why?
Me: I don’t know.
Cooper: This morning you said you were really tired. Are you getting sick? Are you feeling okay?
Me: Chill, I’m just tired. It’s just because I was up late.
Cooper: Ally Cat…
Cooper: What kept you up last night? Does it have anything to do with why you hater-buttoned me when I called last night?
Me: Fuck off, Cooper. Hater button?
He called twice last night after I got home but then texted me the plans for today, so I didn’t bother calling him back. He’s not wrong though—he definitely called at a time I absolutely didn’t want to pick up.
Cooper:
Cooper: You declined my calls…hater button.
Me: I thought we weren’t supposed to contact each other for bad things?
Cooper: That doesn’t apply to me. Only you.
Cooper: Besides, if you think this is bad, you should let me really show you bad
Me: Bye, Cooper.
Cooper: Were you thinking about what happened earlier?
Cooper: You know, my subpar service?
Me: Down, boy.
Me: Now go kick ass so we can watch. I promised Lucas macaroni and hockey.
Cooper: A girl after my heart.
Me: Easy, Casanova.
The next few hours are spent bouncing between cleaning up from the day and reading my book until Lucas woke up and we watched his dad’s game.
Cooper did amazing in the first period, that’s for sure.
But Lucas was asleep before the first period was over and well…
I don’t remember the second period starting.
That should’ve been my first clue I wasn’t feeling well.