Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Welcome home to your new home,” Nico said as he opened the passenger door of the car for his father. Nico reached out a hand to assist him in getting to his feet. His father groaned as he climbed out of the vehicle, his feet landing on the asphalt of the freshly paved driveway.
His father stood by the car, supporting the weight of his body on the car door. “It’s nice.”
Natalie opened the front door of the house and waved at them.
Nico assisted his father inside, prepared to show him a tour of the ranch-style house.
Deep down, Nico understood the weight of his father leaving their old house behind, but it was falling apart and the memories painted all over the walls were only driving him crazy.
The doctors said he was lucky to be alive; the severity of the heart attack he suffered had killed most men.
Officially, the inciting factor for the heart attack was an untreated blood clot, but Nico knew better.
He knew the stress of losing Elon had broken something in his father.
Heartbreak was so much more than a dull ache.
It was visceral. It was real. And it could kill.
His father took a seat on his favorite chair. It was one of the few pieces of furniture Nico and Natalie had saved from the old house. Everything else was new. It was more than time for a fresh start for the grumpy old man who had given so much of his life to raise his three stubborn kids.
may 2024 - new york city
The flashing lights blinded Cooper, but it was part of the game of fame. He curled an arm around Stassi’s back and held her close as photographers snapped photos from across the other side of the velvet rope.
“Show us the ring,” a photographer screamed.
Stassi placed her hand on Cooper’s chest and the cameras went wild.
The big secret was officially out and there was no putting the genie back in the bottle.
Cooper took Stassi’s hand in his own as they retreated from the spotlight and headed into the dimly lit theater to watch the premiere of Knocked Out—a documentary about professional football players suffering from CTE after they’ve faded from the Sunday night lights.
june 2024 - key west
The breeze was a cool relief on Nico’s sweltering back.
Nico pumped Cooper’s shaft as he flicked his tongue over the slit, waiting for his reward like the good boy that he was. Cooper’s fingers dug through Nico’s hair, his grip tightening the closer he was to losing control.
Nico fucking loved watching Cooper lose control. Loved watching the other man’s layers stripped until he lay vulnerable, his throat clenching with every gasp and every moan.
Cooper cried out, “Fuckkk,” as he came down the back of Nico’s throat.
Nico swallowed every last drop and then licked Cooper’s cock clean before climbing up to take a seat beside Cooper on the small yacht. Cooper reached an arm around the back of Nico’s head and pulled him to his shoulder.
Out in the vastness of the ocean, where Nico could only faintly see a hint of the Florida coast, he felt a freedom he didn’t often have the luxury of experiencing. It was just the two of them, for two nights.
Nico angled his head upward and puckered his lips. Cooper responded with a quiet laugh. “Kiss me or I’ll tie myself to an anchor and throw myself overboard.”
“You’re seriously threatening me with peace and quiet?”
Nico jerked backward, eyes narrowing on Cooper. He jumped to his feet, climbed onto the seat, and prepared himself to jump. “Goodbye, Jack.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Rose.” Cooper lunged forward, tackling Nico onto his back. He climbed between his legs, his cock hardening once more. “You’re a simple man, Nico.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You just want the simple things,” Cooper whispered. “I adore that about you.”
Adore? That was another new word in Cooper’s lexicon.
The Florida sun battered down upon the boat and yet the weight of Cooper on top of him felt similar to a heavy blanket. It eased Nico’s mind and calmed his anxieties about the world and his position in it.
And when Cooper finally gave in to his wishes, pressing his lips against Nico’s, Nico wished they could stay on that boat forever.
july 2024 - columbus
The worst dreams Cooper ever had were when he slept during the day.
That’s why he hated taking naps. The echoes of yesterday would storm his mind like the shadows of loss that lingered and prodded the darkest recesses of his mind.
That afternoon, though, Cooper dreamt of something less of a nightmare and more of a hopeful prophecy.
He dreamed of a little yellow bird throwing open the door of the cage it had lived in his entire life, and though it had never flown before, it took to the blue skies as if it had been flying all its life.
When Cooper’s eyes flashed open, he immediately knew two things were missing.
The first was Nico, who had crawled out of his bed at some point.
The second was the necklace he always wore around his neck.
He shot up in bed, his hands digging through the sheets. His eyes searched the room and snapped to the en suite as the door opened and out came Nico wearing Cooper’s boxers.
“Did you take my fucking necklace?”
Nico froze, his eyes shifting sideways. “Sort of.”
Cooper jumped out of bed and threw his hands outward. “Why the fuck would you do that? Don’t touch shit that isn’t yours.”
Nico scoffed quietly and scratched the back of his head. His head fell, his eyes meeting the floor. “I just—”
“You just what?” Cooper snapped. When he decided Nico hadn’t answered fast enough, he continued, “I’m waiting for an answer, Nico.”
“I’m sorry.” Nico stepped to the dresser, grabbed the necklace from a pile of clean clothes, and tossed it onto the bed. “I thought I would do something cute.”
Cooper took a good look at the necklace lying on the bed. There was something else hanging from the chain. He looked back to Nico, but he was gone. Cooper grabbed the necklace and inspected it.
The ring with Luke’s name engraved was still there, but beside it was a small golden football with the letters CN on the back. By the time he realized what Nico had done, he received a notification from the front-door camera.
Nico hopped into his rental car and sped away.
Cooper sat on the bed, the weight of his body sinking into the mattress. He dangled the necklace in front of his face before placing it back around his neck. Once it was snapped shut, he rubbed the ring and football together and felt something unfamiliar.
He felt peace.
august 2024 - las vegas
On their last night of freedom before football season began proper, Nico and the boys hit the club.
Just one beer turned into just one shot and two beers.
Which turned into too many beers.
Which turned into too many shots.
The drunker Nico got, the harder it was to keep his lips tight. Lately, whenever he drank a little too much, he’d find his mind wandering. He’d want to tell whoever he was closest to about this thing between Cooper and him. The more time the two spent together, the more real it felt.
Romeo spent the last hour wooing a dark-haired girl. He finally convinced her to come to the private table and the rest was history. As soon as she crossed the threshold, Nico and Matteo ceased to exist in the eyes of Romeo.
Nico was ready to go home. He was ready for his bed.
But Matteo was on another level. The wide receiver had three shots of tequila lined up and took them all in quick succession.
Nico cocked a brow. “I’m starting to get a little suspicious that you might have a problem.”
“Yeah.” Matteo nodded. “Not a drinking problem, though.”
Nico nodded. There was no point in trying to talk sense into someone who was that gone.
“I have something I need to tell you,” Matteo said, scooting down the length of the leather couch until he sat right next to Nico. “I’m really fucking scared, but—”
Nico’s phone vibrated on the table. He placed a finger up to Matteo, urging him to hold his thought.
RAZER
Dude did you see the fucking news?
RAZER
[Link] Matteo Reyes Gay Sex Tape Leaked
Nico’s eyes lifted to meet Matteo’s as he swallowed nervously. There was no way this was real. Matteo? Of all people?
Matteo shook his head and exhaled quietly. “It’s out, isn’t it?”
“I—” Nico didn’t know what to say. This should have been easy though. Hello, you’re in the same shoes as him except you haven’t been stupid enough to film your escapades… yet. “It’s not… I…”
“Fuck me.” Matteo jumped from his seat, knocking his leg into the table. The bottle of tequila rolled sideways, shattering on the floor. “I have to get out of here.”
“Wait,” Nico protested, but before he could get up, Matteo disappeared into the crowd.
september 2024 - columbus
Cooper stood in the shrine with the lights off. The only light came from the lightbox overhead Luke’s jersey. It had been a while since he’d visited Luke there, but after Matteo’s forced outing, he figured it was time.
“I know it’s been a while.” Cooper sighed.
“I made a promise a long time ago that I would never stop coming here, but it’s hard for me.
On this mountain of grief, I climb two steps higher toward the sun and then I fall all the way back down again.
Some days, I imagine if I climb high enough I can reach you.
I don’t know what for. To tell you I’m angry with you for leaving me?
To apologize for feeling the way I do about someone new? ”
He felt the pangs of guilt in his stomach and the way he felt whenever he’d cry but no tears came. In the silence of the shrine, it was just Luke and him and his quiet admissions.
“You once begged me to break this thing we called a cage wide open. You always hated it inside and longed for a life outside of it. I denied that life to you over and over again, and now I ponder that very same idea with someone else.”