Chapter 22
There wasn’t a single day that passed that I hadn’t thought about my dad.
I missed him so much, but I was coping. Two months had gone by, and it had gotten a little easier.
I knew he wouldn’t have wanted me to give up on my life just because he was gone.
Coye had been so helpful in helping me work through it.
My brother and I had gotten closer too. He called or at least texted me every other day to check on me.
We’d been leaning on each other because we were the only two who could understand how the other one felt.
Coye felt it too, because my father was such an integral part of his life, but it still wasn’t quite the same.
Never would I have thought Coye and I would be a thing, but we had been going strong for a minute.
I loved how he cared about my feelings. If I needed time to cry, he would hold me if I needed him to, or he would leave me alone when I wanted him to.
My days weren’t as sad as they would have been if he weren’t around.
On my days off, I would go to his store and help or just sit there with him while he taught me about different stones.
He would do the same when he had the time.
I loved when we baked together, because it gave us a chance to talk and continue learning about each other.
He’d even gotten me to like those protein shakes he liked to drink every day.
Some mornings, he would be outside of my store, waiting for me with a protein shake in his hand and a smile on his face.
We’d been spending so much time together, and surprisingly, neither of us got tired of the other.
It was actually fun. He had a trip to Tanzania planned to get some new gemstones, and I took some time off work to go with him.
I wanted to live more in the moment instead of drowning my sorrows in my work.
“Here you go, baby.” Coye passed me a protein shake as I sat on the edge of his bed.
“Thank you.” I held the cup in front of me and frowned. “Why is it so green?”
Coye chuckled and sat down next to me. I could tell he must have taken a shower while I was sleeping, because he smelled like fresh soap.
“It has a banana, spinach, lime, and apple juice, and protein powder. It’s fulfilling, but it may make you shit.”
I almost spit out the sip I took from the straw. “Why would you give me this when we are supposed to be leaving?”
“Because it’s good for you. You probably won’t have to go, though.”
The smoothie was good, but I hesitated to take another sip.
“We shouldn’t even be having this conversation right now, or ever, for that matter.”
Coye laughed and kissed my cheek. “Shitting is normal, and I will still love you, shitty and all.”
I put the cup on the table near the bed.
“You know what, I’m not drinking this.” I got up from the bed and headed toward the bathroom, when Coye grabbed my wrist and pulled me in front of him.
He ran his hands up my bare thighs. I didn’t have anything on except one of his shirts.
“Don’t waste my hard work, River. I was just fucking with you. You’ll be fine.”
I looked down at him and squinted. I didn’t believe him.
“Don’t play with me. You know how much I hate pooping in public.”
“It’s funny that you say pooping like you’re six.” He chuckled. “For real, you’ll be fine. If you have to poop, we can leave.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe we are really talking about this.”
“It’s because you feel comfortable with me. Finish your smoothie, then get dressed.” He kissed my stomach and released me.
I picked the cup up and sat back down. The smoothie wasn’t that big, so it didn’t take me long to finish it.
“I do feel comfortable with you, but let’s not talk about poop again.”
Coye agreed and took the cup from me when I was done. While he went downstairs to do whatever he had to do, I got in the shower to get ready for the day.
He told me we were going to a jewelry trade show or something. I never heard of one, so I looked forward to going. I always found it interesting when Coye talked about different stones and gems. I never knew so many of them existed.
When I got out of the shower, I got dressed in jeans with a hoodie and sneakers. Coye had gifted me a gold necklace and bracelet to match, so I put that on with a pair of gold stud earrings. Since it was cold out, I grabbed a beanie to cover my head.
After I was ready, I headed downstairs. Coye was on the couch watching television and looked like he was dressed. He looked up when I walked over to him.
Heat traveled through my body as his gaze trailed the length of my body. It didn’t matter what I had on; Coye always looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world.
“You ready?” He licked his lips, and his eyes zeroed in on my hips.
It seemed like they had gotten bigger over the last couple of months. My friends said it was because of all the fucking Coye and I had been doing. We did have sex a lot. Sometimes we did it because I didn’t want to think about my grief. But I couldn’t help it anyway. Coye just always turned me on.
“I’m ready.” I bounced on my heels as excitement filled me.
Coye turned the television off and chuckled as he stood.
“Someone’s excited,” he teased as we walked toward the front door.
“I am. It’s something that you are into, and I find it fascinating.” I stepped onto the porch when he opened the door. I stood to the side as he locked the door, then we walked to his car.
As always, he opened the door for me. I was happy that he started the car already, so it wasn’t so cold in there.
“It’s good that we are interested in each other’s careers, because I sure be looking forward to baking and eating them cookies.”
I giggled as Coye pulled out of his driveway. He mentioned that he’d been working out extra hard because of eating too many cookies. Whenever he came to help me, we made some extras to share. I didn’t work out as much as him, but I definitely stepped it up a notch because I’d gained a few pounds.
Whenever we rode in the car, Coye always kept his hand on my thigh or in between my thighs. I assumed it was a comfort thing for him. I loved it, though.
“What’s a dream you have that we can work on together?”
Coye didn’t hesitate to answer. “You being my girlfriend and moving in with me.”
“Okay.”
“Huh?” He turned toward me when we stopped at a red light.
Losing my father reminded me of just how short life was, and I didn’t want to waste it. Coye was everything to me, so it made sense. I didn’t like it when we spent nights apart, but I wasn’t going to be the one who said anything about it.
“I said okay. I’m ready to be your girlfriend and move in with you. You are my comfort, Coye, and I love being around you. Plus, you have extra rooms, so if I need to get away from you, you can go in the other room.”
“Now, why would I have to leave the room if you need space?”
“Because your bed is too comfortable.”
Coye’s laughter echoed throughout the car.
“I guess I can give you that.” He got serious for a second. “Are you sure, River?”
I put my hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it. It took less than a minute to think it over.
“I’m sure, Coye. I’m ready for everything that comes with this relationship.”
“Girl, you’re about to have me turn around.”
“No, I want to see these jewels and maybe get some.”
“You can have whatever you want, Babygirl.” He quickly leaned over and kissed my lips.
I didn’t doubt his words either because I never heard the word no when it came to Coye.
Not even when he was just my brother’s best friend.
Coye had always been there for me, even if it was in the background.
I didn’t think anybody could ever treat me as well as he did, and I was ready for whatever life had in store for us.