Against All Odds (19 page)

“Okay.” He exhales and steps back. “Go get dressed.”

“Thank you. I’ll be right back.” I gently smile, hoping things don’t get awkward.

“Wine, beer, and action movies?” He quirks a brow, trying to break the ice.

I laugh at his attempt to rein in the tension. That’s one of the things I love about him. He never wants to leave anyone feeling uncomfortable.

“Yeah, I’d love that,” I say, moving down the hall to the guest room I’ve been occupying.

He chuckles and shouts, “Your ass is hot as fuck, Kylie. Just in case you’re wondering.”

“Grayson!” I warn as a giggle escapes my throat. “Come on!”

“What?” His voice takes on an innocent edge. “You walking around like that is liable to kill a man. Especially if he can’t act on it.”

I can’t stop the stupid grin and blush that erupt across my face. “You weren’t supposed to be home.”

“I guess I should’ve knocked on my own front door then?” he teases.

I groan as I grab a pair of sweats and a tank and slip them on. I’m never going to live this down. I see months of ribbing in my future. When I reenter the kitchen, I notice that he’s slipped on gym shorts and lost his shirt. I swallow, taking him in. Grayson’s body is perfection. He works out a lot and you can tell by every defined muscle in his torso and arms. His tattoos are so vibrant against his skin, they’re like a magnet to the eye. He’s stunning, I’m left winded. I blink a couple times, shaking myself out of ogling him.

“What can I get you?”

“Huh?” I ask, pulling my eyes away from his chest.

“Red or white, Ky?” He smirks, holding two bottles of wine.

I flush. I’m sure he thinks I’m the queen of mixed signals. One minute I’m telling him I can’t, and the next I’m eyeing him. “Oh, I’ll just have red.” I say, pulling my eyes from him to the living room.

“Okay, I’ll get drinks. You go pick a movie,” he says.

I nod and walk into the living room. I shift through some movies, grab one, throw it in the DVD player, and sit on the loveseat to wait for Gray. He walks in a minute later and looks at the mess on the coffee table.

He flips his eyes to mine, an impish grin dancing across his face. “Did you eat all of that?”

My face warms. “I have a sweet tooth,” I mumble, embarrassed.

“It looks like it.” He laughs as he sits next to me and puts down the wine and popcorn.

He grabs the remote, and soon the room is filled with the sounds of Channing Tatum and the Rock in
GI Joe
. We watch silently for a while, both lost in our own thoughts. I sip my wine slowly, feeling something flutter low in my tummy as Gray’s presence fills my space. I feel a little on edge. I need to think about anything but him.

Shoes. That’s what I’ll think about. I’m pretty sure new pumps are coming in for spring at Nordstrom’s. I should probably go there tomorrow before I miss anything good. Retail therapy is great for a broken heart. As I plot my purchases, I feel his arm curl around me, pulling me into his side. His face is soft and tender in the dim light, instantly putting me at ease. He’s not trying anything; he just wants me close.

He makes me feel taken care of. He has an innate ability to soothe my wounds. His presence is addictive, and I’ve come to crave him. I depend on him in every area of my life, and I’m not sure where I’d be without him. Things between us are never strained. What we have is different than what I have with Cooper. It’s not toxic.

But Cooper stirs a passion in me that I could never feel for Gray. The day I met Coop, he lit up my life. He set me on fire. Yes, the fire is no longer glowing fast and hot, but it’s still there, wanting to smolder again. I can’t deny that I feel something for Gray. It’s becoming harder to ignore, but I want things to stay friendly and comfortable.

I lean forward and set down my wine, coming back to snuggle into his side. He wraps his arms around me as I lay my face against his shoulder. I feel him kiss the top of my head.

“Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll wake you when the movie ends,” he murmurs.

I let out a deep sigh, loving the thought of sleeping in Grayson’s arms. I’ve barely slept since I found out about Layla and Coop. I shift my head from his shoulder and glance up. “Are you sure?”

A soft smile pulls at his mouth. “Sleep, sweet cheeks.”

“Thank you”—I smile back—“for everything.”

He cups my cheek, his face gentle. “You’re welcome.”

I burrow back into his shoulder and close my eyes, allowing the comfort of being in his arms to bring me sleep. I happily head back into my dreams where Kayla, Cooper, and I are happy. I yearn for a time when my life’s back to normal.

The sound of rapping startles me from my hazy cocoon of sleep. I crack my groggy eyes open. I hear the sound of the front door opening, and hushed whispers fill the air. My heart seizes as Cooper’s deep voice drifts through the house. My body prickles with awareness.
Holy shit… Is he here?

My mind tries to keep up with what’s happening around me. I should move and see if he’s here, but their conversation has me temporarily immobilized.

“What the fuck are you doing here? It’s three a.m.”

“I came to get Kylie,” Cooper says, annoyed. “Is she here? She was supposed to come home.”

The silence is thick and palpable. It makes my breath catch.

“Don’t look at me like that. She’s my fucking wife, Grayson.”

I can only imagine the stance their bodies must be in. They’re on the outs because of me, and it makes me feel vile.

“When did she say she was coming back home?” Gray asks, sounding upset.

“A couple days ago. She came to the office, said she wanted to come home and asked if it was okay. I said, yes, of course. It’s her house, too.” His voice drops as if he’s in pain. “Then Layla walked in. Kylie starting acting funny. She said some stuff about us, but she still said she was coming home. She hasn’t showed, and I was getting worried. I figured she’d be with
you
.” The last word comes out like a bullet intended to hurt.

Oh my God,
he’s been thinking about me. He’s been worried. He was wondering where I was.
All of these things cause my heart to beat rapidly. I latch onto his statements and stuff them deep inside my heart.

Gray whispers, “She is here with me. She’s sleeping on my sofa. You should’ve seen her when I got home from Chicago. She’s a fucking mess. This needs to stop. What the hell is all this bullshit with Layla? Is this something new?”

Cooper takes a deep breath. I hope somewhere inside him, he’s as lost as I am. As desperate for me as I am for him.

“Nothing. There’s nothing with Layla. She’s just there. It’s the usual shit, but she walked in at a bad time. Kylie was with me, and things got fucked up. I thought we were making some progress, but then she never came home.” He sounds desperate, as if he’s grasping for a life line. “I need to see her. I need to see my wife. Let me in now.” His tone is low, so low that it sends a shiver across my skin. He’s not asking, he’s demanding.

My heart skips a beat. No, it skips two beats.
He came here for me…

He. Came. Here. For. Me.

My eyes fill with tears. This is the first time Cooper has made an effort to see me in years. Relief floods my veins. I need to go to him. Maybe he didn’t leave with her after I ran out. Maybe he’s been waiting for me to come home.

I sit up, feeling a rush of need swarm me. I turn toward the voices and walk to the front door. I stop when I see Cooper. He looks at me, and his eyes flash with the same relief I feel.

“Cooper,” I breathe.

“Kylie,” he whispers, “why didn’t you come home?”

His expression kills me.

He got my message when I walked out.

He’s a mess. His eyes are tired and bleak. His body is taut and rigid. His clothes are wrinkled, as if he picked them up and threw them on while trying to get out the door. He looks desperate. This is the first time I’ve seen him vulnerable. There’s no anger in his tone toward me. It just bleeds exhaustion, desperation, and distress.

My body trembles as my hand comes to my mouth. The way he looks burrows its way inside me. It seeps into my consciousness and breaks my heart. I can’t even talk as I look into his emerald eyes. I want to be honest and tell him it hurt too much to come home.

I find the strength to choke out the words, “I couldn’t, Coop. Not after seeing you with Layla. “

He flinches as if I’ve struck him. He has to understand how I felt when I left that office, knowing he was leaving with another woman. I finally drag my eyes away from Cooper and see Gray watching me. His face is clear of any emotion, but his gaze is blazing hot. This is not what he wants going on in his home, and he’s angry Cooper barged in. I look back at Cooper. He’s watching me watch Gray.

His shoulders begin to tremble, and a look of possessiveness crosses his features, fast and hard. “I don’t want you here, Kylie. I want you to come home
now
. Do you understand me? You’re coming home with me.” He commands.

I blink, a little startled by this change in Cooper. I drag my hand through my hair, untangling the strands as my brain tries to catch up.

Then Gray gets in Cooper’s face, his voice exploding. “I don’t fucking think so! It’s almost three in the morning. You’re not forcing her to leave my house. She can go home when she’s good and fucking ready. I’m sick of you being such a selfish bastard.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me when
my
wife’s coming home,” Cooper growls.

Their fists clench, and my heart races like a jack hammer.

“Stop! Please, just stop.” My voice cracks from all the animosity in the air. The way they’re looking at each other breaks my heart.

I caused this; it’s all on my shoulders. I’m ashamed and disgusted that I’ve wedged myself between them. “Cooper, look at me,” I plead.

His head swings to mine. He looks pissed off, but behind that anger is a tidal wave of hurt. He’s so lost, and I don’t know where to begin searching for him.

“Nothing’s happening here,” I whisper, desperately trying to calm him. It’s a lie, but he doesn’t need to know that. I’m handling Gray. Cooper showing up just reinforces my opinion that a fling with Grayson can never happen. “I’m going to come home. I needed a couple days to regroup after what happened in the office.” I keep my eyes on his, imploring him to understand. “I never meant to worry you. You shouldn’t be angry with Gray. He didn’t do anything. Nothing’s happened.”

He looks at me, his body trembling with pent-up anger. I breathe deeply, trying to keep myself in check so he can see I’m telling him the truth. I’m trying, for him, for us. He moves his eyes from mine and rolls his shoulders in an effort to relieve stress. I look at Gray. His eyes hold mine and I can tell that behind them he’s drowning with hurt. Whatever is between us is major for him. I hate that I’m hurting him. I hate that he’s involved in this mess. But I’ve been honest with him all along.

Cooper’s voice breaks my eye contact with Gray. “I want you to come home, Kylie. I’m sorry for what happened at the lake house. I’ll never hurt you like that again. I promise. Please come home,” he pleads.

I hear a low growl and the cracking of drywall. It bursts through the air like a dozen popping balloons. My body stiffens when I see Gray drive his fist into the wall beside him. His body trembles so forcefully that I begin to panic. His anger at Cooper is lethal, deadly and dangerous. He pulls his hand out of the wall and takes a menacing step toward him. He stops in front of Cooper’s face. My body goes on alert, fear pummeling through me. I’m so startled by the change in Gray that it becomes impossible to move.

“You listen to me, you sorry son of a bitch. I’ve talked to you about this shit for months. It’s been two years that this crap’s been going on. You bruising her that day was the last straw for me. I’m done with your bullshit. It’s taking everything in me not to rip your ass apart. I’m tired of seeing her self-destruct, and I’m not letting her do it anymore. You think you love her? You think she needs to wait until you get your sorry ass together? You’re wrong. This sick motherfucking arrangement you guys have is destroying you both. Tell me, bro, when’s the last time you laid hands on
your
gorgeous fucking wife and not a street whore?”