Page 36

LEXI

C ooper led me out to the porch.

I asked, “What’s this about?”

He frowned. “I don’t know, I just needed to, I don’t know, talk to you…”

I frowned back. “How are you doing?”

“Not good. Super bummed, and instead of a good spiral I’m dealing with Torin’s senseless bullshit.”

I put my hand out, took his, and pulled him closer. “I’m sorry.”

“I know, you’re the nicest person in the world.

You love history, you love old things, and you love strays.

You collect hobbies. You got the perfect eccentric person in your kitchen right now, he claims to be old, he’s got a wild story, handsome, needs your help.

You’re going to be busy on this for a while now, I can see it. ”

“Hmmm.” I half smiled, trying to of course, ‘be nice’. “You’re saying this is like my stained-glass phase?”

“And your pottery phase and your scrapbooking phase, you’re getting caught up in it. Becoming obsessed. And because of that I think I’m going to have to live with Torin in my life for the foreseeable future.”

“Except he’s not a hobby, he’s a person.”

“He’s a person and you’re treating him like a hobby, is what I’m saying.

You’re taking on his troubles and I just don’t want you to…

you know, get caught up. It’s easier for me to ignore shards of glass all over the table in the TV room than it will be to ignore the giant medieval psycho at the breakfast table. ”

“...easier for you ‘to ignore shards of glass all over the table...’”

“Yes, so...?”

“I’m just repeating it so you know what I heard.”

He said, “Babe, you know I’m not being mean, I’m just talking about your hobbies, you know you start them and quit them, this is not new.”

“Yeah, I get it.” I huffed, looking out over my lawn.

My mind replaying all the drastic, shocking events of the last few days.

And how Cooper hadn’t once thought about me and what I had been going through.

I leaned forward so my forehead was on his chest. “I totally get all of it. It’s just… he needed breakfast.”

He put his arms around me and held me tightly, comfortingly. I breathed deep.

“And he’s going to leave in just a few minutes.”

“I will believe that when I see it. I love you, Lexi, your excitement when you have a new thing to focus on is endearing and I think it’s great, but… this time, it’s not so great.”

“You sound like you did when I let Dude move in, and look how much you like Dude now.”

He breathed in and exhaled. I loved when he had his arms around me. He said, “Yeah, and now Dude is my favorite cat in the world. Maybe I’m just upset that he likes the Scottish guy more than me.”

“Dude’s just caught up in someone new, like me. It can be boring around here when you and Jen and Andrew and the boys are all working and doing your things.”

He chuckled. “Maybe you need a hobby.”

“Exactly.” I kissed him. “And speaking of hobbies. You need to go climbing or rafting, right? That’s usually what you do when you want to get your mind off stuff.”

“Yep, as soon as he takes off on his little tin can, I’m going for a climb. Need to get my head straight.”

“You still don’t want to go out to dinner tonight? I think we still have the reservations.”

“No, I’m sorry, Babe, I thought we talked about that, I cancelled them right when I got up.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah.”

He squeezed me tighter. “Raincheck, I’m just not in the mood, we’ll do it some other time.”

I looked up in his face. “I was kinda looking forward to it. I thought it was...”

His brow furrowed. “Was what?”

“I don’t know... like you had been planning it, like there was a reason.”

“Nah, just thought it would be fun to go out in style with investor money, but now... not so much. We’ll do it soon, promise.”

I said, “Okay, yeah, sure.”

He kissed me again.

I said, “We’ll just see Torin on his way, and you’ll go for a climb, and while you’re there I’ll um… think of something for dinner.”

He said, “I’m in the mood for Mexican, would that be doable?”

“Sure… and by the time I sex you up tonight, you’re going to feel a lot better. Will you please just be cool?”

“Of course, I just needed a break, this helped, I’m cool and I’m going to hold you to the promise of sex, Babe. Thinking about that is the only thing getting me through this meal.”

I rolled my eyes. “Very funny, we need to get back in there, who knows what they’re talking about.”