Pieces of Me

by Laura Farr

  “Thank you, sweetie,” I tell her, taking the phone from her outstretched hand. I frown as I look down at the screen and see another message from Greg. Opening it, I sigh as I read it.

  Greg: Why are you ignoring me? You always were a stuck-up bitch!

  His messages range from begging me to go back to him to abuse when I fail to reply. I have no idea what he expects to achieve by sending me these messages. I will never go back to him, and sending me abusive messages is just making me hate him even more.

  I’m so preoccupied with my phone, I don’t realize the truck has come to a stop. Looking up, I see we are parked in Oceanside.

  “What’s wrong?” Cooper asks, glancing down at the phone in my hand.

  “Nothing. I’m fine.” I assure him, turning the phone over to hide the screen.

  “Lexi?”

  I shake my head and gesture to Bella in the back seat. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  He holds my gaze for a few seconds before nodding and climbing out of the truck. I do the same and open Bella’s door, unfastening her seat belt and helping her down.

  We’ve parked a short distance from the restaurant, and Cooper and I walk next to each other, watching as Bella skips down the sidewalk a little head of us.

  “Was that another message from your ex?” he asks quietly, his eyes fixed on Bella.

  I nod. “Yeah… I think I might have to change my number.” He turns to look at me, and I can see the worry in his eyes.

  “Why? Are the messages that bad?”

  “No… Not really, but he doesn’t seem to be taking the hint.”

  “Have you spoken to him?”

  I shake my head. “He’s called a few times, but I’ve ignored him.”

  He reaches for my hand and squeezes it before letting go. “I don’t know what happened between you two, but he was an idiot for letting you go.”

  “I was the idiot, believe me.” Our conversation is cut short as we come to a stop outside the restaurant.

  “We’ll finish this conversation later,” Cooper whispers into my ear, his breath making me shiver.

  An hour later, we’ve all eaten enough pizza to keep us going for a week. What is it about pizza that makes you keep eating, even when you’re full?

  “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to fit in any dessert,” I mutter, flopping back against the booth we’re sitting in, patting my full stomach.

  “I can!” Bella cries, bouncing up and down in her seat. Cooper laughs.

  “I bet you change your mind when we get there and you see how good they look!”

  He’s sitting opposite me, his eyes fixed on mine. It’s a good thing Bella is concentrating on coloring in the menu. He winks before turning to her.

  “Shall we go and show Lexi what she’s been missing out on?” He tickles her side before she nods and jumps up. Scooting out of the booth, I stand up and reach for her hand.

  “Come on then, Bells. You’ll have to help me choose.” She envelopes her hand in mine, and I turn to see Cooper following us out of the restaurant. He smiles, and I feel a million butterflies take flight in my stomach as he watches me. As good as the dessert shop sounds, I can’t wait to spend some time alone with him later.

  Turns out, everyone in Oceanside wants a dessert, and when we arrive, there’s a line spilling onto the sidewalk. The menu is displayed in the window, and it sounds just as amazing as Cooper said it would be. After much deliberation, I follow Bella’s advice and go for the Oreo cake. The line to eat in is still huge, so we decide on takeout. Our orders come in cute boxes with little tubs of ice cream. After peeking inside my box, I know I’m never going to be able to eat it all. Bella’s dessert will last her all week. I can’t believe she’s able to eat all of it in one sitting.

  Back at the house, we’re in the den. I’m so stuffed I can barely move. Bella has curled up on the couch, and after eating almost half of her dessert, is fast asleep. Her head is on my lap, and my fingers absentmindedly stroke her hair as I watch Cooper finish off his strawberry cheesecake.

  “God, that’s good,” he moans as he puts the last forkful into his mouth and closes the now empty box.

  “I can’t believe you’ve eaten all that,” I tell him quietly so as not to disturb Bella. “I couldn’t finish mine.”

  “Lightweight,” he jokes as he stands and scoops a sleeping Bella into his arms. “I’ll just put her to bed.”

  “I’ll help.” I offer, following him from the room. Upstairs, I awkwardly undress her as she sleeps on his shoulder. I slip a Pull-Up on her, followed by her pajamas, and Cooper places her on the bed. Kissing her head, he stands up and pulls the comforter over her. As he backs away, I lean over her sleeping form and brush a kiss across her cheek. Turning toward the door, I catch Cooper watching me, a smile tugging on his lips.

  “Come here,” he whispers, holding his hand out to me. I go to him, taking his hand in mine. He gently pulls me out of Bella’s bedroom and backs me up against the wall opposite her door. “Seeing you with Bella…” He trails off and rests his forehead on mine. “You really care about her.” It’s a statement, not a question, but I answer him anyway.

  “I do,” I say quietly, and he lifts his forehead, capturing my lips with his. My back scrapes against the hard wall as his body presses against me. I barely notice as his kiss consumes me. His tongue snakes into my mouth, and I moan as it brushes against mine. He tastes of strawberry cheesecake, and I can’t get enough of him. I’m pressed up against his hard body, but I need to be closer. As I wind my arms around his neck, he picks me up and I wrap my legs around him. I feel his erection press against me. I moan again as I push my hips against his.

  “God, Lex,” he mutters as his lips leave mine and he peppers hot, wet kisses around my jaw. My head drops back against the wall, giving him access to the hollow of my neck as his mouth moves lower. I feel his hand slide under my t-shirt, and I shiver as his fingers trace up my side. He pauses when his hand meets the lace material of my bra, and I suddenly snap out of my lust-induced fog.

  “Cooper,” I say, wriggling in his hold. He lifts his eyes to mine and gently drops my legs to the floor.

  “Is something wrong?” His eyes are full of concern, and I quickly shake my head.

  I slip my hand into his and pull him along the landing and down the stairs. I want nothing more than to keep kissing him. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I spent years with Greg, and even in the early stages of our relationship, my body never reacted the way it does when Cooper touches me. Even though whatever this is between us is new, it feels like it could be something big, something life-changing. I don’t want to mess everything up by moving too fast, and right now, it feels like we’re heading that way. Our kiss earlier in the day was heated. This was even hotter. I feel Cooper tug on my arm, so I turn to face him.

  “Why did you pull away?”

  “Because if you’d carried on kissing me, I don’t think I would have been able to stop. I didn’t want to pull away,” I say quietly, my cheeks flushing at my admission. Relief floods his face before a smirk appears on his lips, and I raise my eyebrows in question.

  “Are you saying you can’t keep your hands off me, Lexi?” He winds his arms around my waist and pulls me against him. Rolling my eyes, I rest my hands on his chest.

  “I thought you wanted to take things slowly…” I trail off. “This is probably going to make your head even bigger,” I tell him, my hand lightly smacking his chest. “But, I don’t seem to be able to control myself around you. Whatever this is between us, I don’t want to mess it up by moving too quickly.”

  The smirk drops from his face and he guides me into the den. Sitting down on the couch, he pulls me down to sit next to him.

  “I did say I wanted to take things slowly.” He reaches for my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “I’ve just been fighting with myself for weeks over how I feel about you, and now...” He pauses, his eyes holding my gaze. “I’m not sure I can contr
ol myself, either.”

  I look at him in surprise. “What about…” I trail off, wondering if I should be asking about Emerson.

  “What about Emerson?” he finishes for me. I nod. “I have no idea how I’m supposed to feel. It’s been four years and I still miss her every day, but being with you makes me feel alive again. Is that wrong, Lex? Is it wrong that I like how I feel when I’m with you?” There is such pain and uncertainty in his eyes when he looks at me that my heart breaks for him. I can’t even begin to imagine how he’s feeling. He didn’t choose to be apart from Emerson. She was ripped away from him in the cruelest way possible.

  “No, Cooper, it’s not wrong. It’s not wrong at all.”

  “When I lost her, the idea of meeting someone else, falling in love… It wasn’t something I could even think about.” He closes his eyes and sighs. “I was a mess for a long time, Lex. Bella and my family were all that kept me going.”

  I squeeze his hand and turn on the couch so that my body is facing him. I wait for him to continue, not wanting to interrupt what he’s telling me.

  “Something changed over the past few weeks, though. It suddenly wasn’t a struggle to get out of bed in the morning. I found myself looking forward to seeing you, knowing you were going to be here when I got home from work. For the first time in four years, Emerson wasn’t the only woman on my mind.” He leans over and brushes his lips against mine. “I don’t want to mess this up, either,” he whispers against my mouth. “I’ve been upside down for so long, Lex. When I’m with you, it feels like I’m the right way again.”

  I press my lips harder against his, pouring everything I feel into that kiss. He kisses me back and lifts me onto his lap, his hands settling on my waist. He breaks the kiss, and a silence falls over us as he rests his forehead on mine.

  “So, you can’t keep your hands off me then?” he asks again after a few minutes, breaking the silence. I smack him lightly on the chest and shake my head. His hands tickle my sides and I squeal, wriggling on his lap. I hear him take a sharp breath as his hands grip my waist, forcing me to still. “Jesus, Lex,” he groans, dropping his head onto my chest. “Sit still.” It’s my turn to smirk as I feel his erection pressing against me.

  “Ha!” I exclaim, wriggling again on his lap. “That serves you right for being so cocky.” I grin at him as he lifts his head and narrows his eyes.

  Before I know what’s happening, he’s moving me off his lap and I gasp as he tosses me onto the couch, his body quickly coming over mine.

  “If you weren’t so goddamn sexy, I wouldn’t be walking around with a hard-on all the time like some fifteen-year-old boy.” His voice is low and husky, and I can’t tear my eyes off him.

  “All the time, huh?” I ask, heat pooling in my stomach at his words.

  “All the time,” he confirms as he lowers his head to kiss me. Before his lips touch mine, Bella’s cries come echoing down the stairs and into the den. He drops his forehead and sighs. “She’s got the worst timing.”

  “I’ll go,” I tell him, kissing him quickly before he sits up.

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know. I want to.” I kiss him again before heading into the entryway and up the stairs. Maybe Bella waking was a blessing. I’m not sure how far things would have gone if we hadn’t been disturbed. I want to be with him, more than anything, but I don’t want him to have any regrets.

  Pushing open Bella’s door, I walk across the room and sit on the edge of her bed. “Hey, pudding. What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t find my blankie,” she mumbles through her tears.

  “Well, I’m sure it’s here somewhere. Let’s have a look.” I pull her comforter back and check that it hasn’t slipped down by her legs. When I can’t find it, I get on my hands and knees and look under her bed. Spying the tattered piece of blanket trapped between her bed and the wall, I reach underneath and pull it out with a flurry. “Ta-da!” I exclaim as I sit up. She grins and holds her hand out for the scrap of material.

  “Thank you, Lexi,” she says sleepily. Her thumb has found her mouth, and she’s rubbing the edge of the blanket on her face. Her eyes are already closed, so I pull the comforter back over her.

  “Night, Bells. Sweet dreams,” I whisper as I kiss her softly on her forehead. Slowly walking out of the room, I close her door before heading downstairs and back into the den. Cooper is sitting on the couch, flicking through the movie channels. He’s obviously been into the kitchen while I’ve been upstairs. A glass of wine sits next to his bottle of beer. There are also two bowls of chips on the table.

  “Everything okay?” he asks, looking away from the TV.

  “Yeah. She couldn’t find her blanket.”

  “That blanket is a pain in the ass.” He pats the space next to him and I sit down, pressing my body against his. “She’s had it since she was a baby, and now it’s just a tatty mess, but there’s no chance I can throw it away.”

  “I think it’s sweet.”

  He sits up and reaches for my glass of wine. “Just wait. You won’t be saying that when she’s waking you up at 2am because she can’t find it.” He laughs and passes me my wine.

  “I wouldn’t mind,” I reply quietly as I take the glass from him, slowly taking a sip. I’m sure it’s only a passing comment, but it makes me hopeful that he believes things can work out between us if he’s suggesting I might be in the house at 2am to hear Bella wake for her blanket.

  “What are you putting on?” I ask, trying not to get too ahead of myself.

  “It doesn’t really matter. We aren’t going to be watching it anyway,” he says flippantly as he takes a pull of his Bud before putting the bottle down on the table.

  “We aren’t?”

  He shakes his head and takes my glass from me, setting it down on the table. I watch as he stands up and turns out the light. The room is plunged into darkness, a dull glow coming from the television screen.

  “We’re going to make out on the couch.” My eyes go wide and my stomach clenches in anticipation.

  “Like fifteen-year-olds?” I ask, a smile forming on my lips.

  “Like fifteen-year-olds,” he confirms, and although it’s dark, I can tell from his voice that he’s smiling.

  A movie has started, but I have no idea what it is, and right now, I couldn’t care less. My heart is racing and nerves flutter in my stomach as he sits down next to me. I feel exactly like I’m fifteen again and getting ready for my first kiss. The old leather couch is large and comfortable and can easily fit both of us lying side by side. I maneuver my body so I’m lying down before curling my hand around the material of his t-shirt and pulling him down on top of me. My legs fall open and his hips press down against my jean shorts. Lowering his head, his lips crash against mine, his teeth nibbling my bottom lip. Opening up to him, our tongues collide as my hands wind into his hair. I hold him to me, afraid that at any minute, he’ll change his mind and stop kissing me.

  I gasp into his mouth as I feel his warm hand push under my t-shirt. This time, I don’t stop him. His lips leave mine and he brushes soft kisses down my neck, his tongue darting out to taste my skin. His hand has pushed my t-shirt up, exposing my bra, and he lifts his head, his eyes roaming my body.

  “Shit,” he groans. “Should have left the lights on.” He lowers his head and kisses the material that’s covering my breast. “Guess I’ll have to feel my way instead.” He pulls the material of my bra down, exposing one of my breasts to him. “Beautiful,” he mutters, his hot breath on my skin causing my nipple to pebble. I moan as I feel his mouth envelope my breast, his tongue swirling around my nipple. I arch my back and push myself closer to him. Heat is building in the pit of my stomach, my breathing erratic. It feels so good. Better than it’s ever felt before.

  There’s an ache building between my legs and I don’t think twice about lifting my hips, desperately trying to find some friction to ease the ache. Releasing my nipple from his mouth, he climbs off me and holds out his ha
nd. I pause for a second before taking his hand and he pulls me from the couch. He removes my t-shirt and winds his hand around my back, unclasping my bra. Slowly, he pulls the fabric from my body. Up until now, whatever movie is playing has been relatively dark, but just as my bra falls away, the screen goes light and illuminates the room. I feel my face flush as I stand in front of him, naked from the waist up. His eyes are wide and dance across my bare skin. He backs up toward the couch, his eyes never leaving mine, before beckoning me toward him. As he sits down, I straddle him, his erection hot and hard against me. I rock against him, the ache between my legs building. He pushes back against me, hitting the spot where I need him the most.

  “God, Cooper,” I moan, arching my back. He’s rock hard, and I hope this feels as good for him as it does for me. His mouth finds my breast again, and I grind harder against him, chasing my orgasm. He bites down gently on my nipple, and I know I’m close. “I’m going to come,” I say, shamelessly rocking faster against him. His free hand comes up to caress my other breast, and it’s that which pushes me over the edge. I come hard, shuddering against him. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close, my face nuzzled into his neck.

  “You okay?” he asks after a few minutes of silence. I nod as best I can, a little embarrassed to lift my head. That wasn’t exactly how I was expecting tonight to go.

  “Fifteen, huh?” I ask, finally lifting my head. My eyes meet his and I can see the confusion in them.

  “Fifteen?”

  “Did you get to second base often when you were fifteen?” I ask with a chuckle. The confusion clears from his face and he brings his mouth to my ear.

  “I did…and sometimes even third.”

  I laugh and swat him on the shoulder. “I bet you did!”

  “Are you saying you didn’t?”

  “Ha! You do remember me when I was that age, right? Well, fourteen. Braces, acne and Coke bottle glasses? There weren’t many boys interested.”

  “Then they were idiots.”

  I smile and shake my head before crossing my arms over my chest, conscious that I’m sitting on him half-naked. He must notice my discomfort as he reaches down and hands me my bra.