Coaching His Babygirl by Rory Reynolds
Chapter Fourteen
Cooper
I’msurprised when my phone rings and it’s Mel… surprised and relieved. It’s been twenty-four hours of silence. I’ve hated every second of it. I haven’t slept or eaten since she disappeared on me. My stomach has been in knots, and my heart lodged in my throat. I can’t imagine what she’s been thinking about me, but none of it can be good.
“Mel,” I say, letting every bit of my relief come through in those three little letters.
“Cooper,” she says, sounding much more formal than I like.
“Where are you? I’ve been worried sick.”
“I-I’m sorry I worried you,” she says, sounding tearful. “I just needed space.”
I let out a gusty sigh, running my hand down my face. “I understand. I’m so sorry for everything…”
I barely get the words out before Mel is interrupting me. “I don’t want to do this over the phone. Can you come over?”
I’m both shocked and ecstatic that she wants me to come over. Though I don’t like the tone of her voice. She sounds defeated, and I hate that.
“Of course.”
“Can you meet me there in an hour?”
“I’ll be there,” I answer, not giving her a chance to change her mind.
“See you,” she says just before hanging up.
I feel the loss of her voice like a gut punch. Part of me wants to rush over right now and not give her any more time to fill her mind with negative thoughts, but I won’t do that. I’ll give her the hour she asked for, even if the minutes drag by like torture.
* * *
An hour later,I’m parked outside Mel’s house, wiping sweat off my palms. I’m nervous for the first time in longer than I can remember. This could go really badly, and I can’t even fathom surviving this going unfavorably. What happens if Mel doesn’t believe me? Can we get over something like that? We’ve only been together a short time… is it enough for her to give me her trust?
The door opens before I even get out of my truck. Mel is waiting with her arms crossed over her middle like she’s waiting for the first strike to come. My heart aches at the sight. I cross the distance between us in seconds, and without asking for permission, I pull her into my arms.
She sucks in a breath and stands stiff as a board in my arms. I run my hands over her back, trying to get her to relax into me, but she pulls away and takes two big steps back. I hate every inch of the distance she’s putting between us. A millimeter of space would be too damn much.
“Babygirl…” I start but can’t find the right words to express what I want to say. I’ve gone over it in my head a million times since she ran off, but now that she’s in front of me, the words won’t come. Seeing the hurt on her beautiful face and the defeat in her eyes has my heart aching for her. She’s obviously spent the night going over all the possible scenarios, and none of them are good.
“Don’t,” she says, shaking her head. “Just don’t.”
Okay, she doesn’t want me to call her babygirl. I can handle that even if I hate it.
“Mel… What you saw…”
“You, kissing another woman,” she adds when I get stuck on my words again.
“I know it looked bad, but it’s not what you think in the slightest. Yes, Janice kissed me, but it was one hundred percent unwanted.”
She’s still standing stiffly, her eyes narrowed as she looks at me suspiciously. “Who is Janice?”
“We dated a few times a couple years ago… it never went anywhere because she isn’t who I had my heart set on.”
That suspicious look doesn’t leave her face as she considers my words. I understand the suspicion, but it still hurts.
“Why would she kiss you?”
I let out a rough sigh, running my hand through my hair, mussing it up further. “Janice isn’t good with boundaries and doesn’t like to hear no.” I look at Mel with sincerity in my eyes, willing her to hear the truth of my words. “The only lips I want on mine are yours.”
Mel sighs sadly, hugging herself. She looks fragile, and I desperately want to take her in my arms and make everything all right again. I know she’s not there yet though.
“I believe you,” she finally says, but it doesn’t sound like a happy reunion is on the horizon. In fact, her words sound more like a break-up than a make-up and my heart clenches in my chest.
I move in close and reach out to cup her cheek, but she flinches back and shakes her head. “I need some time,” she says, looking at me imploringly.
Her words say one thing, but her eyes are saying another. It gives me hope that things will be okay. I’m thanking God that she believes me, but at the same time, my heart is ripped to shreds that she won’t let me close. I have to remind myself that it isn’t what I want that matters, it’s what she needs that’s important, and right now, she’s asking for space.
“Okay, love. I’ll be right here waiting.”
I step in close, pulling her into my arms before she has time to protest. Ever so slowly, she melts against me and hugs me back. I hate that this moment feels like a goodbye, but she’s in my arms, and that’s a good sign… Right?
I drop a kiss to the top of her head and leave, giving her the space she’s asked for.