But this had nothing to do with the ice and was just his mind playing tricks on him, jerking him around because he’d let Izzy walk out of his life twice, and he was about to let Riley do the same. Only both of them were still there, and he could salvage this. He had time.
When he’d arrived back from his first long road trip yesterday morning and found Izzy fast asleep on his couch, he had to have her, had to find a way to keep her in his life. The next thing he knew, they were naked and all over each other, just like old times. Even better he’d made love to her without a condom, which was the purest form of heaven known to man, skin to skin, nothing separating them, and emptying his seed into her body had been the most sensual bonding experience he’d ever had.
Then she’d told him she was spending the evening with her sisters, and he’d spent the night alone in his bed, which probably explained why he was feeling a little out of sorts and full of dread.
Her sisters? She’d rather spend the night with her sisters when he’d just returned from a two-week road trip? That seemed so wrong. But in an effort to show her how supportive and laid-back he’d become, he told her to have fun and watched her go, hoping she’d come back to his house after a night with her sisters and change her mind about giving him another chance, but she didn’t.
This morning he drove Riley to school, and the closer he got, the more his gut clenched. He couldn’t explain his reluctance any more than he could explain why he hadn’t sent Riley to live with his parents yet. When they came out to meet Riley, they’d assumed Riley would be going back with them. Only Cooper hedged, claiming that he didn’t want to uproot Riley in the middle of a semester and would wait until winter break.
The sooner Riley moved out, the sooner Cooper’s life would get back to normal. Only he wasn’t sure he wanted that normal anymore. He used to answer to no one, had no responsibilities except to his team, and had the house all to himself.
Only there was a big problem. The old normal didn’t appeal to him anymore.
God, he was so messed up in the head right now.
“Uncle Coop, are you okay?”
Cooper jerked himself back to the present. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Riley’s gaze dissected him as Cooper pulled up in the front of the school.
Shit.
Cooper broke out in a cold sweat. His hands fucking shook. His breath came in short gasps, as if he were on the verge of a panic attack. Disgusted with himself, Cooper shook it off, but it took every bit of control he’d learned from years of hockey to do so. He glanced at Riley, whose brow was furrowed with worry.
Just as his nephew was about to get out of the SUV, Cooper grabbed his arm.
“Riley.” His voice broke in a rare display of emotion.
“Yeah?” Riley had his hand on the door as if ready to bolt.
“Why don’t you play hooky, and we’ll hang out?” The words rushed from Cooper’s mouth before he could stop them.
Riley stared at him as if he were nuts. “I have a test today, and we have a big pep rally.”
“Oh, okay. I just—I just want you to know that—” Cooper swallowed. The words stuck in his throat.
“What?” Riley said with typical teenage impatience.
“I—uh—I—” Cooper raked his fingers through his hair. “Have a good day.”
Riley frowned at him, then glanced around quickly as if to make sure none of his friends noticed Cooper being clingy and weird. “Sure.”
The kid literally leapt from the car.
Cooper sighed. He couldn’t blame him. Cooper hadn’t exactly been the doting uncle, or even much of an uncle at all. Somehow he’d make that up to Riley in the time they had left together.
Yeah, that’s what he’d do first chance he got.
Riley sat in the cafeteria surrounded by his buddies, wishing he could bottle this memory and save it forever. It was such a normal kid moment, but it wouldn’t last because Uncle Cooper didn’t want him. He was going to send him away. Even though he was acting all emotional and weird today, Riley refused to get his hopes up. Cooper and Izzy were on the skids, which explained his uncle’s strange behavior more than it explained any feelings Uncle Cooper might have for him.
Riley wasn’t sure why Cooper hadn’t sent him away yet, especially when his grandma and grandpa came to visit. He’d been certain they’d come to get him. Only they left without him. They were nice people, but they weren’t Cooper and Izzy.
If Riley were staying, he’d find a way to get those two back together. They’d been missing each other ever since they split up. It was stupid. They were meant for each other, but they were too stubborn to admit it. Riley had caused all this somehow. His mom had always told him that he was in the way, and everything bad was usually his fault.
Riley looked over at the next table. Gina caught his eye and smiled. Riley’s heart thumped in his chest.
Gina was hot, like the hottest girl in his class and lately she’d been paying attention to him. At first, he’d been confused because girls like Gina never paid attention to him. Besides, he was still stinging from the rejection of his former girlfriend. Okay, so he’d only actually met her once at the party Izzy took him to, but they’d had a virtual relationship ever since. Until a few nights ago when she’d told him she liked another guy who went to her school.
Tonight the varsity team had a playoff game, and the cafeteria buzzed with excitement, especially at the jock table where Riley sat. Freshman jocks, that is. The older guys sat at a table nearby, joking and laughing, and being general dicks. When Riley got to be a senior, he’d never be a dick. He’d be a nice guy to everyone and not be mean to anyone.
Riley heard a pop like some joker was popping a plastic bag. Next to him Gabe clutched his chest and fell to the floor, clowning around like he always did. Riley rolled his eyes and glanced around at his buddies. Wide-eyed, they were staring at the seat that Gabe had been sitting in. A couple of them looked at something over his shoulder, horror on their faces. Riley frowned, feeling like he was missing something.