“Done.”
“You should go to bed,” I tell him.
He nods. “I’m going. I just wanted to make sure things were good between us before…”
Before everything in our roles changes.
Before the rules change.
Before it goes from Cooper and Chloe to Cooper and Vanessa.
“I just want you to be happy.” He stands, pulling me up and into him, hugging me. “I love you, Chloe.”
“I know,” I tell him.
I feel his abs constrict as he laughs. “Nice Han Solo.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much.”
His arms fall, and he turns to retreat to his room. “Love you, Coop.”
He looks back, flashing a smile. I watch his door close, and though he’s no farther away than he was before this conversation, it feels like he’s just traveled to another state.
“Chloe,” Nessie sings my name, inches from my face.
“Why are you so mean?” I mumble.
“What time did you go to bed?” she asks.
“Late. Early. What time is it?”
“Almost three.”
I sit up, glancing in the direction of the window where the shades are pulled shut, making it appear like it’s still the middle of the night, though I know it’s not because I didn’t come back in here until the sun was starting to glow on the horizon.
“You missed breakfast and lunch, but I love you and saved you some breakfast. It’s in the fridge.”
“What was it?”
“Sweet potato pecan waffles. They’re amazing. Life-changing.”
I slide my legs out from the weight of the blankets and yawn. “Is there coffee?”
“There’s a Keurig in the kitchen, a regular coffee pot, and a coffee shop in the lobby that will deliver.”
“I might need all the options.”
Nessie laughs. “So does your hair,” she teases.
I raise a hand, feeling the fine hairs that are sticking up, and try in earnest to relax them. She laughs. “It’s the only part of you that’s up.”
“Hilarious,” I tell her.
She bends at the waist, her laughter growing.
I face the mirror and cringe before reaching for some product in an attempt to tame my hair. I get dressed, and apply some light makeup to conceal my short night.
My thoughts wander to the conversation with Cooper, wondering how things will change as I descend the stairs. I come to an abrupt stop when I round the kitchen and nearly run into Tyler.
“Sorry,” I mumble, taking a step back, remembering he’s the actual reason I couldn’t sleep and trying to create more space between us.
“Chloe, what’s the name of the tour you want to go on?” Cooper asks from where he’s leaning against the sink, a can of soda in his hand.
“I don’t know? He mentioned it was in the French District at a mansion that comes back here to the cemetery.”
Cooper looks at Tyler for clarification.
“There are several tours in the French District,” Tyler says.
“Do you have a preference?” Coop asks.
I shake my head.
“This one sounds like it might be the one,” Cooper says. “We can check it out and then come back here and get in the pool.”
I can’t register his words because the word we is stuck in my throat like a gumball.
What we?
I need coffee. Stat.
Nessie points at the coffee machine, the blue light reading that it’s on and hot. “You’re my favorite sister,” I tell her, reaching for a nearby cupboard and finding a coffee mug.
“As your only sister, that’s touching,” she says, handing me a small basket of sugars and creamers.
“Let’s do that one,” Cooper says, pointing at something on his phone. “I’ll call them and see if they have availability.”
Tyler shakes his head. “Natasha will have contacts. I’ll call her.” He pulls out his phone, moving toward the living room as he calls her.
“See?” Cooper says.
I take a drink of the coffee, not caring that it’s still too hot. I need caffeine to process the situation. “I thought he had meetings?”
“He did. He just got back.”
I glance in his direction as his phone call ends. He turns around, catching me staring. Rather than be embarrassed, I glower, hoping it might make him change his mind and find something else to do besides hang out with us.
“Okay. We have to get going now,” he says.
“Now?” I ask, still not accepting that he’s coming with us.
He nods.
I take another sip of my coffee before regretfully setting it in the sink, and opening the fridge. I grab one of the waffles stacked on a plate, surrounded by small dishes of whipped butter and syrup that I have no doubt would taste like perfection.
Nessie chuckles. “Let’s go so we can grab you some coffee to go. We’ll meet you guys in the lobby.”
While Tyler and Coop go to grab their shoes and sunglasses, Nessie and I head down in the elevator, and even though the waffle is cold and plain, it’s delicious and still pillowy soft.
“Feeling better?” Cooper asks as I take a long sip of my iced coffee once they meet us in the lobby.
“Give me ten minutes.”
He chuckles, waiting to keep stride with Nessie. It’s sweet and thoughtful and only marginally painful to watch.
My dress is white and ends at my knees, shifting with the warm breeze as we step outside.
A car is parked at the curb, waiting for us. Miles is not.
The ride is mere minutes. We’ve barely gotten ourselves situated before our driver is pulling over for us to get out again at a large mansion with a crooked sign, the paint cracking and rippled from sun exposure.
“Welcome. Welcome,” a woman greets us with a thick Southern accent. A half dozen others are standing outside that we join. “Twins! Now, this should make for a very interesting tour. Did you know twins used to be considered bad luck and only recently have been known as good luck?” I swear she leers at us.
Nessie grips my hand, and we exchange a look as we join the rest. This lady’s nuts, and I’ll kick her in the vajayjay if she tries anything.
“We’re so
