Filed to story: Katy and Brayden Cooper Novel
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s grab a milkshake or something.”
I sigh, pretending to think. “Yeah… that actually sounds nice.”
“Thank you,” I say to the barista as she sets down my milkshake and Braydon’s iced latte. My favorite caf?, The Grind, as everyone calls it, is quieter than usual today. Only a few students sit scattered near the windows, headphones in, and faces buried in screens. I’m grateful because fewer eyes mean fewer whispers.
I take a long sip of my milkshake, the cold sweetness hitting instantly. “Okay, this is actually really good,” I say, mostly to myself.
Across from me, Braydon’s fingers drum against the table. He’s been quiet for a full minute, which should’ve been my warning.
“You know,” he starts, eyes flicking to mine, “we haven’t talked about you ghosting me at Zach’s party.”
I choke on my drink, coughing as he raises a brow like he’s enjoying the show. Grabbing a napkin, I dab my mouth and glare at him. “Why would you randomly bring that up?”
He shrugs. “Because we haven’t had time to talk about it.” He pauses, smirking. “Thanks to someone.”
I lean back. “Must we talk about it? And what’s there to even say?”
“I can name a few things.” He takes a sip of his latte, eyes not leaving mine. “Your sudden decision to play that dumb game because of Bryan. Your answers. And then that kiss we-“
“That’s enough,” I cut in quickly, my cheeks burning. “Don’t you think it’s a little childish to bring that up? Besides…. I had my reasons for kissing you that way.”
He crosses his arms and leans back, his legs stretching out until they bump mine under the table.”
Please, enlighten me.”
I groan, rubbing my temples. He’s impossible. Actually, he makes me do impossible things.
“Okay, since you’re desperate to know, I kissed you because of Bryan,” I finally say. “He was walking by with some girl, and it just… felt right to do it.”
His brow arches. “I don’t remember seeing him when-“
“That’s because you had your back to him,” I interrupt quickly. “And when he walked past, I’m pretty sure your eyes were closed because we were…” My voice trails off, heat rushing to my cheeks and I bite my lip, avoiding his stare. “Why are you making this such a big deal anyway?”
“I’m not.” He says simply. “Just wanted to say it was a great kiss. You’ve definitely improved since the first one.”
I blink. “Improved?”
He grins, resting his elbow on the table. “Give it a few weeks and you’ll have the skills to drive any guy crazy.”
“Asshole,” I mumble, glaring at my milkshake while he laughs softly.
He finishes the last of his latte, still watching me. “So…” he drawls, stretching out the word like he’s thinking. “What are your plans tonight?”
I shrug, playing with my straw. “Nothing much. Probably going to teach you a topic or two.”
“Hmm.” He leans back. “Good. I have something special planned.”
My head snaps up. “W-what?”
His grin widens, slow and wicked. “You’ll have to wait to find out.”
KATY’S POV
Ever since Braydon said he had a surprise planned, my brain hasn’t shut up about it. I tried to focus in class, even listened to an entire lecture on Ad Ethics, but all I could think about was what this man was plotting. So, yeah, I’ve been mentally spiraling.
By the time I reach his townhouse, my stomach is already doing cartwheels. I take a deep breath, fix my hair, and knock.
A few seconds later, his door swings open and he appears shirtless. Of course.
Honestly, I’d be shocked if he wasn’t half-naked at this point because it’s like his default setting.
Still, I’m convinced he does this just to get under my skin.
“You’re finally here,” he says, stepping aside. “What took so long?”
I brush past him and kick off my sneakers. “Had to pay Justin a visit. Wanted to make sure he wasn’t still sulking about his suspension.”
He shuts the door and falls into step beside me. “And was he?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Apparently, you hockey boys are built different.”
He arches a brow. “How so?”
I turn to him. “Emotionally unavailable, immune to consequences, and somehow always shirtless.
It’s impressive, really.”
He grins. “You forgot devastatingly handsome.”
“Oh, right.” I roll my eyes. “How could I possibly forget that?”
“It’s the most important,” he says, that cocky grin not leaving his face.
“I mean,” I rub my forehead, exhaling. “If I were suspended, I’d be crying every hour. Meanwhile,
Justin’s acting like it’s no big deal.”
And even if it is all pretense, he’s good at it. Because if it was me, it’d be written all over my face.
“It’s just three games,” Braydon says, his hand already on his bedroom door. “He’ll bounce back. J doesn’t give up easily, so you shouldn’t worry so much.”
I nod, though I still do worry. Then he pushes open the door, and before he can say anything else, I walk in, maybe a little too fast.
My eyes scan around. Okay… what? I don’t know what I was expecting, but it’s not this, because the room looks totally normal. There’s no decorations, no candles, no mysterious setup. Just his usual messy bed and hockey gear tossed in a corner.
Not that I was expecting, like, rose petals or anything… but still. He said surprise.
“What are you looking at?” he asks, stepping beside me.
“Nothing,” I say flatly.