Filed to story: Katy and Brayden Cooper Novel
“I think Sean’s in trouble or something,” I finally say, not sure how to even start this conversation because it’s hard to say out loud that her boyfriend hasn’t shown up once since her accident. “He’s not been responding to my texts, and none of his friends have seen him. I asked.”
Allie sighs, but her expression doesn’t change. I feel bad because I know how I’d feel if Braydo-wait, why is his name popping up first? Out of everyone in the world, why him?
The point is, I’d feel awful if someone really close to me just vanished on me when I needed them most. That kind of silence, it’s not something you can reason with. It’s a betrayal that crawls under your skin, one that’s too hard to embrace or accept.
But maybe something really is wrong with Sean. Maybe he’s going through something terrible and we don’t know. That has to be it, right?
I reach out, wrapping my hands around Allie’s. “I’m sure there’s-“
“Nothing’s wrong with him.” Her voice cuts through mine and I pause. Her eyes dim, that small flash of emotion that always shows up when she’s angry or trying not to be. She exhales slowly, her jaw tightening. “He’s just avoiding me.”
“Avoiding you?” My eyes widen, and I jerk closer without thinking. “How can he be avoiding you in this condition? Even if he cheated, he should still-“
“He wrecked my car.”
The words hit me like a slap and I freeze.
“What?” I breathe out, but she’s already looking away, her eyes glassy.
“I noticed the brake pedal was soft after he borrowed it to visit his mum,” she says quietly, her voice trembling. “I asked him to fix it, and he said he did and…” Her voice cracks, the next words barely holding together. “He… he..I’m not sure he did or I wouldn’t be here.”
My whole body goes cold. A slow chill creeps up my spine, tightening around my chest until I can barely breathe. I don’t even realize I’ve reached for her hand until I feel my own fingers digging into hers.
“Tell me you’re lying,” I whisper. “Don’t tell me this story is true, Allie.”
She forces a small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Men are d***s, don’t you think?”
The sound of her voice breaks something in me. My throat tightens as tears sting my eyes- not from sadness, but from that kind of anger that leaves you trembling and speechless. The kind that burns hotter the more you try to hold it in. I stare at her, trying to swallow the lump forming in my chest. She’s sitting here, trying to make a joke out of it, while the guy who almost killed her is just…..
How could he do that?
My lips start to tremble, and I bite down hard, trying to keep it together. Fury claws its way up my throat until it’s all I can taste.
He almost got Allie killed.
And the worst part? He’s been reading my texts for days. No response, no guilt. Nothing.
Oh, fuck me.
My stomach twists as another thought hits. What if his friends are covering for him? What if they know where he is and they’re just pretending they don’t?
“You can kill him when you see him.” Allie’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I snap my head up. Her eyes are swimming with a mix of sadness and anger, but somehow, she still manages to smile: a shaky, forced thing that looks like it physically hurts her to wear. “You look like a storm cloud right now.”
I run a trembling hand through my hair. “He’s a jerk, Allie,” I manage, my voice breaking halfway through. “You’ve been dating for two years, Alls. How can he be so cruel?”
A single tear slips down her cheek, ruining the calmness she’s been trying to portray and the sight weakens me.
“I… I don’t even think I can process it right now,” she whispers.
I bite the inside of my lip, fighting the urge to cry with her, and scoot closer. Carefully, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She feels small, fragile in a way I’ve never felt from her before since we’ve been bestfriends.
“Don’t cry, Alls,” I whisper against her shoulder. “Don’t. You’re gonna be okay, I promise.”
She nods against my shoulder, her body trembling with each sob. I can’t begin to imagine what she’s feeling right now, but it has to be ten times worse than what’s coiling inside me and I can barely breathe as it is. I rub her back gently, whispering comforting words to her.
Sean, when I get you… I swear, you’ll regret it.
“Are you two always this dramatic?”
The sudden voice makes me jerk back and my head snaps toward the door.
“Justin?” I whisper, my eyes widening slightly.
He smirks, stepping farther into the room with a small bag swinging at his side. I swipe at my tears in a hurry and glance at Allie, who’s doing the same.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, genuinely confused. He’s been moving through life like a sloth since his suspension, and when I told him about Allie, he was half-drunk and I was too tired to deal with it.
He drops the bag on the bed beside her and points. “Do I need permission to see a friend?”
I scoff, my anger slipping away because of how ridiculous he sounds. “Why are you trying to act like you-” I stop myself when I notice Allie smiling, her tears forgotten for a moment. I sigh and roll my eyes. “Did you even get her anything?”
He ignores me completely, sitting closer to her.
“How’re you, Bean?” he asks softly.
“A little weak, I guess,” Allie replies, her voice small.
But I barely hear her…because Bean? What the hell is Bean? Since when are they on a nickname basis?
“What did you just call her, Justin?” I blurt.
He turns his head slowly, giving me his annoying lazy look, then unbelievably, he gestures with his eyes and a tilt of his head for me to leave.
My jaw drops.
“Excuse…” He shoots me a warning look and my words die in my throat, replaced by pure disbelief. Is he seriously kicking me out? What the hell could he possibly need to talk to Allie about, alone? What’s going on?
Slowly, and like my ass is nailed to the bed, I rise to my feet. A deep frown settles on my face as I drag myself toward the door, every step fueled by annoyance.
“Shut the door, please,” Justin calls after me.
I stop, hand on the knob, and turn just to give him a glare that should’ve melted the skin off his smug face.
“Come on, don’t be stubborn,” he adds, his lips twitching in a smirk.
I grit my teeth and slam the door shut.
BRAYDON
“I’m about to board right now,” I say into the phone, adjusting my bag higher on my shoulder. The airport’s loud, but I can still hear Katy breathing on the other end.