Page 167 of Rhodes

“I mean it.” I pull my coat off the hook by the door. “I should have told him months ago. Making Rhodes lie to his best friend because I was too chicken shit to deal with Cooper wasn’t fair either.”

Libba’s expression softens, but she does not argue right away.

“You weren’t exactly dealing with a normal amount of shit at the time.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean Coop didn’t deserve better from me.”

She studies me for another second, then reaches for the remote and turns the television off.

“Call me if he acts like an ass.”

“He’s definitely going to act like an ass.”

“Then call me if he graduates to unbearable.”

I smile and pull my coat on.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will.”

I squeeze her shoulder on the way past and head out.

Cooper’s place is only a few minutes away, also downtown, so I barely have time to rehearse anything useful before I’m pulling up in front of his building. His truck is there, which answers one question.

I sit behind the wheel for a second with the engine running, then shut it off before I can talk myself into doing this by phone.

The porch light is on. I knock once. He opens the door almost immediately. His face changes when he sees me.

“Tilly.”

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah, of course.”

He steps aside.

His place is cleaner than I expected and still somehow full of shit he has not found permanent homes for yet. A box sits against one wall and two framed photos are leaning on the console instead of hanging. There is a stack of mail on the counter and a pair of running shoes in the middle of the floor.

He closes the door behind me. I don’t know where to start, suddenly wondering what I’m even doing here. Then Cooper runs a hand over the back of his neck.

“Rhodes called you.”

“He did. He wanted me to hear it from him.”

Cooper looks away.

“I’m sorry you found out like that.”

His head snaps back toward me. “You’re sorry?”

“Yes.”

He gives a short laugh. “That’s not really where I thought this conversation was going.”

“I should have told you.”

He crosses his arms.