Holy shit. “You have your nipples pierced? Didn’t that hurt?” On reflex, Cooper touched his own chest. He wasn’t letting any needle get close to him like that.

“Like a motherfucker. The guys like it though.” Noah winked at him.

Cooper tensed a little. He wasn’t going to lie. It was weird as hell to hear stuff like that. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah…well I’d like it too if a woman had her nipples pierced. Maybe I should bring up the idea to one of them…” But then his eyes were drawn to Noah’s chest again.

Noah chuckled, which helped the misplaced tension Cooper felt. He didn’t understand why he kept feeling out of sorts. It wasn’t anything Noah did. He kept getting thrown for a loop where Noah was concerned. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to.

“You haven’t changed it bit.” Noah walked over and opened the door. Cooper followed him out. When they climbed into Coop’s truck, Noah spoke again. “You were always trying to get me into some kind of trouble where girls were concerned. It’s just a magazine, Noah. Look at this video I found, Noah. Holy shit, do you think girls can really do that, Noah?”

As he drove down the road, Cooper laughed. “If I remember correctly, I didn’t have to try very hard. You were always up for that kind of shit.”

At that, Noah shrugged, sobering slightly. “You were, so I was. Wanted to fit in with ya. Didn’t want to be different than my best friend.”

Cooper couldn’t help but turn his head Noah’s way. Hell, they’d been thick as thieves, but Noah never said something like that to him before. Damned if it didn’t make Coop’s chest swell with pride. Noah was a good guy, and to think he’d always wanted to fit in with Cooper…well, that meant something. He’d been devastated when Noah left. It hit him the same as when he’d lost his parents—like he’d been abandoned. Especially when he’d never heard a word from him.

“Stop getting sappy. You know you never have to try and be anything other than what you are with me. I mean, I was always cool enough for both of us anyway.”

Like Cooper hoped he would, Noah laughed. “Fuck off.”

It was the perfect distraction for Cooper to ignore the flood of…contentment... Hearing that their friendship had meant to Noah even a portion of what he had meant to Coop. Which as a kid, had been everything.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Corner pocket.” Cooper pointed his cue. Noah laughed.

“Yeah right. You’re dreaming.”

“Watch and learn, Stretch. Watch and learn.” Cooper paused, wrinkling his forehead. Noah wasn’t sure why until he said, “Holy shit. That just came out. I forgot about that name.”

Noah had too. “I haven’t been called that since I was a kid.”

“That’s because no one besides me knew your secret. I swear to Christ, I used to think you had some kind of magic that made you be able to catch a ball like that. I mean, you were always taller than me, but it was like your whole body stretched out. Gumby or some shit.” Cooper took a drink of his beer and then eyed the pocket.

“It’s called jumping. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

“I always thought you would have made a good basketball player.” The cue stroked smoothly through Cooper’s fingers as the solid, purple ball made it into the pocket he called.

“I played when I left here.” Noah eyed the table, looking for his shot.

“No shit?”

“Yeah. I was always better at it. Gotta go with what you’re good at.”

Cooper pointed to a pocket. Noah nodded but Coop missed the shot.

“You know I’m about to clean the table, don’t you?” He saw Cooper scowl. He always hated losing.

“Bastard.”

Noah laughed, before calling and then sinking his shot. He moved to the next and did the same. The whole time, he felt Cooper’s eyes on him. He wanted to say it was because of game, and it probably was, but it felt like he’d been doing it all evening. When Noah looked at him, Coop always turned away. He wasn’t sure how that made him feel, considering Cooper seemed on and off with his comfort about him being gay. Though, discomfort wasn’t what he would call the look in Cooper’s eyes. Curiosity? Interest—even if not sexual. Or could it be? “Eight ball side pocket.” Noah called before hitting the ball in. As he did, a group of a few men and women approached them.

Perfect. They definitely needed to be joined by some other people. He didn’t know if it was the couple beers he’d had, or the fact that the past always crept in when he was speaking to Cooper, but the air was thick between them in a way it hadn’t been the first few days.