Kisses of Fire (boyxboy)

Chapter 49 - Enemies

"Adams! You better start making baskets, or else I'm pulling you from the game." Cooper's dad yelled out after he missed his fifth free throw in a row. Running back to his position, he kept quiet and waited for his turn again.

"Bro, what the heck? You never miss this many shots." Parker said, seeming worried.

Brushing it off, Cooper wiped the sweat that was dripping down his forehead, "Just have a lot going on." They were an hour into practice, and Cooper was acting as if he was a rookie.

"Well, get over it; we need you for the game."

Parker's words struck Cooper in a harsh way. His biggest concern the past week was if he was playing for himself or the team that he completely forgot that they were dependent on him. Usually he was cool with that, but after the season they had, he felt he deserved to be selfish and play for himself.

It was Cooper's turn to go, and this time, he made the shot, getting a round of applause from the whole team for finally making it. Scoffing, he ran back to position, ready for the season to be over.

Due to his terrible performance at practice, his dad made him stay longer to practice his shooting, and it was just the two of them doing drills. "What was going on today?" He asked, passing Cooper the ball.

Shooting it into the net, Cooper shrugged, "I don't know, just wasn't feeling it."

His dad's eyes were on him as if he was trying to read him, but Cooper wasn't giving up anything. "Is everything okay? You've been acting kind of distant the last couple of days."

Passing the ball between his legs, he thought back on the past three days. River telling him he loved him was kind of scary; he finally accepted his feelings and started dating him, and now he had to deal with even deeper feelings. "Yea, I'm fine."

Before he could throw the ball, his dad blocked it, "If you feel yourself starting to feel overwhelmed, you can tell me. The last thing I want is for you to repeat what happened in December."

He was feeling overwhelmed a lot, but he was trying hard not to show it. "I'm fine, dad; I'm just tired. Can we go home?"

All he got was a nod, and soon both were on their way home. As soon as they got there, Cooper went to take a shower, changing into regular clothes before grabbing his skateboard. "Cooper, do you want to help me make dinner?" His mom asked.

"Not really; I was going to go skate a bit."

She looked like she was about to tell him no when his dad stepped in and used their parent telepathy. Getting the hint, she nodded her head, "Oh, okay, be safe."

With that, he was out the door and skating in whatever direction his phone was telling him to. His mind had been running wild the past three days, and he felt he needed something to give him closure, so he was doing what he never thought he'd do as he knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer. He stood there for a few minutes debating on if this was a good idea or if he made a mistake, but it was too late as the door opened, revealing a woman he'd seen less than a handful of times.

"Um, hi, I'm not sure if you remember me, but I used to play basketball with Connor." This was one of the last places he ever thought he'd be, but too many things were going through his head, and this was something that could ease his mind.

His mother seemed a bit older, maybe in her mid to late '50s. From what Cooper had seen in the past, both of Connor's parents seemed to be on the older side compared to Cooper's, who weren't even 40 yet.

His mom's red hair was styled in a bun, and she seemed like she just got off work from some type of diner. "Of course I remember you; how can I help you?" She was very much to the point; she didn't want to waste time.