PERIPHERY | NH |

EIGHTEEN

Hunter

"What's got you all smiley these days?" Looking over the plate of food in front of me, I look at the devious smile that stretches across Cooper's face.

Scooping a forkful of pasta in my mouth in order to avoid answering, I shrugged my shoulders as I swallowed down the oversized bite. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You are a shit liar, Hunter." Pointing his fork at me before spearing a meatball, Cooper squints his eyes. "You've been extra happy the last couple of weeks."

"I have not."

I most definitely have.

Taking a sip of his wine, he looks at me. "What's their name?"

"There isn't anyone to name!" Part of me felt bad for keeping the truth from Cooper, but on the other hand — it still felt nice that what Niall and I had was just between us.

Trading a bite of pasta for a breadstick, Cooper shrugs his shoulders. "I know you are still lying to me but I know you wouldn't be doing anything totally fucking insane, so.. If you are happy, I'm happy."

With a blush rushing over my cheeks, I smile. "Thank you."

At our usual table at the world's fanciest Italian restaurant, Olive Garden, we dig into our lives and share the nitty gritty details with each other like we always have over the years.

While, yes, Olive Garden is actually one of the worst Italian restaurants, it was one thing we did when we were back home that we've been able to continue in the lives we created for ourselves.

Although we have changed so much from the strange kids we were — it's still nice to sit across the table from your best friend and unload on gossip and eat shitty food.

"Tell me about Sloane, how is that going?"

At the mention of the woman Cooper has been infatuated with, I smile as his eyes fill with excitement. "Things are good, yeah... Really good. Made it official."

Reaching across the table, I give his shoulder a light shove. "Fuck off! You didn't tell me!"

Shrugging, Cooper explains. "Well you've been so busy all the time and I knew I'd see you! It hasn't been that long. Maybe just a couple of weeks and you know I just got back from Spain."

True.

While I was busy learning exactly how to get Niall off, my best friend was taking an in depth guided art tour of Spain.

One of my favorite things about his chosen career and mine was how much of the world we got to see. Growing up, neither of us had the money to be able to travel or even go on a family vacation to the next town over.

Cooper's parents both worked as teachers, while my dad pulled a day shift and took what could barely be considered a nap before pulling the graveyard shift at a second job.

After Sandy, my so-called mother, left when I was fourteen, it stayed that way until he was hit by a drunk driver a week after my college graduation.

As if the devastation of losing not only my father but my biggest supporter wasn't enough, the fact that an off duty sheriff was the one to commit the crime made it even worse. Getting off with just two years of probation and three hundred hours of community service.

Seems like a fair trade, right?

I vowed from that day forward to never step foot back in that god forsaken place and I haven't.

Cooper's parents retired to New Orleans when he sold his first collection to a fine art dealer, giving him and them enough money to comfortably live for a while.