Beating You

Chapter 29

Hello, again! For the second time tonight! :) Thank you all so much for all the lovely comments and votes, cannot describe how much it means to me! :D This chapter is dedicated to XmayreyXX because they always leave absolutely lovely comments on this and really make me smile, so thank you! :D

Chapter 29

“Dale! Shut up!” I heard Josh’s voice through the wall and I rolled over, only to hit Cooper square in the chest. He made an ‘oomph’ sound before smirking and kissing my forehead.

We were tangled in his sheets and had fallen asleep fairly early the night before. Cooper was shattered and I was as well, Clara had completely wiped me out.

The sun was gently soothing my eyes open, almost maternally as I took a deep breath to inhale Cooper’s scent.

I heard Dale shout something and then a thump. Something was wrong, one, because Josh was seriously pissed off, and two, Clara was raising her voice as well.

I prodded Cooper’s side and he twitched, holding my wrist, preventing me from doing it again.

“What was that for?” he asked, watching me with a smirk.

“That was for not getting up and splitting up their fight!” I exclaimed and he dropped my hand before rolling over and burying his face in his pillows.

“I swear that you have a thing about not letting me sleep,” he teased and I rolled my eyes.

Moving so that I could straddle his back, I felt him stiffen beneath me. I watched as his back flexed and he moved his head to the side so that he could see me.

His profile showed his tanned skin against the white pillow and he closed his eyes.

“Ally,” he replied in a husky tone and I laughed, trailing one fingertip along the curve of his back.

“Cooper,” I answered calmly, loving the feel of his warm, firm skin under my fingertip.

“Get off and I’ll sort it,” he said and I could see him biting his lip. I just laughed and swung myself from his back, planting a kiss on his neck on my way.

He shot me a fake sour look and got up, pulling on a shirt before walking into the other room to split the boys up.

I rolled over on my back and grabbed a pair of Cooper’s sweatpants from the beanbag next to the bed. I wanted to know what was happening, but I didn’t want to walk in on the middle of a row.

Padding over to the door, I heard that the shouting had stopped so I guessed that it was safe to come out.

“But we need to find him,” Clara’s voice had a firm edge to it so when I entered the room, everything went silent and they were all glancing over at me.

Josh looked like a zombie, clearly hungover. Dale was looking angry and Clara was just fed up. I didn’t even see Cooper, I just felt one of his arms grab my side and pull me to him.

“What’s going on?” I finally asked and Dale let out a deep breath, his entire body slumping with the gesture.

“Richard has disappeared. Some drunken idiot let him out last night when I specifically said not to!” Dale turned to Josh at the end of his sentence and Josh looked less than amused to be blamed for Richard’s disappearance.

“Well if the damned cat wasn’t here in the first place then he wouldn’t have gone missing!” he exclaimed, running a hand down his face in frustration.

“Go back to bed, Josh. We’re gonna go and find him,” Clara answered from the corner, her hair was tied back and she wasn’t wearing any makeup, yet she still managed to look pretty.