PERIPHERY | NH |

TWENTY SIX

Hunter

"I can't believe I did that."

Standing next to Cooper, I spill the beans about what Niall and I did in the studio.

Never in my life did I think I would ever be okay with recording myself getting off, much less having sex in the studio.

Yep.

After I helped Niall reach his own high, he was quick to turn me around and take our tryst to the next level. I would be lying if I said that it wasn't some of the best sex of my life.

"So you just deleted it after or what?" Picking up a carton of strawberries, he turns it from side to side to inspect them. "I'm pretty shocked you agreed to that, you scandalous woman."

Shoving his shoulder, I reach for my own carton and put it in my basket. "Not exactly... We both have a recording."

I try to make my way around Cooper without looking him in the eye, but his loud voice carries over the fruits and vegetables. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Will you shut up?!" My eyes are wide as I add a bag of cherries into my basket. "People can hear you!"

"Yeah and?? People are going to hear you doing a lot worse if you aren't careful!" Coming around to walk next to me, Cooper nudges my shoulder as I keep my gaze focused on the ground. "I mean.. That's a big deal... Are you sure you trust him enough for something like that?"

Do I?

Do I really trust someone to have something so intimate and know that they won't betray my trust in a way that's so unimaginable that I can't even begin to think of the repercussions of what could happen?

"Of course I do.. I've known Niall for the better part of eight months and he's never once given me a reason that I shouldn't trust him. I love him, Coop." My hazel eyes finally lift off the ground to level with his own. "He's not the kind of person who would do something like that."

"You really do love him though?" We walk down the cereal aisle as Cooper grabs some for Sloane. "I'm happy you seem so happy... You haven't been truly happy in a long time."

Letting out a long breath that I didn't realize I was holding in, I look at my best friend and think of all the things he's seen.

My best... My worst.

"Yeah, I do. I feel like I actually am happy.. It's nice."

It's a strange feeling almost.

When you've spent so much time conditioning yourself to be numb to everything, it's almost like the sky opens up and the clouds move just right so that you can sit in the sunshine for the first time in a long time.

Just letting yourself feel something.

Of course there's been days and times that I've been happy, but when it comes to an overall feeling? I couldn't even begin to try and tell you the last time.

"You know I love you, H." Cooper stops walking to turn and look at me as I grab a bag of jalapeño cheddar Cheetos. "I don't want to see you get hurt though."

His concern comes from a place of love and I know that it does, I know how much he cares.

"I know, look.. Niall isn't the kind of person to hurt someone. Honestly, I feel like he's the kind of person to try and scoop a spider into a cup so he can put it back outside." I smile at the idea, knowing that Niall might actually vomit if he had to do that — but he would do it if it meant not hurting someone else.