What Goes Around...

Part Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three

Coop looked at Oscar and could feel the hatred oozing off him in waves. Could be blame him for that?

"Do you love her?"

That wasn't a question he was expecting. Oscar's eyes were wide, he was taut, poised, waiting. Coop took a deep breath, he wasn't going to lie. He'd take a beating from his friend if that's what it took.

"I don't know about love." Oscar stepped closer so he added, "but she's right, I'm not interested in anyone else...I care about her, I care about the baby...I haven't cared about anything in a long time."

"Not good enough, she's my little sister. You need to put up or fuck off."

Coop shook her head, "I don't know what you're trying to suggest, I am not about to lie, and I'm not about to make promises I can't keep. Get over it, because you're not going to change things."

Oscar laughed, "really? I think you underestimate me. I won't have you bringing her down, draining her...using her."

He laughed, "I have been there for her, we are friends. But then you don't understand that, quite obviously. You've barely seen her since she turned up six months ago, this has been a really difficult few months for her, don't you get that?"

"Oh I get that, and you've been there to pick up the pieces. You make me sick."

With that he landed a punch on Coop's jaw. It wasn't the hardest punch, but it caught him unaware, so he staggered back crashing into the table, a glass toppled to the floor smashing into pieces.

"Jeez, what are you doing?"

Oscar was still snarling, "putting you in your place."

Coop had had enough, "you are in MY place, let me remind you. We've been friends a long time, I don't want this to end, but Freya is important to me. Hitting me..." he flexed his jaw, "well I have to wonder whether my words hit home. Cos I don't see any Brother of the Year awards here. Do you?"

Oscar began to charge at him again, but seemed to lose his impetus half way and slowed to a stop. Coop was anything but perfect, but he wasn't about to accept this from Oscar. He only really owed time, effort and explanations to Freya, not her hormonal brother. But he was still scowling...and Coop wasn't good with aggression, hence the amount of penalty minutes he'd had when playing. And he could handle himself, unlike the man in front of him. He'd been lucky with his punch, but if he pushed him.

Freya would hate that, he had to think about her. So he took a deep breath and stepped away, "I've got some shit on at the club, and I'm going to let you calm down."

"Running away Cooper? Typical you."

He shook his head, still taking deep steadying breaths, "as I keep saying, this is MY home, and upstairs is the woman carrying MY baby. I'm not going anywhere. Buy you have to decide whether or not you want to be part of this."

Reaching for his coat he headed outside before one of them hurt the other.

Freya tied her freshly dried hair up into a pony tail, then opened her bedroom door. She had ignored the thuds that had echoed through the room, and then the smash of glass. She had to trust the two men in her life to get on, and if they couldn't, then she really would be out the door, leaving the two of them to rot in their own anger.

Oscar was stood at the breakfast bar, a glass and a bottle of whisky in front of him.

"Where is he?"