was easier when the others were here, but now… She exhaled and pasted a smile on her face.
Now it was just the two of them.
Cooper scooped up the remote and sat on the sofa. He leaned back, and the large screen came to life. Perched on the wall above the fireplace, it was the focal point of the room.
“Netflix?” he asked. Again she nodded, smile still firmly in place. She could do this.
He clicked on movies and began to scroll through them when she sat up. “Wait. That one,” Morgan said, suddenly interested.
“Which?”
“ The Dark Abyss .” She grabbed a nearby blanket and pulled it across her lap.
“That’s an intense movie.”
She glanced at him. “Have you seen it? It’s a Lee Holloway film, based on one of his books.”
He slowly shook his head, and if she’d been paying attention, she might have noticed the tightness around his mouth. The way his eyes slid from her. “No. I haven’t.”
Morgan settled in deeper, drawing up the blanket until it covered her shoulders.
“I think it won a few Oscars.”
“Seven, actually.”
“Huh.” But Morgan wasn’t really paying attention to Cooper anymore. She was glued to the television as the opening credits began to roll. She’d read the book while recuperating in the hospital. It was an emotional journey for the main character, Bella, and though the ending was tragic, the theme of hope that ran throughout the book helped Morgan through her own dark time. Lee Holloway had a gift for words, and those words let her find some sort of peace in a world where all she could see was darkness and pain.
“You got any popcorn?”
“I do.” Cooper got to his feet and a few minutes later, a hot bowl filled with the stuff was set in her lap. She didn’t notice when Stanley wormed his way onto the sofa or when Cooper dimmed all the lights. Eventually, the fire burned itself out, but she didn’t see that either.
The film was engrossing. It was as emotional and intense as the book, and by the time the final scene rolled around, Morgan gripped the edge of the blanket so tightly, her knuckles were white.
She remembered the last words of that last chapter, not only because she’d read it several times, but because they were so damn powerful.
“It’s not over. None of this is over. It’s only the beginning of the next chapter.” A pause, as Bella’s voice lowered. “I’ll wait for you to turn the page. For as long as it takes. I’ll wait for you.”
Wow. Morgan blinked, but it did no good. She wiped her sleeve along her chin, glad that the room was in darkness.
It was silent, and she thought that maybe Cooper was asleep, but he got to his feet and turned on a lamp.
“Did you like it?” she asked softly, watching him as he grabbed her empty bowl and walked back to the kitchen.
He set the bowl into the sink and stared out the window for a few moments. “They did a good job.” He ran water into the bowl and then turned back to her. “What did you think of it?”
Morgan blew out a long, hot breath and got to her feet. She pulled the blanket along with her and wrapped it around her shoulders. She took a few steps but stopped near the island.
“I think it was as good as the book.”
His eyebrows arched, and he watched her closely. “You’ve read the book?”
She nodded. “I did. Several times.”
“You read any other Lee Holloway novels?”
She paused, a slight frown on her forehead. “I think I’ve read them all. What about you?”
Cooper shrugged. “Can’t say that I’ve actually opened one of his books and read it.”
Morgan studied him for a few seconds, liking the way the shadows swept across the planes of his face. He looked mysterious and edgy. And, Jesus , she shouldn’t be thinking that.
“You should give him a try. I think you’d like them.”
A quick smile tugged at his mouth. “You think so?”
She nodded, mouth dry. “ The Dark Abyss helped me through some…” She had to work hard to swallow the lump in
Now it was just the two of them.
Cooper scooped up the remote and sat on the sofa. He leaned back, and the large screen came to life. Perched on the wall above the fireplace, it was the focal point of the room.
“Netflix?” he asked. Again she nodded, smile still firmly in place. She could do this.
He clicked on movies and began to scroll through them when she sat up. “Wait. That one,” Morgan said, suddenly interested.
“Which?”
“ The Dark Abyss .” She grabbed a nearby blanket and pulled it across her lap.
“That’s an intense movie.”
She glanced at him. “Have you seen it? It’s a Lee Holloway film, based on one of his books.”
He slowly shook his head, and if she’d been paying attention, she might have noticed the tightness around his mouth. The way his eyes slid from her. “No. I haven’t.”
Morgan settled in deeper, drawing up the blanket until it covered her shoulders.
“I think it won a few Oscars.”
“Seven, actually.”
“Huh.” But Morgan wasn’t really paying attention to Cooper anymore. She was glued to the television as the opening credits began to roll. She’d read the book while recuperating in the hospital. It was an emotional journey for the main character, Bella, and though the ending was tragic, the theme of hope that ran throughout the book helped Morgan through her own dark time. Lee Holloway had a gift for words, and those words let her find some sort of peace in a world where all she could see was darkness and pain.
“You got any popcorn?”
“I do.” Cooper got to his feet and a few minutes later, a hot bowl filled with the stuff was set in her lap. She didn’t notice when Stanley wormed his way onto the sofa or when Cooper dimmed all the lights. Eventually, the fire burned itself out, but she didn’t see that either.
The film was engrossing. It was as emotional and intense as the book, and by the time the final scene rolled around, Morgan gripped the edge of the blanket so tightly, her knuckles were white.
She remembered the last words of that last chapter, not only because she’d read it several times, but because they were so damn powerful.
“It’s not over. None of this is over. It’s only the beginning of the next chapter.” A pause, as Bella’s voice lowered. “I’ll wait for you to turn the page. For as long as it takes. I’ll wait for you.”
Wow. Morgan blinked, but it did no good. She wiped her sleeve along her chin, glad that the room was in darkness.
It was silent, and she thought that maybe Cooper was asleep, but he got to his feet and turned on a lamp.
“Did you like it?” she asked softly, watching him as he grabbed her empty bowl and walked back to the kitchen.
He set the bowl into the sink and stared out the window for a few moments. “They did a good job.” He ran water into the bowl and then turned back to her. “What did you think of it?”
Morgan blew out a long, hot breath and got to her feet. She pulled the blanket along with her and wrapped it around her shoulders. She took a few steps but stopped near the island.
“I think it was as good as the book.”
His eyebrows arched, and he watched her closely. “You’ve read the book?”
She nodded. “I did. Several times.”
“You read any other Lee Holloway novels?”
She paused, a slight frown on her forehead. “I think I’ve read them all. What about you?”
Cooper shrugged. “Can’t say that I’ve actually opened one of his books and read it.”
Morgan studied him for a few seconds, liking the way the shadows swept across the planes of his face. He looked mysterious and edgy. And, Jesus , she shouldn’t be thinking that.
“You should give him a try. I think you’d like them.”
A quick smile tugged at his mouth. “You think so?”
She nodded, mouth dry. “ The Dark Abyss helped me through some…” She had to work hard to swallow the lump in
Similar Books
