Cooper blinked at him, feeling very much like he’d just been sucker punched twice in a row. It wasn’t every day you got the apology you’d been waiting years for. An apology you hadn’t even realized how much you wanted, needed to hear, slipped in so casually. Nothing more than a throwaway thought to the other person, immediately followed by hearing you were hated. That it was your own fault someone had hurt you.

“Fuck you,” Cooper said softly. “Why are you still trying to manipulate me? What the hell is the point?”

“You’re not listening.” Neil sounded frustrated, annoyed. “I want to help you.” He grabbed Cooper’s hand suddenly. “I’ve missed you. I’m done fighting with you. I’m done fighting this.”

Cooper shook him off. “Christ, Neil, stop it. Whatever you’re trying to do, just stop. Even if I wasn’t, you know, engaged, we were horrible together.”

“That didn’t stop us from coming back again and again. Tell me if you hadn’t ended up in the hospital and been transferred, we still wouldn’t be together.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Cooper said firmly. He hoped that was true, but really it didn’t matter. He had been attacked and his life had changed. He had changed, whether Neil thought so or not. To imagine a world where none of that had happened wasn’t just pointless, but unwelcome. “I’ve moved on.”

Neil’s gaze seemed to darken. “I see that. You’ve found yourself a whole new mask to put on. This one comes with an expensive little home, and a powerful little job, and an obedient little pet.”

“I didn’t realize we had company.”

Neil jumped at the sound of Park’s voice, then took a hasty step back. In his position, Cooper would have done the same. Park had clearly just gotten out of the shower seconds ago, fetched by Eli, no doubt. His hair was very wet and he was only wearing a pair of hastily thrown on sweatpants that were splotched dark with water and clung in, ah, interesting ways to his body.

Still, even with all that, he looked a little frightening. His expression wasn’t aggressive in the least, and yet there was something...off. Something that prickled even Cooper’s base animal instincts. The predator stillness of his body, perhaps, or the intent, unblinking stare that didn’t quite meet Neil’s. Directly behind his legs, Eli sat primly grooming a paw.

“I was just leaving,” Neil said slowly, eyes darting between Park and Eli. “I assume I’ll see you both tonight.”

“Yes,” Cooper said. “We’ll be there.”