“What? Did I say something that made you feel bad?” Ned asked, seeing the look Cooper gave him.
“No, no not at all. In fact what you said reminded me of something Rick said to me a couple of months back.”
Ned cocked his head to encourage an explanation.
“Rick told me his love for me was timeless.”
“Timeless?”
“Yes,” Cooper said, his smile broadening. He pulled Lexie closer.
Derrick remembered that night…
* * * *
“Oh, God, Rick, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to dump old hurts on you. It’s just that sometimes when I think of how good we have it…I remember other times when I thought I’d found happiness like this and…”
Derrick pulled Coop into a tight embrace. They had just finished making love. It had been spectacular. Now as they lay together in the afterglow something made Cooper cry softly.
“You’re thinking about Doug aren’t you?” Derrick asked, kissing Cooper tenderly on the forehead.