d a d d y  i s s u e s
CONRAD'S POV:

As soon as we get in the house, Covey lets the puppy down on the ground before turning to me with a massive grin on her face. "Thankies!" She wraps her arms around my neck to kiss me.

Moaning against her lips, I go to pull away. "You're welcomes," I mutter, looking over her shoulder at the tiny dog sniffing around the house. "Now make sure he doesn't piss on our furniture."

"Yes, Sir." She gives me a salute and I roll my eyes. "Cooper Dino Monroe is a good name, isn't it?"

"So is Covey Monroe," I call after her, walking into the kitchen. I pour myself a glass of wine and then meet her back in the living room. "The only thing I ever want to change about you is your last name."

"And my marital status," she adds, pointing a finger at me with the dog on her lap. "And my tummy size."

I let out a small scoff. "That all comes with getting my last name. You earn it all when you let me put a ring on your finger." What a fucking reward.

Cooper jumps out of her lap and waltzes over to me. I scoop him up and pet him behind the ear. "You look cute, let me take a picture," Covey says, reaching around her back pocket to grab her phone.

As if he was the plague, I give the dog back to her and shake my head. "No, I'm not one for pictures."

"But you're so friggin' good looking, Coco Puff." Then she looks up at me sheepishly. "You know... but you already know that."

I smirk and lean down to kiss her. She cuts my lips off hers short in a peck before going back to petting the puppy. Oh fuck no. I'm not competing for attention with a dog now. Growling, I pick Cooper up and set him on the ground as I lower my mouth onto hers again. She moans, shaking her head.

"Conrad—"

"Covey," I groan, holding her face in my hands.

She sighs before running her tongue up my top lip. I peck her nose and then her left cheek and then her right, and then I place my mouth on hers and she responds by pulling me closer to her. Our lips move in sync, and I'm hungry while she's patient and I'm not having it.

"The puppy," she mumbles, but I barely hear her and start kissing her neck. "He's gonna ruin your couch."

"I'll buy another one, baby." I sigh, wrapping my arms around her waist as I put my head on her shoulder. "I've have a really long day, so can you just look me in the fucking eye for two minutes so I feel a little bit better about it?"

She turns her head so her gaze is on mine. "Who pissed in your cereal this morning?"

"Covey." I give her a warning look, raising an eyebrow.

"Pissed is not a bad word," she says, crossing her arms underneath me. "Neither is hell or crap or fooking or freaking or ass. I mean, for one, jackass is in the Bible. And that's the Word of God, the Word of Truth... and you know, God doesn't lie—"

"Stop getting smart with me, amore." 

She bites her lower lip and nods. "Okay."

"Thank you," I breathe out, rolling my shoulder back. Just then my phone rings and I don't bother to check the caller-ID before answering. "This is Conrad Monroe."

"Son."

I look down at Covey and sit up. "I told you not to call me back."

"I wasn't done speaking to you earlier."

I clench my jaw and Covey looks at me in confusion. "There's nothing to fucking talk about, so I hung up. Cry me a river if you're that offended." 

"You might think you're unaffiliated with my life, but you're still my son. People know who you are. And you can run, but you can't hide."

Pinching my nose bridge, I sigh. "I can live my life, that's what I can do. And I will." I get up from the couch and walk away into the kitchen for some privacy. "She's not up for negotiation, dad."

"Don't you think I know that by now? Your stubbornness is your worst quality."

"And yours is your whole personality," I grumble, running a hand through my hair.

"You might want to live your life and abide by your own rules, but I have men watching you. Everywhere. If you want to rethink your life plans, then I won't take the one thing you care about. But your secrets will eventually be your downfall."

"You don't give a damn about my life, so why should I give a damn about your threats?" I ask lowly. "I've worked my ass off so that you can stop kicking me around. I am my own person. I have my own life. I am my own accomplished man. Fucking accept that and leave me the hell alone."

"I do. I am. But that friend of yours doesn't know who you are, where you come from, or what you've done. She'll leave eventually, don't think she won't ever find out."

"She won't find out because she doesn't need to know you," I explain, shaking my head. "Bye, I'm hanging up the phone."

"One last thing," he says over the line. "You're safe, and you'll always be safe because I play my cards right. But if you don't get your head on straight, she'll find out one way or another."

I end the call and go to the sink to splash cold water on my face. Who fucking cares?

"Hey," Covey says, coming up behind me with the puppy in her hands as she runs her fingers up and down my arm. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, thanks." I get a good look at my future and let out a deep breath. "I love you." I need you. You can't leave. Please don't.

Crinkling her nose up with a smile, she gets on her toes and says, "I love you too, Conrad." My little ray of sunshine. She kisses me briefly and Cooper tries to jump out of her hands.

"I promise," I tell her, needing the reassurance myself.

"I promise," she whispers, handing me the dog. "Now promise to Cooper Dino too. He's your new baby."

"Other baby," I correct her, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "You're still my baby, and you always will be." Shaking my head, I take his tiny paw in my hand and say, "And I promise to never leave you either. You're gonna grow up to be big and strong just like your mom." I hand him back to Covey. "There. Happy?"

She fluffs up his hair. "You're so flipping sappy, Coco."

"You are too, kid. You just had me promise a puppy that I'll never leave him." 

I give her a look that shows my confusion, and she laughs. "Well, someone's gotta pick up his poop."

Cringing, I mumble. "Mhm, whatever. Now get back on the fucking couch so we can cuddle." 

"Hey, no bad words around the dog," she says, shielding his ears dramatically.

I scoff. "What the fuck are you gonna do about it?" I drop the curse word just to get on her nerves.

"Every time you say a bad word in front of him, you have to put a dollar in the curse jar." She goes into the cabinet and grabs a mason jar out. "But you can still say bad words when he's not around. This is practice for when we have a little human being who can actually talk and repeat the words you say."

I roll my eyes but nod anyways. Why is she always right? "Okay, then he can't be around me when I want to fuck you." Which is all the time, so—

She grabs the glass container and holds it out in front of me. "Pay up."

I sigh. "But—"

"You didn't even last a minute, Coco Puff," she laughs, jingling the jar. "Now give me a dollar."

"Yes, ma'am," I grumble, getting my wallet out of my pocket before stuffing a twenty dollar bill in the stupid thing. "That's because I love you."

She bites her lower lip. "Whipped."

"Annoying ass."

She pouts. "Brontolo."

"Mi amore," I say, grabbing her by the hips. "You're not annoying, I was just kidding."

"You better be," she mumbles, looking at Cooper. "He doesn't need your negative energy." Negative up my ass.

"And I don't need your attitude, Miss Jensen." I tilt her chin up and give her a small glare. "Fuck my bitch of a dad, fuck the curse jar, and just fuck me."

She gives me innocent eyes of worry. "Your dad? Is that who you were talking to?" Shit.

I pull away from her and shrug, making my jaw taut as I run a hand through my hair. "You don't need to worry about it." 

I start my way towards the bedroom but she says, "Apparently I do—"

"Drop it," I deadpan, turning on the back of my heels to glare at her. "No, you don't."

She puts the dog down on the wood floor and walks over to me. "Please don't talk to me like that."

"Well you don't need to stick your nose in my business."

She puts her arms over her chest. "Then you don't need to stick your dick in my donut."

"Covey."

"Conrad Declan Monroe," she says, raising an eyebrow at me with a hand on her hip. "Don't Covey me."

"Covey," I sigh, shaking my head. "I'm sorry—nevermind—just forget it, it doesn't matter."

"It does matter," she whispers as I walk away. "Everything always matters. And I'm sorry too."

This statement makes me turn around again. "For what?"

Covey gives me a sad smile, her eyes full of the honey-hazel color they are. "For not being good enough to trust me with your feelings."

I don't say anything and instead open the door to our room. Yeah, I'm sorry too, Cove.

For not being good enough to tell you how I feel.

******
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I love CONREY so much, but we all know that people aren't always so perfect.

PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT, AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT CONRAD'S MYSTERIOUS PAST-