My heart twisted. “Coop,” I breathed. I didn’t have to ask him why he didn’t—I could put the pieces together that it likely had something to do with Gran or me or the million other things Cooper considered himself responsible for after our parents died.
“It is what it is. I made my decision. But…you still have time, Eliza. He’s still here. You can still tell him how you’re feeling.”
“But what if he’s changed his mind? What if hewantsto leave now?” I licked my lips, shaking my head. “I really hurt him, Coop. He was ready to stay and…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, knowing my voice would betray me by revealing all the emotion I’d been feeling over the last week. I thought pushing Leo away would save us both from heartache—not throw us both into it. I thought I’d be able to go back to how life was before him, but there was no going back nor did I want to. I never wanted to forget the way he made me laugh or how safe he made me feel.
I wanted to remembereverythingabout him. Everything about how special he made me feel. Everything about how much he meant to me.
“That’s part of putting your heart on the line, isn’t it?” Cooper said. “It takes a lot of strength to give your heart to someone, but it seems pretty worth it when it’s the right person.” Coop tipped his head toward Wes and Jules, who were walking into the main area from the back hallway. “I mean, look at Wes. I never thought I’d see his grumpy mug smiling like that at someone who wasn’t me, but here we are.”
The first smile I’d had in days tugged at my lips, and I let out a shaky breath. I reached for a glass, filling it with soda for Cooper before setting it down, along with a straw.
“Trust yourself, Eliza.” He reached for the straw, ripping half of the wrapper off, and in typical Cooper fashion, he lightened the mood. He placed the straw between his lips and blew the other half of the wrapper toward me.
I rolled my eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but my lips twitched again.
“Look at that. Nearly got two smiles out of you.” He lifted the soda in a silent thanks and got up from his stool, grabbing his pool cue with his free hand. “One thing’s for sure, though. Regardless of what happens, you’re going to be okay. I know it. You’re strong as hell.”
“Thanks, Coop. So are you.” Before he walked away, I blurted, “I know I don’t tell you enough, but I’m lucky you’re my brother.”
He looked at me over his shoulder, a smile tugging on his lips. “Don’t go all soft on me now, or else I’ll have to be a pain in your ass.”
“You alreadyarea pain in my ass.”
“A bigger one, then.” He grinned. A few seconds later, his expression softened. “Love you, sis. I’m proud of you.”
“Love you, too,” I whispered as he walked away.
I’d never been one to be soft and safe—there was no reason to start being that now. I’d always been about taking risks, and I’d risk it all for Leo.
39
LEO
Colin
Are you going to be at Mom’s today?
Me
Yeah. I’ll be there around noon.
Colin
Can we talk?
Me
Sure.
I didn’t bother askingColin what he wanted to talk about. Whatever he wanted to say couldn’t possibly make my mood worse. With it being Sunday, I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that I wouldn’t see Eliza at Lake Ridge today.
Being in Eliza’s orbit but not beingwith herwas its own form of torture, especially after knowing what it could be like.
There’d been countless times this week where I felt pulled to go to her, but I kept my distance, because I meant it when I agreed to give her space, regardless of what the outcome would be.
The busy days at Lake Ridge made it easyto keep my head down and focus on the work, but it also meant I was slipping back to my old habits. Working late, not taking breaks, and leaving little time for anything else.
Maybe I needed to stick with my original plan—have Golden Falls be a temporary stop and use this as a stepping stone to get to my next role. Because I couldn’t stay if things continued like this. I couldn’t handle the awkward run-ins and averted glances. And if I couldn’t handlethat, then how was I supposed to deal with seeing Eliza flirt with someone who wasn’t me? Or worse.
