Nate whistles. “Think I need some popcorn for this.”
“Your sister is engaged, Seb. To someone else,” Cooper says.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t have feelings for her,” I point out.
“We’re friends.” His mouth twists when he says it. “That’s all.”
“Okay.” I nod and take a sip of coffee. “You could tell me if it was something more.”
“Yeah? The way you told us you and Quincy were hooking up?”
I freeze. Nate whistles again. “How did you know that we—”
“Come on, Seb. Best friends, remember?” He laughs and sits at the table. Nate reluctantly joins us. “Anyone looking at you could see you’re in love with her.”
I pull on my collar. “That’s a big word to toss around.”
“Is it? Or are you afraid to admit it because you know it’s true, and it’s scary as hell?”
“Okay. Let’s—” I rub a hand over my chest. It feels like the walls are caving in around me. I down the rest of my coffee, glad when it burns my tongue. “Everyone needs to calm down.”
“I’m calm,” Nate deadpans. “And Coop is right.”
“He can’t be right.” I jump to my feet and do a lap around the kitchen. “I can’t love Quincy. I took her on our first date three days ago. I just told her that Ilikedher, and now … that’s moving too fast.”
“Dude. Come on.” Coop chuckles. “You’ve had a crush on her for years. Those fights you used to pick with her were pathetic attempts at flirting. You broke into her house when you—”
“I used akey.”
“When you thought she was hurt. What am I missing, Nate?”
“Hm?” He looks up from his croissant. “Fuck if I know.”
“See? There’s—”
“You look at her even when she’s not talking, you let her take the credit for discovering that Georgianna was turning even though you noticed it too, you grin like an idiot when she sends you a text, and you carry ketchup packets with you,” Nate rattles off, and I swallow.
“Okay, fine, yes, we’re hooking up. And yes, I like spending time with her. Who wouldn’t? And yes, it’s the best sex of my life. But how the fuck can I be sure that’slove?” I ask.
“It’s pretty easy to figure out.” Cooper leans back in his chair with a grin. “You think about her a lot, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” I bob my head and grip the counter. I think I’m going to be sick. “There was a moment during Hurricane Georgianna when we got separated, and I—” My voice cracks. “I thought that was it for me, man. I didn’t want to exist in a world that didn’t include her.”
“You look for her whenever you walk into a room,” Cooper adds. “Don’t you?”
“I do. I’ve had hundreds of women try to get my attention, but I’ve never been interested. With her …” A shaky exhale. Realization with every second that passes. “She’s the sun and I’m the moon, just happy to be in her orbit.”
“When do you leave?” Nate asks.
“Soon.” It’s not enough time. There’s so many things I haven’t had the chance to do. “In three days.”
“You gotta tell her, dude,” Cooper says.
“What if she … How do I know she feels the same way?”
“You don’t. Having hope is the hardest part, but if you don’t have that, then what’s the point?”
If she loved me, I’d show her off. I’d walk around town holding her hand. I’d be the happiest guy in the fucking world.
