AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He huffs in amusement. “You’ll be fine.”
“If your followers want updates, should we meet up later to plan out what to post when?” I bite my lip as a sense memory of Cooper’s teeth scraping my neck hits me. “I know we only got so far with our game plan last night.”
His eyes hood as he trails his gaze over me. The tip of his tongue swipes across his lip.
“Hey guys!”
A chipper voice breaks the irresistible tension building between us. Jenny waves from the entrance to the building most of my classes are in this semester with more enthusiasm than even most morning people have. While I’m in a breezy peach cotton skater dress with a jean jacket and Birkenstocks, she’s fully done up in a boho crop top with a matching high waisted skirt that has a slit up to mid thigh and strappy platform sandals. I wave back with my coffee cup, lifting my fingers.
“You’re revved up for class,” I say in surprise when we reach her. When we danced together at Mariner’s Cove, I totally took her for a party girl at first. “I think you’ve even got me beat.”
“I’m a night owl.” She rustles her beachy blonde waves. “I haven’t been to bed yet. But after this class, I can crash until three. I thrive better that way. My mind is alive at night. Aced all my standardized testing thanks to micro study sessions between one and two, then four and five in the morning.”
“Find your optimal energy level, right?” A thrill runs through me. This is what I’ve been looking forward to for years. College life, meeting people, yet still engaging in stimulating academic conversation. “That’s great. You know what works best for you.”
“Totally. The brain is so cool like that.”
“Yes!”
The eager outburst escapes me before I can rein myself in. Cooper squeezes my hand and a low chuckle leaves him. Clearing my throat, I peek at him through my lashes and find him smiling at me fondly.
“Have a good class, ladies. See you later, babe.” He winks, sauntering backwards away from the building and melding in with the early flow of students milling around campus.
“Girl, I can’t believe that guy is your boyfriend. He’s so hot.” Jenny hooks her arm with mine and leads us into the squat building with Spanish mission style roof tiles. “Then again, the way he looks at you is goals AF. Gah! I’m so single. Your sweet couple-ness makes me miss being in a relationship.”
“Uh, yeah.” I cough awkwardly. “You should’ve seen him when he was ten. He was all legs.”
She lifts her brows dramatically. “Stop it. You’ve known each other that long?”
“Since I was four and he moved in next-door. He’s my brother’s best friend.”
“Um, yes please. High key romantic to end up together.”
I swallow, keeping my friendly smile in place. It still feels weird to lie about, even if it’s helping him kick the playboy reputation. All I can think about is how it’s all fake. How the only thing we can ever have is fake, no matter how good it feels when he kisses me. Because even if my brother has accepted that we’re together, Cooper still wouldn’t actually go for me if he had the chance.
Before I throw out my coffee cup, I take off the note he wrote me and stick it in my planner to save it. Fake or not, it’s the first time a boy gave me a sweet note.
* * *
Cooper is waiting outside of the room when class lets out. He pops away from leaning against the wall with a charming expression once he spots me.
“Miss me?” he asks when he closes the distance between us and slips an arm around my waist to pull me against his firm body.
Glancing around with a subtle flick of my eyes, I find we’re being watched. Right. Time to play up our act as boyfriend and girlfriend.
“Yes.” I wind my arms around his neck, pressing on tiptoe to reach.
“This is a nice greeting.” His murmur is only loud enough for me to hear.
“Too much?”
I move to pull away, but he keeps me in place, massaging my waist. Leaning in, he brushes his lips over mine in a soft kiss that makes the rest of the world melt away. He waits until my body relaxes against him before drawing away.
“Come on.” Coop takes my bag, silencing my feeble protest, and slings it over his shoulder before threading his fingers with mine. “Jackson just texted before your class finished that he grabbed a table in the student union. We should get there before Simone and him try to eat each other alive.”
I smirk. “You’d think after years of trading snarky barbs, they’d find some kind of middle ground.”
He snorts. “I think they like the tension. One of these days it’s going to snap between them. One of them definitely thought about it. Bet.”
