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I fidget in my seat, suddenly very interested in the pencil I’m twirling between my fingers.
“I don’t know,” I mumble, not quite ready to confess the truth. Penny is sweet, and I’m grateful for her friendship here at Edison, but she’s beautiful and perfect, and I’m sure she’ll have beautiful, perfect babies one day. She wouldn’t understand.
“Come on, you can tell me.” She leans against the edge of my desk. “I won’t judge, I promise.”
“Cooper seems like a great guy,” I say, carefully choosing my words. “But I don’t know how into me he really is.”
Penny bites her lip, looking thoughtful for a moment before speaking. “I’ve known Cooper long enough to be sure this isn’t his usual style. He’s never been so tenacious, especially with someone who’s giving him the cold shoulder. I mean, he called me for goodness’ sake, so that right there tells me he must think you’re really special.”
I swallow the small spark of hope that flickers to life deep in my chest. “He’s probably just intrigued by the challenge,” I counter. “Since as you say, he’s not used to getting thecold shoulder.”
“Or maybe,” Penny says, her eyes twinkling with mischief, “he’s genuinely smitten with you and wants to get to know you better.”
“Smitten is not a word I’d use to describe Cooper.”
“Me neither until today.” Penny crosses her arms over her chest.
Why do I get the feeling Penny isn’t just his friend, but also his wingman? “Weren’t you the one who tried to warn me off Cooper in the first place?”
Her cheeks flush as she nods. “I did, but as I said, I’ve never seen him so determined, and he’s not the type to play games. He may have dated around a lot, but it’s not like he led women on or let them think there was something there when there wasn’t.”
“There isn’t anything there now.” As much as I try for conviction, even I hear the uncertainty in my voice.
Her head falls to the side. “Really?”
I open my mouth to assure her this is the case, but I can’t form the words, can’t say them aloud. I really like Cooper and so, instead, I toss down the pencil and pull open the bottom drawer of my desk to grab my purse.
“At least, give him a chance to prove himself and his intentions. Plus,” she adds, her voice soft. “It’s not like you’re agreeing to marry the man. It’s a date, nothing more. Have some fun with Cooper and see what happens.”
I bite my lip, considering her words. Penny’s right, of course—I’m young and single. I should be able to relax and just have fun without worrying about whether the guy I’m seeing wants kids if and when he ever to gets married. But it’s not that simple.
I’ve worked hard to prove myself in every other area in my life, because the pain of knowing I’ll never have kids has always made me resistant to dating, to men, to relationships. But ever since yesterday, when Cooper and I were together, it felt so good, so right. I want more of that, more of him.
Plus, I can’t help but think how good the sex would be next time around, now that I’ve gotten the whole virginity thing out of the way. And yet, I can’t help but worry I might be setting myself up for heartache. “But what if…”
“Hey,” she interrupts, placing a supportive hand on my arm. “Don’t think about the what ifs. Just live in the moment and enjoy it. You never know where things might lead.”
“Alright, fine,” I say as my heart pounds in my chest and a shiver runs through me. “I’ll call him back.”
“Great.” She grins, looking as happy as a kid in a candy store, and waves on her way out. “Let me know how it goes.”
Faced with my empty classroom, I sink back into my chair while my tornado of thoughts swirl around me. Is it possible Cooper genuinely wants to get to know me better? And, if so, what then? Am I just setting myself up for disappointment? For future heartbreak?
Eve
IdoublechecktheUnderthe Sea supplies, ready for the sleepover for five tonight in Northlake as I load them from my chockfull garage to my Escape parked in the driveway. Cooper should be here any minute, and once I’m done, I can’t help but slide out my phone and study the selfie he sent late Monday night after I broke my silence and finally responded.
The picture mirrors the one I shared with Cooper propped up on a few pillows against his now familiar headboard. He’s wearing a lazy smile and no shirt. His golden skin with a smattering of hair is contrasted by the smooth, stark white sheets.
As I study it again for the hundredth time, I click on the edit button and sit on the edge of the SUV’s open back to prop the phone on my thigh. In a few quick moves, I’ve adjusted a copy of the image to be grayscale, with a color pop in his eyes, the brilliant hazel that draws me in every time.
Me and every other woman.
It’s late Saturday morning, and a heady cocktail of nerves with a dash of excitement fills me as the hum of a powerful engine pulls up on the street and tears me from my thoughts. It’s a sleek black sportscar, and Cooper steps out from the driver’s side, even more handsome than I’d remember.
There’s something undeniably magnetic about him, especially today. He’s wearing a casual button-down shirt, jeans, and that trademark grin that makes my heart flutter. And other parts, farther south, tingle.
“Nice car,” I say, dipping my chin toward his ride as he walks up the driveway to where I’m still sitting perched on the edge of the open trunk.
