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“Of course it is,” I shoot back. “You’re my boyfriend. I love you. And we said we’d work through our problems together. If you are struggling with something I want to know.”
Cooper’s anger begins to dissipate, the flush in his cheeks diminishing and his eyes softening.
“Is this...” I begin, as the realization dawns on me, “Is this why you wanted me to pay you for the week at the beach house?”
Cooper doesn’t say anything, just bites his lip.
“Jesus, Cooper,” I say, running my own fingers through my hair. “You could have said something. Instead of just making me think you were an absolute prick.”
“I didn’t want your money, Wesley,” he says. “But I also didn’t want your pity, and I was embarrassed. I was willing to let you pay me before we made up, but certainly not after, and even then I felt weird about it. But I needed it badly enough I was willing to look the other way. But you needed to know it wasn’t about the money for me once we made up, so there was no way I was going to ask you for anything after I finally got you back. I wasn’t going to take that risk.”
“I asked you to come spend a week with my family, and not work, with no clue that you were struggling this much? And even after we made up you told me not to pay you, knowing you were having trouble making rent? What the fuck?”
Cooper just shrugs, and I want to strangle him. The stupid, incredible asshole. I run my hands over my face and let out a breath. “Does your mom know?”
He shakes his head.
“Jesus,” I breathe.
“I’m really hoping I won’t have to tell her. I’ll figure out a way to pay it somehow.”
“How long do you have? I didn’t quite get to that part,” I say, sheepishly.
Cooper bites his lip again, “Two more weeks. I was hoping I could pick up some extra shifts at the restaurant or something.”
“Cooper, even if you do, will that get you an extra five-hundred dollars?”
He sighs. “I don’t know. Probably not.”
“And let me get this straight,” I say, holding up a hand. “You would rather I think you were a selfish jerk, than tell me you are struggling financially and admit you need help?”
Cooper narrows his eyes and purses his lips. “I told you, I don’t like pity.”
“Cooper, that’s...” I run my hand through my hair again and almost growl. “That’s absurd. There’s a difference between pity and compassion.”
“And would you really have understood?” Cooper says, crossing his arms. “Back then, if I’d told you I needed the money because I was struggling to pay rent, or because my mom’s medical bills were so unmanageable? Would you have listened, or cared?”
I wince.Shit.“Maybe?” I say, slowly, and Cooper eyes me. “I don’t know,” I admit. “But I understand now.” I rest my hands on Cooper’s bare chest. “And I want to help you now.”
Cooper’s eyes widen. He shakes his head.
“Cooper,” I say, sternly. “Let me help you.”
“No!”
“Damn, it Cooper,” I growl. “Why the fuck not?”
“Because this is my responsibility!” he almost shouts.
“And you’re mine!” I shout back, staring at him. His eyes widen again and I hear his sudden intake of breath as his chest moves against my palms. “You,” I go on, “and your mom. Because you mean more to me than anything else in the world and I want to take care of you.”
I reach up and take his face in my hands. “Please, Cooper,” I plead. “Let me take care of you. Let me help you. You’ve protected me and taken care of me my whole life. Stood up to bullies for me, helped me climb down off the monkey bars when I was too scared to do it on my own, drove me to the hospital when my appendix burst and my parents were out of town.Comforted me when my dad was away. You are my knight in shining armor, Cooper. But it’s my turn to save you this time. Please.”
Cooper looks into my eyes, and I can see his resolve lessening. “I’m not good at letting people help me,” he says, softly.
“I know,” I reply. “You’ve done things on your own so long you don’t trust it, or you don’t think you deserve it. But I’m telling you you do. I want to do this for you because I care for you and your mom.”
Cooper grips my face in his hands firmly and his eyes flit over my face before he says, “Okay. But I’m only doing this to make you happy.”
