Elliot, no.
Jordan, no.
Beck is probably busy as always. Jaxon doesn’t have a car. Dawson—who, like me, loves a color-coordinated calendar and shared his with me—was leaving after practice to go meet his boyfriend’s parents. Chase, probably with Elliot.
Cooper…
He mentioned he was planning on going to the show last week, but I never heard more from him on it. Maybe he’s still planning on going.
He isn’t my last resort. Truthfully, he’s who I thought of first, but then I started replaying last night and…was it too soon to need him?
I unplug my phone from the charging cord and text him.
Are you still planning to go to Meave’s art show?
Cooper
Wouldn’t miss it.
His response is unexpectedly immediate. Simple words that would have annoyed me in the past, possibly mocking, now have me grinning at my phone. Cooper’s words from last night echo in my mind.I’m making myself an option.
He’s trying. He’s been trying for longer than I care to admit.
I hate admitting it, but Cooper is nice, considerate and complimentary. So friendly that it comes off as flirty, but that’s not how he’d treat me. He’d tease and taunt me—eventually it was mutual because I’d throw it right back. Everything was made into a competition—which I thought was a need to be better than me.
But the past couple of months…this is different. I think?
At first, I chopped it up to our arrangement. Teaching me. He was making me comfortable with flirting. However, now, I think he was flirting with me. Intentionally.
And the craziest part? I liked it. I’ve enjoyed it, craved more of it. Might have unintentionally started flirting back.
Cooper
Do you want to ride together?
Are you sure this isn’t your way to kidnap me and murder me?
Cooper
If I were kidnapping you, it wouldn’t be to murder you.
Be ready at 2.
We talked the entire car ride. Bickering over music, our hands accidentally brushing when we both lunged for the aux cord.
When it happened a second time, he curled his fingers around mine, guiding my hand to my lap. Without ever taking his eyes off the road, he finagled my hand, flipping it over and resting it on my thigh. His palm swallowed mine, callouses brushing my skin. Long fingers intertwined with mine.
My gaze wanders up to his face from where we’re connected. It looks like he’s holding his breath, waiting for me to pull away, but I don’t, I relax into the seat and the feeling. Cooper notices, and the corners of his mouth hook up.
I raise hisI’m making myself an optionwithI want him to be an option.
In the parking garage connected to the art gallery, he houses a ham and cheese sandwich he packed. My sister is vegan and picked a restaurant that has an exclusively vegan menu to celebrate her show afterward. Meave promised we wouldn’t even know the food didn’t include meat.
I walk in before Cooper—we planned this in the car. He swore it wouldn’t matter that we showed up together or walked in side-by-side, but it does. Tonight is for Meave, not the announcement that Cooper and I are…well whatever we are.
He’s two steps behind me, and I know he can see Meave over my shoulder.
Her fluffy brows are ticked up, mouth pursed with a slight glint in one corner.
