CHAPTER 7
COOPER
Iwipe my clammy palms on my jeans.
“What was your childhood like?”
My apartment feels far too hot, and it takes everything in me not to take off my sweater. It’s still summer, and we’re in Maryland. I’m shocked that I haven’t sweated through my clothes yet.
“Well,” I start, glancing down at my fingers as I intertwine them. “It was good.” No, it really wasn’t that great.
The woman in front of me raises her eyebrow, and the man next to her looks at his notes.
“Were there any moments that really changed you as a person?”
Gulping, I bite the inside of my cheek. I should have known when they started asking about my family that they’d keep prying.
They’re probably going to find out anyway.
I sit back on my couch, placing my ankle on my thigh. My hands rest there, my fingers picking my skin red. “I had a good family for most of my life now. I have a sister, Natalia, who owns a bakery in Rehoboth.”
The two look at each other, and in this moment, I really,really wish that I could read people better. “Were your parents strict with you both?” the man asks.
I run my bottom teeth over my top lip, tipping my head up to look at the ceiling.
This place doesn’t have a popcorn ceiling,I think. But of course it doesn’t. I paid over three million dollars for it.
Closing my eyes, I realize I just need to rip the Band-Aid off.
“My dad left us when my mom had Natalia. She was only about a year and a half younger than me.”
The woman’s face seems to melt as she forces a frown.She knows. She knows all of this.“That’s terrible to hear, Cooper. I’m so sorry. But your mom was there to support you?”
My jaw ticks.
“My mom died when I was ten,” I state matter-of-factly.
She sighs dramatically. “That’s so hard on a child. That must have really changed you as a person, huh?”
I wait a beat in an attempt to catch up with my thoughts. “I mean, yeah, not having parents definitely hurt, but my grandpa was always there to help us with anything.”
They both nod, looking at the papers in front of them. I’m not entirely convinced there’s anything on them.
We’ve been doing this interview for two hours now, and I’m ready to be done with it.
They were introduced to me about two seconds before we started filming as theexperttherapists who were going to help pair people up. Part of me wanted to ask what their qualifications were, or if they even had licenses to practice, because it’s as clear as day to me that these two idiots wouldn’t know real therapy if it hit them in the ass.
Trust me, I would know. I’ve spent my fair share of time in the chair.
You kind of have to when you go through what Natalia and I did.
The questions about family continue on for the next hour, and finally, they start to move away from it.
“What are you looking for in a partner?”
I pause. Not because I have to think about it hard; I’ve been thinking about this answer for years now.
“I—” I start. Looking down, I can feel my lips curving up without permission. “I want someone who’s, most importantly, my best friend first.”
