It’s a fact.
And I hate that he knows that with every fiber of my being.
I ignore him.
Instead, I ask him something that’s been worrying me since Lindsey and Eddy left. “Do you know if we have to spendallour time together? Isla has a gallery show coming up that I’d like to actually enjoy.”
I can hear him suck in a breath. I could have left it at her having a show. I didn’t have to add that last part.
But I did.
“Um,” he scratches the back of his head. “I don’t think we have to be together at all times, no. But we can ask them tomorrow.” He looks at the ground. “I’d like you to enjoy the night with our friends.”
“My friends,” I snap. “As I recall, I’ve been here longer than you, Henry.” He opens his mouth to retort, but I cut him off. “No, Cooper. You don’t get to talk. You lost that privilege a long time ago.
We continue packing in silence. Cooper packs up my bathroom, a move that feels far too intimate to allow. Yet somehow I do.
On one hand, it feels like nothing ever happened. Like we’re just falling into routine again. Like we’re just two planets revolving around each other.
On the other hand, I hate him.
“So, what did the girls tell you about the wedding?” he asks softly, handing me a bag.
I sigh. “They said it was gorgeous. They said you suck when I informed them of our history. And they said they were so sorry for involving me with you. Not that it’s their fault. I obviously didn’t tell them.”
He lets my digs bounce off him.
“So I assume they didn’t know anything about this either?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Though Heidi did say that herheart fell into her ass when she walked out and saw all the boys standing at the end of the aisle.”
All the girls agreed with her. One by one, they all saw the boys and got confused.
“You know—” Cooper picks up a picture on my nightstand. The one of me at the beach with my mom.
“Actually, let’s get going, if you don’t mind,” I say, interrupting him again.
He studies me for a few moments, his eyes lingering on mine, before slowly placing the photo in my travel bag with a nod.
“We can do that.”
CHAPTER 16
COOPER
Amara follows me to my place, and I watch her in my rearview mirror as she becomes increasingly curious.
Her place is only minutes from mine, and while her style has matured over time, walking into her home sent a shockwave of nostalgia and melancholy down my spine.
Or maybe it was my allergies.
Amara never liked cats when we were young. Old Man Willy had far too many, and while she didn’t hate them, she also didn’t want to be around them.
I was too shocked to ask follow-up questions. Was she unable to be around them because of me? Because of some other reason? Was she really telling the truth that it was because of me?
We pull into the building’s garage, and I watch as Amara pulls into the spot next to mine. She sits, her hands grasping the wheel, for a beat or two longer than she normally would. She stares forward, her knuckles turning white.
With a deep breath, I get out of the car.
