Still, I’d hoped forsomething.
That wasn’t selfish, right?To hope?
With a last chaste kiss, I pulled off him and stood, collecting our cups from the coffee table in an effort to explain my movements.Sam remained still, but his gaze was clouded with whatever was circling in his head.“Tiffany, I …” he broke off, and while he looked outwardly calm, the air was thick with possibility.
This was ridiculous.I didn’t do tension, and I didn’t do self-pity.If Sam didn’t feel the same way, well, I was a grown-up.I could handle that.“Shit.Did I break you?”I forced a laugh out, as hollow as I’d ever heard myself.“It’s alright, Cooper.”Jesus, that name didn’t sound right.“You still top the list of people who get under my skin.”A truth that meant a hell of a different thing than it used to.
But it worked.Sam took a breath and smiled that small smile he always did when he was trying to make someone feel better before saying, “I guess some things never change.”
It didn’t surprise me when five minutes later, he announced he was going to head home so that he could change.
And it was only after he left that I let out a harsh laugh and realized that no matter how this ended (and it would end), no matter how it hurt (and it would hurt), the only person I had to blame was myself.
