“Geofferson,” he says brightly, like this is the best part of his day, “it’s so nice the way you always make sure to say hi whenever we’re together.”
“What happened to your face?” Geofferson asks in that dry way that says he thinks he’s being witty.
“Little Slugger got me in the forehead at a charity thing. What happened toyourface?”
Max audibly chokes behind us. Geofferson’s fiancée gives Cooper a second look. I stifle a surprised whimper and bury my face in Cooper’s neck.
And Sunny Darling, Sarah’s mom, easily the biggest star here tonight, slides between us all. “Geofferson, if you require attention from the woman you cheated on in order to make a name for yourself in this industry, then perhaps this industry isn’t for you. Run along. Go on. Shoo.”
And then a commanding voice behind us starts in. “Put my niece—”
“Oh my goodness, areyouZinnia?” Libby Rock interrupts. “It is great to meet the woman who helped raise Waverly. What an amazing person you’ve given the world. You must be incredibly proud of the strong, independent, intelligent woman she’s become. It’s so hard to let go, but when you know they’re very capable of taking care of themselves, that helps, doesn’t it?”
Cooper’s shoulders relax while Aunt Zinnia stutters.
Stutters.
“What is happening right now?” I whisper while Cooper subtly shifts and sneaks me away from the group making the scene.
“First meeting of the Team Wooperly Support Group. Awesome, isn’t it?”
“You…you set this up?”
“I made a couple phone calls to get my family here. I did not sabotage your shoe—though I’m pretty grateful it means I get to carry you around like this—and I didn’t even realize who all would be here, but I know good things happen when good people are around.”
“Can you sneak us out whatever door you snuck in through?”
“Can and will, and I’ll even do you one better. Sunny says no one notices if you sneak out once the movie starts, so we’ll head on into the theater, and after we hear your first two songs, we have a date for fried chicken next door to your place.”
I lift my head and stare at him.
He’s not wearing a cocky grin. Not telling me wehaveto do anything. He’s watching me, waiting, like he needs to hear whatIwant, regardless of what he’s set up, and then we’ll do it.
I could tell him I want him to take me out for ice cream.
I could tell him I want to go to the beach.
I could probably tell him I want to go to the moon, and he’d do everything in his power to make it happen.
“Thank you for being you,” I whisper.
And there’s the smile.
My favorite smile.
“Fried chicken?” he asks as he carries me into the theater.
I kiss his cheek. “It’s a date.”
28
Cooper
I’m staringat the illuminated LA skyline from Sarah’s parents’ pool deck next door to Waverly’s house when Grady drops into the seat next to me and offers me a light beer. “I can’t decide if you’re in over your head, or if you actually live a life that’s much bigger than I thought.”
The ladies are inside changing out of their fancy clothes. We snuck out of the premiere one by one after Waverly’s first song played. There’s fried chicken on the way, along with banana pudding ingredients.
“Yes,” I say to the skyline.
