Every one of them had agreed without hesitation. They trusted Cooper.
I didn’t need their confirmation.Itrusted him, would have trusted him with my life and the lives of everyone I cared about.
“We’re getting to this competition on time,” Cooper said, turning the key in the ignition with his tongue poking out between his lips, as though he had to hold it at just the right angle to make it work.
It chugged a few times, which I suspected it wasn’t supposed to, but then roared into life. Cooper broke into the biggest grin I’d ever seen on him. The resemblance between him and Benji was suddenly so clear I couldn’t believe it’d taken me this long to be struck by it.
He was amazing.
“It’s… alive!” Cooper held his hands up like a mad scientist in a Hammer horror—Avery loved those, too, so I’d seen my share—and cackled, setting off the kids in the back.
“You guys ready to go on an adventure?” he asked, turning to look at them.
A chorus ofyeahs erupted, tiny cheers filling the people mover. Cooper gave the waiting parents a wave, and they all waved back in turn, some of them blowing kisses as we took off down Main Street, heading for the freeway.
Once we’d turned onto it and were going relatively straight, Cooper took one hand off the wheel and laid it over mine where it was resting on my thigh.
“Okay?” he asked, squeezing lightly.
You’re incredible and I amsosucking your dick for this later, I didn’t say, on account of the presence of tiny ears.
“I’m okay,” I said, letting out a breath I hadn’t meant to hold. “Thank you.”
Cooper smiled at the road ahead. “Anytime.”
20
COOPER
I wasn’tsure what I’d been expecting a ballet competition to look like, but I’d never felt more out of place in my life.
This morning, I’d put on one of my newer black t-shirts, least worn jeans, and a plaid shirt Mom had insisted on ironing for me. It was already wrinkled at the back and elbows from the drive, and I’d just noticed a grease stain on the hem that I hadn’t this morning. My boots were more or less clean, but not polished, and not dressy.
I was surrounded by women my age to a little older, wearing their hair up and so meticulously slicked back that there wasn’t a single flyaway in the whole building. They all had their makeup done like they were attending their own weddings, their nails were manicured, their outfits were immaculate, freshly pressed, and mostly beige with one or two rebels wearing navy or black.
The fact that there were mirrors all along the wall didn’t help at all. I couldn’t avoid seeing how out of place I looked, twice the size of anyone else in the room, underdressed, and unsure what to do with myself.
Felix was warming the kids up now that we’d registered and been given our own little stretch of barre. This was a huge studio, ten times bigger than Rising Up. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised—small town, small studio—but the size of it only served to make me feel more lost. I didn’t want to be in the way, so I was hanging back by myself in the middle of nowhere, since I didn’t know anyone here other than Felix and the kids.
“Which one’s yours?” a voice asked beside me.
I saw him in the mirror before I turned toward him. A striking redhead, complete a dusting of freckles over his nose and cheeks, wearing a leotard and tights. About Felix’s height, maybe an inch taller, but with an almost identical build, all long, lean limbs.
A ballet dancer. Maybe an instructor?
He had to be younger than Felix, but maybe that didn’t make a difference. Retirement probably wasn’t a prerequisite for teaching.
“Uh,” I said, blinking at him. “The little boy over there.” I nodded in the kids’ direction. “Benji.”
The redhead broke into a bright smile. “He’s precious. I love seeing boys getting into it. First time at a competition?”
I huffed. “That obvious?”
The redhead shrugged. “Marcus,” he said, offering his hand.
“Cooper.” I accepted, shaking firmly.
“My dad took me to my first competition,” Marcus said. “Meant a lot to me. I bet it means a lot to Benji that his dad’s being supportive like this.”
