To simplify things for him? But…
“But—”
“Benji!” Cooper said in a tone that evenIknew meantno more arguing.
I watched was Benji slid off the chair, going to Cooper and taking his outstretched hand, shoulders slumped and head hanging.
Some part of me wanted to say something, but I couldn’t.
Cooper told Benji he loved me. Cooper didn’t lie to Benji.
Cooper…
“Hey!” a voice came from the table.
Avery.
Dammit. Not again.
I picked my phone up and saw instantly that the call had never disconnected. Of course not. Why would I manage to operate the stupid thing properly the one time it might’ve mattered?
“Avery—”
“Why the fuck are you talking to me?” Avery asked. “You heard that adorable little kid. The man of your dreams isin love with you. Go get him!”
This time, I made sure I’d hung up.
26
COOPER
I hatedmyself for being harsh with Benji, but I couldn’t face another second with Felix. Not when Benji had just ripped my heart out and dropped it on the table in front of him like that.
He hadn’t meant to hurt me. He couldn’t possibly understand why he might have. I owed him an apology later.
Right now, though, my ears were on fire and my heart was racing and I wanted to be as far from Felix as I could be.
My feelings weren’t his problem. He didn’t have to return them—he didn’t even have torespondto them.
I didn’t want him to respond to them. I hadn’t wanted him to know, because if he knew…
If he knew, he could reject me. I couldn’t take that.
Now he knew. So the only thing I could do to avoid the inevitable was?—
“Cooper!”
I stopped dead.
Felix.
Consciously, I didn’t want to turn.
Unconsciously, I couldn’t help it.
Felix was running—running full pelt—toward us.
“Wait,” he said as he came to a stop, panting for breath. I glanced automatically at his leg, wondering if I’d have to catch him.
