Page 177 of Something Rad
He doesn’t reply right away, and that only makes the rock in my stomach sink further. He lifts his hand from my chest, and I pull my own hand away to let him. He brings it to the back of my neck, encircling it with his fingers. “Cooper…”
I shake my head, attempting to shrug him off. “It’s fine,” I say, turning from him. “Things got heated. I’m sure we both said things we didn’t mean. It happens–”
“Wait, Cooper–” Robbie says.
“Forget it.”
“Hey,” he demands, tugging just hard enough against the back of my neck so that I have to look at him. “I don’t want to forget it.”
I feel the redness rushing to my cheeks as I press my lips together.
“Did you really say things you didn’t mean?” Robbie asks.
I blink at him. “No.”
His jaw flexes, and he nods. “Good. Because neither did I.”
My spine steels. “Really?”
“I meant every word, Cooper,” Robbie says, his lips pulling up at one side. “I’m yours.” His hand rubs affectionate circles across the back of my neck. “If you’ll have me, of course.”
I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. Then, completely in sync, we both lean in. This time, when we kiss, it’s saying something different. It’s sweet and gentle. It feels like a long time coming.
“Holy shit,” I say against Robbie’s mouth.
His shoulders shake with laughter. “Yeah, Cooper? You good?”
I nod. “I’m good. Just…having a hard time believing this is real life right now.”
“Can’t say I disagree,” Robbie says, running a hand through my hair. “Who would have thought, right?”
“Not me,” I say, shaking my head.
Robbie presses a kiss to my forehead, and I know he can sense the subtle way that I tense up. “What is it, baby?” he asks, his lips in my hair.
I blow a breath out of my nose. “Look,” I say, reaching for Robbie’s hand, “I’m happy about this. I reallyreallyam. It’s just…”
“Really fast?” Robbie says, reading my mind once again.
“Extremely fast,” I confirm. “I mean, I know it’s been a few months, but…it feels like we’ve crammed a few more months all into a few hours tonight. I just…think I need to take a breath. I trust you, and I believe what you’re saying, but I just really want to make sure. I think we should take a little time to make sure this isn’t just the result of built up tension and teenage angst.” I take a deep breath and look up to find Robbie staring at me. “Is that…okay?” I ask.
He shakes his head, and I feel my stomach dip. “Of course it’s okay, Cooper. Let’s take a minute. Whatever you need. I’ll be here.”
When he smiles at me, the knot of tension in my chest completely melts away. “So we wait,” I say. “Until…after holiday break?”
Robbie lets out a dramatic groan, dropping his head to my shoulder. “That long?”
I chuckle. “It’s only two weeks, Summers. You’ll survive.”
“You’re a cruel woman, Sara Beth Cooper,” Robbie says, pressing a kiss to the hollow of my throat. “But you’re worth it. And I’ll prove it to you.”
My heart squeezes in my chest at his words as he lets out a sigh, raising his head. “Okay, let me take you home.” He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear and leans in to kiss me once softly. He’s a perfect gentleman, pulling away after only a second, but it’s useless, because I pull him right back for another taste. After a much deeper kiss this time, Robbie starts to turn away, but then looks back at me, his eyes flicking between my eyes and my lips. “Maybe I could take you home in a few minutes instead?”
I smile at him, shrugging sheepishly. “A few more minutes couldn’t hurt.”
thirty-six
ROBBIE
