Page 56 of Operation Prom Date
Cooper’s expression hardened. “I see how it is. Once you’ve gotten what you want, you throw away the person who helped you.”
“Were you helping when you told Mick I was a hookup girl? Or when you told Jaden I had a thing for Mick? Was anything we did kept secret?” My voice cracked, so I put more force behind it, making sure it was as sharp as the pain in my chest. “Or did you tell everyone about how pathetic I am, that I needed help to land a prom date?”
Cooper grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the crowd of people who were starting to stare. “Look, I didn’t say anything to anyone, except for telling Jaden that you liked Mick, so not to bother wasting his time with you. But you’re about to tell everyone yourself.Jeez.”
Defeat weighed me down, along with a good dose of sorrow that Cooper and I couldn’t even be civil to each other anymore. That wasted time comment hurt like hell, too, sending the pain deeper, until even my bones ached with it. I clenched my jaw, renewing my chant ofI will not cry, I will not cry.“What does it matter anymore, anyway? Might as well just let everyone know. Maybe if I tell them first I’ll at least sound a little less desperate.”
“I don’t understand whyyouget to be mad,” Cooper said. “You got what you wanted. You’re going to prom with Pecker. If anyone should be mad, it’s me. You bailed on our rowing sessions, leaving me in the lurch. And let’s not forget how you convinced me to talk to my dad. It went horrible, by the way, and then were you there, like you promised you’d be?”
My beat-up heart splatted in my chest. How could I be there when being around him only made me think about what I’d never have? Still, he was right. I’d sent the message about needing space, copping out when I should’ve been there for him. “I’m sorry. He freaked out? Are you okay?”
Cooper made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. “Don’t act like you care now.”
“I do care!”
Mick came over and put his hand on my back. He narrowed his eyes at Cooper. “Is everything okay here?”
“Great. Of course it’s you.” Cooper shook his head. “This is just perfect.”
Mick tensed, and I put my hand on his arm. “It’s okay. We were just talking.”
“She’s right. Wewere. But now we’re done.” Cooper threw his hands up, like he wanted to wash them of me, and then he backed away.
And I had a feeling that when he’d said we were done, he was talking about more than just our heated conversation.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kate
I kept telling myself to stop obsessing over Cooper’s and my heated exchange, and to definitely stop caring that I hadn’t talked to him in days. After all, he’d broken my trust, one of the things I considered most important in a friendship.
Apparently we weren’t friends anymore, either, and that realization sent a sharp twinge through my chest.
There was only one way to turn this whole situation around, and I figured at this point, I had nothing to lose. At lunch on Friday, I walked over to Mick and his friends, and when he glanced at me, I shot him the best smile I could muster. “Can I talk to you? Alone?”
“Sure.” He told his friends he’d catch them later. As we walked out of the cafeteria, he put his arm around my waist and tucked his hand in my back pocket.
I hated that all I could think of was when Cooper had done the same thing—as a knee-jerk reaction—and then overwhelming longing rose up, and it was for the wrong guy, and why didn’t my brain get it?
“That’s not an option,” I muttered.
“What?” Mick asked.
“Um, nothing.” I swallowed and turned to face him, glad that it made it too difficult for him to keep his hand in my pocket. I’d thought when the time came, this would be easier. Clearly I’d thought a lot of things that’d turned out to be false.
My nerves frayed, and I convinced myself that was a good sign. It meant I cared enough to get anxiety over asking Mick the question I needed to. Unfortunately that thought didn’t calm me nearly enough, because heaven forbid this be easy.
It’s now or never. We’re at T-minus three weeks and one day till prom…
Think about Dad. How he’d be proud that I did whatever it took to complete my Operation, despite all the bumps along the way.
“I was wondering…” My voice squeaked and I cleared my throat. “Jeez, I’m more nervous than if I were facing down a Lanister.”
Mick’s forehead scrunched up. “What?”
Oops. That only made sense if he watchedGame of Thrones. Or maybe it didn’t, because Cooper rarely got my references.
He did say my fandom tendencies were one of the things he liked most about me, though.
