Page 25 of Cooper & Jake
Our entire graduating class is gathered together to take the group picture. I might have been fashionably late, so I’m on the complete opposite side from Cooper. He’s standing off to the right side in one of the front rows, while I’m on the left side way in the back. I keep popping my head over, trying to get his attention, but he’s talking to the man next to him, who seems to be very enamored with Cooper.
My jealousy builds as I watch them talk and laugh while everyone else is getting ready for the picture. The photographer holds the lens up, and while I should turn and face the camera, I don’t. Nope, my vision is dead set on Cooper and the tall, hulky man next to him. They both stop talking and face the person taking photos while they snap away at pictures. Once they’re done, they wave to let us know we’re able to move around, and Cooper and the man find each other once again.
It’s fine. Everything’s fine. I’m fine.
I leave the crowded area and head over to the tables where they’re passing out yearbooks. After giving them my name, they hand me a small book with a picture of Gomillion on the outside. I walk away from everyone, finding an empty bench off to the side. I’m just flipping the cover of the book open when a shadow looms over me.
“This spot taken?” Cooper asks, smiling down at me.
“You don’t want to go sit with that guy you were talking with earlier?” Cooper doesn’t say a word, just raises an eyebrow expectantly. I sigh loudly and shake my head. “I’m kidding. No one’s sitting here. It’s all yours.”
“Damn, you’re as jealous now as you were back in high school.”
“I was never jealous in high school,” I mutter, avoiding eye contact because I was, in fact, resentful of every guy who tried to give any attention to Cooper.
“Bullshit,” Cooper laughs, bumping his shoulder into mine. “I don’t know; I always found it sexy as hell that you would get so jealous.”
“Do you still find it sexy?”
“Is this you admitting you were jealous?”
“No,” I mumble, rolling my eyes. “Who was that anyway?”
“Brett. Remember him? He’s here with his wife and three kids. So, no, I don’t think he was flirting with me.”
“Psh. Sure.”
“God, you’re so ridiculous,” he cackles, tossing his head back. Fuck, I want to lick up and down that throat. Suck on his pulse point and drive him wild, have him begging and pleading for my cock while I take him apart.
Clearing my throat, I squirm in my seat. “Fine. I might have been a wee bit jealous. Can you blame me, though? My dick was inside you less than four hours ago.”
“Trust me, Jake. I have not forgotten that at all,” he replies, his voice husky. “It’s been on a constant loop in my mind since you left.”
“Good.” I puff up my chest a little at the thought of him thinking of me the whole afternoon because he’s been on my fucking thoughts nonstop.
“Can you believe we finally got our yearbooks? Like, I’m low-key scared about what picture they used for me. I wasn’t the cutest back then.”
“Bullshit, you were sexy as fuck, Cooper. Then and now.”
“Thanks.” His cheeks pink up, and I lean forward, placing a kiss on his lips.
“Sorry,” I murmur when I pull away.
“Never be sorry. Kissing me is never something you should apologize for.”
“Let’s look at the yearbook,” I tell him, changing the subject. If I kiss him again, I’m going to try to drag him back to our hotel, and we still have a lot of things to do today. I reopen the yearbook, flipping to my last name. “Oh god, no.”
“Let me see,” he says, taking the book out of my grasp. “Oh my god, you look so good, Jake. I can’t believe they let you keep that damn hat on your head for the pictures.”
“I refused to take it off. My mom wanted me to dress all nice with a stupid tux, but there was no way I wouldn’t add my own touches to it. Now that I’m seeing the photos, I’m glad my momnever saw these; she wouldnothave been happy with me. I look like a tool.”
Cooper chuckles, shaking his head. “This is exactly how I always remembered you. You still look so much like that young guy from back then. You’re just older and wiser.”
“Same as you. Older, wiser, and definitely been through some things that most people don’t have to go through. But still just as gorgeous as you were the day I met you.”
Cooper blushes and whispers, “Thanks. Now let’s look at mine.” He flips a couple of pages, then finds his image. “Oh my god,ew! Why would they use this picture of me?”
I look over to see why he’s freaking out. “That’s exactly how you looked, Cooper.” I stifle a laugh when he looks at me wide-eyed. “What?”
