Page 24 of Cooper & Jake
“Earth to Jake-O,” Peyton says, waving his hand in my face.
I grab hold of his palm and flick it down. “You’re annoying,” I deadpan.
“You would think getting laid would have loosened you up more, but if anything, you’re wound tighter than before.”
“I am not,” I insist.
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“Are—”
“Do you ever shut up?” I hiss, cutting him off. “I swear.”
“Oooh, feisty. And definitely wound tight.”
I scrub my palms down my face, sighing loudly. Walking over to the bed, I sit down on the mattress. “I’m fucked. Now that I’ve had my hands on him, how do I just say goodbye again? I knew coming here might be a problem, but, fucking hell, I honestly didn’t think we would hook up with one another. My expectations coming into this weekend were that if he showed up, we would probably say hi. Maybe have a conversation or two and then go our separate ways.”
“And what’s the problem with what happened?” he wonders, taking a spot on the couch on the other side of the bed.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved everything that’s happened with Cooper. From hanging out yesterday and having a late-night talk, to breakfast this morning, and—ahem—other things I’m not discussing with you. I’ve loved it all.”
“And?” he prompts, moving his hand in aplease continuegesture.
“And… what if I want more? What if I can’t go back home after this weekend and just forget about him? I did it once before, and yeah, it was hard, but it probably took me way longer to get over him than I’m ready to admit. Now, I’m not ready to say goodbye, which is probably foolish because, once again, I’ve literally been back in his life for twenty-four hours.” I sigh, realizing I sound pathetic.
“Why not stay a few extra days?” he suggests nonchalantly.
My heart beats wildly, his words swirling around. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to leave tomorrow. Hell, I can take care of everything at home for a few more days if you want to stay behind.”
“Stay behind,” I echo, my brain running wild with thoughts of what it would take to stay here for a few more days.
I mean, he’s right; he could easily handle the bar at home while I’m away. And it’s not like there’s anything at home thatneeds my attention immediately. Bailey is well taken care of right now. Staying here for a couple more days could give me the chance to befriend Cooper better. At least more than just a few hurried conversations and hooking up. Could I actually stay longer?
“It’s a good idea, huh? I have those all the time. I don’t know why you don’t listen to me more often. All my plans are fucking perfect.” He shrugs, smirking at me as though he’s always right.
“You’re ridiculous. But you might be right,” I admit.
“Psh. I’m always right.”
“There’s just one problem with your plan.”
“What’s that?” he asks, crossing one leg over the other.
“Figuring out when Cooper is leaving.”
Peyton waves his hand in the air. “Cooper is supposed to leave tomorrow, too. But don’t worry, I can help.”
“I hate to ask this, but what does that mean?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you, boo.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about.”
Peyton doesn’t say another word; he just shimmies his shoulders and pulls out his phone, texting away. “Just get ready. I’ll do the rest.”
