He looks at me, recognition dawning in his expression. He doesn’t say anything before releasing his seat belt and quickly hopping out of the car, jogging toward the restaurant.
I lean against my seat, feeling like a part of my heart has just left my body as I watch through the large picture window of the restaurant as Coop bows his head, leaning his forehead against hers.
Tyler reaches across the space, setting his hand on my thigh again. “I might need to be present each time you give Coop advice because you’re pretty good at that.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “It’s weird,” I admit. “It feels like I’m trusting someone else to do one of my most important roles in life, and even though it’s Cooper and I know this is right and needs to happen, I just feel so…” I can’t fill in the blank because the list is seemingly endless. “I know it’s right. I know he wants to be this person for her and that he deserves to be, and so does she.” I turn my attention to Tyler, combing through my hair with my fingers. “Does my relationship with Cooper bother you?”
He blinks several times, like the question has caught him off guard. He shakes his head. “I mean, I’m sure I’ll feel a little like Vanessa did at times, but sometimes I’ll probably feel that way with her as well. They both know you so well. Last night, I could tell something was off when I saw you, but it was Cooper who registered that something was wrong. He saw you and,” he snaps his fingers, “he instantly knew there was a problem. One look—that’s all he needed. You guys share a powerful bond, and sometimes it seems like more than just friendship.”
“It is,” I tell him. “Cooper’s family. He’s like a brother to me. My biggest fear as a teenager was that Nessie and Coop would want to attend different colleges because I had no idea how I’d choose. And then he met you, and I was insanely jealous.”
Tyler’s eyes grow wide with surprise.
I nod. “Cooper’s never had another best friend. It was always me, and then he started canceling plans with me so you guys could get in more gym time and inviting me to hang out with you guys rather than vice versa, and I was crazy jealous. I think that largely contributed to why I wanted to hate you so much at first.”
He smiles, his hand at my thigh constricting. “Cooper would pull the moon out of the sky for you if you asked.”
“I know he’ll always be there for me, but things have changed. With you and him, and him and Nessie.”
“And you and me,” he adds.
I glance at him, the heaviness in my heart lightening as his blue eyes anchor me, filling me with a hope I’ve been fighting since he first kissed me. He moves his hand from my thigh to my jaw. “You scared the shit out of me our freshman year. You still do.”
I try to accept his compliment gracefully but feel the lines of confusion creasing my forehead.
“People usually always ask for favors, try to become my new best friend or girlfriend because they look at me and see opportunities and money. You’ve never asked me for anything.”
“You know I still don’t want anything, right? I don’t like you because you can buy me expensive tickets and trips to the spa. I’d be fine if we were staying in Motel 6’s and eating Burger King each night. It’s never been about what you can buy—it’s about what you do, how you make me feel.”
Tyler’s eyes flash with humor and warmth as he smiles.
“I don’t want you to feel jealous of Cooper or anyone.”
His fingers slide higher, his thumb stroking my cheekbone, making my heart accelerate as I lean closer, wanting him to kiss me so badly it’s difficult to breathe. “When we get back to Brighton, I’m worried you’ll see the ugly side of being with me. Rumors and arseholes trying to play head games and bullshit. I saw it this spring with Lincoln and his girlfriend. It was like as soon as he started dating her, every girl worked harder to gain his attention and make her jealous, and she became the guy every bloke wanted to date. That’s going to be you now, too.”
Hope is invading nearly all of doubt’s place as his words struggle to infiltrate my thoughts.
“I just need to know you’re going to be okay and that at the end of every night, you know that it’s you I’m going to be reaching for and wanting.”
This conversation seems so big and also clunky as we omit a dozen words and what they each represent. Still, I nod. “This doesn’t exclude morning sex as well, right? Because I thought you were enjoying our time in the shower this morning,” I tease, desperate to infuse some humor into the conversation because I’m afraid I’ll be the first to knock over this stack of carefully laid words and insinuations.
His eyes darken, and he tips his head back, emitting a low growl. “That was so fucking hot.” He looks at me, a conflict in his eyes as his desire tangles into our conversation. He glances at the clock, then reaches for his crotch, adjusting himself. “We should get something to eat because when we get to San Diego, we’re not leaving the hotel until morning. I plan to defile you in front of every window and mirror in the suite.”
I lean closer, and so does he, our lips hard and nearly punishing as we work to express our
