He was meeting someone. He had to be. I swiveled in my seat, looking out for Ryan or Ethan, or even one of his cousins, though I wasn’t sure I’d recognized Cole or Derek.
But there was no one here.
And Cooper was walking in alone.
I ducked my head down and contemplated sliding under the table so he wouldn’t see me sitting here alone and crying about pie.
But he’d already spotted me.
My traitorous heart leaped as if trying to get closer to him. I thought I was baring my teeth at him and was surprised that it was a smile.
Fuck, I missed him. I missed him so much I was crying about it and blaming a piece of pie. I looked down and then up, way up, was he always that tall? I didn’t know what to say, didn’t trust myself not to launch into a torrent of pleas, of apologies and promises. So I looked down and said nothing at all.
Cooper slid his bulk into the vinyl booth. I held my breath, trying not to feel anything, but it was like his presence changed the quality of the air around him. The molecules vibrated differently, changed the amount of oxygen they contained. I was able to breathe more deeply than I had in weeks, and the sudden rush of oxygen to my brain had me light-headed and dizzy.
"Can I sit with you?"
Of course he could. Just being this close... how had I not realized until now how... necessary he was.
But being close to him also brought the pain back. In all its full, raw torment. Like a punch to the gut, driving all of the changed air out of my lungs. "I don't think it's a good idea," I whispered because I didn't have enough breath in which to speak.
He looked down at his hands. Back up again. Inhaled and then held his breath. Crazily, I wondered if he'd noticed the shift in the way the air felt. Was it screwing with him too? "I know you don't think it's a good idea." He let out the breath he was holding and looked me in the eye, suddenly steady. And sure. "But Liam does."
I jerked my head back.
Cooper nodded. "How do you think I knew where to find you?"
"It's a small fucking town," I spat. "And my mom works here, so..."
He chuckled. "You're giving me more credit as a detective than I deserve. No, Liam called me. Told me he was really fucking sorry for causing all this. Told me Claire basically ripped him a new asshole for it and he wanted to make amends. And his way of doing that was to tell me you'd be here." He took another one of those ridiculously deep breaths. "He told me you were alone."
"Thanks a lot, Liam."
"He also told me this was probably the only time I'd ever get you alone again. 'Go to her,' he said. 'Right now. Because who knows when you're going to get another chance like this?’" He looked at me. "'She's always surrounded by people,’ he said. ‘Helping them. Protecting them. Doing for them. If you don't go to her right now, you'll never get another chance to talk with her alone.’” He spread his hands. "So here I am."
Here he was. “So now what?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Now I think we try eating pie together.”
“I already had a piece.” He looked hungrily at the plate in front of me and I pushed it toward him. “Go ahead.”
He picked up his fork. And then put it back down again. “Share this with me?”
“I already - “
“I want to share this pie with you,” he cut me off as he stared right into my eyes. “And I also want to share my soul.”
“Cooper?”
He slid his fork into the piece, letting the bright red juices stain the clouds of cream. “I want to give you a piece of this pie. You’ve already got a piece of my heart.”
“Cooper… no -“
“I want to share everything with you, Willa.” His voice broke as the fork hovered right in front of my mouth. “I love you.”
At the sound of those three words, my mouth fell open. He smiled and slid the fork in between my lips. The cherries hit my tongue in an explosion of flavor, sweeter than anything I had ever tasted before. I made a sound and Cooper nodded. “I know that’s how you’re saying I love you too. I know you, Willa. Your ‘I love yous’ sound like, ‘did you eat? Call me when you get home. Be safe. Hold still while I wash that cut for you.’” His eyes were shining unnaturally bright. “You’ve shown me how to love, and also how to be loved by someone with the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.” He reached across the table to wipe the corner of my mouth, then press the dab of cream to his lips. “I love you more than I thought was possible. I love you more than I knew I was capable of loving someone.”
“You do love me.” It came out in a rush of breath. I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was saying. I’d mourned the loss of us like he’d died, and then I’d had to pick up the shattered pieces of my heart and keep numbly going on.
But shook my head. He'd told me this before, and I didn't believe him. Three words weren't enough. I needed to know... “Why?”
He sat back in the booth and stared for a moment. “Fair.” He nodded. “I love everything about you, Willa, but you need specifics, I know. Here it is.” He leaned forward and took my hand again, turning my palm upward and tracing the lines on my wrist as he started talking.
“I love how you sacrifice without asking for anything in return. I love how you give and give and give some more. I love how your love is bottomless, and there is not a single thing you’re unwilling to do for the people you hold dear.” He looked up at me and reached up to brush away the tears that were now falling freely. “I love how you never forget the things that are important to people. I love how you watch out for people. I love how you think ahead, even when no one else is. I love how you always bring an extra sweater for Sadie. I love how you intervene when Claire goes overboard teasing Ethan. I love how you want what you think is best. And I love how you are a vault for so many secrets because everyone trusts you with their most important ones.” He leaned over and kissed the pulse on my wrist. “But I’m not keeping this a secret any longer. I love you.”
A sob caught in my throat as he took my other hand in his. His thumbs traced circles over both of my wrists. “What do you say, Willa? Can we start all over again, all over again?”
Just feeling his touch again was enough to bring me back to life. The taste of cherries sang on my tongue as the world suddenly had flavor and color again. How was it possible to love one person this much? How could I ever truly tell him how much I loved him too?
“Cooper.”
His eyes widened. Hope was mixed equally with fear, and he held his breath. “Yeah, Willa?”
“I love you, too.”
His shoulders sagged with relief and he lifted my hand and kissed the tops of my fingers as I laughed and cried at the same time, then leaned over the table to kiss him. The second my lips touched his, I knew there was no going back. This was it. He was my first love. And he would be my last.
He pulled back from the kiss with a lingering sigh. “Hang on,” he said. I stared as he rummaged in his pocket, my breath coming so fast I felt faint. “Your finger looks awfully naked right now.”
I started to laugh at the same time the tears started falling all over again. Because he was slipping the fake ring onto my finger again. “Really?” I managed to croak.
But he wasn’t laughing. “This is just a placeholder, Willa. When you’re ready, I’m going to put a real one there in its place.”
“You mean…?”
“Think of it as a good start. A promise that you can keep looking after everyone else.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. “As long as I can keep looking after you.”
I cupped his face with my hands and looked into my man’s eyes. The fake ring sparkled on my hand.
Except it wasn’t fake anymore. It was the start of something real. Something that would last.
Something good.
THE END
Do you need more from Willa and Cooper? I know, I love them so much, I could not stop writing about them. I have a bonus epilogue where they go to New York City to visit Liam, as well as a ton of extra scenes, and you can get all of them now by clicking here!