Page 66 of Boots & Scars

He grabbed my chin gently, lifting my face so our eyes met. "Hey," he murmured. "That's not what I'm saying at all. You know that. What I am saying is not to let some asshole take away something good from you when he's already taken so much. We can't go back in time and change what happened, but we can choose to move forward."

I breathed deeply, feeling the weight of his words settle over me like a warm blanket. "What are you saying?" I asked quietly.

Cooper's gaze softened even more. "I'm saying it's time for you to get back on the ice."

His words echoed in my mind, their simplicity holding a depth that shook me. Everything I longed to explore had been tainted. Zach worked at the skate counter, and he stole my first kiss. My first everything.

“It’s not a first anything unless you freely give it,” Cooper had said, his voice firm yet gentle.

“You really think so?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I know so,” he replied, his eyes steady and sure.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the air in my lungs before releasing it slowly. “May I ask you for a favor?”

“Name it,” he said without hesitation.

“Will you show me what a good kiss feels like?” The words tumbled out of me, raw and unfiltered. “I think I just need to gain some semblance of control over myself, and I’ve always… it’s silly, but I’ve always wanted a perfect first kiss.”

“There’s no such thing,” he said, his brow furrowing slightly.

“I’m sure there is,” I insisted. “With the right person.”

“Well, I can assure you, sugar, I’m not the right person,” he said, shaking his head slightly.

“You are,” I said with conviction. “For me.” I took a step closer to him, my heart pounding in my chest. “Please.”

“You really want someone like me to be your first kiss?” His voice was filled with doubt as he looked at me.

I bit my bottom lip but nodded. His eyes dropped to my mouth for just a moment before returning to mine.

Cooper hesitated, the conflict clear in his eyes. But then he sighed deeply, as if resigning himself to something inevitable. He reached out and gently cupped my face with his roughened hand. His touch was warm and grounding.

“If this is what you want…” he began softly.

“It is,” I whispered back.

He leaned in slowly, giving me ample time to pull away if I wanted to. But I didn’t. My heart pounded in my chest so hard, I was sure he could hear it. None of it mattered, though. Not when he touched me.

His lips brushed against mine tentatively at first, testing the waters. When I didn’t recoil, he pressed a little harder. The kiss was soft but firm, a promise wrapped in tenderness. It wasn’t rushed or demanding; it was everything Zach’s had never been.

My hands found their way to Cooper’s chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. The world seemed to fade away until there was only him and this moment between us.

When he finally pulled away, it was slow and reluctant, as if he too wanted to linger in the moment just a little longer. His thumb brushed against my cheek, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His eyes held mine, filled with an intensity that made my breath catch.

“Wow,” I breathed out, my fingers brushing against my lips as if to confirm the reality of what had just happened. It felt surreal, like a dream I didn’t want to wake from.

“You’ll come to the rink tomorrow then?” Cooper’s voice broke through the haze, grounding me back in the present.

I nodded, unable to trust my voice. The weight of what had just transpired hung between us, heavy yet comforting.

If Cooper asked me to walk the expanse of the state, I’d do it without hesitation. In that moment, I knew I’d do anything he wanted.

20

Cooper

Ishouldn’t have kissed her.

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