Page 135 of Something Rad
Her teeth sink into her lower lip. “We did it,” she breathes.
I shake my head firmly. “Youdid it.”
Her mouth opens, but she doesn’t say anything. She starts rocking on her heels, fidgeting with her hands.
Then we both start moving, closing the distance between each other. I open my arms and Cooper jumps right into them. I lean back from the force of her impact, her feet coming off the ground and my left arm settling at her lower back to hold her to me. Cooper’s head settles against the crook of my shoulder as her arms wrap around my neck.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispers just below my ear, shaking her head.
The scent of her flowery shampoo washes over me, and I just have to run my hand over her copper hair. I may even press my nose against it and breathe deep. I couldn’t tell you. Everything feels like a blur right now with Cooper closer to me than ever before.
“Well, believe it, baby,” I say, my voice low.
Cooper pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, gently sliding down to stand on her feet again. Her arms stay around my neck, and it occurs to me just how much her skin smells like early morning rain.
Wildflowers for hair, rain for skin, and storms for eyes.
God, is she something.
“Thank you,” she says, making me tilt my head at her. “For your help. I know I almost didn’t agree to your deal. I really didn’t want to do this. I was…scaredto do this, to even try. But thank you for pushing me. I don’t think I would have gone for it if it weren’t for you. If it weren’t…withyou.”
I shake my head at her. “Cooper, you may be a total pain in my ass…but I’m really proud of you.”
She rolls her eyes with a grin, finally taking a step back and putting some distance between us. “Thanks,” she mumbles.
“We gotta celebrate,” I say.
She lets out a shy laugh, waving her hand at me.
“I mean it, Cooper. You have Monday nights off, right?”
She goes still, looking up at me when she realizes I’m serious. “Um, yeah. I do.”
“I’m sure people will be hanging out at Dusty’s tonight.”
“The drive-in movie theater?” Cooper questions. “On a Monday?”
“Mondays are free admission for students. We always go on Mondays.”
“Oh.” It’s obvious by the way she says it that she had no idea. I guess I can’t blame her. I saidwealways go on Mondays, but the fact is, I haven’t been in a month now.
I see Cooper roll her lips into her mouth like I have realized she always does when she’s nervous about something. “We should go,” I tell her, giving her shoulder a gentle shove. “You deserve to let loose a little.”
“I don’t know…”
“Cooper, you won freaking student body president. Who would’ve ever thought in a million years you would have done that?”
“Well, clearly not you,” she huffs, crossing her arms and looking away.
I give her a knowing look, waiting for her to look back at me.
“I guess not me either,” she admits when she finally does.
“Exactly,” I nod. “So take it in. Come out tonight.”
Her lips twist to the side before she lets out a resigned sigh. “I guess it could be fun.”
I reach out and poke her nose, and she swats my hand away.
