Page 45 of Chasing Elliott
“I guess I may just kind of like you,” I teased as I pushed his shoulder lightly. Cooper chuckled as he laid down in the grass and folded his arms behind his head.
We stayed there in silence for a while before the alarm on my phone went off to let meknow that it was time to go back and walk the next dog. I sighed as I reluctantly got to my feet and walked back toward the shelter.
Walking back inside, I led Mia towards her kennel and opened the door, but she stayed by my side, looking up at me expectantly. I sighed as I bent down so we were eye level as Iscratched behind her ears in the way I knew she loved so much.
“I’m sorry, girl,” I whispered as I pressed my forehead to hers. “But I’ll be back in a couple days, I promise.”
It took me walking into the kennel with her for her to finally enter and my heart clenched as I already knew what was about to happen. I wrapped my arms around her neck as a tear escaped my eye before I quickly slipped out of the kneel and latched it behind me.
The minute the lock clicked, Mia started howling and crying as she watched me walk away. I brought the back of my hand up to wipe away the tears that had fallen from my eyes as I fast walked out of the kennel area and over to another one.
Once I finally stopped walking, Cooper reached for me and pulled me into his chest as Ifisted his shirt and let the tears fall silently. He cupped the back of my head while the otherrubbed slow circles on my back before he kissed the top of my head gently.
“You must think I’m crazy,” I mumbled as I forced out a laugh.
“Not at all,” Cooper said quickly as he pulled back to look at me. “Especially not since Iknow about Wyatt and how much he meant to you. I totally get it. Now come on, let’s go play with some puppies to cheer you up.”
Sure enough, playing with the puppies effectively lifted my mood. We were at the shelter for about another two hours, finishing our job of walking all the dogs before we walked hand in hand out of the shelter and back to the bike. Stopping in front of it, I sighed as I ran a hand down my face and rested my forehead against his chest.
“You’d think this would get easier,” I mumbled as I pulled away and looked up at him. Cooper smiled weakly and cupped my face in his hands before pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“Not at all, baby,” he said softly as he gave me a weak smile. “You have such a big heart.”
Shaking my head as a smile started to form on my face, I spun on my heel and backed up, allowing him space to climb on the bike. I slid on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist before he started it up and pulled out of the parking lot.
A while later when we pulled into the lot outside of my townhome, he killed the engine and waited as I climbed off the bike. He raised a brow at me but remained quiet, waiting for me to speak.
“Can I ask you a question?” I pondered, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in my throat. Cooper nodded, studying my face with a prodding expression. “The other night when you said that you weren’t just doing this for you but for me as well, what did you mean?”
“Elli,” he started to say as he reached for my hand. “Your entire life you’ve had all thesemen using you. It doesn’t matter if it’s what you wanted, it’s not what you deserved. Not a singlesoul has cared to get to know you like I have.
“I refuse to push you into something you don’t want, something you’re not ready for, but I will do everything in my power to make you see yourself the way I see you. To make you realize that you deserve everything I ever give and show you, and then some.”
I stared at him in awe, my eyes beginning to water, but I was able to prevent any tears from falling. “You’re putting me in a really tough spot, Cooper.”
“How so?” He asked, dropping my hand and resting it on the bike handle.
“Because I told you once feelings got involved that we needed to stop this,” I reminded him, crossing my arms over my chest. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you and what kind ofperson would that make me if I let this continue knowing how it’s probably going to end?”
Cooper looked at me intently, a furrow in his brow as he mulled over his answer. “If I’m being honest, I don’t really have an answer for you, Elli. But I chose this, I chose you, in whatever shape or form that was going to be.”
“Okay, there’s something I feel like I need to say,and I don’t want you to look at mewhile I say it,” I told him. Cooper raised a brow before he turned his head to look at my front door and I took a deep breath. “The only reason I’ve let this continue is because I like you, Cooper. But that’s also why I’m so afraid because I’ve never let anything get this far before.”
“I told you, baby steps,” Cooper responded, his eyes still trained on the door. “I’m apatient person. We’ll get through this weirdness together. And who knows, maybe it won’t take as long as you think.”
Before I could respond he quickly turned and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. The moment he pulled away, he hastily slid the helmet on and started up the bike, the noise too loud for me to say anything to him but I tried anyway.
“How long for what exactly?” I yelled, hoping he’d hear me.
Cooper flipped up the visor on the helmet and flashed me a wink before he snapped itshut, backing out of the spot. He turned and sped out of the parking lot, leaving me standing there with a dumbfounded look on my face.
Rolling my eyes, I chuckled softly as I started to walk toward the door, biting my lip to suppress my smile. I felt my phone vibrate and pulled it out of my back pocket, seeing that I had two texts.
Kara: Since you love me, could you maybe pick me up a bag of chocolate on the wayhome?
Elliott: I’m standing outside the door, sorry honey.
Clicking out of the thread with Kara, I opened the other one which was from Cooper and I laughed loudly.
