Page 40 of Scoop Me Up
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t think to ask the specifics. I’m supposed to go by tomorrow after school to figure it all out.”
Cooper raised his hand for a fist bump, and I met his knuckles with my own. “That’s awesome. Congrats.”
Sage stopped by then with our checks. “What’s awesome?”
“Sam’s going to have their own ice cream shop,” Cooper blurted.
Sage’s eyebrows rose. “Really? That’s great, Sam.” They sounded genuinely happy for me.
“Thanks.”
“Does this mean you’re quitting your teaching job?”
My stomach turned. I hadn’t thought about that. I mean, Ihad, but never in a real, concrete, this-is-really-happening kind of way. “I don’t know. I guess I am. Please don’t say anything to anyone. I’m not sure I’m ready to tell the principal yet.”
Sage nodded. A moment later, they swiped our cards for payment on their handheld machine and thanked us before saying goodbye. “Have a great rest of your day.”
Cooper and I stood and exited the diner. We lingered in front of it silently for a few moments. “Talk to him,” Cooper said. “Youhaveto.”
“What if he’s embarrassed? Or regrets it and wants to forget it ever happened?”
He shrugged. “You’ll never know until you ask.”
“Or… what if he just wants a fling and breaks my heart at the end of the summer?”
Cooper put a hand on my shoulder. “Listen. Like I said, you’ll never know until you ask. What if hedoesn'tregret it? What if hewantsa relationship?”
I took a shaky breath and swallowed hard. “You’re right. It could go spectacularly wrong. But it could go right, too. I think that scares me just as much.”
“Stop psyching yourself out. No matter what, you’re going to be fine. If he regrets it, you can both forget it ever happened. And if he wants more,gowith it. All relationships end, until one doesn’t. That doesn't mean you should hide from something that’s potentially amazing just because you’re afraid of the end. You wouldn’t skip a highly recommended book just because you don’t know how it ends, would you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right. Got me there. Thanks, Coop.” A few moments later, I turned and headed home. As I walked, I had plenty of time to think about things. I’d spent the day dwelling on our not-kiss, but the closer I got to actually discussing it with him, the more my mind spun. I tried practicing what I was going to say by talking out loud to myself as I navigated the sidewalks toward my house.
“So… about that kiss.” No. That didn’t sound right. “Can I ask you why you tried to kiss me?” Definitely not. “Gabe, we need to talk about last night.” Okay, good start. Wait—no, that sounded way too serious.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus my mind. Instead, all I could think of was the night before. His warm skin. The comfortable way we laughed together, as if we’d known each other for far longer than we had. The easy conversation, the pink tinge to his cheeks, the green of his eyes.
God, I had it bad.
By the time I’d reached my driveway, I’d worked myself into a near-panic. What if he was inside? Or what if hewasn't?What if he’d packed up his things and left, mortified? Would I ever—
At that moment, the curtains fluttered in the window that looked in on the kitchen. My stomach was sour with anxiety and my chest was tight, heat crawling up my neck. I looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful summer day, maple and oak leaves forming a bright green canopy over my car. The sky was bright blue, not a cloud in sight.
From somewhere in the distance, a car door shut, startling me.
“Jesus Christ, Sam,” I muttered. “Get it together.”
I swallowed hard, nodded once, and headed up the steps to my house, bracing myself for what was next.
Chapter 16
Gabe
I was fighting the urge to pace around Sam’s kitchen when the sound of footsteps on the front porch reached me.
I was out of time. The next urge that hit me was to jump up and retreat, but I knew I didn’t have time to gather my laptop and things before Sam made it into the kitchen. The door opened behind me, and I turned, feigning surprise.
“Sam,” I said, attempting to sound light as I stood up and tucked my chair in behind me. “I didn’t expect you home so early.”
