Coop:Cause we’ll have to take your car if it’s the 3rd one, but I’m game
A laugh escaped me.
Me:Ok to the first 1. Maybe to you. Too much homework for 3.
I’d barely hit send when my computer began to ring. The video chat invite was right there in the corner. I accepted before I tied myself up in too many knots. The three dots were flashing again in my message with Coop.
The screen opened and there was Coop, a faint, if crooked grin in place. He was in the big square and I was in the little one above. I frowned as I waited for the sound to connect.
Coop’s grin widened, and became almost a smirk. “Can you hear me now?”
“Yes,” I said. “Where are the guys?”
“Waiting for me to send them the link for the chat.” He focused on me, the intensity in his gray-green eyes riveted me. I recognized his bedroom behind him, but even the computer between us couldn’t diminish the demand in his gaze. “I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Did you?” I went for light, particularly because Coop was damn near unblinking in his stare. “So, you wanted two more than you admitted.”
“I didn’t admit any of it, but I did want to talk to you whether we chatted with the guys or not.”
I could hear the vibrating of his phone as it went off in texts. I’d bet anything the guys were demanding to know what was taking so long. It probablyshouldn’tamuse me but it kind of did.
For his part, Coop just ignored the phone. “Frankie…”
My heart did another slam against my ribs. It damn near hurt because his voice dropped.
“I missed you this summer.” The scolding note was there, not loud or even particularly stressed, but still present. “I did come by your apartment a few times.”
When I opened my mouth to respond, he raised a hand.
“Let me finish. I’m not asking for an explanation and I'm really not trying to make you feel bad.”
I sucked my lower lip in against my teeth.
“But…”
There it was. So much weight tangled around that single word.
“You and me? We’re cradle to grave. You have been in my life for as long as I can remember and I’m not willing to let you leave it.”
I swallowed.
“French dude. No French dude. The guys? Jake? Archie? Bubba? With them or not—I’m here. Me. You and me, we don’t do this to each other. So, if you want to get rid of me, good luck. It won’t work.”
I forgot how to breathe. I curled my fingers into my palms, digging my nails in.
“You don’t have to say anything. I meant it. But that’s what I needed you to know,” he said, his voice a whisper. Then he nodded, and his expression relaxed and a smile tipped his lips. “Now I’ll get the others on so they can bitch, moan, and whine about homework.”
His attention flicked off me and I huffed out a breath as one by one the others popped up on the screen. Even with the electronic distance, it was all suffocating.
Chapter
Eleven
FRANKIE
If Monday has seemed almostendless, Tuesday blew past too swiftly for me to track. French was a lot more interesting with Mathieu shooting me quick smiles during the assignments. Probably because he mentioned that his favorite dessert was tuxedo cake when Coop and I picked him up that morning, and I picked tuxedo cake for my project.
It also helped that the guys weren't giving me as much grief today. I don't know what changed between yesterday and today, but they seem to be doing better with the idea that I was dating Mathieu. When lit ended, Matthew actually met Coop and me on our way downstairs and toward the cafeteria. Coop eyed him but he didn’t complain. We barely made it another half dozen steps when Laura intercepted calling Coop’s name.
