But then, I met Cooper Monroe. And my world was tilted on its axis.
Everything I thought I knew became a question, and things I’d always questioned were answered.
Two weeks after we met, Cooper asked me if I wanted to jump out of a plane. I was terrified. At that time, everything in my life was too controlled and rigid to allow for stepping out of my comfort zone. I was too uptight to stop striving for perfection, to let failure be an option. I couldn’t say yes to the jump — the risk was too high. It went against all of my instincts.
But then, Cooper told me that he’d be right next to me. And I made a decision on the spot.
A decision to trust, to commit my safety and my future to a flimsy parachute that held no guarantees. A decision to take a step off the edge of the precipice, and tumble into free fall.
It was the best decision of my life.
As I plummeted towards the ground, fear was gradually replaced by exhilaration, and for the first time ever, it felt like I could see. The sky was bluer, the trees greener, objects were in sharper focus. I saw beauty in every moment, because skydiving wasn't about the destination — it was about the journey.
Until then, I'd never been able to enjoy the journey for what it was. Instead, I wrongly believed that success was measured in results. That the end goal was the point of any undertaking.
Over the course of a single summer, Cooper Monroe refocused my vision. He taught me that everything that happens along life’s journey shapes you and helps you grow in ways that results can't even begin to measure. Cooper might be a literal billionaire, but he showed me how to treat everything and everyone with equal importance. Live each day to the fullest, whether you're riding in a limousine or hanging out on the couch, eating Korean noodles and watching Jeopardy!.
I now know that there's a lesson in every experience. And my commitment is to experience everything to the fullest, immerse myself in my environment and enjoy life for what it is — a gift. Before I met Cooper, I saw every experience as a distraction, something that would take me away from reaching my goals. But if I hadn’t had the “distractions” I was so worried about, I would never have discovered who I really was, what my passions were.
I realize that, sometimes, taking a risk won’t pan out the way you hope it will. Maybe that college won’t accept your application, or that boy won’t feel the same way about you… But that's okay. With every experience, every risk, you grow. No matter the outcome.
Cooper Monroe taught me to be brave and live life with abandon. Because of Cooper, my heart is fuller, and I can laugh louder, love harder and see the world around me in higher definition.
He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. He’s the reason that penning this essay happened the way it did. He’s made me into the person I am today. A person who can look inside herself to understand what her heart truly desires, then take a gamble and risk everything to pursue that truth.
Happiness can only come from knowing the person you are within. And knowing who you are is the ultimate goal because, at the end of the day, you can only be true to others when you start by being true to yourself.
I stare at the page, breathless. My heart is pounding loudly in my ears. Nobody has ever said such kind words about me, has believed in me like she does. I’m shaken to my core.
“I thought…” I finally manage. “I thought that you didn't want to be with me because I was holding you back, distracting you.”
“Never,” Stefi says passionately. Her eyes spark even in the coming darkness. “You are the person who taught me to jump. And if I’d never jumped, I never would’ve had the experiences that led me here, to this moment.”
I’m speechless as my eyes roam her face, as though trying to commit her every feature to memory. I hope I never need to. I want to see Stefi every single day for the rest of my life.
I circle my arms around her and pull her close. She wraps her hands around the back of my neck, the feeling comfortable and familiar. Like we were meant to do this.
“I love you, Stef,” I whisper. “I am truly, madly, head over heels in love with you.”
She tilts her head up and flashes me her gorgeous smile, her face glowing with happiness. “I love you too, Cooper Monroe. There’s no such thing as different worlds. There’s just one world, one where we belong together.”
“Together,” I echo.
My lips meet hers, softly, gently. And then, we deepen the kiss. Stefi’s arms tighten around me, bringing me closer, and I tangle my hands in her long black hair. I kiss her until my head spins and my thoughts are jumbled and I’m totally lost in her. My heart slams in my chest, in time with hers. Safe in the knowledge that she loves me and I love her, and I never have to let her go.
When we finally break apart, twilight has fallen around us. I tuck a strand of hair behind Stef’s ear and she blushes the most beautiful pink. She’s all I’ll ever need.
“Hey kids!” Dad’s voice carries across the parking lot.
Stefi and I separate, her hand in mine. I notice her biting her lip. My cheeks feel a bit warm too.
Dad walks towards us from the penthouse entrance, waving. “What’s for dinner? Fancy Korean again?”
I turn to Stefi and grin. “Hungry?”
“For Japchae? Always.”
44
Stefi
“Stunning!” Mrs. Higgins declares, her smile engulfing her cheek mole. “This is an essay fit for a Harvard applicant, a perfect declaration of who Stefi Clark really is.”
I flush with pleasure. “Thank you, Mrs. Higgins. I worked hard on it this summer.”
Mrs. Higgins smiles at the papers in her hands. “It certainly sounds like you had a summer to be remembered.”
“That’s for sure.” The first bell rings and I rise to my feet, smoothing my black sundress. “I’d better get to my homeroom. Don’t want to be late.”
“Have a wonderful first day of Senior Year.” Mrs. Higgins beams. “Oh, and Stefi?”
Hand poised on the doorknob, I turn back towards her. “Yes?”
“Cooper Monroe? As in, Kade Monroe’s son? Voted hottest Hollywood teen heartthrob?” Mrs. Higgins’ eyelashes flutter, and I hold back a giggle. I hadn’t pegged her for the type to pore over People magazine.
“The one and only.”
“My goodness!” Mrs. Higgins uses my essay to fan herself. “And did you get to meet Kade Monroe himself?”
I laugh out loud this time. “I sure did, and I bet you’ll meet him soon, too.”
Mrs. Higgins’ eyes widen and her cheeks turn pink, but before she can ask any further questions, I give her a wink and saunter out of her office. I giggle as I walk down the hallway, feeling like I might as well have been walking on air.
I’ve been feeling that way a lot lately. As soon as I got home from Legacy Inn, I sat down with my parents. For the first time in years, we had a real, serious conversation. I told them about the pressure I’d been under, the incessant, constant need to be perfect. As Fernando predicted, they were shocked and saddened to hear that I ever believed I wasn’t already perfect in their eyes, just as I was.
They gave me a big, family group hug. Sophie even joined in, squeezing between my parents to extend her arms around me. She looked better, happier, healthier. The summer had been good for her.
My phone buzzes, and I reach for it eagerly.
Cooper: Registration is taking way longer than expected. Dad’s having to give out too many autographs.
I chuckle at the thought of Kade Monroe gracing the hallways of little old Edendale High. People are going to be talking about this for years to come.
Stefi: I’ll come rescue you. Am I going to have to fight off your fans to get near you?
Cooper: Nope, I brought my baseball cap and sunglasses. Foolproof.
Stefi: Just remember, though, this is public school. Baseball cap or no baseball cap, wearing a shirt is a non-negotiable part of the dress code.
Cooper: Their loss ;) Now, hurry!
I laugh and roll my eyes. Cooper is well and truly back to his sarcastic, ridiculous self.
After Brody left for LA two weeks ago, Cooper and I enjoyed every last moment of summer together. Cooper split his days between helping his dad on the movie set and visiting me at Legacy Inn. Though we no longer had the penthouse, we’d often swim in the lake, play pool in the games room, and eat in the staff room with Wes, Jonathan, Anaya and the rest of our friends. Fernando even let us help him cook lunch a few times.
Seeing as the Monroes moved out of the penthouse early, I had much less work to do. I continued to help in housekeeping and with Delia’s various odd jobs. But this left plenty of free time to get caught up on all my studying while Cooper was on the movie set.
It was the perfect ending to a perfect summer.
And I’ve never been so excited to be back at Edendale High. I wonder how Cooper is going to fit in at a small, rural public school. But, judging by his ever-growing bromance with Jonathan and Wes, I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
On my way to the registrar’s office, I wave to Bree as she runs past me in a whirlwind. I smile at Kiara and Jonathan, who are walking down the hallway hand-in-hand. They sure had a tumultuous summer.
A few steps later, I spot Anaya and Wes. They appear to be in a heated exchange with Isabella Hall, the school bully. Isabella has taunted Anaya for years, and I’m encouraged to see Wes staunchly at her side, arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Finally, I reach the registrar’s office and, as Cooper warned, it’s a hive of activity. Students swarm around the glass room, trying to get a glimpse of Kade.
I take a deep breath, and step into the crowd. “Excuse me, coming through.”
As I approach the door, I notice Kade standing just next to it, giving autographs. He spots me and a look of relief crosses his face. He opens the door, clearly happy for a break. “Hey, Stef. Come in.”
The students gape as I duck into the office. “It’s a little crazy out there.”
“I’ll say.” Cooper’s smiling voice sends shivers down my spine. He’s standing in the corner, looking slightly overwhelmed. “Nobody paid me any attention at my old school.”
I run to Cooper and he pulls me towards him. I nuzzle my face into his chest, breathing him in. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe that this is real life. That Cooper Monroe calls me, Stefi Clark, his girlfriend.
Kade scratches his head, staring at the faces pressed against the glass wall. “Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for me to come.”
The registrar, a middle-aged lady with square red glasses, looks up, frazzled. “School policy. New students must be registered by a guardian. And this was such a last minute transfer...”
She trails off into tuts, sorting through the paperwork.
“Hey, Miss Sibbald.” I lean over her desk and give her my best professional smile.
“Yes, Stefanie?” Her eyes glance at me before focusing on the overwhelming herd outside the door.
“If Cooper’s all signed up and ready to go, I can take him to my homeroom. If you want to call the principal to disperse the crowd, I’ll walk him there safely?”
Cooper leans on the desk, picking up on my angle. “That would be super helpful, Miss Sibbald. Stefanie, here, is a pretty essential member of my security team.”
Miss Sibbald looks from me to Cooper and back again. She sighs, defeated. “I guess.”
She picks up the phone to call the principal. I hold a hand out behind me and Cooper swiftly high-fives me. If Cooper is in the same homeroom as me, that means that we’ll have the same lunch period, free periods, and locker blocks. My timetable is crammed with AP classes, while Cooper is taking Intro to Film and a ton of liberal arts credits, but I intend to spend every spare moment with him.
After all, we have a pretty exciting future ahead of us. I’ll be applying for Harvard this year and Cooper wants to apply to Boston University’s film program. I smile to myself thinking of the daydreams I had this summer of us moving to Boston together. I guess dreams really can come true.
Once the crowd has dissipated, we finally escape the office. I wave at Miss Sibbald and she promptly sinks into her chair, clutching at her hair.
“You sure you’re okay here, Coop?” Kade asks as we turn the corner. “You’ve always hated this kind of attention.”
Cooper smiles easily. “The only attention I care about is Stef’s — as long as I have her, I couldn’t care less about anyone else.”
Kade punches Cooper lightly on the shoulder. “Study hard, kiddo. I expect a B average this year with Stefi’s tutoring.”
I grin at the thought of study sessions with Cooper in the library. “I’m confident we can get it up to an A-.”
“I trust you, Stefi.” Kade stops by the front doors, and gives me a quick hug. “Have a good day, kids. I’ll see you both for dinner tonight.”
Once Kade is out of sight, Cooper grabs my hand and spins me towards him. Before I can react, he kisses me right there in the middle of the hallway.
“I love you, Stef. So much,” he whispers.
“I love you too, Coop.” I beam, overflowing with happiness. “Now, we have to hurry. The final bell rang two minutes ago and I’m not going to start my senior year with a tardy!”
“That’s my girl.” He laughs and slings an arm around me. “Never change, Stefanie Clark.”
“Too late.” I smile at Cooper’s beautiful face. “You’ve already changed me for the better.”
The Summer I Fell for My Enemy
Legacy Inn #4
1
Kiara
“I’m home!” I call out as I shut the door, already knowing I won’t get a response.
Well, that isn’t entirely true. As I drop my keys in the bowl, my cat Sebastian strolls elegantly around the corner, mid-yawn and eyes half-shut. I’ve woken him from his late-afternoon nap.
“Hello, sir.” I scratch his head. Sebastian has a dapper look, his white booties matching the little mustache under his nose. He meows loudly as I make my way to the kitchen.
“I had a great day, thank you.” I pour cat food into his empty bowl. Clearly, my mom forgot to top up his food earlier today. Sebastian winds between my legs, almost tripping me, then shoves his face in the bowl and crunches away.
As soon as Sebastian is happily eating, I go to my bedroom upstairs, and drop my backpack with a loud thump. Today was the last day of school — the last day of Junior Year — and I couldn’t be happier. In a year, I’ll be heading into the world. In a year, I can finally leave this town. Every day is a step closer to fulfilling my dream of living literally anywhere but here.
The next chapter starts tomorrow. Every summer, Legacy Inn hires five local students. This year, I'm one of the lucky few to be selected. I’ll be working as their student photographer. It’s a rite of passage at Edendale High to apply for a summer job with Legacy Inn, but very few of us get these prestigious positions.
Sighing happily, I dig around the back of my closet for my suitcase and flop it open onto the bed.
“Let’s see. Summer in the mountains. What does one pack?” I cock my eyebrow at Sebastian, who has devoured his food and is now rubbing against the door frame. “Any advice?”
Sebastian considers various options before perching himself on top of my pile of clean clothes.
“Smart boy.” I place my camera and all of its accessories into a protective case that fits neatly in my suitcase. My trusted Fujifilm X-T4 is like a limb. It’s my ticket out of this town, and it comes with me wherever I go. It’s also the most expensive thing I own. I spent a year babysitting the Nightmare at the End of the Block in order to afford it. All it took was an endless amount of diapers, ear-splitting tantrums, and accepting that everything I owned would smell vaguely of spoiled milk.
I shudder at the memory, then throw jeans and sweatpants into the suitcase, along with some sweaters. I bring a bathing suit for good measure, though I don’t like to swim — who knows what’s swimmi
ng beneath me? And what if the algae gets tangled around my legs? The mountain lakes in Montana are known for being crystal clear and refreshing, so this is probably my best shot at swimming worry-free. But if I’m honest, I’d rather capture the lakes in photos than actually swim in them.
I want to travel and live a life of adventure, but the world terrifies me. I’m not blind to the irony; it’s an internal conflict I choose to ignore.
I reluctantly throw a few dresses and skirts into the suitcase. The Inn has weddings and garden parties during the summer and, as the photographer, I must look nice to attend. Which is unfortunate — my mom discourages wearing “overly feminine” clothes. The last time I wore a dress and heels, I was so unused to the height, I sprained my ankle trying to navigate a crack in the sidewalk.
But these weddings could be my big break — my chance for the future of my dreams. I’m already dreading having to make conversation with all of these absurdly cheerful people going on about love. However, I know wedding photos could be the perfect additions to my portfolio. When put through that lens, packing dresses and makeup doesn’t seem so bad.
In what feels like a matter of minutes, I’m done packing. I wander back into the kitchen, opening cupboards at random.
“Sebastian, what do you think?” I hold up a box of mac and cheese in one hand and cereal in the other. “Which would mom pick?”
Sebastian stares at me blankly, meowing loudly in response. He’s sitting nicely by his bowl with his feet turned out. Always the gentleman.
His eyes dart to the mac and cheese, and it’s the deciding factor. “Smart boy. You can never go wrong with cheese.”
I set a pot of water on the stove, add two shakes of salt, and turn the burner to max. While I’m literally watching a pot of water and urging it to boil, I get a text from my mom.
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 49
