Because Of Cooper

by Nia Arthurs

“NO!” Erin realized she’d said that too loud and lowered her voice. “I mean… it’s all the way across campus. I’ll make it by myself. Bye, Kay.”

  “I’ll pick you up after your last class then!” Ryan yelled at her.

  “Yeah!” Erin tossed the word over her shoulder so he knew she had heard and then dashed down the path to get to her class.

  She didn’t hear a thing the teacher said thanks to her anxiety about her meeting with Ryan later. By the time she’d finished her last lecture, her fingernails were ugly stubs and her purse strap was a twisted mess.

  Unfortunately, Ryan was waiting for her outside her class as promised. He was dressed in a jersey top and basketball shorts.

  “Ryan!”

  He swung his arm over her shoulders and steered her down the hallway. “I haven’t seen you all day.”

  “Where are we going?” Erin asked, scrambling along beside him.

  “I wanted a snack before practice.” They stumbled into the cafeteria and stopped before the counter. Ryan blessedly removed his hand from her arm and pointed. “Get anything. It’s my treat.”

  Erin declined and followed him to an empty table in the middle of the busy cafeteria. Students filled the seats around them. The sound of music and chatter was deafening. It was definitely not the place to break up with Ryan.

  “Something wrong?” he asked, snapping his drink open and taking a swig. “You’ve seemed out of it since this morning.”

  She swallowed, unnerved by the fact that he could see her stressing. “I’m okay.”

  “My sister wants to meet you,” Ryan said suddenly.

  Erin’s eyes widened. “Y-your sister?”

  “Yeah. She’s surprised that my relationship lasted this long. She says she wants to meet the woman who tamed me. Think you could make time this weekend?”

  No. This is bad. Erin chewed on her fingernail.

  Ryan kept talking. “You’ll love her. She’s a nerd like you. Always reading books and watching cheesy movies. It’s funny because one time we were supposed to go to our aunt’s fiftieth birthday party and she—”

  “I want to break up.”

  Ryan froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened. Confusion took over his face. “What?”

  Erin pulled her lips in, horrified that the speech she had carefully created that morning had gone out the window only to be replaced with that heartless phrase.

  “Ryan… I’m sorry.”

  His eyes searched hers. She kept quiet, unsure of what to say. Finally, he stood and kicked his chair back. The scrape it made against the floor drew the attention of the students nearby.

  “Ryan!” Erin called. Her fingers dug into the back of the chair as she turned and watched him head for the door. “Ryan!” Erin covered her face with her hands.

  She’d ripped the band-aid, alright, but it looked like it hurt just the same.

  24 Cooper

  “Look who’s back!” Dennis threw the ball at him. Cooper caught it in his hands and smiled warmly. Dennis climbed off the bleachers and swaggered forward, the size of his grin competing with the mass of his afro.

  “I thought you’d take the rest of the semester off just to deal with that cold,” Rolando said. He wiped the sweat gathering on his tan forehead with a sleeve. “It was my mama’s soup that healed you, wasn’t it?”

  “You wish.” Cooper tossed the ball to Rolando.

  He caught it easily. “Man, you just don’t wanna admit it.”

  “Welcome back, Cooper,” Demetri said, eyeing him beneath a blue sweatband. “It was starting to get boring in here without your expressive face livening things up.”

  “See? Even Demetri missed you.” Rolando bounced the ball on the court.

  “I never said that,” the junior growled.

  Cooper laughed. “I didn’t want to infect you guys. Next time I’ll come even if it means we all get sick.”

  “Nah!”

  “Don’t bother!”

  Their fierce protests made Cooper chuckle.

  “Looks like everyone’s here.” Dennis checked his watch and then glanced at all their faces. “Except Ryan. Anybody heard from him?”

  “He’s probably with his girlfriend!” Rolando cooed.

  The rest of the guys chuckled.

  Cooper flinched.

  “He’ll be here soon,” Demetri said.

  Dennis nodded. “Well, let’s get started with some suicides. I’ll let Ryan make them up when he remembers practice. Line up!”

  The team groaned but Cooper stretched and got ready to do his drills. An image of Erin and Ryan together got into his head.

  Cooper tossed it away, irritated. He’d forgotten why coming to school was such a burden. As much as he appreciated Dennis and Rolando’s care, dealing with Ryan at practice and games would be a challenge. Each reminder that Erin was with someone else stung.

  “Get your head in the game, Cooper.” Rolando jogged past him.

  “I’m coming.”

  The warm ups were tougher on Cooper than he’d expected. Though his cold had passed, his body was still weak. He was way behind his teammates and breathing heavily by the time they reached their halfway mark.

  “Come on, Lawson!” Dennis yelled from the sidelines. “Recovering from the flu isn’t an excuse to slack off.”

  Cooper gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder. When he was sure he was about to explode from exhaustion, he stopped and took a breath.

  At that moment, the doors of the gym crashed open and Ryan stepped through. Everyone stopped to watch him stalk inside.

  Cooper, grateful for the break, bent down and clutched his knees. His gaze slipped to the floor and he struggled to drum up some energy. His hair stuck to his forehead. Sweat dripped off his chin to the court.

  He saw a pair of tennis shoes thumping toward him and straightened, stunned when he noticed Ryan’s eyes were locked on his face. Uneasiness slithered through his stomach.

  Cooper held out his hand. “Hey, Ryan.”

  Instead of returning a greeting, Ryan swung his fist. Cooper felt the impact of his punch all the way to his toes. He stumbled back, head swimming with pain.

  He heard his teammates jumping into action around him. Their protests didn’t register over the ringing in his ears. Cooper straightened slowly, his thumb going to his lip. He pulled his hand back and saw blood.

  Cooper glowered. Ryan was his least favorite person, but he had exerted tremendous restraint this past month. Even when he desperately wanted to take his frustration out on Ryan, he kept his peace and didn’t go around punching him for kicks.

  The least he could do was return the favor.

  Dennis grabbed Ryan’s shoulder. “What the hell is wrong with you, Grinage?”

  Ryan pushed Dennis back and grabbed a fistful of Cooper’s shirt, hauling him forward. “You couldn’t leave her alone, could you?”

  “Hey! Back up!” Rolando pried Ryan’s fingers away.

  Cooper coughed. Is this guy crazy? Ryan’s chest heaved and his dark eyes frothed with fury. If they weren’t in a crowded gym with a group of men ready to jump to Cooper’s defense, he was sure Ryan would have pummeled him.

  “What did you say to her?” Ryan demanded. Spittle flew from his mouth. He threw his arms out. “It had to be you.”

  Cooper straightened his shoulders. “What are you talking about?”

  “Erin!” Ryan’s nostrils flared.

  Cooper’s shock tiptoed across his face. His heart thudded with urgency. “Is Erin alright?”

  “Erin’s fine,” Dennis said to him. “I saw her heading to the cafeteria with Ryan a minute ago.”

  Rolando snorted. “What’s with the drama? Did she break up with you?”

  Ryan roared and launched himself at Cooper again. The guys held him back. Cooper turned away, his mind struggling to understand Ryan’s sudden aggression. Was Rolando right? Had Erin ended their relationship?

  Is it because of me? Happiness surged through his entire body, a storm clou
d bursting open.

  “Come on, Lawson!” Dennis tapped him on the chest. “Now isn’t the time to be smiling. Our team’s falling apart.”

  “Sorry, Captain.” Cooper sprinted to the bleachers and grabbed his duffel bag. “I can’t make practice today!”

  “Where are you going?” Ryan yelled. “I’m talking to you!”

  “Hold him back,” Dennis said, pointing at Rolando and Demetri. He jogged toward him. “Cooper! Man, come back and work this out!”

  Cooper ran harder. Adrenaline pounded through his veins, giving him an extra burst of energy. He skated to the nearest building and shot down the corridors, checking every class for Erin.

  She wasn’t there.

  Students stopped and stared as he tore through the campus, but he didn’t care. Ryan and Erin were no longer together. If she’d broken up with Ryan because of him, that meant…

  She might like me too.

  He sprinted into the cafeteria and spotted Peggy sitting with Vinnie and her other friends at a table near the wall. He stumbled to a stop in front of her, gasping for breath.

  “Cooper!” Peggy’s blue eyes widened. “Why do you look so red and sweaty?”

  “Do you…” gasp “…know where Erin is?”

  “No,” Peggy said. “I thought she was with Ryan.”

  “She wasn’t. Ryan came to practice pissed and swinging at me.”

  Vinnie pointed to his mouth. “I guess he’s the one who gave you that split lip?”

  Cooper nodded.

  “Erin was supposed to break up with him today,” Peggy explained worriedly. “I guess he didn’t take it well. I hope she’s okay. Erin really didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

  “Peggy, I need to find her.”

  “Give me a second.” Peggy pulled out her phone and mumbled, “Why didn’t she text me?” She glanced up as she put the cellphone to hear ears. “Have you checked the library?”

  “Yes.”

  “The gazebo?”

  “She’s not there.”

  Peggy chewed on her bottom lip and then brightened. “Erin!”

  Cooper surged closer. “Did she pick up? Let me talk to her!”

  Peggy turned away so he bumped into her shoulder. “Honey, where are you?”

  Cooper strained to hear what Erin said but it was impossible given the noise in the cafeteria. Finally Peggy hung up. He stared at her. “Where is she? What did she say?”

  “She’s walking home, but she…” When Cooper took off without waiting to hear the rest of her words, Peggy yelled—“Cooper, she sounded really upset! Cooper!”

  He crashed through the doors and headed straight out of the campus gates. He looked both ways and then went left. The sun beat his head. He licked his lips and tasted salt. His legs throbbed. It didn’t matter. He could collapse when he found Erin.

  Finally, Cooper saw a girl walking up ahead. He recognized Erin’s curly black hair and her trim legs in a pair of brown sandals. He quickened his pace until he stood in front of her.

  “Erin.”

  She looked up, surprise gleaming from her dark brown eyes. “Cooper?”

  He let out a deep breath. “Hey.”

  “Hi. Is something wrong?”

  He shook his head before asking, “Did you break up with Ryan?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you always the first person to know my business?”

  “Is that a yes?”

  She glanced away and nodded.

  Cooper threw his head back and beamed at the sky. When he composed himself, he looked at Erin. “Was it… because of me?”

  “Not everything is about you, Cooper.” She tried to sidestep him.

  Cooper got into her way. “Is that a yes or a no?”

  “It’s a ‘get a life’.”

  Cooper laughed and strolled with her. “You like me.”

  Erin’s jaw dropped. “I do not.”

  “You do.”

  She snorted. “What are you? Twelve?”

  He grinned.

  She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to him. Her gaze fell on his mouth. “Cooper, what happened to your lip?”

  “Oh this?” He rubbed his chin. “Ryan got a little angry.”

  Erin’s eyes widened and filled with distress. “Does it… hurt?”

  “Not now.” He drank her in.

  Erin’s stare turned shy. “Are you flirting with me?”

  “Can’t I do that? You’re single now.”

  She shook her head, but he saw a smile breaking free. “If you’re not hurt too badly, what do you think about consoling me at Benny’s?”

  “That all you can think about when you see me? Food?”

  “Are you coming or not?”

  “Wait right here. I’ll bring my truck.” Cooper shot down the sidewalk and broke the speed limit to get to Erin who was waiting at the bus stop.

  She got in and remained quiet as he drove to the diner. He didn’t mind. Cooper figured she had a lot to think about.

  He glanced over, his gaze raking the side of her face. Erin stared contemplatively out the window. Her elbow was propped on the sill and she rested her cheek against a palm. He swallowed, his hands shaking with excitement.

  Peggy said Erin was bummed about hurting Ryan’s feelings. He got that. Erin had always been as compassionate as she was strong.

  “Cooper,” Erin mumbled. “Stop watching me.”

  He straightened and resettled his fingers on the steering wheel. “I wasn’t looking at you.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “I can see your reflection in the glass.”

  “Oh.” Busted, Cooper kept his gaze on the road until they were in front of Benny’s.

  Erin climbed out and he joined her on the sidewalk. The smell of frying meat and crispy fries lured them inside. She inhaled a deep breath of the fragrant air and raced to a table like an excited kid at an amusement park.

  Once again Erin ordered without taking a minute to look at the menu and Cooper did too. When the waiter left, he sat back and watched her to his heart’s content. Erin fiddled with her menu and then played with her hair, doing everything she could to avoid his stare.

  He let the silence stretch until she grew uncomfortable and was forced to break it. “I’ve been craving their ranch burger since last week,” Erin rambled. “I read somewhere that they use a special recipe to make the ground beef patties. That’s why they’re so addictive.”

  “Mm-hm.” He folded his hands together and rested his chin on them.

  Erin ducked her head. “Could you stop watching me like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you want to eat me alive.”

  He smiled. “But I do.”

  Her eyes flitted to his. “Why are you this cocky? I never said I liked you back.”

  “You don’t have to say it.” He leaned into his seat, his heart light. “You broke up with Ryan. And now you’re here with me. That’s all I need to know.”

  Erin scrunched her nose. “This is not a date.”

  “Keep telling yourself that.”

  Erin tried to hold her glare, but her perfect lips warbled and turned into a smile. “You are so arrogant.”

  He winked at her. “I like you too.”

  25 Erin

  “Congratulations!” Peggy screamed. A cloud of confetti rained over her head as she stepped through the door to their apartment and shut it behind her. Peggy squealed. “Look at you breaking hearts and dating hotties. I’m so proud.”

  “Peggy, first… calm down.” Erin brushed confetti from her hair. “I’m not dating anyone.”

  “Honey, you’re dating Cooper Lawson.”

  “I never said I would.”

  “Who were you with all this time?” Peggy turned her slim wrist over and glanced at her watch.

  Erin stuck her hands into her pockets and sheepishly admitted, “Cooper.”

  “Exactly!” Peggy’s blue eyes twinkled. “You know who he is and what he wants. There’s no wa
y Cooper hasn’t made himself clear by now. It’s your turn. Tell me how you feel, baby!”

  “I’m not doing that.” Erin swung her purse over her head and set it in the couch.

  Peggy followed her into the bathroom. “Why not?”

  She gaped at her sister and zipped her pants back up. “I need to pee.”

  “So? This is more important.”

  Erin sighed and crossed her legs. “What?”

  “Do you like Cooper or not.”

  “I do.”

  Peggy threw her arms wide. “Then why the heck are you dragging this out?”

  “Because…”

  “Because?”

  Erin scratched her temple. “Because I want to be careful and take things slow. Because I don’t want to embarrass Ryan by dating again so soon. Because Cooper might get tired of me and fall for one of the other girls who are clamoring to get his attention.”

  Peggy rolled her eyes so hard they almost popped out of their sockets. “You gotta be kidding me. Cooper likes you. Only you. No other girl exists in his world.”

  “That’s your opinion.” Erin grabbed her sister’s shoulder and shoved her out.

  “You’re dating Cooper Lawson!” Peggy screamed from outside.

  Erin snickered. Her sister’s reaction was another reason why she didn’t want to make things with Cooper official yet. Peggy doted on Cooper in a purely platonic way and she was already this crazy.

  Cooper’s admirers would riot if they found out he was off the market. And they wouldn’t blame their handsome prince. Nope. They’d blame her.

  Erin washed her hands at the sink and sighed. Love was complicated enough. Why did she have to go and fall for Cooper of all people?

  Her phone rang, saving her from her restless thoughts. She opened the bathroom door a smidge and looked both ways to check if Peggy was still loitering around. Glad that the coast was clear, she sprinted to her bedroom and locked the door.

  Erin finally checked her phone and found a message from Cooper. Her heart raced. She let her thumb hover over the screen and then pressed the text to make it bigger.

  COOPER: Meet me in front of the gazebo at 7 tomorrow.

  Erin gawked at the phone. Warmth spread through her entire chest. She fell into bed and squealed her excitement. A date. Cooper was asking her out on a date. Well, technically… he wasn’t asking.