Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls, #1)(24)

Cooper shifts in his seat. “I don’t hate you.”

“Please.” I lick the marshmallow off my finger. Cooper’s eyes track it, and a strange warmth floods my cheeks. I put my hands in my lap. “You’ve made your feelings clear.”

“?‘Hate’ is a strong word.”

“Oh, okay. Would it be more accurate to say you ‘strongly dislike’ me?” I ask. “Because that would be disappointing. At least ‘hate’ implies something matters enough to be able to elicit such a strong feeling.”

“You mattering isn’t really the issue,” he grumbles.

“Okay, then tell me, what is the issue, exactly?”

A phone vibrates loudly on the table between us. We each look down to check where it came from. My phone is lit up.

Pen Thief Jake: Hey, you. Missed you last night What are you up to today? Working the ACTP?

He arches an eyebrow. “Pen Thief Jake? Is that Keller?”

“Yeah, he asked to borrow a pen on the first day of school and never gave it back.”

“Do all of your contacts have nickname reminders of who they are?” Cooper asks.

“Pretty much.” I take the final bite of cookie, closing my eyes as I savor the taste.

“Am I still in your phone?” His question is hesitant. Nervous.

I open my eyes. “Yes.”

He picks up his phone, hits a few buttons, and sets it back down just as my phone vibrates again.

Summer Cooper: What’s my reminder nickname?

“Interesting. I thought it’d be something like Crying Cooper or Pooper Cooper or Self-Tanner Cooper,” he says.

I snort-laugh. “Any of those would have worked. I guess I was being generous.”

Cooper’s bright eyes crinkle in the corners as he laughs, and I have to avert my eyes.

He is actually Too Much to look at.

Our laughter dies as the pretty girl from calculus and lunch approaches Cooper’s end of the table. She has sun-kissed highlights in her straight, long blond hair, a button nose with full lips, and a daisy-yellow dress. Her bright eyes are fixed on Cooper.

Which, understandable.

“Hey, Coop,” she says. “How’s it going over here? I thought you were a greeter today.”

“Hey,” Cooper replies, angling himself toward her. “Yeah, I was. Got swapped with Sloane, though.”

“I just saw the greeters sitting at a table drinking apple cider,” she says. “Sucks you don’t get to enjoy the party.”

Cooper shrugs, unaffected. “We’re having our own party over here.”

I laugh. “If this is your idea of a party, you need to get out more.”

He turns to me, a smirk playing on his face. “You skipped out on Jake’s last night so that you could study, but I’m the one who needs to get out more?”

“Hey, I ended up watching Practical Magic with Sloane,” I say defensively. Plus, who needs a social life when I’m not going to be here long enough to make any real friends, anyway?

“Love that movie,” Cooper says.

“Really?” I ask, skeptical.

“Really,” he says. “The idea of being able to cast a spell so you don’t fall in love? If only.”

I tilt my head, trying to make sense of his comment, when the blonde clears her throat.

“I’m Chloe,” she says, cutting in and offering a small wave. “You’re Ellis, right? We sort of eat lunch together but haven’t actually met.”

“Yeah, nice to officially meet you.”

“Cooper said you two used to be friends,” she says.

“Yeah.” I glance at him. “Used to be.”

“I’m glad my old dress came in handy,” she says, her eyes trailing over me. “Looks way better on you than it did on me.”

“Thanks,” I force out. I try not to compare myself to other girls, but the idea of a who-wore-it-best moment between me and Chloe threatens even my sense of self-confidence.

She turns back to Cooper, whose eyes are on me. “Speaking of dresses,” she says, and he gives her his attention. “My mom and I went shopping this morning, and I got my homecoming dress. I’ll send you a picture so you can match the color.”

Oh.

Cooper and Chloe are a thing.

I don’t know why that never occurred to me. I’ve seen them together a thousand times over the last two weeks.

I also don’t know why I hate the idea so much.

Get a grip, Ellis.

“Sounds good,” Cooper says to her.

Chloe smiles. “Okay, well”—her eyes bounce between me and Cooper—“I’ll leave you two to your private party. Nice to meet you, Ellis. See you later, Coop.”

I stare ahead, out at the couples and families sitting at the tables drinking their apple cider and having a good time.

“The dress does look good on you,” he says quietly to my left.

I close my eyes and press my lips together. I know he’s trying to be nice and make me feel better, knowing I’m probably comparing myself to his gorgeous girlfriend since she wore it last year, but do we have to talk about the dress?

“Thanks.” I turn to him. “So, you and Chloe, huh?”

“What about us?” he asks, even though we both know what I’m asking.