Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls, #1)(72)

“What?” Cooper chortles. “You want us to build a gingerbread house?”

“Yes! Well, something like one. We’ll use painted foam blocks to build it. We’ll get Sloane and Asher to help us make the giant desserts to stick on it. And then,” I say, grinning, “you’ll be standing in your cookie costume behind the house, passing out your cookies, and Jake will dress like a witch, driving you around. I mean, assuming things are okay by then.”

Cooper laughs. “Okay, I’m sold. But even if we’re good, you know Jake is going to say he’s too good-looking to dress like a witch. I can hear him now….” He does his best Jake impression when he says, “It’ll scare off the ladies, man!”

He’s so right. “Fine. I’ll get Sloane to do it for us. It’ll be so fun,” I say. “But it is going to be a lot of work to finish in the next two weeks.”

Cooper shrugs. “I think we can do it. We’ll just meet here every day after school.”

“Except Wednesday because you work.”

An amused smile spreads over his face. “Why do you know that?”

I shrug. “Details.”

Cooper steps toward me. “I keep wondering if this is real life.”

I take the final step toward him and wrap my arms around his neck. “Same, though.”

He leans down and presses his lips to mine, but before we can get too swept away in each other, I back away.

“Can I ask you a question?” I ask.

“Anything.”

My cheeks heat before the words are even out of my mouth. “Are you, um… are you my boyfriend?”

He raises his eyebrows, then a slow, crooked grin forms. “Do you want me to be?”

“Depends. Now that the thrill of the chase is over, are you going to stop showing up places with cookies for me?”

“Um, the chase was not thrilling. Like I said, it was torture not being with you. And you told me I wasn’t allowed to bring you cookies anymore. Or make you bacon.”

“That was before. I want all the cookies and bacon now,” I tell him.

“Okay. Then consider all the cookies and bacon yours.” He rests his forehead against mine and smiles. “And consider me your boyfriend.”

My face feels like it might split in half, I’m smiling so hard. “Okay. Good.”

He leans in to kiss me.

“Cooper?” his mom calls from inside.

He pauses and makes a sound somewhere between a groan and a whine. “Doesn’t she know I’m just trying to kiss my girlfriend?”

I laugh. “I should probably go anyway.”

The door behind Cooper swings open, and I take a step away from him. His mom grins knowingly at us.

“Sorry,” she says. “I was just making sure you were alive out here.”

“Alive and well, Mom,” Cooper says. “I’m going to walk Ellis home, though.”

“Good to see you again, Amanda,” I say.

“You too, Ellis. Can’t wait to see more of you around here,” she says with a wink before retreating back inside.

“I take it you told your mom?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Yeah. My mom’s my first best friend. I tell her pretty much everything.”

Oh my god. And I thought I couldn’t possibly like him more than I already did.

“What?” he asks, confused, making me realize I’m staring at him.

“Nothing. I just think you’re the best thing to ever happen to me, Cooper Barnett.”

“Likewise, Mitchell.”

I press up on my toes and kiss him.

When we finally tear ourselves apart ten minutes later, drunk on gooey feelings and the newness of us, Cooper takes my hand in his and holds it the whole walk to Aunt Naomi’s.

I know it’s too early for the L-word, and yet it’s there, bursting from the seams, begging to be spoken. And as Cooper kisses me good night at the door, I bury the word in the depths of my stomach with the kaleidoscope of butterflies he gives me.

And I leave it there for the exact right moment, maybe after he’s been my boyfriend for longer than two hours.





Chapter Thirty-One




When I walk into lunch on Thursday, Slug is in my usual seat beside Jake. Until today, I’ve continued sitting there while Cooper’s kept his distance, sitting next to Chloe a little ways down our table, just like he used to do when he was avoiding me. Because even though things are different, Cooper and I decided not to subject Jake to seeing us together.

The whispers around the school are probably misery enough for him.

“Get out of my seat,” I say to Slug.

Slug glances at Jake before saying, “It’s my seat now. You can go sit over there.” He nods at his usual spot across from Jake.

“Wait…” I draw my eyebrows together and turn to Jake. “Do you not want me to sit by you anymore?”

He’s been quiet this week, but we’ve been okay. At least I thought so.

“No. I want you to sit over there,” he says, nodding across the table.

I press my lips together. I hate this. But Jake gets whatever he wants right now, and if that means space from me, then it is what it is. Still, my heart feels like it’s being stabbed with a thumbtack.