The Shippers(98)

“Just the important folks.”

“This is appalling!” I said then, feeling like I should be outraged. “How dare you!”

“It’s no worse than what you were doing.”

Fine. He had a point there.

I frowned. “Were you actively working against me? Was there sabotage involved?”

Cooper shook his head. “I just wanted to change your mind.”

“About Finn?”

“About me.”

“Cooper…” I said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m telling you right now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I guess,” Cooper said, “it just took me a couple of decades to work up the courage.”

But then I wasn’t sure. “What is it that you’re telling me right now, exactly?”

Cooper squared his shoulders and went on. “I’m telling you you’re my favorite person on this overcrowded earth. I’m telling you that I’ve loved you my whole life long. I’m telling you I’ve had my own Operation Conquest going this whole time. And the person I was trying to conquer … was you.”



* * *



WHAT ELSE COULD I possibly have done?

I grabbed him by the neck of that NO CRUISE CONTROL T-shirt and pulled him down into a kiss. And he kissed me right back. Like crazy.

Of course, minutes later, when we’d had just enough time to get thoroughly entangled in each other’s arms … that’s when the power came back, and the ballroom lights blared on—and lit up the two of us through the open doors like a spotlight.

And before we realized what was happening, the whole room full of wedding guests had turned to notice us snogging like teenagers—and erupted into cheers.

Cooper and I turned, still a little dazed, and took in the sight of them all: Ashley jumping up and down with her arms up in a victory V and Brody beside her, shaking his head. My mom and dad smiling and clapping, shoulder to shoulder. Pete and Bridesmaid Two … nowhere to be found. Plus the whole wedding party, and all our childhood neighbors and long-lost friends, together again, at least for a little while.

Somebody uncorked a bottle of champagne. The DJ fired up the turntables. The disco ball started spinning, sprinkling little stars of light all over the room.

And then Cooper pulled me out of the spotlight and into a moonlit corner at the ship’s railing. Where we could have some privacy.

And then we kissed again like mad—breathless, and blissed-out, and lost in it all.

Like we’d been waiting all our lives to belong to each other.

It really did feel like destiny. And I guess Cooper must have felt it, too. Because right about the time I thought he might be about to suggest we make our way back home to our cabin to dispense, at last, with that useless pillow wall … Cooper tightened his arms around me, rested his forehead against mine, closed his eyes, and said, “Why don’t you put us both out of our misery and just marry me?”

And … the moment screeched to a halt.

I froze.

And I coughed out a “What?!”

And then I stepped back.

His hair was all mussed, and his eyes were glassy, and his mouth was flushed. And he looked—let’s face it—even more devastating than usual.

Heartbreaking, even.

“Did you just ask me to marry you?”

Cooper nodded.

“Cooper, we’ve been together for five minutes.”

He nodded, like Oh. “Too soon?”

“Way too soon, man!”

He nodded. “That’s fair. I retract that.”

But now reality had broken through the fantasy, and reality was crashing back in.

What was I doing? What was I thinking? There was no way this could work. This was me we were talking about. I’d dumped every guy who’d ever tried to be with me. Just look at what I’d done to Brody! Not to mention the humiliation Pearce’s mother had to face with her mah-jongg group. I was a fountain of misery! A love ruiner! A chronic dumper! I couldn’t just fall in love and be happy. Who the hell did I think I was?

“We can’t do this,” I said, taking another step back.

“Can’t do what?” Cooper asked, glancing around.

“I can’t kiss you! What was I thinking? We can’t kiss!”

“Too late.”

“I take it back. Erase it from your mind.”

I started to turn.

But Cooper stopped me. “Erase it? I’m not erasing it. How could I?”

“Figure it out.”

“I don’t want to! What are you talking about?”

“We can’t—be together.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because—” How to sum it all up? “Because I’m terrible at love.”

Now Cooper gave me a look like I was being adorable. “That’s not news.”

“This is not a joke, Cooper. Haven’t you been paying attention? This”—I gestured between us—“is doomed. My entire love life is a catch-22. If you like me back, I won’t want you anymore.”

But Cooper shook his head and said, “Nah. We’re good.”

“Cooper—for real. I’m cursed.”