I narrow my eyes. “What?”
“It’s no surprise. Cooper always goes to all kinds of lengths to impress the ladies. He’s real smooth like that. It’s a Monroe thing.” Brody pretends to buff his fingernails on his chest. The gesture makes me inexplicably furious.
I peer at the stranger in front of me. His words seem careful, purposeful, practiced. I wonder what he’s getting at. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say cautiously. “But yes, Cooper is one of the best people I know.”
Brody smiles a slow, beaming smile and I suddenly feel like I’m being lured into a trap. “Looks like his charm worked on you, then.”
His words sting and I bite my lip. I want to retort but I’m lost for words.
“I owe you a thank you, Stefi,” Brody says before I can respond.
“For what?” My voice is a croak.
“You know, for keeping him entertained this summer.” Brody grins. “It’s been a long couple of months for poor Coop, but he’s dying to get back to normal life in LA. ASAP. Which will mean ‘adios’ to the cute little situationship you guys have going on.”
The trap snaps shut. But I find myself asking anyway. “Situationship?”
Brody’s eyes widen and, for a moment, he looks genuinely sympathetic. “Oh, honey, you didn’t think Cooper really liked you, did you? You didn’t honestly believe that this little thing between you two would continue outside of Cooper’s summer prison walls?”
My eyes sting but I grit my teeth, determined not to show any weakness.
“No,” I lie.
“Oh, good, you’re more mature than I would’ve pegged you for. Because Cooper has his whole life back in LA. Personally, I think that he’s going to date our friend Lila. Did he tell you about her? She’s a Teen Vogue model. Smoking hot.”
Brody winks theatrically, and my heart lurches. I don’t want to believe a thing he’s saying but, on some level, horribly, his words do make sense. After all, I did help Cooper escape the “prison” he was trapped in this summer. I did buy Cooper trust points with Kade, and I provided him with company when he would’ve otherwise been alone. That was our agreement — to help each other out.
We never once discussed what would happen beyond that, when our time at Legacy comes to an end.
As much as I don’t want to believe Brody, a sickening whisper hisses insidiously at the back of my mind. What if he’s right? What if Cooper really did see this as a “situationship” — nothing more than a means to an end?
After all, Lila — the apparent “smoking hot” Teen Vogue cover girl — did text Cooper last week. Was his plan to be with her all along?
I suddenly want to get away from Brody. As fast as I can.
“Where’s Cooper?” I ask, my voice strangled.
“Right here,” the voice I know so well, the one that usually makes my heart skip a beat, says from behind me. Cooper wraps his arms around me and gives me a hug. But I can’t relax, I can’t bend into his embrace. “Stef, I’m so glad you’re here. I see you met Brody.”
“We were just getting acquainted.” Brody’s eyes twinkle and I look away. “Talking about you, actually.”
A shadow flits across Cooper’s features but, the next moment, he blinks and the shadow disappears.
“Good things, I hope?” he says lightly.
Brody winks. “Mostly.”
Cooper’s face falters again, but he composes himself quickly. He wraps an arm around me and gives me another hug. I lean into him and close my eyes, mostly so that I don’t have to look at Brody anymore.
I want to refuse to believe a word of what Brody said, to forget this conversation. I want to let Cooper hold me, make it all better. But, a part of me isn’t sure that I should be seeking any sort of refuge or reassurance from Cooper. Is he tense right now because he knows that Brody can’t be trusted? Or, is he worried that Brody told me something that he doesn’t want me to know?
The inner conflict tears at me so violently that I step out of Cooper’s hug. His black coffee eyes scan my face, confusion etches itself on his handsome features. Or, as the insidious voice whispers, is it fear of being caught out?
I’m reminded of that scene from those old cartoons — the one where a person has a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The problem lies in choosing who to believe.
And I’ve never been so confused.
Is Cooper really the Prince Charming of this story?
Am I really Cinderella?
Maybe I’m just a bystander at the ball. An outsider who got a momentary glimpse into a life, a happy ending, that will never be mine.
32
Cooper
Everything appears relatively normal in the penthouse — Robbie Cohen is playing on the speakers, I’m not wearing a shirt, and Stefi’s cleaning the kitchen countertops while I make coffee.
But, something feels off. Stefi works with her eyes cast downward, not full of her usual lighthearted comments and hiccupping laughs. Every time I try to engage her, she seems half-involved in the conversation, as if there’s something on her mind. I’ve tried helping her with tasks around the penthouse but she continues to insist that I don’t need to help.
On top of that, she didn’t stay after her shift yesterday, and she arrived right on time this morning instead of her usual ten minutes early. Could she be sick? Or is something on her mind?
I’ll admit that I’ve been preoccupied with the thought that Stefi could be better off without me now that our original agreement is coming to an end. I’ve tried to tell myself that I’ve helped Stefi as much as she’s helped me this summer. Together, we’ve experienced some pretty amazing adventures, and I think I’ve helped her embrace being out of her comfort zone...
But, at a certain point, did I start hurting instead of helping her? An incessant, nagging thought wonders whether I’m dragging her down. Whether I’m just an obstacle in the beautiful future she has planned. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time I let down someone I cared about.
Stefi ties the top of the garbage bag and I run forward to collect it and bring it out, but she swats my hand away. I watch helplessly as she strides out the door without looking back.
She’s almost done her shift. It’s now or never.
As soon as Stefi walks back into the kitchen, I can’t help myself. “How’s the essay coming along?”
I grimace at my words, cringing at how similar I sound to my eighth-grade teacher. Stiff, formal, uncomfortable. But I need to know. I’m hoping that she’ll magically say that it’s complete, that she’s happy with the finished product.
But, sadly, magic doesn’t exist in the real world.
Stefi rubs her forehead, frowning. “Can we not talk about my essay?”
My stomach turns over. “I’m sorry. That bad, hey?”
“I just have a lot on my mind.” She smiles at me feebly. “I’m not really in the mood to talk.”
“I understand.”
I pour a cup of coffee and push it towards Stef before fixing my own. I sit on the countertop and try to focus on enjoying the taste. But, my mind is elsewhere and I barely notice the hot liquid scalding my tongue.
“I’m pretty much done for the day.” Stefi’s voice makes me jump. Neither of us has spoken in minutes. “What do you want for lunch?”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to do that, Stef.”
“I insist.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “What do you want?”
She’s already heading towards the fridge. Would it be better for me to just answer her question so she can get out of here?
I scramble for something, anything. “Bacon?”
“Bacon, it is.” Stefi pulls a package of bacon from the freezer. “Do you think Brody wants lunch, too?”
“Nah, he’s at the gym. He usually just drinks a protein shake after.”
Stefi nods and places a pan on the stove. I watch her profile closely as she cuts open the bacon wrapping and the delicious smell f
ills my nostrils. But, in all honesty, I don’t feel very hungry. The thought that our time together could be interfering with her future gnaws at my stomach.
But isn’t it typical? At the party in the spring, I tried to help by taking Mom’s wine away from Brody. Then, I tried to help Lila by looking after her when she was drunk. And look what happened.
Maybe I’ve just done it again. I wanted to help Stefi step out of her comfort zone and enjoy new experiences. But, in doing so, have I really just taken her focus away from what really matters? Maybe I haven’t helped her at all, I’ve just caused more problems.
I want to tell her, again, that she can go, get to work on her essay. All I want is what’s best for her.
“Stef,” I say, at the same time as she says, “Coop.”
We both laugh nervously. Things feel so formal, so tense, between us.
I gesture towards her. “You first.”
She places the bacon on the counter and faces me. Her cheeks are uncharacteristically white. “I need to ask you something. It’s about us.”
I close my eyes, bracing myself. “You know you can talk to me about anything, Stef.”
Stefi is silent for a moment as she sets a frying pan on the stove and adds the bacon strips. Then, she inhales deeply, and breathes out of her nose slowly.
“Was this just a summer fling for you?”
The words are so unexpected, they hit me like a punch to the gut.
“What?” I ask. “What do you mean?”
“Us being together — was this always just temporary to you?” Stefi faces me, her eyes peering into mine for the first time today. I’m shocked to see that they’re dark and stormy with emotion.
I stare at her, completely bewildered. Temporary? How can she even ask that question? After being so honest and open with each other, sharing so much of our lives, is this really what she thinks?
And then, a sickening thought hits me. Or is this what she wants? Does she want me to say that we’re just a summer fling so that she has an easy out? It’s not out of the question — everything we did together was a part of our agreement. Maybe she’s ready to go our separate ways.
I’ve been silent for far too long. She’s waiting for an answer.
But, before I can speak, the penthouse door slams shut.
“Afternoon, kids.” Brody’s cheery voice is a stark contrast to the heavy moment between Stefi and I. He strides up the stairs, shirtless and sweaty. “You missed a good workout, Coop.”
I blink at him and struggle to pull myself together. I don’t want Brody involved in our business, so I force a light shrug. “Bacon was my priority today.”
“Well, there’s always tomorrow,” Brody says in a sing-song voice. His eyes scan Stefi, giving her a slow once-over. “You’re welcome to come too, Stef.”
Stefi flushes and turns away.
And, like clockwork, a twitch jolts through my left eye.
“Don’t call her that. She goes by Stefi,” I snap, well aware of my own hypocrisy.
“Whatever.” Brody shrugs. He pulls a bag of frozen bananas from the freezer and throws them in the blender. “Lila never misses a morning workout.”
Lila? Why does he keep mentioning Lila these days?
I open my mouth to tell him, once again, that I don’t care about Lila, when Stefi speaks. “Cooper. Your bacon is almost ready. I’d better go, I have lots of studying to do.”
“You’re going?”
“Yes, I’ve got to work on my essay.” Her tone is distant, almost unrecognizable. “Just take it off the heat in about one minute. Enjoy your lunch.”
Stefi descends the penthouse stairs and I watch her go, feeling confused and torn. I can’t run after her — her essay needs to come first. But why on earth would she ask me if we were just a summer fling?
“Wake up, idiot, your bacon’s burning.” Brody’s taunt brings me back to my senses.
I run to the stove and turn off the heat, then attempt to fan the smoke with a dishcloth. The bacon is blackened, shriveled to practically nothing in a sea of grease. The cloying smell makes me feel sick.
As I turn away from the stove, I notice Stefi’s backpack sitting on the kitchen table.
She’s going to need that to do her work. Maybe I can bring it to her, be helpful. Might as well save her the time and energy of coming all the way back here.
I jog into my room and pull on my sneakers and a shirt before slinging the backpack over my shoulder and heading down to the lobby. I dash past Greg and keep running until I’m a safe distance from him and the rest of Dad’s security team. Not that they’d come after me, they’ve really relaxed in their prison guard duties lately.
I slow to a walk as I approach the summer student cabins on the edge of the Legacy grounds. I take a deep breath of the clean, fresh air and let the rays of sun warm my skin. Legacy Inn truly is a beautiful place — I wish I’d taken the time to explore the grounds a bit more this summer. But, for now, I have a mission.
Stefi once showed me which cabin she’s staying in — second from the left. I climb the rickety stairs and lift a hand to knock, trying to ignore the twitching of my left eye.
And then, I hear voices.
“Stefi, tell me the truth. What’s really going on with you?” I recognize the voice — it’s Stefi’s friend, Anaya. Wes’s girlfriend.
I freeze, my hand raised.
“This summer did not pan out how I expected it to,” Stefi says, her voice heavy with sadness. “And I’ve been trying to work on my essay, but I haven’t made any headway. I’ve been too distracted. And Cooper…”
Stefi pauses to take a deep breath, but I’ve heard enough. I step back slowly, the blood pumping loudly in my ears. My fears have been confirmed — once again, I screwed up. As I always do. And the victim of my screw-up is the one person I would never, ever want to hurt.
My eye twitches faster than ever and a pulsing ache tears at my head as I place Stefi’s backpack next to her door and quietly descend the steps of her cabin. How could I have ever believed that I — Cooper Monroe, endless screw-up and perpetually average student — could help her? How could I have thought that Stefi would want to be with someone like me in the real world?
33
Stefi
“What about Cooper?” Anaya asks, her big brown eyes screwed up in puzzlement. “I've seen the way you light up when you talk about him. I thought he was helping you.”
“He has, he's helped so much,” I say and my eyes sting. “He’s helped in ways that I could never have expected. I mean, this summer has been better than my wildest dreams. I never would've thought that I'd come to Legacy Inn, work for a celebrity, and ultimately fall…”
I trail off, my voice dying in my throat as reality hits me.
Anaya raises her eyebrows. “Fall?”
“Fall in love.” I clear my throat, feeling lightheaded with the knowledge of the truth. “But what’s distracting is that I know I’m going to lose him. Every time I try to do my schoolwork, all I can think about is how much he means to me, how much I wish we didn’t have to say goodbye.”
“Can’t you make it work long distance or something?”
“I don’t think so.” I shake my head sadly. “I’ve fallen for him but I’m not sure he’s fallen for me. His brother told me that there’s a girl back home who’s interested in him, one who’s from the same world as him. What happened this summer isn’t his real life or mine — and when the summer ends, he’s going back to LA and I’m going back to Edendale. We’re from different worlds.”
Anaya looks inexplicably sad for a moment. His big brown eyes are glassy and she quickly looks away.
“I understand,” she whispers before pulling me into a hug. “Believe me, I understand.”
I give my new friend a squeeze, grateful for her support. Though it’s only been a few weeks of friendship, Anaya and I seem eternally bonded. She already knows me so well. “Thanks, Anaya. You’re a good friend.”
“So are you.”
She smiles encouragingly. “And if it’s right between you and Cooper, you’ll find a way. I know you will.”
I nod and force a weak smile, not sharing her confidence. Though this summer has shown me a whole other way of living, and a whole other side to myself, it doesn’t change the facts. I’ve been reluctant to believe Brody’s words, but when I asked Cooper outright if our relationship was temporary, he froze. His silence was louder than any words he might’ve spoken.
Maybe Cooper and I were never meant to talk about what would happen when the summer ends. He’s leaving soon, back to his life in LA, and when he goes, he’ll leave me behind. I have my future in Edendale and, someday, Harvard. I have a life ahead of me, a life I’ve carefully planned, considered and thought out.
Our hands are tied, our futures are set.
Now, all I can do is try and be thankful for the memories I’ve created this summer. For the adventures I went on with Cooper, and for my new ability to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. In the end, I suppose I did get what I wanted out of my original agreement with Cooper — I have tons of material that I’m sure Mrs. Higgins will love to read about.
I sneak a glance at Anaya, feeling grateful for her, too. And for Kiara, Bree, Jonathan, Noah and Wes. We’ve all become pretty close friends after the summer. All in all, I have lots of blessings to count, plenty to be thankful for.
But even as I force this optimistic mindset, it can’t stop the painful pit that forms in my stomach. A hollow dread consumes me at the thought of losing Cooper. I can’t imagine life without his cheeky grin, his crazy whims, and his surprising sensitivity. I remember finding the kindness that lives behind a wall of sarcastic humor. A wall he broke down just for me.
My stomach clenches. Hard.
“Want to go to the kitchen?” I spring to my feet.
“Sure,” Anaya smiles, watching me closely. “Hungry?”
“No. But I could really use a ginger ale.”
34
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 45