Perchance (20 page)

             
He was still standing by the door and I asked him to come sit down because he was making me nervous.  He had some pajama pants on and a plain white t shirt.  He sat down and sighed. I felt like I was too far away from him so I got up and moved the chair closer so that I was right in front of him. 

             
“Ok, promise to let me finish before you say anything ok?”

             
He nodded so I continued.

             
“You know me.  You know my plans.  I never in a million years expected to come here and find someone like you.  I expected to skirt through this year and move on.  When you told me that you were falling in love with me on Sunday it was a shock not because I didn’t believe you but because I think I’ve been in love with you since I saw you that first day at the flea market
and I didn’t think you felt that way at all
.”

             
He opened his mouth but I put my hand out to stop him.

             
“
So what I’m trying to get at here is that I’m sorry.  And please stop ignoring me because I acted stupid and childish and I love you even though I know that I’ve probably permanently screwed this up
…
  Ok, that’s it.”

             
The tears were pouring down my face in buckets and he got up to hand me a tissue. 

             
He sat back down and was quiet for a few minutes. 

             
“I thought you were angry that I told you that.  I really did.  I don’t want to ruin any of your plans Remi.  I want you to let me be a part of them. And did you just say that you love me?”

             
“I want you to be a part of them too.  And yes, I said that.”

             
We were both smiling and I felt like I was free again. It’s weird how the one thing that I thought was going to be a burden in my life was now setting me free.
  I had made my own prison in my mind trapping myself with bars of ‘guys are bad’ and ‘they only want one thing’ thinking that it was keeping me safe.  It turns out, I was just suffocating myself.

             
We just sat there for a few minutes.

             
“Well, I guess you need to get some rest.  You look like you haven’t slept well and that’s my fault.”

             
I got up to leave and he was next to me in an instant.

             
“You can’t stay just a little longer?  I just got you back.”

             
He touched my face running his thumb along my jaw line. 
“Come here,” he whispered.

             
I went straight into his arms, no hesitation, no insecurity.  This was where I belonged.  Cradled in the comfort and strength of his arms knowing that he was going to be there no matter what.  He tightened his hold on me and whispered
“I missed you so much.”

             
“Me too.  I almost ran after you today at lunch.” And I did until the cheerleaders got in the way.

             
“I wish you would have. I skipped your aunt’s class.” He laughed into my hair.

             
“She knows.  It’s ok.” I was exhausted and I knew he was too.

             
“
Thank you.
”
He squeezed me again.

             
“So, do you mind if I stay here a little bit? Aunt Brenda knows where I am.  I just don’t want to leave yet.  I’m dead on my feet.”

             
“You need some sleep too.  Look we’ll…just sleep…I’ll set an alarm…I’m not ready to let you go…just sleep.”  He was rambling, trying to make me feel more comfortable about the fact that he just asked me to
sleep
with him.
             

             
I looked over at his bed and the
n
back to him and nodded.

             
He set the alarm on his phone and he got into the bed first.  I kicked off my shoes and got in after him, his eyes on me th
e entire time. I smiled at him and laid down on the arm that I assumed was out for me.  He reached around my waist and pulled me closer to him and left his hand there. 

             
“Let me hear it one more time, Pistol.” He whispered in my ear.

             
“I love you Cooper.” I whispered back to him and put one of my feet in between his calves.

             
“I love you Remi.  I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”

             
And within seconds his breathing was heavy and I relaxed and drifted off.

             
It seemed like I was only asleep for seconds.  His alarm was going off and I reached to turn it off. 
He was still asleep.  I kissed him lightly on the lips and he smiled. 

             
“Waking up without that is gonna suck from n
ow on.” I giggled
and he hugged me back to him.

             
“OK, I gotta get home. 
You don’t have to get up. Just sleep.”

             
“No, I’m up, I’m going.”

             
H
e walked me home.  He kissed me on my forehead a
nd then walked back
.  I told him to text me
when
he got there.

             
I tiptoed in but
it was in vain because
Aunt Brenda was sitting at the table. 

             
“Well?” She said with a big smile on her face as she caressed her cup of coffee.

             
“He still loves me and I still love him and everybody knows.”

             
She hugged me and said, “I’m so glad for you.  Now get your lovey dovey butt to bed.”

             
We both went to our rooms and I got a text.

             
Cooper:
Home, but u’ve spoiled me now.
  Have to sleep all alone.

             
Me:
Sorry.
Goodnight Cooper.
 

             
Cooper:
Goodnight love.

             
It was almost midnight and I went to sleep immediately.
 

             
The rest of the week as much as I tried to make it not be was just a countdown to seeing him again on Saturday and especially Sunday.  We talked every night after I finished my work but I have to admit that sometimes it was before.  He and his Dad went to Baton Rouge for the day on Saturday and I spen
t it at the library catching up. 

             
Sunday morning Aunt Brenda and I went to church and sat in our regular pew in the middle on the right side.  And to my surprise and joy, we were joined by Eric, Cooper, Troy and his Dad.  Halfway through the sermon Cooper opened his hand on his lap and my hand slid into his.  Aunt Brenda gently pinched my elbow letting me know that she was well aware of what was going on and I spent the rest of the church service with a full blush.  Certainly there was some rule about blushing about your boyfriend in church, but I couldn’t control it to save my life.

             
Troy, Josie and I met at Cooper’s house about two and we drove to the Myrtles.  It was packed.  Even the Blonde Squad was there and that Pippy one waved at me. Cooper and Troy were getting our tickets. Then she started walking towards us. 

             
“Oh Lordy, here we go.” I
groaned at Josie.

             
“Um, this may or may not be my fault.” She said sheepishly.

             
“What?” I said.

             
“She overheard Troy and I talking about it in fifth period the other day.”

             
“Hey there…you.”
 
I know this wench remembers my name.

             
“
Hi Chrissie
. How are you?”

             
She looked behind me and gave a big fake smile. “I’m better now.”

             
I looked behind me and Cooper was approaching. I wanted to punch her so hard that her hair would turn red and fall out.

             
“Hey, Cooper.” She always dr
ug out the ‘ooo’. Like she was making cow noises
without the ‘M’.

             
He wrapped his arms around my waist and nodded to her.

             
“Are you ready to go in Remi?
” He asked into my ear and his mouth stayed near my ear way longer than was necessary.
Then he kissed my neck under my earlobe and going into a haunted plantation was the last thing on my mind.

             
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
I answered him and the four of us
walked away from a fuming blond
e.

             
We didn’t see anything, but every other tourist swore that they saw shadows or a woman walking the grounds. 

             
We ate at the restaurant on the grounds and then Cooper let Troy drive the Cuda.  I thought that boy was going to have a coronary. 

             
Cooper and I sat in the back seat and we got as close as two
people could get for the short ride home.  We dropped off Troy and Josie and then Cooper went extra slow taking me home. 
We pulled into the driveway and he turned off the engine. 

             
“I wanna kiss you so bad.” He whispered without even looking at me, like he was trying to restrain himself.

             
“You have no idea.” I whispered back to him. “I’m just gonna get out.  Call me when you get home.”

             
“No, I’m walking you to the door.  I’m gonna milk this for all it’s worth.”

             
We held hands all the way to the door and he grabbed me by the waist. I, almost desperately, put my arms around his neck. I almost cried with the need for more time with him.  More time with his arms around me.  More time with him.

             
“Let me take you out on Friday Remi, just me and you.  I want you all to myself. I’m starved for time with you.”

             
“You’ve been with me all day.” I was breathless just hearing him talk about being starved for me.  I was certainly starved for him. 

             
“I know but I can’t kiss you like I want to when there’s other people in the front seat.” He chuckled in my ear and I could feel the vibration of it all the way to the ends of each strand of hair.

             
“That’s true. I wanted to pull you into one of those empty bedrooms and kiss you so badly.”

             
He pulled back and looked at me like he was shocked.

             
“Oh, we are going to have to go back there so you can do that. 
I wouldn’t want to deprive you
of the opportunity.”

             
I laughed so hard at that.  I felt so comfortable saying anything and everything in front of him.  Nothing was embarrassing around him.

             
“Well, if we’re revisiting missed opportunities, we’re going to have to spend a good deal of time in the Cuda.”