Only One Regret (Only One 5)

We settle at a table with Franny and Vivi. "Tomorrow night," Vivi says from beside me at the picnic table. "I want to head into town and go to the pub."

"That sounds like so much fun," Franny says.

"Mom!” Cooper yells from beside me, calling his mother who sits two tables over. "The girls are going to the pub tomorrow night."

"What is wrong with you?" Vivi hisses at him. "You have to ease into things like that."

"We’ll take the girls," Matthew says. "Your brother is coming with you."

"I don’t want to go to the pub," he pouts from beside me, and I laugh at him. "Somehow, that worked out differently in my head."

"I’m sure it did," Franny chides, and Mia comes over to us and says she’s tired.

"It was a long day," I say, pushing her hair that fell out of her braid behind her ear as she lies on Cooper’s chest. "So much excitement."

We get up, leaving everyone still sitting at the table as we walk back to the house. Emma drags her feet. We walk into the house, and I walk over to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water as he walks upstairs to put the girls to bed.

I walk back outside and sit on the patio step. The lights are off, and I can hear laughter coming from the beach. The back door opens, and he steps out. He sits behind me, wrapping his arms around my chest and his legs are outside mine. "Someone might see," I note as he moves my hair to one side so he can kiss my neck.

"We sat like this today," he reminds me, putting his chin on my shoulder. "We always sit like this." He kisses my neck, and I look over at him, and he comes at me with a soft kiss. My heart goes to my throat. I turn and watch the water. "What’s wrong?" he asks softly.

"Nothing," I reply softly and look back at him over my shoulder, and it finally gets me that I’m falling for him. Like in love with him. Maybe I’ve been in love with him this whole time and never knew. Maybe in the end, it was supposed to be us all along. And maybe, just maybe I’m overthinking this whole thing, and I should just live in the moment.

"You keep forgetting," he says, his arms wrapping around my stomach as he pulls me back to him, "that I’ve known you a long time."

"I know,” I grumble.

"And I know when you’re lying," he reminds me.

"Have we always been like this?" I ask him, and I look over at him.

"What do you mean?" he questions, and I turn a little, still staying between his legs.

"The touching and stuff?” I ask him. "I don’t remember."

"Yes," he says. "It’s always been like this."

"Cooper,” I whisper, "I don’t want to lose our friendship." I ignore the burning in my stomach at the mere thought of not being able to call him or talk to him and especially to touch him. My hand comes up to cup his cheek. "Like the thought of losing you, it’s just …"

"You will never lose me," he assures, and I look down, not sure I can look into his eyes. Afraid that what he’ll see there will scare him away. He puts his finger under my chin and raises my chin to look at him. "Whatever happens, you will never lose me."

"Yes, but this will change our relationship," I admit. "This sleeping together."

"I think it will change it," he agrees, "but only for the better.” Putting his legs up, he makes sure his arms are still around me.

"How can you know that?" I ask, sinking into his arms.

"I have no clue." He smirks. "But I know that I don’t want it any other way. "

"Can we promise each other that no matter what happens …" I swallow. "That things between you and me will never change?”

He looks me in the eyes. "I promise you that nothing will ever change between us."

Chapter 27

Cooper

"I’m going to head over and drop off the girls," I say from the stool at the counter when I grab the last piece of apple off the plate. We came in about thirty minutes ago, and the girls asked for a snack. Erika was already cutting some fruit and cheese for them.

"It’s four thirty." She looks over at me and laughs. "We literally left them at the beach thirty minutes ago." Her hair is piled on top of her head like it always is when we are at the beach. Her white linen button-down shirt is open and over her olive green bikini. Her face has a bit more sun today, and her green eyes are brighter.

"Yeah, and I have to shower.” I wink at her, pushing off the stool and walking behind the counter. I wrap my arms around her waist and bend my head to whisper in her ear. "We have to shower." I nip her ear, and her shoulder scrunches up, and the sound of her laughter fills the room. I attack her neck, dipping her backward as she tries to push me away, but my hold gets tighter. I’m not letting her get away from me. I don’t even let her go when there is a knock on the back door, and my parents walk in. Instead, I let her stand but put my arm around her shoulders.