blocking their view, and I forced back the instinct to push him away. Plus, he smelled like subtle cologne and spices.
The group of students fell silent when they caught our intense stares over our shoulders. One of the girls appeared annoyed as she glanced between Cooper and me, while another cast a pitying glance as they passed. The rest thankfully averted their eyes.
Once they were far enough down the hallway, Cooper eased away from me. His cologne was still making me heady as I stuffed the doll into my backpack.
Turning, I realized Cooper hadn’t left. He smiled at me after the locker closed, producing those clever dimples again. “Where you headed? I can walk you there. People don’t usually mess with me.”
I frowned. “I’m fine, just want to find my friend.”
“Aidan?” he asked cheerfully.
He may have smelled like heaven, but I was tempted to flail limbs to see where I’d punch.
“I know where he is,” Cooper offered before I could debate my options.
“Where?” I asked, hoping he’d just tell me.
“Guess I’ll be useful after all.”
Nope, he wasn’t going to tell me.
I motioned for him to lead. “Thanks,” I muttered, staring at my feet again. “For the help back there too,” I added after a significant pause.
Cooper shrugged. “So, did you say you and Aidan Birket were just friends?”
Blinking, I tilted my chin up to see Cooper watching me. I narrowed my eyes and didn’t reply. He looked away, reddening those high cheekbones. Something told me he wasn’t used to that reaction. He squared his shoulders and didn’t glance at me again, his face turning from friendly to stony. I must have bruised an ego.
Cooper led me straight to the cafeteria, the exact place I planned on checking first.
As I stepped into the room, I saw our usual table occupied by some rugged-looking guys who’d be able to toss me around like a beach ball. The gorgeous, shapely girls who typically hung out with those guys were also in attendance.
The worst part was that they crowded around a familiar roan-haired person I knew.
Their heads leaned in as they listened to Aidan. I felt a twinge of betrayal. It was deep enough to make me want to bolt. What was he telling them? We weren’t going to talk about our experience—real or made-up—with anyone. Aidan said it would lead to holes in the story and it was best to keep quiet.
Then what else could have captured their attention? I felt my nails bite into my palm.
Cooper draped an arm around my rising shoulders and pointed to the table as if I hadn’t already seen. Annoyed, I started to shrug to remove his arm. Instead, his palm cupped my shoulder blade and guided me toward the table. Eyes wide, I felt my insides churn the moment Aidan’s piercing eyes shot up and saw me. They flickered to Cooper, and I saw his speech pause. This provoked the others to turn, and I went statue still.
Cooper dropped his arm when a girl moved and motioned me to sit next to Aidan. Cooper didn’t sit, not that he could have. The table was stuffed with extra chairs and occupants.
Dropping into the chair, relieved I wouldn’t have to stand and fidget, I recognized a few of them. There was Claire Weatherbe; she had been a cheerleader at my old high school and a friend of Robin’s. Ethan something, he was from a few of my classes; and then there was Heather, the hot girl who’d spoken to Read about baseball.
Heaving a sigh, Claire exaggerated rolling her eyes to look back to Aidan. “So?”
“Well, that is all there is to it,” Aidan said, his gaze locking with everyone except me.
Claire leaned back in her chair, clearly disappointed, then she looked to me. “Why don’t you tell us what happened, Nora?”
I looked around the table and twisted the bottom of my shirt.
Raising her expertly painted eyebrows, Claire waited for me to speak. The tension just from the small table seemed to fill the entire cafeteria like ink in water.
I glanced at Aidan, and he shrugged at
The group of students fell silent when they caught our intense stares over our shoulders. One of the girls appeared annoyed as she glanced between Cooper and me, while another cast a pitying glance as they passed. The rest thankfully averted their eyes.
Once they were far enough down the hallway, Cooper eased away from me. His cologne was still making me heady as I stuffed the doll into my backpack.
Turning, I realized Cooper hadn’t left. He smiled at me after the locker closed, producing those clever dimples again. “Where you headed? I can walk you there. People don’t usually mess with me.”
I frowned. “I’m fine, just want to find my friend.”
“Aidan?” he asked cheerfully.
He may have smelled like heaven, but I was tempted to flail limbs to see where I’d punch.
“I know where he is,” Cooper offered before I could debate my options.
“Where?” I asked, hoping he’d just tell me.
“Guess I’ll be useful after all.”
Nope, he wasn’t going to tell me.
I motioned for him to lead. “Thanks,” I muttered, staring at my feet again. “For the help back there too,” I added after a significant pause.
Cooper shrugged. “So, did you say you and Aidan Birket were just friends?”
Blinking, I tilted my chin up to see Cooper watching me. I narrowed my eyes and didn’t reply. He looked away, reddening those high cheekbones. Something told me he wasn’t used to that reaction. He squared his shoulders and didn’t glance at me again, his face turning from friendly to stony. I must have bruised an ego.
Cooper led me straight to the cafeteria, the exact place I planned on checking first.
As I stepped into the room, I saw our usual table occupied by some rugged-looking guys who’d be able to toss me around like a beach ball. The gorgeous, shapely girls who typically hung out with those guys were also in attendance.
The worst part was that they crowded around a familiar roan-haired person I knew.
Their heads leaned in as they listened to Aidan. I felt a twinge of betrayal. It was deep enough to make me want to bolt. What was he telling them? We weren’t going to talk about our experience—real or made-up—with anyone. Aidan said it would lead to holes in the story and it was best to keep quiet.
Then what else could have captured their attention? I felt my nails bite into my palm.
Cooper draped an arm around my rising shoulders and pointed to the table as if I hadn’t already seen. Annoyed, I started to shrug to remove his arm. Instead, his palm cupped my shoulder blade and guided me toward the table. Eyes wide, I felt my insides churn the moment Aidan’s piercing eyes shot up and saw me. They flickered to Cooper, and I saw his speech pause. This provoked the others to turn, and I went statue still.
Cooper dropped his arm when a girl moved and motioned me to sit next to Aidan. Cooper didn’t sit, not that he could have. The table was stuffed with extra chairs and occupants.
Dropping into the chair, relieved I wouldn’t have to stand and fidget, I recognized a few of them. There was Claire Weatherbe; she had been a cheerleader at my old high school and a friend of Robin’s. Ethan something, he was from a few of my classes; and then there was Heather, the hot girl who’d spoken to Read about baseball.
Heaving a sigh, Claire exaggerated rolling her eyes to look back to Aidan. “So?”
“Well, that is all there is to it,” Aidan said, his gaze locking with everyone except me.
Claire leaned back in her chair, clearly disappointed, then she looked to me. “Why don’t you tell us what happened, Nora?”
I looked around the table and twisted the bottom of my shirt.
Raising her expertly painted eyebrows, Claire waited for me to speak. The tension just from the small table seemed to fill the entire cafeteria like ink in water.
I glanced at Aidan, and he shrugged at
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