The Space In Between(27)

Maybe he was right. Maybe there was some kind of higher power that pushed Cooper and I together that night. Who knew? I didn’t believe in much after the accident. I doubted everything and everyone. But if there was something out there…Something bigger, like a grand order to this crazy world, then I promised myself that I would thank the higher power if I ever got the opportunity. I would thank them for sending me Cooper so I wouldn’t feel so alone.
His eyes met mine and he grinned, falling back onto the mattress. “You think I’m crazy.”
Shaking my head, I scooted closer to him, and brushed my fingers across his chest. “No. I think you’re passionate about your beliefs. And I think I like it. I like how you get lost in your thoughts sometimes.”
The right side of his lips curved into a halfway smile. He placed his hands on my sides and lifted me up, so I was now straddling him. “Yeah? What else do you like about me?”
I grinned, knowing that the list was growing daily. My fingers traced his lips, feeling him sigh against my touch. “I like your lips. But not just because they deliver kisses in the gentlest way, but because when they move, they are sincere with their words. I believe whatever comes out of them.”
I moved my fingers across his cheek. “I like your dimples, because they only appear when you are happy. And I like that you’re happy when you’re around me.” His smile grew wider and his dimples grew deeper, making my heart skip.
My hands wrapped around his head and I lowered my lips to his forehead, resting them there. “I like your mind. How it works, how it cares.” Next my eyes locked with his, our lips almost touching, as I continued speaking. “I like your eyes, and how they focus on whoever’s around you. And you don’t just notice them, but you see them. Many people look, but they don’t see.”
And lastly, I lifted myself up, and placed my hands on his chest. I tried to hold back the tears as I cleared my throat, realizing what I liked most about him. “And most importantly, I like your heart. I really like your heart. Because when you walked into that strip club, you didn’t judge me. And when your mom was lost, you didn’t scold her. And when that little girl said it was opposite’s day, you didn’t demolish her beliefs. Each time you just smiled with those dimples, saw us with those eyes, and comforted us with those lips.”
The playful energy grew extremely serious as the two of us just sat there. I smiled his way and he smirked back to me. Shoving him lightly, I climbed off of him, and turned away. I poked fun at him, trying to take away from the seriousness of it all. “Come on, this is clearly the point when you tell me what you like about me.”
I felt him sit up and position himself behind me. When he started to give me a back massage, I pretty much died. He had the hands of Gods and knew exactly how to work them. His hands…I liked those, too. I was his the moment he touched me. My eyes closed and I allowed my body to relax into him massaging my lower back.
“What time is it?”
Opening one of my eyes, I glanced to the nightstand and looked at the alarm clock.
“11:58.” My eyes shut again, too comfortable to remain open.
“It's still opposite day.”
“For two more minutes.”
I could feel his breath on the back of my neck as he whispered to me. “I don’t like how you smell like honey and cotton candy. I dislike your blue eyes that I don’t get lost in. I really dislike the seventeen freckles on your face. You know the eight on your forehead, six on your cheeks, and three on the tip of your nose? Sooo ugly.” I felt every word he said run through me as he continued speaking.
“I haven’t thought about you every day since we met that one night.” He kissed my ear over and over again—my favorite kisses. I felt the butterflies flying into my stomach. I was growing more and more nervous with each word. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take, but he kept going. “In your eyes I don’t see the missing pieces I’ve been searching for. And I know this isn’t crazy… but I think I hate you, Andie.”
The wind was knocked out of me. I opened my eyes. No…It was all too fast. It was only a few hours ago we’d decided we would actually be friends. Friends with benefits of course, but just friends. And now he was telling me that he loved—err, hated—me.
And the first thing that came to my mind was Derrick. How could I do this to him? It was only a few months ago he’d passed away. And I was sitting in a bedroom with another man.


Chapter Sixteen

WHAT THE FUCK was I thinking? Son of a bitch. Please stop crying. Andrea’s eyes were flooding with tears. She turned her back to me and kept saying it was all right. That she was fine.
“Clearly you’re not, Andrea.” I’m sorry. I couldn’t believe I put my foot in my mouth in such a stupid-ass way. “I didn’t mean it!” I swore. Yes, I did mean it. I loved her. I couldn’t help it. How could anyone not love such a woman? Broken pieces and all. But if telling her I loved her meant she would shatter even more, then I would take it back. I would laugh it off. I would want her to doubt there was any truth to the matter.
She turned and wiped her eyes. Laughing, she shrugged her shoulders. “I’m all right. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten so personal with stating the likes earlier. I’m sorry, it’s just…”
She paused and shifted her feet on the ground. I wished I could wrap my arms around her and protect her from the demons that were attacking her fragile thoughts, but I knew right now wouldn’t be the time or place. I gave her the time she needed to arrange her thoughts.