Truth is in the Darkness (Paynes Creek #2) - Heather Sunseri Page 0,1
closer, I saw a glowing light coming from the other side of the building. I rounded the corner.
Several candles glowed inside glass jars around a quilt spread on the grass beneath a weeping willow. Coop, who was just lighting the last candle, looked up in my direction. His skin glowed in the candlelight, the flames highlighting the blond streaking through his otherwise sandy hair. And there was no mistaking the nervous look on his face.
He straightened and wiped his hands on his pants. I gave him a knowing smile.
We both took a few steps closer to each other, and when he wrapped his arms around me, all of my nervous energy simply fell away.
The night was perfect.
I lay there in Coop’s arms, a blanket covering us. He lazily ran his fingers up and down my right arm. Though the air was warm, I shivered and snuggled in closer to him.
Overhead, stars twinkled in the clear sky. Out here in the country, where there were no lights to compete with the moon and the stars, the view nearly took my breath away.
And I was with the one person I loved more than any other.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“Very,” I said in a small voice. “You?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
I leaned up on my elbow and stared down at the humor in his eyes, smiling as I did. “Are you sorry we didn’t wait longer?”
His brows pointed inward as he studied my face. “No,” he said simply. “Are you?”
I gave my head a shake, keeping my eyes on his. “I love you, Cooper Adams.”
He lifted his head and kissed me softly. “I love you too, Lily Thomas. You’re the love of my life.”
I glanced around at the candles. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
“Why not? I wanted this to be special for you.”
I smiled. “It was.”
He slipped a hand to the back of my neck, guided my face to his, and kissed me again. “For me too,” he whispered.
I let my head rest against his chest and drew figure eights on his skin. “I wish I didn’t have to go back to my mother’s house. As soon as I’m eighteen, I’m going to live at Grammy’s when I’m not at school.”
“Won’t be long now,” he said. “You’ll be eighteen next month. And we’ll both be at UK in the fall. We just have to get through the summer.”
My body tensed.
Coop noticed.
“What is it?” he asked. He touched my cheek, forcing me to look at him.
“It’s nothing.”
I tried to pull away, but he kept a forefinger on my cheek, directing me to look at him.
“I know you better than anyone, and I know when something’s wrong.”
I looked down for a couple of beats, then back up. “I was accepted to the art school in New York.”
Coop didn’t move for a moment. Said nothing. Then he dropped his hand from my face.
“Say something,” I pleaded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just found out today. I was going to tell you, but I didn’t want to ruin tonight. Are you mad?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Mad?” He sat up, bringing me with him. He pulled the blanket around me, leaving him partially exposed, then he gathered me in his lap. “Of course not. You’ve got more talent in your pinky finger than I do in my whole body. As soon as you applied, I knew you’d be accepted. And it’s your dream school. I’m just…” He paused, searching for words. “I’m going to miss you.”
He reached over and grabbed his shirt, then pulled it over his head.
“Coop,” I said.
“It’s getting late.”
“Look at me.”
He stopped adjusting his shirt and met my gaze.
“I know you’re disappointed,” I said. “I haven’t even decided if I’m going. I probably won’t.”
“Of course you’re going. Why would you apply to your dream school if you hadn’t planned on going when you got accepted?”
I shrugged. “I thought it was a long shot.” My voice cracked, and a tear slipped down my cheek. I tried to hide my emotions by grabbing my clothes and getting dressed.
When we were both standing, the flicker of candlelight reflecting in our eyes, Coop brought me closer and wrapped his arms around me. “We’ll be fine. I just need some time to get used to the idea of us being apart.”
“If I go, we’ll still see each other on breaks. I’ll come home some weekends. And you’ll come see me.”
He kissed the top of my head. “Of course. We’ll make it work.”
I leaned my forehead against his chest. “I’m sorry.”