● above is a snap of cute shells Sophia found on the beach●
this chapter is dedicated to maadzzm ,my very best friend. she has contributed so much to this story as well as my life. you deserve the sky, madi. you shine brighter than the brightest star, you're more colorful than the prettiest sunset. i pray one day someone will show you as much love as you show our universe.
☼
AS I DROVE I spilled the whole story about brunch, describing every distinct detail and how I felt every second of it. Cooper roared in laughter when I told him what I had hissed to my mother and just how mighty and tall I felt in myself. He had clapped his hands together and cheered me on, describing how proud he was of me and my beating heart returned. The kiss we had shared once I got into the car was full of sparks and confidence, it was the best kiss I had ever had. I wondered if Cooper felt that same way, regardless of what he told me the night before. But I just couldn't resist kissing him with everything I had; after all, he was the reason I found the strength to stick up for myself. I would have acted cowardly if Cooper didn't give me the boost of reassurance.
That's why I drove him here, to repay him.
I eased off the gas as I searched for a place to park. The further I drove, the more alone we were, and those were the conditions I was hoping for. Finally, I spotted a place under a shady tree that was kind of away from everything, I decided that was perfect.
"Where are you taking me, Sophie?" Cooper questioned, a little nervously as he grabbed the grip above his head due to the road getting slightly bumpy. "You'll see," I sang.
"Actually, I won't."
I snorted.
Turning the steering wheel right under the tree, I started to feel unsure about what I was about to do for Cooper. Would he really like it? Would he even appreciate it like I hoped he was going to? Was this the right way to do it? Was I overstepping my boundaries? Pushing the gear into park and pulling the brake up, I didn't know the right answer to any of those questions. He made me feel good about myself, I wanted to make him feel good too.
Cooper sniffed the air and glanced toward the driver's seat, "We're at a beach, aren't we?" I sighed in defeat and confirmed his guess, we were parked in the sand about fifty yards from the water, and I was about to make his day. "I forgot about your enhanced four senses," I joked with him as I quietly took off my seatbelt, hoping his super-powered ears wouldn't detect the sound of the click. "Oh, yes," he smiled, "They are pretty incredible."
I laughed, slipping off my nude heels and taking a gulp. "Well, no matter how incredible your senses are, you won't be able to predict what's about to happen," I squeaked, fondling the rim of my jeans, deciding when to unbutton them. Cooper delayed his chuckle, probably feeling as much tension in the air as I was. I cleared my throat, looking out the window, hoping that he would agree to this. "I know it's weird to ask, but just trust me," I whispered, "Take off your pants."
Cooper's eyebrow's knotted ferociously, more than I had ever seen before, "What the hell, why?" I slowly unbuttoned my jeans, slowly peeling them off my soft legs. I tossed them in the back of the car, landing on top of Sydney and reaching over to Cooper. "Just trust me, okay?" I breathed, unbuckling his seat belt; I was so close I could feel his body heat warm up mine.
After a few moments of silence, I pulled back and popped open my door. "Come on, Cooper, you don't want to get your pants wet." I giggled at his frozen facial expression, wondering what he thought was going to happen.
I shut my door and trotted over to his, looking over my shoulder as I pulled it ajar. The waves were soft this morning, at least on this beach, and that was a good sign. I also opened the passenger door, letting Sydney hop down and giving her a few pets and words in baby talk. "Sophia, why do I have to take off my pants?" Cooper questioned again, a bit of annoyance in his voice and that made me even more nervous.
"We are going swimming, Coop," I said in the most casual way possible, then quickly adding, "You're not alone. I'm pantless as well," I forced a laugh. I decided that leaving Cooper confused and scared was not the best way to make this plan successful, so I told Sydney to sit and stepped in front of Cooper, who still sat in the passenger seat. His fingers were around the belt loop of his pants as if he was going to take them off then something told him not to.
I knew what that something was. I sighed and looked up at him, "Cooper," I began, "You have really helped me with.. everything since I've moved here," His face softly glanced downwards to the sound of my voice. "Between pursuing my dreams as an artist and standing up to my parents with confidence, you were there to cheer me on and fuel me with the encouragement I never thought I deserved. You've pushed me to do things I couldn't even imagine myself doing successfully but with your help, I feel like I can walk on water and do anything I put my mind to." I swallowed and blinked my eyes a couple time, noticing that I was getting emotional.
I softly brushed my face, trying to stop myself from bringing up my romantic feelings for him. That is not what this was about however hard it was to look up at Cooper and notice every individual curl in his hair, how he crossed his left foot over his right as he sat, how his jaw would clench and unclench as he ran through all the thoughts in his head and how wide his eyes were. It was so hard to avoid how hard my heart pulsed when he walks into a room and how easily he lifted my spirits. But remembering Cooper's face of discontent in the hotel room after he murmured the words "I can't give you what you want," just caused me to prove my point to him even more.
I took a deep breath and continued, "You made me face my fear and I came out feeling stronger than I ever have," I chuckled a little bit and met Cooper's eyes, which were staring down at me but seemed like he was looking at my eyebrows instead. "So, I just want to return the favor."
Cooper took a few seconds to think something over in his head then laughed, "I mean if you think it's a good idea, Sophie, then sure. How bad can it be?"
I sighed of relief, glad that we were going to start this off lightly. He unbuckled his belt and slipped off his jeans, making me blush a little bit. I never took this situation into whole thought, I giggled softly as he hopped down, a prominent tan line just above his knee.
Taking a step in front of him, I gently scooped up his hands into mine and looked up at him. He faced the breeze that blew through his hair gingerly. His rosy cheeks matched mine as we both felt the sparks between our finger tips. "I need you to trust me, Cooper. Can you do that for me?" Cooper just smiled and stated, "I already do."
Ignoring the thumping echoing in my chest, I remembered my plan and let go of one of his hands, kindly leading him with the one I still held toward where the water met the sand. When the water was about five feet from reaching us, I intertwined my fingers with Cooper's on his other hand once again. "Okay, take a deep breath," I told him, I waited until he did so to take the first step back. I knew he understood what was about to happen, he knew that he was close to the water and would have objected by now. I was proud of him.
I could see his throat swallow whatever breath he took. His fingers started to tremble and I held him tighter to assure he was alright. I took a baby step backward, then waited for his foot to follow. A few steps more, the water came up to our toes and Cooper breathed a little heavier. "It's okay, it's just a little water. You can do this."
Soon, the water reached our ankles. Cooper sucked in the air very loudly, which made me concerned. "Cooper, are you alright?"
He gripped my hands almost painfully, and I stopped walking backward, letting the tide rise to our ankles and down to our toes. "I-I've never felt this close to her since-since she..."His sentence trailed off but he didn't have to finish it. He was feeling connected to his sister, but I wasn't sure if I should stop. "I forgot how good the water feels," he said, a small laugh coming out. I saw his eyes start to squint because they started to water, and I smiled lightly and pressed my hand to his cheek. "Do you want to keep going?"
Cooper smiled slightly and nodded.
We continued one step at a time. As the water rose higher and higher on our skin, I noticed all the different emotions that flowed over Cooper's face. At first, he was scared and unsure, his eyebrows would furrow and unfurrow and like before he would suck his lips in. Then he would experience the feeling of his sister again, his smile would shine then fade as did his eyes, which would water then open widely with happiness. Nonetheless, Cooper continued walking into the water with me.
Watching him take these steps, I couldn't have imagined what was going through his head. Probably Ava. In his head, he was probably reliving the memory of her, even before the tragic day. He was thinking about his little sister and how much he wanted to protect her. Maybe he was remembering her smile, her laugh when her big brother would tell her a joke. I had no idea what he was going through, but seeing him step into the water touched my heart already.
The first wave crashed onto our waists and that made Cooper jump a little bit causing me to giggle. Suddenly, Cooper stopped in his tracks. I waited for him to speak or give me a sign of something, but he slowly slipped his hands out of mine then rose them up to my face. His big hands cupped my cheeks and something in my chest pulled my breath back into my throat. With big eyes, I looked up at him. He still faced the waves but he smiled so brightly then laughed out loud.
I joined him, flashing my pearly whites up at him. As he roared, small glistening tears came running down his face. Seeing that triggered my own eyes to start to tear as I admired him from below. He leaned down, kissed me hard once again. He then pulled away and spread his arms out wide and threw his head back, soaking in the sun. He laughed at the sky beaming down on him.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion, staring up at his glowing silhouette in the shine of the sun. Witnessing him become so strong in such a short amount of time, feeling the sand beneath my feet, the water soaking into my skin, and Cooper's hair blowing in the wind, filled my heart with something I was too happy to even describe. I felt pride through my whole body, but in the pit of my stomach, at the bottom of my heart and in the middle of my throat, was love.
Absolute, undeniable love for Cooper swelled through my body.
I loved him.
As his voice began louder and happier, I found myself laughing with him. I wrapped my arms around his wide torso. There we stood, in the ocean, with nothing but delight gleaming from our hearts and smiles. I was content, holding him as he yelled out into the sky that he finally overcame this fear of his and felt one with the world.
"Sophia!" Cooper exclaimed out of breath, looking down on me. I looked up, my smile from one ear to the other.
"I want to see Ava."
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
my heart has been beating the whole time writing this chapter! so much love for these two, love these characters. i hope you guys have fallen in love with them as much as i have. there's so much in this story to share and get from.
AS MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER: my bff madi is an amazing person as well as a writer here on wattpad and i would love it if you guys gave her some love. i'll share the link to her account down below. check out her stories! (WTS is my personal fav!) i love you so much madi, i hope you loved this chapter as much as i did. thanks for sticking by me :)
i love you all so freaking much! thank you so much for all the love and support you have shown this story, it means a lot. remember to vote and comment!