Sometimes, Forever (Sometimes Moments #2) (11 page)

Margot:
Okay, so you’re ignoring all my calls. It’s been three days. And I’m sure you’ve read my messages or, at least, opened them. I know you, Coop. You hate those red balloon notifications. You are OCD about them. I’m going to call you after school’s finished and you had better answer. So help me, Cooper, I will drive all the way to Daylesford and slap you silly!

Cooper:
Margot, I’ve been busy at work. Today’s been my first day off in a week. I was enjoying it. And yes, I will answer this time.

At 3:05 p.m., his phone rang from the coffee table. Cooper reached over, saw that it was his little sister, and picked up the call.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“All right, the preps have all gone home and I am not on yard duty today. So talk. Tell me about this girl,” Margot demanded.

“There’s nothing to say,” Cooper said as he leant back on the couch. “I think she asked me out so I wouldn’t feel bad about kissing her.”

“Wait, what? She asked you out
after
you kissed her. How are you all ‘she doesn’t love me’?”

“I sent that message
before
she asked me out,” he clarified.

“So what did you say?”

He took a deep breath and stared at his balled fist and white knuckles. “I said no.”

“You said no?” She almost screamed it. “You love this girl and you said—”

“Whoa,” Cooper interrupted. “I didn’t say I loved her.”

Margot made a huffing sound. “You didn’t have to because I can hear it. You do. You
love
her. Now, let’s talk this out so we can fix it. Okay?”

Cooper tuned her out and focused on the movie that was on TV. He hadn’t been paying attention to it. The Rock was starring in it, but that was all he had taken in from it. Throughout the entire film, he had thought of Peyton. He’d screwed up. He had said no when he should have said yes. There was no way he could take away the guilt he felt in his chest. It weighed heavy, making it impossible to breathe properly.

The truth was heartbreak was a piece of shit.

It lingered even when he said for it to go.

It stayed long after a heartbeat.

Stayed longer than the breath of air he had just taken.

It had stayed.

A knock on his front door had him turning his head to it. He ignored it only for the person on the other side to knock again. They weren’t loud bangs but light taps.

“Margot, I have someone at my door. I gotta go,” he interrupted.

“Did you even hear what I was saying?” she asked as he got up off the couch.

“No,” he answered honestly.

Margot sighed. “You’re hopeless. Fine, answer the door. Call me later when you’ll
actually
listen to me. The sister that is always right. Love you, Coop.”

“I love you, too, Margie.” He hung up once he’d reached the door. Cooper slid his phone into the back pocket of his jeans and then twisted the door handle.

He froze when he found Peyton at his doorstep.

“Peyton,” he breathed. “What are you doing here?”

Cooper didn’t live in town; he lived a short drive and a far walk from Peyton. He peered past her to find a silver Volkswagen Golf parked by the curb. She had driven, and he was glad she did. Because if she had walked, he’d haul her into his Range Rover and drive her home.

Glancing down at her, she wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a pale yellow chiffon top. Her light brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. But what caught his attention was the fine line her lips had made.

“I have something to say to you.”

“Okay. Did you want to come in?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’ll be quick. You, Cooper Hepburn, led me on.”

His shoulders went slack.

It was true, he had.

At that moment, Peyton’s eyes became watery and she clenched her eyes shut and groaned as if she hated that she was getting emotional. After a deep breath, she opened her eyes, and he saw the hurt and anger in them.

“You kissed me and made me believe you felt something towards me.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Peyton, I shouldn’t have done that to you,” he said, hoping he sounded believable. “I don’t blame you for hating me.”

She let out a sigh. “I don’t hate you, Cooper. I’m mad at you. Do you know how much it hurt to hear you say no to me? I mean, I should never assume, but I thought you felt something.
I
felt something. But I was sure you did after you kissed me.”

She felt something.

That only confused Cooper more. “But … you looked horrified. You didn’t say anything and then you let Mads take you away.”

“You surprised me. No one’s …” She paused. “No one’s kissed me in over a year. It was a lot to process. Mads thought I was going to have an emotional breakdown, and she didn’t want you to see that. I came back to find you, but you had already left the festival.”

She came to find me.

Christ, I’m an idiot.

“But that doesn’t matter anymore,” she said in a small voice.

“What?” he asked, horrified.

“I went through four and a half years of what-could-have-been. I never spoke up and I regret that. So I’m not going to do that this time. Not with you. I had so much faith in you. I’ve been through a lot, and I haven’t told you, but I wanted to. I overcame a lot to have the confidence to stand here and confront you. Because I didn’t with
him.
So yeah, you’re different, Cooper. And I like that about you. From the moment I met you, I have felt something towards you. This pull. I don’t know what it is. But I thought you felt it, too. No one has even attempted to spend time with me other than Mads and Graham. People treat me as if I’m fragile and going to explode any second. But I’m not. You didn’t treat me like that.

“You’re perfect. I love the way you talk about your sisters. I love how you get nervous sometimes and scratch your beard. I love how you look at me and see strength when I know there’s none there. You see the me I want to be. Others see this traumatised girl. You
were
perfect. I’ve never, in my entire life, asked someone out on a date. I shouldn’t take it personally, but I do. And that makes me feel horrible. I have no right to demand you care about me, but you shouldn’t have led me to believe that you do. That’s not fair. You could have been my forever. I never thought of you as my sometimes. I guess I was wrong about you.”

Peyton wiped away the tears that had run down her cheeks.

She had actually cried.

“Peyton—”

She shook her head at him, halting him from taking a step towards her. Peyton said nothing as she spun around and made her way towards her car.

He should stop her from leaving.

Stop her from getting into her car and taking away his chance at redemption.

Instead, Cooper’s feet remained where he stood, watching as Peyton Spencer got in her car and drove back towards town.

Peyton claims I’m perfect.

T
he skies were grey when he had left his cottage. Cooper had decided that an early morning walk to town and around the lake was what he needed before he started work. After Peyton had left yesterday, he couldn’t focus on work. He had stayed up late, trying to figure a way to fix his mistakes.

But nothing.

Her tears haunted him.

Each time he closed his eyes, they were vivid visions before him.

Later tonight, when he would call Margot, he would actually listen. Margot might be demanding and pushy, but she spoke a lot of sense. In fact, out of all the Hepburn children, she was the one who had an abundance of it. Cooper lacked a lot of it. Especially around Peyton.

When he reached the bottom of the small cliff, he looked out at the parts of the lake he could see. It was beautiful even in such dreary weather, and he took a moment to appreciate the sight. His contract would be over in about nine months, and he’d say goodbye to it. But he didn’t want to. No. He’d stay in Daylesford to be with Peyton. If she’d let him. He didn’t want Warren Meadows. Didn’t want to live in the stereotypical bubble.

Shoving his hands into his grey trackies, Cooper began his walk around the lake, taking in the trees that grew like canopies above him. It was just another charm of Daylesford. Everything about this small town was sweet and beautiful. As he continued his stroll around the lake, someone standing on the pier caught his attention. He had never seen anyone on it in the months that he had been in town. Cooper stopped and squinted, recognising who it was in an instant.

With a heavy exhale, he stepped onto the wooden pier and walked towards her. She was looking at the water. He was sure she was aware of his presence; the creaking of the wooden planks with each step he made was a loud indication. When he stopped next to her, Cooper stared out at the almost foggy lake. He could just see the ducks and the small different coloured boats from the boathouse.

“Do you really like Daisy Wilcox?” Peyton asked in a small voice, eyes forward.

Daisy?

“What?” He turned his attentions to the side of her face. She was composed. Not a frown or hint of what was going through her thoughts.

“It’s a small town, Cooper. They talk.”

He was going to be honest with her. When he had met Daisy, he had thought she was pretty. But his interests were on Peyton.

Only Peyton.

“I do,” he admitted. “I think—”

“Then I was out of line last night,” she cut him off. Then she slowly exhaled and faced him. “I’m sorry.”

Cooper cautiously set his hands on her arms, slightly afraid that she’d pull away. But she hadn’t. So he decided that this was okay for her. “No, don’t be. You weren’t out of line, Peyton. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”

“Because you like Daisy,” she added.

This woman had no idea how much a woman like Daisy Wilcox couldn’t and wouldn’t compare to her.

Not even close.

“No, I shouldn’t have kissed you without asking if that was something you were all right with. I don’t ever want you to think that I took advantage of you.” He took a deep breath and removed his hands from her. “Do you think I like Daisy?”

“I’m hoping you don’t,” she confessed.

“I don’t, Peyton,” he confirmed. Cooper smiled at the flash of relief in her eyes. “I barely know her.”

Peyton went quiet as she glanced down at his hands and then to her left, staring at the wooden planks of the pier. Cooper watched as she swallowed hard and then took a step back. Then her eyes shone brightly with unshed tears.

“I haven’t been on this pier in over a year,” she said.

“What?” He found it odd that she hadn’t.

She had pressed her lips tightly together before her eyes met his. “I had my worst heartbreak on this pier.”

Cooper flinched.

Shit.

His heart cracked for her.

This was the spot for her.

And this was the spot she had become vulnerable to him.

“Your boyfriend broke up with you here or something?”

She made a sharp inhale, eyes never leaving his.

“No.” She blinked. “He
died
here.”

Died.

One word and Cooper felt his jaw drop. He had no idea what to say. He was devastated for her. At that moment, he understood her reaction to every stupid mistake he had made.