Spring Fling (26 page)

Ethan shrugged. “If you want.”

Danielle moved closer to him, pressing the dish towel against his cheek. Already it was starting to bruise. “Does that hurt?”

“It‟s fine,” he said, even though he flinched.

“Ethan, I‟m sorry,” she said. “I didn‟t know Rory was going to kiss me tonight. It just happened.”

“You liked kissing him,” Ethan accused.

“Actually, I didn‟t.”

“You didn‟t?” Ethan skeptically asked. “Could have fooled me.”

“I will admit that I wondered what it would be like to kiss Rory, but I
never
encouraged him,” she clarified. “Besides, I liked your kisses better.” Ethan perked up. “Really?”

“Uh-huh.” Danielle pressed the dish towel back against Ethan‟s cheek. “What can I do to make things up to you?”

Ethan thought about it. Then he said, “A kiss would be nice.” Danielle leaned over and removed the dish towel, kissing Ethan‟s bruised cheek.

“Better?”

Ethan shook his head. “I was hoping you‟d kiss me someplace else.” Danielle kissed his other cheek. “Better?”

Ethan shook his head again.

Danielle pretended to think. “Hmmm. Where else can I kiss you?” And then she leaned down and kissed Ethan on the lips. “Better?”

Ethan smiled. “
Much
better!”

“Hey!” Damian exclaimed from the doorway, Mindy by his side. “You won the bet!”

Danielle stared from Damian to Ethan. “Bet? What bet?”

“Oops!” a red-faced Damian exclaimed, pressing a hand to his mouth.

Mindy sighed. “What did you do
now
?”

Ethan glared at Damian. “Thanks a lot, bigmouth!”

Damian took Mindy by the hand, pulling her into the kitchen. “I think I‟ll let Ethan explain.”

“So what‟s this about a bet?” Danielle asked after Damian and Mindy were gone.

“Tell me.”

“Cooper and I made a bet on the first day of spring break,” Ethan explained. “To see who could get kissed first by one of the girls next door. Cooper suggested we switch places so I could see what it was like to be a rich guy and he‟d be an average guy. He seemed to think girls were only interested in him for his money. The Mercedes didn‟t come with the beach house. It‟s Coop‟s.”

“So the credit cards were his, too?”

“Cut off by his father.”

“I‟ll bet you were pissed off at Cooper that day we went to the restaurant.”

“I was mad because you had to wash those dishes.”

“I‟ve washed dishes lots of times. It was no big deal.”

“It was to me,” Ethan said. “I wanted to treat you like a princess, Danielle.”

“You did? Why?”

“Because I like you.” A blushing Ethan stared down at the remote control in his hands. “A lot.”

Danielle placed a finger under Ethan‟s chin, lifting his head up. “I like you, too.” She paused and then said, “A lot.”

“Anyway,” Ethan continued, “as Cooper and I got to know you and Ava, we decided to call off the bet.”

“How come?”

“We liked both of you and we didn‟t want the first time one of us kissed you to be connected to the bet.”

Danielle was silent for a moment. Then she said, “Okay.”

“That‟s it?” Ethan asked. “Aren‟t you going to say anything else?”

“What‟s there to say?”

“You‟re not mad?”

“What‟s there to be mad about? You might have been pretending to be someone else, but on the inside, you were still the same Ethan. The same sweet guy I fell for,” she said softly.

“You fell for me?” Ethan asked.

“Yes.” Danielle pressed the dish towel back against Ethan‟s cheek. “Besides, I‟m just as guilty as you.”

“Guilty? What do you mean?”

“I‟ve been pretending this week, too,” she confessed. “Back home in North Ridge, I‟m not the hot spring break babe you‟ve been around all week.” Danielle pulled off her tiara and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I‟m as fake as this plastic crown.”

“What do you mean?”

“This isn‟t me. Until this week, I was never into the way I looked. Clothes and hair and makeup never mattered to me. My sister and my friends gave me a spring break makeover on our first day and, well, it kind of went to my head. All of a sudden, I was getting all this attention from guys and I wasn‟t used to it. I‟m usually a bookworm who
doesn’t
flirt with guys. I‟ve always been a one-guy girl.”

“How about if we both start over?” Ethan asked. “We go back to just being ourselves. Ethan and Danielle.”

“I‟d like that,” Danielle agreed with a smile. “But on one condition.”

“What?”

“You get to be my one guy.”

“Only if you get to be my one girl.”

“I‟d like that,” Danielle whispered as she gave Ethan a kiss. “I‟d like that a lot!”
Chapter Twenty-Three

Cooper usually loved to party, but he wasn‟t in the mood tonight. All around him, couples were laughing and dancing, having a good time, but he was oblivious to it. All he wanted to do was talk to Ava, but he couldn‟t find her anywhere. He‟d arrived more than an hour ago and they hadn‟t crossed paths yet. It was almost like she was avoiding him. And he knew why. Ava was scared…scared that she was developing feelings for him.

That kiss she had given him yesterday was proof that she felt something for him.

But she didn‟t want to admit it.

Instead, she wanted to hide.

Well, Ava could hide for now, Cooper thought as he scoped the party crowd, but eventually he was going to find her.

And when he did, he was going to tell her how he felt.

He liked her. A lot. And he wanted to keep seeing her once they got back home to North Ridge.

Hopefully, she‟d want to keep seeing him.

Hopefully, she‟d want to be his girlfriend.

Because he wanted to be her boyfriend.

Ava made him feel special. She didn‟t make him feel like he was a prize that was being competed for the way most of his dates did. She didn‟t care about his family‟s money. Heck, she didn‟t even know about it! She just liked him for who he was.

Finally, Cooper caught sight of Ava heading into the kitchen with a stack of empty red cups. He hurried after her and found her trying to reach a bag of potato chips perched on the top shelf of a cupboard.

“Let me do that,” he said, reaching above her.

She whirled around. “Cooper!”

“Surprised to see me?” he asked, handing her the potato chips.

“Of course not! You were invited.”

“First time I‟ve seen you all night,” he pointed out.

“As you can see, it‟s a zoo out there,” Ava explained as she ripped open the bag of potato chips and poured them into a bowl. “Plus, I‟ve been running around playing hostess.”

“And avoiding me,” Cooper stated.

Ava bit into a potato chip. “Why would I be avoiding you?”

“Because you don‟t want to talk to me.”

Ava shoved another potato chip into her mouth. “That‟s silly! Of course I want to talk to you.”

“Really?” Cooper leaned against the refrigerator, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Ava nervously eat another potato chip. “Then why haven‟t I seen you all day?”

“I needed some time to myself,” she admitted. “I‟ve been thinking.”

“About?”

“Us.”

Hearing that word, Cooper‟s heart nearly stopped. “There‟s an us?” he dared to ask.

“Yes, there‟s an us. You know there is.”

Cooper shrugged, trying to remain calm. Trying not to get his hopes up. “How would I know that? Like I said, you‟ve been avoiding me. You need two people to make an us. Just like you need two people to make a couple. Do you see us as a couple, Ava?

Because I do.”

Ava sighed, abandoning the potato chips. “Cooper, I like you. I really do. You‟re a great guy and I‟ve loved every minute I‟ve spent with you.”

“I sense a
but
coming,” Cooper said, hoping he was wrong but knowing he wasn‟t.

“That‟s never a good sign.”

“But I‟m not ready to be in a relationship,” she finished. “I just ended things with Josh and it‟s too soon for me to start dating again. I‟m still nursing a broken heart and I need to put the pieces back together before I‟m ready to give my heart to someone else. I do have feelings for you; I‟m not going to deny that I do. It‟s been great feeling all nervous and excited again. Butterflies in my stomach and tingles down my spine. The magic of kissing someone new and wanting to kiss them again. You know what I‟m talking about, right?”

“I sure do,” Cooper whispered.

“It‟s all been wonderful, but before I start dating another guy, I need some time to myself.”

“How much time?”

“I don‟t know.”

“And then? Once you‟ve had that time?”

“There might be a chance for us,” Ava said. “But I don‟t know when that will be and I don‟t want you waiting for me. It wouldn‟t be right. Can‟t we just be friends? Or have I broken the Smooth Operator‟s heart?”

Cooper stared at Ava in shock. “Where did you hear that nickname?”

“Smooth Operator?”

“Yeah.”

“From my cousin Amelia,” Ava said. “She goes to South Ridge High. She‟s a junior. The last time I was over at her house, I was flipping through a copy of the
South
Ridge High Gazette
and I saw your photo. You had won some sort of academic award.

Anyway, when Amelia saw me looking at your photo, she told me all about you. She says all the girls at South Ridge High are
crayzeee
about you.”
Crazy about me or crazy about my family’s money?
Cooper wondered.

“You‟re
quite
the catch,” Ava teased. “Every girl at South Ridge High wants to go out with you.”

“Except you,” Cooper said, trying not to feel rejected, and failing. It hurt that Ava didn‟t want to go out with him. That she didn‟t want to take a chance on them. Wasn‟t that what life was all about? Taking chances? Risks?

“I don‟t go to South Ridge High,” Ava pointed out. “So you didn‟t answer my question.” She touched Cooper on the arm. “I know what I‟ve said isn‟t what you wanted to hear, but right now, it‟s the best I can do. And I really do mean it. I want to be friends with you, but if you can‟t handle it, I understand.”

Cooper thought about what he wanted to say. He was still reeling over the fact that Ava knew all about him. That she knew he was rich. He wasn‟t upset, because it hadn‟t made a difference with her. Ava liked him for who he was. And if it was possible with Ava, maybe it was possible with another girl. A girl who was just as nice as Ava. The thing was, he didn‟t want another girl. He wanted Ava. But just because he was rich, it didn‟t mean he could always get what he wanted. It was like they said. Money couldn‟t buy happiness.

And then he realized something else. There had been no reason for the bet. It had been pointless because all along, Ava had known who he really was. He started laughing.

“What‟s so funny?” Ava asked.

Cooper decided he would tell Ava about the bet later tonight. He didn‟t think she would be upset. She‟d probably even understand. But right now, they had something more important to discuss.

“I‟d love to be friends,” he said, watching as Ava smiled. He could see from the relief on her face that she‟d been hoping he‟d say those words.

“Friends hug,” she said. “Can I give you a hug?”

“I‟d love one.”

As Ava gave him a hug, Cooper held her close. She felt so good in his arms. He didn‟t want to let go, but knew he‟d eventually have to.

Holding Ava, Cooper made a decision. If she needed time for herself, then he was going to give her all the time she needed.

Like they said, some things were worth the wait.

And when it came to Ava, he was willing to wait.

“Do you think anyone noticed we were gone?” Mindy asked Damian when they returned to the party.

“Nah. Lots of couples have been sneaking off, trying to have their last bit of fun before spring break ends.”

Damian had taken her next door because he‟d wanted them to be alone so they could talk and maybe even kiss a little bit more, but the house hadn‟t been empty. First they‟d walked in on Danielle and Ethan; then Steve had shown up with a bunch of girls, followed by Howie and a bunch of guys. In the end, they decided to come back to the party.

“I‟m glad Danielle and Ethan patched things up,” Mindy said. “They make a cute couple. Although you nearly ruined things with your big mouth!”

“It just slipped out! Besides, all‟s well that ends well.”

“Don‟t say anything to Cooper!” Mindy warned. “Let him tell Ava in his own way.”

“My lips are sealed,” Damian vowed.

Mindy laughed. “Yeah, right! You‟re worse than me when it comes to keeping a secret! I‟ll bet you‟re the biggest gossip at South Ridge High.”

“Speaking of gossip, what do you think the grapevine‟s going to say once we get back home?”

Mindy sighed. “Everyone‟s going to love dishing the dirt about Wanda and me.”

“Actually, I think they‟re going to be talking about something else.”

“What could top our catfight?”

“How about Wanda getting caught cheating on her boyfriend?”

“What?!” Mindy exclaimed in shock.

“Take a look,” Damian said, pointing with a finger. “Or rather, take a listen!” Mindy stared across the room at the staircase leading from the second floor. Rick was racing down the stairs, followed by a pleading Wanda, who was begging him to let her explain why she was with another guy. She‟d never seen Wanda so upset before. She was practically on the verge of tears. She reached an arm out to Rick, but he shoved her away, telling her not to touch him. A motionless Wanda stared at him, almost as if she was expecting him to come back to her. When he didn‟t, Wanda turned around and ran out of the house.

“I wonder what happened,” Mindy murmured.