Somewhere

Chapter Two

I knocked on the passenger side window of Cooper's car and his eyes snapped in my direction. My little wave deepened his permanent grimace. I pointed to the lock, keeping my eyes fixed on his. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

Sighing, Cooper dragged his hand to the door as if it were the hardest thing to do in the world. Still, he unlocked it. That was a step in the right direction. Keeping my smile down, I climbed inside his red Subaru and settled against the leather, breathing in his smell. Coop was everywhere and I wanted him to erase me.

"Buckle up," he muttered, and I did as he compelled the engine to life, along with his classic rock music that played softly. He drove out of his row of less nice cars, finding the gravel road and he didn't ask for directions. He really did remember, which meant he remembered me.

He grumbled about nothing at first, shifting and glancing at me as if working up the courage. Both his hands gripped the steering wheel. "I don't remember you being friends with Adam Sage."

"Well..." I shrugged, hoping he didn't notice my ears burning. "We're not really friends." Which was true. At some point, after everyone kept telling me to get over the loss of my best friend. I thought yes, I should. Cooper was gone and I was still living, so I reached for the warmest body. Adam Sage chased me all summer and when I finally let him catch me, I was drunk on him for days. When we finally detached, the cold returned and no one could warm me up again.

"He was certainly friendly with you." Cooper's knuckles whitened. Leaning over, I caught the speedometer racing upward and the smell burnt rubber turned my stomach. "Okay. Let me rephrase myself. I don't remember Adam Sage being gay."

My heart plummeted to my toes. So, he did notice. Oh god, of course he noticed. He noticed everything. I quickly sat up. "Hey, you know the speed limit is 35?"

He hit the brakes and I jetted forward, the seat belt catching me. I couldn't relax, staying cautious. Why stop? Why ease the tension? Tension just made everything easier to break and I wanted all his secrets to fall apart. I asked, "where have you been Cooper?"

He raised his hand. "No. We're not talking about it."

"Coop," I called him by his old nickname, and his shoulders relaxed. He only let me call him that. "You've been gone for five years and I haven't heard from you at all—"

"Well, I'm back!" He shouted and threw his hands up. "Can't you just be happy with that?"

"So, you are back? For good?"

"Didn't I just say I was?"

Relaxing, my delight overflowed, and I had to smile. I asked him to "say it again."

The corner of his mouth betrayed him, a little smirk escaping. He humored me in his deep gravely nighttime radio voice, "I'm back." It took everything I had in me, every piece of control to stop from reaching over and giving him the best kiss of his life.

Then, I caught something in the corner of my eyes, and I sucked in a gasp. A gigantic figure on four legs stood in the middle of the road, lit by the spotlights of the car. Cooper yanked on the wheel, but it was too late. He clipped the figure and we were in a tornado, my body pressing against the car until it stopped. As the car righted itself, I was jerked the other way.

A flash, a memory struck my head like a baseball bat. I was taken back five years ago when the sun was racing to night. I saw the words, remembering the tears and worry. The woods became the cave and I saw Cooper and the blood. His endless apologies.

The four long scars scrapping down my arm burned.

Then, my body sunk against the passenger seat. I clung to the armrest, managing my short panicked breathes. Pain bloomed in the back of my neck and I couldn't tell if the pain from now or then was worse.