right to say these things to you. It doesn’t make any sense for me to feel this way. I know that, but it doesn’t change anything.” Sitting back up, he took a deep breath. Rubbing his hands together rapidly, he then placed one on his thigh and the other rubbed the back of his neck. It was a nervous habit she had picked up on a few weeks ago.
“Cooper, I can’t sit here and wait for you to decide what you want. I won’t.” Tears were forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. How dare he give her the words she wanted to hear, but refuse to acknowledge the reasons? “And if I recall, just the other night, you asked me to watch Madison this weekend while you went on a date. Again!”
She stood up from the bench, her body shaking as she tried to calm down. “How dare you! You come to my house, telling me that you don’t want me to date anyone. That you can’t stand the thought of another man touching me. Yet, days later, you will be doing that very thing to another woman.”
“Listen to me, Faith. It didn’t come out right. I know I can’t dictate what you do with your life,” he said while reaching up one hand to her.
“No, you listen to me. Until you get your shit together and make a choice, we’re just friends. I won’t be anyone’s second choice, Cooper. Either you want to stay married to the memory of your late wife, or you want the real thing. A living, breathing woman.” Taking a breath, she calmed her voice as she looked at him staring at her with eyes widened in shock. “Cooper, I’m not saying what your choice has to be. But you do have to make a choice. Live in the past or build a new future. It’s your choice. But if I’m not here waiting for you when you finally decide, then so be it.”
His blue eyes darkened and his brow furrowed in anger. “Faith, you can’t ask me to make that choice. I need time to do what’s right.”
“No, you don’t Cooper. You know what’s right. You know what you want. All you have to do is take a leap of faith. Until then, go home. I’ll see you on Saturday when you drop off Madison,” she said sadly. Unable to hide how she was feeling, the hurt and pain came through loud and clear.
“I’ll cancel. It was a setup by an Army buddy. It means nothing,” he responded.
“No, you should go. This is not an ultimatum. This a friend giving you some much needed advice. You can’t continue to live in the past, Cooper, or else you miss the future that’s standing right in front of you.” Walking past him was one of the hardest things she’d ever have to do. Closing the door behind her, she looked out the curtains every once in a while and still he sat. For more than thirty minutes he stayed there, sitting silently as the sun began to dip behind the horizon.
A few minutes before Madison was due home, he stood and left. Not once looking back.
Chapter Nine
Saturday night had finally come and Faith was on edge. After their conversation on the front porch, she and Cooper had only seen each other once. She had made lasagna for dinner on Thursday night and it had been way too much food for her, but instead of walking over some dinner for them to eat, she had just put it away in the fridge for leftovers. Plus, she hated the tension that had built up between the two of them.
If he were so upset about her going on a date with another man, why couldn’t he understand how she felt? Offering to cancel his date was not the same thing as never going in the first place. Then again, she couldn’t throw stones. Her date with John was still a barrier between them. Still not understanding why he was so intent to understand her reasons for going on a date, she was tempted to think he had been jealous. It had been a nice evening, but she and John hadn’t even kissed good night. She had been too worried about how it would look to Cooper when he found out. And she had been right.
Looking at the clock and
“Cooper, I can’t sit here and wait for you to decide what you want. I won’t.” Tears were forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. How dare he give her the words she wanted to hear, but refuse to acknowledge the reasons? “And if I recall, just the other night, you asked me to watch Madison this weekend while you went on a date. Again!”
She stood up from the bench, her body shaking as she tried to calm down. “How dare you! You come to my house, telling me that you don’t want me to date anyone. That you can’t stand the thought of another man touching me. Yet, days later, you will be doing that very thing to another woman.”
“Listen to me, Faith. It didn’t come out right. I know I can’t dictate what you do with your life,” he said while reaching up one hand to her.
“No, you listen to me. Until you get your shit together and make a choice, we’re just friends. I won’t be anyone’s second choice, Cooper. Either you want to stay married to the memory of your late wife, or you want the real thing. A living, breathing woman.” Taking a breath, she calmed her voice as she looked at him staring at her with eyes widened in shock. “Cooper, I’m not saying what your choice has to be. But you do have to make a choice. Live in the past or build a new future. It’s your choice. But if I’m not here waiting for you when you finally decide, then so be it.”
His blue eyes darkened and his brow furrowed in anger. “Faith, you can’t ask me to make that choice. I need time to do what’s right.”
“No, you don’t Cooper. You know what’s right. You know what you want. All you have to do is take a leap of faith. Until then, go home. I’ll see you on Saturday when you drop off Madison,” she said sadly. Unable to hide how she was feeling, the hurt and pain came through loud and clear.
“I’ll cancel. It was a setup by an Army buddy. It means nothing,” he responded.
“No, you should go. This is not an ultimatum. This a friend giving you some much needed advice. You can’t continue to live in the past, Cooper, or else you miss the future that’s standing right in front of you.” Walking past him was one of the hardest things she’d ever have to do. Closing the door behind her, she looked out the curtains every once in a while and still he sat. For more than thirty minutes he stayed there, sitting silently as the sun began to dip behind the horizon.
A few minutes before Madison was due home, he stood and left. Not once looking back.
Chapter Nine
Saturday night had finally come and Faith was on edge. After their conversation on the front porch, she and Cooper had only seen each other once. She had made lasagna for dinner on Thursday night and it had been way too much food for her, but instead of walking over some dinner for them to eat, she had just put it away in the fridge for leftovers. Plus, she hated the tension that had built up between the two of them.
If he were so upset about her going on a date with another man, why couldn’t he understand how she felt? Offering to cancel his date was not the same thing as never going in the first place. Then again, she couldn’t throw stones. Her date with John was still a barrier between them. Still not understanding why he was so intent to understand her reasons for going on a date, she was tempted to think he had been jealous. It had been a nice evening, but she and John hadn’t even kissed good night. She had been too worried about how it would look to Cooper when he found out. And she had been right.
Looking at the clock and
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