Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Cooper
I wipe my forearm across my temples as I take a sip of water. Even though the walk to this spot took longer than expected—thanks, phone—every bit of this view is worth it. Penny just sat down on a rock, and judging by her reaction, we’ll be here for a while.
Being in nature like this, the canyon all around us, raw and real, quiets my mind. Whatever’s going on with Sebastian and Mia, Penny’s worries about after graduation—it all fades before the sight of her, staring at the view.
“Beautiful,” she murmurs.
I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. “Yeah.”
It’s not the canyon I’m looking at. It is beautiful, absolutely, full of history and unbridled wilderness, but I can’t tear my gaze away from her.
She fits in here. I kept thinking it on the walk, and now, set against a deep blue sky and a stunning, terrifying amount of natural beauty, it’s more obvious than ever. Some of the stone is the shade of her hair, shining in the sun just as brightly. She might have found a home on the ice, same as me, but she was born to be somewhere like this. Somewhere that shows her off like an uncut gem.
“You’re staring at me,” she teases.
I settle next to her on the rock. “Can’t help it.”
“You can look at me whenever, you know. Pretty sure you do that when I sleep sometimes.”
“Guess I learned something from Edward Cullen.”
She gives me a little shove. “Weirdo.”
“It’s gorgeous here, yeah.” I wrap my arm around her and squeeze. “But it just makes me notice you more. Over and over, Red.”
If she’s blushing, I can’t quite tell, because her face is still flushed from our walk. She cups my jaw, her thumb running back and forth across my beard. “Ridiculous.”
“Honest.” I turn and kiss her palm. “Are you really worried? Because I’m not worried.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. Not about us breaking up, exactly. Or something going wrong. But maybe... maybe by the time we’re together again, something will have changed.”
“So much might change between this year and the next.”
“But at least we’ll be together during it.”
I study her. The thought of her worrying about us, when she’s the only part of my life I’m completely sure about, doesn’t sit right with me. “Do you want to get married?”
She blinks. “What?”
“Or we could get engaged.”
“Cooper . . .”
“I’m serious,” I say softly. “Whatever would help you realize we’re it for each other.”
She takes my hand, playing with my fingers. “Maybe not yet.”
I kiss her. “That’s fine. It’s a big commitment.”
“And it’s a commitment I want to make with you, eventually.” Her fingernails dig into my palm, leaving little half-moon imprints. “I do like the idea of doing something . Something special, just for us, until we’re ready.”
“Think about it. Whatever you want to do, I’m down for.”
She shakes her head slightly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She scoots closer, resting her head on my shoulder. “Can we stay awhile?”
“Always.”
After a few minutes spent taking in the view, a hiker with a camera walks over. He holds it up, a slight smile on his face.
“I used to come here with my wife,” he says. “You two remind me of us. Want me to take your picture?”