November

Chapter Nine

-Cooper-

I had just gotten back from the grocery store when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I dug it out and saw Oliver's name on the screen. "Let me guess, Brad ditched him again," I said under my breath.

"Hey, Oliver!" I answered.

"Hey." His voice was quiet on the other end of the line.

"You need a hiking buddy?"

"Um..." He was silent for a few seconds, and I thought I heard shaky breathing.

"Oliver? Is everything okay?"

"No. Brad and I broke up," he choked out.

"Shit."

"He took the car and headed to the airport to fly back early. I don't know what to do. I didn't want to end the trip early, but maybe I should have since he's not helping me pay for the lodge for the second week, and even if I change my mind he's taken the car and I'll have to rent another one and -"

"Hey, hey, slow down," I said. "It's going to be okay. I'll leave my house in a few minutes and drive over to you, and we can figure it out. I'll help you."

"I'm sorry, I -"

"Shh. Don't worry about it. And Oliver? I'm really sorry you're going through this. I'll be there as soon as I can. Take a hot shower or go for a short walk or something, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

I hung up the phone and quickly put my groceries away. I was already feeling conflicted. On one hand, I was elated that Oliver and Brad had broken up because Oliver deserved better. But on the other hand, I didn't want him hurting. It was so shitty that Brad had done this in the middle of their trip and ruined yet another thing for Oliver.

-

It took at least an hour to get from Forks to Port Angeles, and I wished I could have driven faster. When I parked in front of Oliver's hotel, I texted him to say I was here, and he responded with his room number.

His eyes were puffy and red rimmed when he opened the door, but he tried to smile at me. "Thank you for coming. I didn't know what to do."

"I'm glad you called. And I'm sorry you two broke up and he left you here. Break-ups suck, and I imagine they must suck even more when you're far from home."

"Yeah. I tried to get him to reconsider, but his mind was made up."

"He broke up with you?" I asked softly.

Oliver nodded. "He was right when he said we haven't been happy for a while. If I'm being honest, I've been frustrated with him lately, but I thought maybe we needed to talk about it or get counseling. I wasn't ready to give up." He looked to the side and shook his head. "I wanted him to be my husband someday."

I felt a stab of guilt at his words. I clearly didn't know enough about their relationship, or the extent of Oliver's feelings for Brad. Had I meddled too much by telling Oliver that Brad wasn't treating him right?

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I'm here for you, for whatever you need. We can go for a walk, or we can figure out your situation, or eat a gallon of ice cream while watching a movie. Your pick."

-Oliver-

I shouldn't have involved Cooper in this, but I had no one else to call. He was the only person I knew who was within a hundred miles of where I was. I felt bad that he'd driven over here because I'd panicked, but I also wanted his comforting presence.