"I can finish what he started with you in that bar." Cooper's words seemed to linger in the air as Ariella tried to find the words to say no but yes at the same time.
"Good one." she said and mentally slapped herself.
"I'm not even kidding." Cooper said and not once did he look at her.
"Huh." Ariella sighed and mentally slapped herself again for making such a pathetic sound.
"Let's go to my place." Cooper said and that was when Ariella became frantic.
"Wait. We're doing this right now? What is happening? Stop." she said and once again her breathing became shallow.
"No. We're going to my house to talk about the ring and the guys. And for you to make me some food." he said bluntly and Ariella began to breathe deeply through her nose and was relieved. Cooper finally glanced in her direction, but only looked at the ring, obviously avoiding eye contact.
Ariella could barely stand the silence and awkward air around her. Finally pulling into Cooper's driveway, he quickly got out of the car and started walking towards the house.
"What a gentleman." Ariella grumbled and got out of the car, the glint of the sun on her ring catching her eye.
'What happens after all of this is over? Nothing has happened yet, but something will happen and when it's over, what? Will Cooper go back to being the douchebag he was, hitting on all the freshman girls? Will I ever live a normal life? And what about the dreams? I need a therapist.'
In all honesty, Ariella was scared. Scared out of her mind. Answers were needed but none were provided. She slowly walked into the house behind Cooper, the last time being here was when she was drunk and had coffee with Cooper, before getting in the car with him. The car ride that changed her forever. She wished she could take it all back. Not go to the party. Not drink. Stayed at home reading or watching TV.
"Alright." Cooper said as he sat down at the kitchen table. Ariella stared at him, standing right in front of him.
"What?" she asked as Cooper patiently sat there.
"Just waiting for you to make me something." he said with a smirk and Ariella was confused. Just half an hour ago, he was a mess, worried about Ariella's safety and catching the bad guys. And now he was smirking at her like there was nothing to worry about, slowly standing up and stepping closer and-
"Uh- okay." Ariella said. Anything that would get her out of any sort of intimate confrontation with Cooper. If that meant cooking something quick for him, so be it.
"I'm going to poison it though." she grumbled as Cooper sat back down, watching Ariella, satisfied.
"Happy?" she asked as she set a plate of pasta and sauce in front of him.
"Shit this is good. I chose a good one." he said and grinned at Ariella.
"You didn't choose me. The ring did." Ariella said as she sat down with a plate of her own. Cooper had stopped chewing for a second to watch Ariella as she put a forkful of pasta in her mouth. She lifted her eyes up to his and they stared at each other again, just like they had when they drank coffee that morning. He licked his lips and Ariella watched him before glancing back down at her plate. She couldn't get the image of him licking his lips out of her mind. She wanted to kiss those lips. Then, her phone buzzed in her lap.
'How's Cooper?'
It was from Luke. She smiled and quickly responded.
'Still a little bitch. Made me cook for him.'
She took another bite of her pasta and her phone buzzed again.
'Hah, Cooper's a piece of work but I'm sure he means well. You always have me if he doesn't protect you like he should ;)' Ariella couldn't help but blush at those words. Luke was a flirt, she knew that, and he probably had a bunch of girls on his arm all the time. But it was very rare for a guy to flirt like this with Ariella, so she was basking in the attention.
"What are you smiling like an idiot at?" Cooper asked and Ariella finished her pasta.
"None of your business." she said and quickly brought her plate to the sink before checking the time.
"I should go home now." she said and walked towards the door.
"I'll drive you." Cooper said, and Ariella was shocked he didn't push her.
The car ride was another quiet one, but it wasn't awkward. Ariella had plenty to think about.
"I know we didn't talk about the boys or the rings but there's a lot we need to get through in the next few days." Cooper said and Ariella sighed. There wasn't a day she will spend that didn't revolve around the ring.
Pulling into the driveway, Cooper shut the engine off.
"Listen. I know I always give you a talk before dropping you off but it's important. I know it's scary and with you being anxious all the time it's hard for you. But please trust me. I promise to protect you." he said and Ariella looked at him instead of her hands finally.
"Okay." she said and looked at his lips again. She couldn't help it she just wanted to kiss him.
He leaned in slowly and Ariella got nervous. She doesn't know how to kiss boys. She doesn't have enough experience. She stayed still while Cooper leaned in and his lips ghosted over her's. His lips softly kissed her's before pulling back.
They just stared at each other before Cooper came to his senses.
"I guess you should be going." he said and Ariella was a little surprised at his cold reaction.
"Is that how it's going to be? You lead me on like that, kiss me, and then you tell me to leave? Well then, Mr. Awesome, have it your way." Ariella said with a burst of confidence and a new found frustration before getting out of the car with her phone in hand, backpack on, slamming the door, and jogging to the front door. After greeting her mother and father and running to her room, she watched Cooper's car sit there for a few minutes before finally pulling out of the driveway and driving off.
YOU ARE READING
My Ammunition
ChickLit"You don't like me." "Yeah. And you don't like me." "Then why are we doing this?" Ariella and Cooper were practically opposites and were most definitely not meant to be. But as soon as one party ends in a drunken Ariella and a "heroic" Cooper, the t...
