Finally Myra.

54.

*Cooper's POV*

"Cooper McCullough, if your thoughts get any louder I'm going to go deaf." Lilah rolled over and looked at me in our hotel room bed.

And that was enough to snap me out of my thoughts. "Huh?" I raised my eyebrows.

"You have been completely silent since we got here, and I can tell by the blank stare and the gnawing at your nails that there is a war going on in that head of yours."

She isn't wrong. We've been back at the hotel for an hour now, and while she has been watching The Bachelor, I've been staring at this ceiling fan trying to think of a way to talk about everything without offending her, comparing her, or sounding like a dick.

And I have nothing.

"Cooper." She let out a small laugh.

"What?" I pursed my lips.

"What's up?" She shook her head.

I sighed and sat up. "Can we talk please?"

"Always." She nodded and set her pillow in her lap.

"Why haven't we talked about what's going to happen between you and I?"

She raised her eyebrows, pursed her lips, and nodded. "OK, so it's that kind of talk."

I nodded.

"The truth?"

"Please?"

"Believe it or not, you're very very easy to read." She nodded. "When we had the 'what are we?' conversation, you about sent yourself in to an anxiety attack. So let me ask you first, what do you want to happen between you and I, and we'll go from there." She gave me a small smile.

I took a deep breath. "There's a lot that I want to happen between you and I Li. But, it's only been like, 2 months and talking about things so soon makes me uncomfortable, because the last time I did talk about what I wanted so soon, well, she had a new boyfriend 3 weeks after."

"The difference is babe, I'm asking." She grabbed my hand and squeezed.

I sighed. "I want to be with you, all the time. I want to come home to you and Josh, sometimes Pauly. I know you probably don't want to hear about Lexi, but Lexi is my best friend. And she's always telling me that I give my heart away really easily, but I have a really hard time letting someone in it. And that's been harder for me recently, because I watched an entire relationship and engagement crash and burn simply because someone got bored." I nodded. "And I'm terrified that if you and I get to the point of moving in together, and being happy and in love, and we get into a routine, that you're going to get bored. I don't have anything to offer you-"

"Stop." She shook her head. "Is that really what you think? That you have nothing to offer me?"

I pursed my lips and nodded.

"Cooper. You have everything I want, and you already give it to me." She nodded.

"What?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I know what the girls say." She sighed. "They've all told you that all I've ever wanted, was for someone to want me back." She sighed. "And you do. I don't need much to be happy. All I've ever wanted was time, affection, and reciprocation. You always make time for me, and you always show me how much you care, and you put in just as I do if not more." She nodded. "In your head, you don't have much to offer, but it's the same about me in mine. I don't have much to offer. But I love you Cooper, I can offer my love, my time, and my affection. But you also give me patience, and understanding, and you treat Josh the same way you treat those girls and Layton. Those things, those are everything to me. You give me everything. You make me laugh, you give me comfort, and you make sure day in and day out that I'm OK. But I'm not Mackenzie. I don't want this big, exciting, extravagant life. I just want peace, love, and to feel like when we're in a room full of people, I'm the only one you have eyes for. And I'm perfectly happy with coming home, sitting at the table with you and Josh, talking about our days at work and his day at school, spending weekends with the people I love, and relaxing with you on long days."