-Oliver-

As my flight made its way from Washington to California, I spent the time thinking of Cooper and remembering how we met on a plane. I would have given anything to have him next to me, taking up too much space and letting me hold his hand when the plane took off. I looked at pictures from the trip, lingering on the ones of Cooper and I. All along I had been sharing pictures on social media, and I had more than one text asking who Cooper was. My friend Cameron was going to want to know all about it.

It was surreal landing back in California. The palm trees were nice, but I missed the dark green spires of the evergreen trees in Washington. The sun here seemed too bright after Washington's rain and clouds, and everything was loud and busy. It would take some getting used to after the quiet, laid back pace of the Olympic Peninsula.

I still had my key to Brad's condo, but it felt weird to use it now, so I knocked. I was hoping he wouldn't be home, but I knew there were a couple things we needed to talk about. He'd probably be glad to hear I wasn't going to stay for the month he'd given me to find a new place.

To my dismay, the door opened and I was faced with Brad standing there, impeccably dressed as usual. I felt my heart speed up at the sight, and I couldn't deny my attraction to him. I had so many mixed feelings about seeing him again, everything from sadness to anger to anxiety.

"Did you lose your key?" he asked.

"No, I have it. Just thought I'd knock instead of barging in."

Brad stepped back and held the door open. "How was your flight?"

"It was fine. And I'm planning on packing up my stuff and staying with Cameron until I find a new apartment."

Brad was silent as I left my bag by the door and went into the bedroom to start taking my clothes out of drawers and the closet. I didn't realize he had followed me, and it startled me when he spoke.

"I saw the pictures from the rest of your trip," he said, leaning against the doorway to the bedroom with his arms crossed. "Are you with that redneck now?"

I did my best to take a deep breath before I turned around and glared. "No. Cooper lives in Washington, so how could I be? And he's not a redneck. Don't call him that."

I began putting my stuff in piles, wishing Brad would leave. It was weird to be here with someone I had loved and shared my life with for two years. I hated that I was still attracted to him and that he still made me feel like I had something to prove.

"Look, Oliver..."

I turned again, and he was standing right in front of me, his expression serious. "Maybe we acted too rashly. I've had a lot on my plate with work lately, and the stress impacted my mood during our trip. I wasn't myself."

Confused, I stared at him. "What are you saying?"

"The week apart gave me time to think. I do love you, and I don't want to lose you. I think it'd be best if you didn't move out yet. I need to get through a couple of projects that are coming up, but then I'll have more free time. Time I can spend winning you back - taking you out to dinner, spending weekends in bed in different cities, going out to clubs like we used to."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and a wave of anger washed over me. After everything Brad put me through, now he was going to toy with me like this? He expected me to come running back to him?

"Are you serious right now?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Like I said, I think we acted rashly."

"Not me, you! You broke up with me!" I yelled, losing my composure. I wasn't normally an angry person and I knew I was letting my emotions get the best of me, but I couldn't believe the nerve of Brad to act like this had been a mutual decision.

"We both weren't happy," he said.

"That's one thing you're right about. I wasn't happy. I was fucking miserable, Brad, and it took time away from you and having someone treat me well in order for me to realize it. I'm not something you can discard when I'm inconvenient or you have better things to do! I'm not someone to line your pockets by paying half the rent while you put me down for my job not being good enough and not making enough money. I don't deserve to be just an option to you, instead of a priority."

"Is that what you think I did - took advantage of you by asking you to pay your half?" he asked, incredulous. "And you think I don't prioritize you?"

"You don't. You act like it's a chore to be with me. You held the trip over my head as something you were doing for me, but you made sure to let me know how much you sacrificed to make it happen. It should have been fun, not a guilt trip."

He stared at me with a flat expression and cold eyes. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Clearly we haven't seen things the same way, and we'll have to talk about that. But I'll say it again - I'm sorry I wasn't myself during the trip."

I shook my head, chuckling to myself even though nothing about this was funny. "No, Brad, who you were during the trip is exactly who you are. It's who you've been for a long time. I kept clinging to how it was for the first six months, hoping you'd be that man again, but I finally realized that man isn't coming back."

"People grow and change, Oliver. If you can't accept that, you're in for a rude awakening."

"You don't get it," I said, frustrated. "I don't think you ever will. But we're not compatible and we shouldn't be in a relationship. You got it right the first time when you broke up with me in Port Angeles."

Brad closed his eyes and sighed, and I remembered how he would do that whenever he was losing his patience with me. It was another thing I didn't miss about him.

"Please just go," I told him. "You made your decision, and now I'm making mine. We're done."

"Fine," he snapped. He began to walk out, but then stopped in the doorway of the bedroom. "You're making a mistake, choosing him over me."

"And you're making this about another man, when it's about you. I wouldn't come back to you even if Cooper didn't exist."

"Suit yourself," he huffed. "Good luck dating a fat, uncultured, uneducated redneck. I'm sure that's going to work out great for you."

He finally walked away, and as soon as I heard the front door close, I leaned against the wall and slid down until I was sitting on the floor. I was shaking after everything I'd said to Brad, but I blinked back tears, refusing to cry over him anymore. I wanted to get my stuff and get out and never see him again. But more than anything, I wanted Cooper.

I needed a big bear hug from him, and I wanted to hear his voice and his booming laugh and see his smile. But he lived a thousand miles away, which meant I couldn't be with him when I wanted to. And I couldn't blow up my life over a guy I'd known for all of two weeks. It wasn't going to work out between us, no matter how many times we called each other or tried to visit. That was no way to try to start a relationship.

I knew all of this, but it didn't stop me from taking out my phone and calling Cooper. Everything sucked right now and I was miserable and just wanted to feel better, even if it only lasted for a few minutes.

Cooper answered after a couple rings. "Hey! You home? How was your flight?"

At the sound of his voice, tears welled up in my eyes again. I didn't trust myself to speak.

"Oliver? Are you there?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry."

"Is everything okay?"

"No. No, it's not at all," I confessed. "I came back to Brad's condo to get my stuff and he had the nerve to suggest 'we acted rashly' and that we shouldn't break up. As if I had any part in that decision in the first place."

"That's ridiculous," Cooper said, already sounding offended on my behalf.

"I know. He expected me to just forgive him and have everything go right back to normal after he ignored me on our trip, broke up with me, and stranded me there."

"Are you still at his condo? Is he there?"

"No, he left. I went off on him and made it clear that we're not getting back together. I just want to get my stuff packed up and put this all behind me and forget about him."

"I'm sorry," Cooper said. "I hate that you had to see him again and deal with his bullshit, but I'm proud of you for telling him off. He doesn't deserve you. Never did."

"You know I have you to thank for this, right? Don't get me wrong, Brad made me feel like shit sometimes and I knew that wasn't okay, but I didn't realize how much better things could be until I met you."

"You deserve the best," Cooper insisted. Then his voice softened. "Are you going to be okay tonight? Do I need to get on a plane and fly down there?"

I laughed through my tears. "God, I wish I was with you right now. I'd give anything for one of your bear hugs."

"I miss you already," Cooper replied. "I was happy to see it was you calling, even if it wasn't for a great reason. You can call me anytime."

"Same. I'd really like to hear from you. And I want to stay on the phone with you for the rest of the day, but I should focus on packing up my stuff so I can get out of here."

"I agree. Get everything moved and go be with your friends."

I smiled to myself. "Thanks for listening. I knew talking to you would cheer me up."

"Good. Whenever you need cheering up, call me. I can tell you stupid jokes."

"Sounds great," I said, laughing. "Have a good night, and say hi to your family for me."

"Will do. Have a good night, Oliver."

After I ended the call, I opened up one of the pictures of Cooper in a ridiculous pose on a hike and made it my phone background. I knew I would need something to make me smile over the next few weeks.