-Cooper-

I was nervous, even though I knew I shouldn't be. Oliver and I had already had three video calls during the past month and they'd all been amazing. I had fallen for him even harder, despite him not physically being here. We texted each other every day and sometimes called each other when one of us was driving home from work. Oliver had even called me on Christmas day, texting a picture of him in front of a Christmas tree after we hung up. It had immediately become my new phone background and I couldn't help staring at it any chance I got. I was usually grinning like a fool when I gazed at Oliver's cute dimple and soft chestnut eyes.

Our video calls had been on our phones so far, but Oliver wanted to see more of me than just my face, so today I was setting up my old laptop and fussing around with it, trying to make sure the camera was at the best angle. I messed with my hair while watching my image on the screen. Maybe it was dumb, because this was just a video call, but I had showered, trimmed my beard, and put on a shirt I knew Oliver liked. I wanted to look good for him, and I hoped he was still attracted to me.

The call connected, and when Oliver's face appeared on the screen, he smiled widely. His dimple deepened and his eyes seemed to brighten.

"Hey, Coop," he said. "You look nice."

I posed for him and flexed my biceps. "I try." Acting silly was my best defense at hiding how nervous and uncertain I really felt. "And you look perfect, as usual."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "I'm not perfect."

"You're a real life Ken doll who saves people's lives at work."

"Stop," he laughed. "You're overselling both my looks and my job."

"Am not. You do important work."

"And so do you. We need wood to build our homes and we need fish to eat."

I grinned. "True."

We caught up on how our families and friends were doing and how work was going. I loved that Oliver cared as much as he did about my family and what they were up to, especially Annabelle. Time flew by, and we had been talking for an hour before I broached a topic that had been on my mind.

"So, when can I come visit and get a tour of San Diego?" I asked.

Oliver laughed. "If you're serious about that, I need to get my own place first. I barely fit on Cameron's couch, and I know you definitely wouldn't."

"You still haven't found anything?"

He shook his head. "No. I've been pretty busy with work, and it's tough to find a decent roommate situation."

I couldn't help but be disappointed. I really wanted to fly down and see him in person, but he hadn't made it a priority to find a new apartment and settle in. I didn't want to push him, but it made me wonder if he wanted me to visit. We still hadn't talked about what this was or put a label on it. He wasn't my boyfriend, but we spent a lot of time talking.

I wanted to ask if he would consider a long distance relationship, but I was scared. I was used to long distance because it was typically my only option, but I couldn't imagine Oliver would want that when he had plenty of men in the same city as him. I didn't know what to do, so I did nothing.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked. "I can keep an eye out for listings."

Oliver smiled. "You're sweet. But I think I've got it covered. I'm a whole lot more familiar with San Diego than you are."

"Fair point. What are you going to do today? I can see that sun coming in through the window."

"It's a beautiful day," Oliver replied, turning his head to look out the window. The sun lit up subtle auburn highlights in his hair, and I yearned to be able to run my fingers through his hair and kiss him. "I might go for a walk," Oliver continued, "but the hikes here aren't anywhere near as adventurous as what you've got."

"Well, I'm not doing anything adventurous today. Rhett and I are going fishing. I'm saving hiking for tomorrow."

"I'm jealous. I miss it," Oliver said, a soft smile on his face.

"I miss you."

"Same. You were my favorite thing about Washington."

I knew I was blushing. "If Rhett wasn't on his way over here in fifteen minutes, I'd consider giving you a show," I teased, slowly unbuttoning the top two buttons of my shirt.

"Don't tempt me," Oliver warned. "I'm in Cameron and Mallory's living room."

"Next time, I'll send you money for a hotel room so we can have a proper video call," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

"I might take you up on that. But now that the thought is in my head, we're going to need to hang up so I can take a cold shower or something."

I laughed. "Okay. Let me know when you're free to do this again."

"I will. Bye, Cooper!" he said, giving me a little wave.

I waved back, not wanting to see him go. When the call disconnected, everything seemed a little duller in my world.

-Oliver-

I turned off the camera and slumped back on the couch, sighing deeply. I hadn't been trying very hard to find an apartment. In reality, I was dragging my feet. Finding an apartment meant signing a year-long lease, which meant I'd be saying goodbye to a chance of a relationship with Cooper.

I felt bad putting Cooper off from visiting me, but the truth was I had started to think about the idea of us living in the same place. Every time the thought surfaced, I tried to talk myself out of it. It would be crazy to move to another state for someone I'd met less than two months ago.

But this was stupid. My life was in limbo because of how I felt about Cooper. What was I even doing in California anyway? I wasn't close with my parents, I could get a nursing or research job anywhere, and most of my friends were starting to settle down and I was seeing less of them. There was nothing important keeping me here.

Cooper would never leave his family or the state he loved, and he shouldn't have to when I didn't have a good reason to stay in California. But could I really move to Washington?

"You all done?" Mallory asked, sticking her head out of the bedroom and interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry that went longer than I thought. You two are awesome for staying trapped in your room while I take over the living room to talk to my not-boyfriend."

"No worries. We're happy to do it, and it gives us an excuse to be lazy and watch a movie in bed."

Cameron walked out and settled on one of the single chairs in the room. "How's Cooper?"

"Cooper's great," I said. "But it's frustrating being so far from him."

"Yeah, you look a little down," Mallory said, leaning against the wall at the entrance to the living room. "What's going on with you two?"

"I don't know. Everything's still great and he wants to come visit, but..."

"But what?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. It's crazy."

"Tell us," Mallory insisted.

I sighed again. "It's completely crazy that I'm even considering the possibility of moving to Washington, right? All because of a guy I only spent two weeks with?"

"Yes and no. Other people have moved for less," Cameron said. "Because they want a change, or they're getting bored of where they are, or because they liked the food scene in a city they visited."

"Exactly," Mallory said. "People move every day."

I chewed on my bottom lip. They had a point about that. Several of my own friends had moved to different cities in the past few years.

"Let's take Cooper out of the equation," Cameron said. "How did you feel about Washington?"

"I loved it, honestly. It was gorgeous. It was like living in a fairytale. And there are a ton of options for outdoor activities."

"How do you feel about San Diego?"

"It's nice. The weather's great and there's a lot to do in the city, but I guess I'm not particularly attached to it. I'm just used to it."

Cameron smiled. "As much as it pains me to say this, it sounds like you should move to Washington."

"Seriously?"

"Why not?" Mallory asked. "It's better to do it than always wonder 'what if'."

"But I don't even know if a relationship with Cooper would work out. We had two great weeks together, but I was on vacation. It wasn't real life, with me working and him being gone for months at a time. I don't know what daily life with him would be like, or what it'd be like when we fight. There was no arguing about money or spending time together or what we would do when we did spend time together."

"And what if there is no arguing about any of that? What if you and him get along really well and are on the same page about a lot of things?"

I was at a loss for words. I hadn't expected my friends to be so encouraging about me moving to another state for a guy.

"Look at it this way," Cameron said. "If it doesn't work out, you can come back. You don't have a lot of stuff to move, and working in a different area will be a good experience, especially in the medical field. Honestly, what do you have to lose?"

"Not much, I guess."

"And you potentially have everything to gain," Mallory hinted, smiling.

I cracked a joke to try to lighten the mood. "It sounds like you want to get rid of me so you can have your living room back."

"We'd miss the hell out of you," Cameron said, "but if it means you finding the right guy, then I'm all for it."

"He seems to make you really happy," Mallory said. "I can always tell when you're texting him by the way you're smiling. You should go for it, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"That we get to visit and meet Cooper."

I covered my face with my hands, trying to hide my smile. I had a lot to think about and I'd need to look into job opportunities, but I could actually do this. 

I could be with Cooper.