Page 23 of Can We Just Be Happy Now?

“Hey, Coop?” she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“What’s up?”

“I have no idea what movie we are watching.”

I laugh again, searching my brain in an attempt to recall something besides that kiss. “Neighbors 2.”

“Oh, I wanted to see this movie.” Her words don’t match the lack of sincerity in her tone.

“Well, we can watch it now,” I say, having no idea how far into it we are.

“Maybe just a little bit.” She leans against the pillows and holds out her hand. “Nerds Rope, please!”

I chuckle as I make sure our still half full packs of Fun Dip sugar are out of the way before grabbing her a rope and lying down next to her. She pulls the candy from my hand, but before unwrapping it, she looks at me, then scoots over until there’s no space between us. I maneuver my arm until it’s around her, and she falls onto my chest as if that place was made for her. I don’t watch a single minute of the movie. I watch her as she eats her candy, as she snuggles into me, as she falls asleep–already counting down the days until I move into my own place, and we can do this all the time.

Chapter thirteen

COOPER

THEN

“Today is such a good day,” Sophie tells me as I help her into the passenger seat of my car. I reach across her with the strap and click the buckle in place. “You don’t have to do that, you know.” She giggles.

“I’m not that chivalrous. It’s just another excuse to get close enough to kiss you.” One hand on the center console, I slide the other against her face, brushing my thumb over her cheek before pressing my lips to hers. She smiles into the kiss, not bothering to respond any other way. I fucking love that I can kiss her now. I know it’s only been a week, but being in a relationship with Sophie is like taking all the best parts of our friendship and making it better with stolen kisses during all the other things we’d usually do. It's the best case scenario for sure. “I could do this every day.”

“Me too,” she sighs, her smile as bright as the midday sun shining through my moonroof. Each day of this first week of summer break has been equally similar as they are perfect. We’ve been skateboarding in the mornings. Sophie makes us a charcuterie board for lunch. We’ve gone to our favorite diner a few times too. This afternoon she was reading her book while I played my video game. The weight of her head on my lap instead of on the other side of the couch was the piece to our relationship I didn’t realize I was missing. My talking to the TV and aggressive touch on the controller above her head didn’t bother her. Every so often she’d glance up at me, and I’d miss a Madden play staring right back. But after an hour she asked if we could take a drive. “Where should we go?”

“Hmm.” I consider where today’s drive could take us as I walk to the driver’s side and slide in. “We can go toward all the wineries?”

“Okay,” she agrees as I back out of the driveway.

Fifteen minutes later, we’re on the outskirts of town, where stoplights don’t exist and there’s nothing but trees and farm land on either side of the road. I glance over, Sophie staring at the blurred green out the window. Today’s sundress is plain and the same light blue as the sky behind her. Zac Brown Band gives her a soundtrack as her hand surfs the wind waves bringing a cool breeze through the car. “What’s up, Soph?” It seems like something is on her mind.

She pulls her hand inside the car, turning toward me. “Thanks for always driving us everywhere. I feel bad that I can't.”

“It’s not a big deal.” I reach over, my hand landing on the soft skin above her knee, and she gives me a reluctant half smile.

“I know. But I still wish I could drive.”

“Did you ask your mom about taking you this week?”

“Yeah. She told me to ask Dad again. That he wants to be the one to teach me.”

“I haven’t seen him around much lately.”

“He’s been working a lot. But even if he wasn’t I feel like he would come up with another excuse. I think he just doesn’t want me to have my license. He keeps asking me what my rush is.”

“Maybe he isn’t ready for his little girl to grow up?”

“Yeah, maybe. It feels like more than that, though. Like he doesn’t think I could handle it. Or I don’t know.”

“Do you think you could handle it?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see then.” I slow to nearly a stop then turn down the dirt road dividing two pieces of farmland and throw my hazard lights on.

“Wait what?” Sophie’s eyes widen as she looks at me.

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