Page 33 of Can We Just Be Happy Now?

I sit on the edge of the bed, confused as my hand lands on her shoulder, my thumb running across the strap of her tank top. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just reading.”

“Did you try out the slip ‘n slide?”

She shakes her head.

“You were so excited about it.”

“I know. But . . .”

“But what?”

“All those girls out there look so good in their swimsuits.” She sighs.

“Not as good as you.”

“I’m your girlfriend. You have to say that.”

“No, I don’t. Sophie, you’re gorgeous.”

“I can’t help but compare myself to them. They’re so confident. I’m not like that.”

“You practically stripped in front of me earlier.” I deadpan.

“When it was just you. I’m comfortable around you.” I love that she feels that way about me, but I hate that it doesn’t translate to a constant state of mind.

I pull her book from her hand, slipping her bookmark in place before resting it on the nightstand. “Come on, Soph. One run on the slide. I think once you let yourself have fun, you won’t be in your head so much.”

“Okay,” she says, like she believes any words I say are the truth.

Pulling her to her feet, I lead her to the door. I stop in front of it, tugging at her shirt. She hesitates, then strips it over her head. When the pink fabric is in a pile on the floor, I run my thumbs over the bare skin on her sides, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Kissing her forehead, I pull back, giving her a smile that she gives right back as I take her hand in mine.

As soon as we’re out the back door, Ethan’s arm is around my neck. “Dude, where have you been? I need a beer pong partner.”

“I’m going to slip ‘n slide with Sophie.”

The same girl from earlier slides into the circle. “I’ll go with her,” she says sweetly, taking Sophie’s hand from mine.

I start to interject, but Sophie cuts me off. “Go play.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Before I can respond, she’s pulled away from me, and I follow Ethan toward the folding table and red Solo cups set up on the other side of the lawn.

“You have to go once with me,” Sophie begs, tugging on my arm. The setting sun casts an orange glow across her body that’s covered in grass and has the start of tarp burn all over her stomach and legs. Her yellow bikini is a little dirty, and her blonde hair looks almost brown, wet and matted to her head. I can’t help but smile.

“Okay,” I concede. I’m tired from making sure our first party won’t be our last. Somehow, at least thirty people ended up here. Everyone went home a few minutes ago, exhausted from the sun and day drinking, but Sophie stopped me when I tried to turn off the hose. It’s the first time I’ve been with her since Ethan recruited me for a game of beer pong. One game turned into three, which turned into a cornhole competition, and then I grilled hot dogs for everyone. Every chance I got, I scanned the yard for Sophie. It seems she and the red bikini girl became friends. They’ve been slip ‘n sliding all day between sitting in the lawn chairs drinking lemonade. I almost checked on her, but every time our eyes locked, she’d smile and wave. Today was a blast, but it would have been more fun if I got to spend time with her. I turn the hose back to full blast. “Ready?”

She nods, a huge grin lighting her face. “One, two, three, GO,” she screams all in the same breath before taking off in a run and diving head first into the stream of water sliding across the tarp. I take off after her, my stomach feeling every rock under the grass as the polyester rubs against my skin. I come to a stop at the end of the slide where Sophie is already sitting and waiting for me.

“I think that was one too many.” She laughs, looking down and directing my gaze to her stomach that's now slightly scratched and bleeding.

“You’re addicted. There was no stopping you. Are you okay?” I sit before reaching out and softly run my thumb along the skin next to her scratch. She flinches.

“Yeah, I’m good. You were right. I ended up having a lot of fun today. Thanks for letting me crash your party.”

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