Page 48 of Can We Just Be Happy Now?

When Kylie pulls back, I force my attention to her. “Did you kiss that girl?” I cough out a laugh to cover up the bile rising in my throat. I thought seeing Sophie kiss another guy was bad, but seeing her kiss the girl I’ve been hooking up with was another level. You’d think I’d be less mad about that, but it feels like the Universe is fucking with me, seeing how close it can get before I crack.

“Yeah . . . are you mad?” She fidgets her fingers, twisting them together in front of her.

“No, not at all,” I reassure her, pulling her into a side hug and kissing her head. “As long as you’re kissing me the rest of the night.” I force a smile, and her features soften.

“I don’t know . . . she is a pretty good kisser,” Kylie teases.

Don’t I know it. “Doubt she’ll kiss you all the places you like to be kissed, though,” I murmur against her lips before wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her into a kiss that would be way too much PDA if we were anywhere but a fraternity party. I know Sophie is watching us, but I need their kiss to not be the most recent thing on my mind. Maybe part of me wants Sophie to know what it feels like to see the person you love kiss someone else. Why the fuck is she even here?

Kylie giggles when I finally release her. “Okay, you win.”

I grin. “You’re just saying that so you win later,” I tell her with a wink. Although guilt rushes through me at the thought that it’ll be impossible not to think about Sophie in that outfit the rest of the night.

“Exactly. After I win this.” She pulls her phone out of her bra, checking off the two items Sophie helped her complete. “I’m like halfway done. I need to take shots with a new friend, dance on a table, score us a condom for all the promises you made me tonight and . . .” She scans the room. “Oh, perfect. That girl definitely looks like she needs saving from Ethan.”

“Save away. I’m going to get another drink.”

“Okay, get me a Cup of Cooper, please.”

“You get as many as you want,” I say, smacking her ass as she walks away. I need to get out of here.

Making my way back to the front door to get some fresh air, a hand locks onto my wrist.

“What do you want, Sophie?” I ask before I even turn to confirm it’s her. I’m mad and confused, along with a few other feelings about her being here.

When I do, I can see the effect of alcohol in her eyes, matching the tequila on her breath. “You have a girlfriend? And she just kissed me?”

“Yup.” My voice is flat, and I don’t bother correcting her. I need to find out why she’s here first. And why she’s drunk enough to be kissing someone she doesn’t know.

Chapter twenty-seven

SOPHIE

NOW

My stomach twists like a tangled necklace chain. He has a girlfriend? How? When? “Oh,” I whisper, dropping his wrist and looking to where I pick at my pink fingernail polish instead. Cooper turns away from me. “Wait.” I don’t know what else to say, but I don’t want to leave him yet.

“Shouldn’t you be with your boyfriend?” The remark is a punch in the gut because I wish Cooper was my boyfriend.

“I told you, he’s not my boyfriend. Can we talk for a minute?” I don’t give him a chance to answer. I reclaim my lock on his wrist and tug him toward the hallway. He reluctantly follows, and my heart sinks. I once assumed Cooper would always follow me everywhere, and I took that for granted. I pull him inside the downstairs bathroom, closing and locking the door behind us. Now that we’re alone, the booziness of his spiced apple cider cologne intoxicates me more than I already am, making it hard to respect his space.

Leaning against the counter, he folds his arms across his chest, putting more physical space between an even bigger emotional divide. “What are you doing here?”

“Chastity got invited. She brought me with her.” Living off campus, still with my parents, has made it a little difficult to make friends. But Chastity is fitting into college life so well and always invites me. I’ve done more socializing than I need.

“So, you party now?”

“I’m in college, Coop. It’s what you do.”

He brushes off the remark like he can see right through me. He knows I don’t drink. Well, I didn’t. Chastity finally got her own fake ID and has been convincing me to go out more.

“You know this is my fraternity.”

“Yeah.” I chew on the edge of my lip, feeling guilty. I did know I’d see him–or at least I hoped I would. I didn’t expect him to be here with a girl, though. “I miss you, Cooper. You haven’t given me the time of day lately. I needed to see you.”

“I haven’t given you time because the last time I did, you let me down.”

“Because my dad invited JT over?” That was almost two months ago. Why can’t he let that go?

---