Page 120 of Can We Just Be Happy Now?

“Like you.” I roll to my back, pulling her to my chest.

Chapter seventy-one

SOPHIE

NOW

I dragged myself away from Cooper even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. But I had already made plans with Chastity to celebrate surviving the first week of Sophomore year, and I didn’t want to bail on her.

Dressed in a basic green sundress and my hair tied back in a loose ponytail, I link my arm with my best friend’s as we walk into Jameson’s. “Uggghhh.” My head tips back dramatically when I spot JT leaned against the bar. Chastity scans the room until she sees him too.

“He’s such a tool,” she says, tugging me toward the other end of the bar.

The bartender, Jess, has barely taken our drink orders when JT slides onto the stool next to us, his feet still planted on the ground and his ass half on the seat so he can lean toward me.

“Hey there, Sophie. Miss me already?”

“No.” I glare at him without fully glancing his way.

“I see you didn’t take my advice. Still dressing like a child.”

I do my best to ignore him.

“At least it makes for easy access.” I can hear the sly smile in his voice without looking his way.

“Shut the fuck up, JT,” Chastity snaps. “You’re just mad she has a boyfriend a thousand times better than you. A real man.”

“Ha. I doubt that.”

Chastity snags my phone from my hands, tapping the screen so it lights up with a picture of Cooper and me kayaking in Sunriver.

JT grabs it from her before I can take it back, pulling it to his face. “This fuckface is your boyfriend?”

“Yeah, what’s it to you?” my best friend taunts. I tug on her arm, wanting out of this conversation and away from JT.

He laughs. “Yeah, he’s a real man all right.”

My head snaps to look at him. The way he said it made it sound like he knows Cooper. “What?”

“Oh, your little boy toy didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“He tried to punch me when I wasn’t looking.”

“He did not.” JT is so full of it.

Jess sets our drinks in front of us. “I remember that fight but not like that. You got your ass kicked, dude. And had it coming. Don’t let him fool you. Cooper almost knocked him out.” She smirks before turning to help another customer.

I can’t wait to hear this story from Cooper, knowing whatever JT says will be a lie. I shrug. “I’m sure you deserved it.”

He scoffs. “I didn’t do shit. He couldn’t handle that he got stuck with my leftovers.”

“Actually–” Chastity starts, but I cut her off by slapping my hand against her shoulder.

“He’s not worth it,” I tell her and turn back to JT. “Get lost.”

“You’ll come crawling back, just like you did before. I’ll see you then, Squirrel.” He adds a wink before pushing off the bar and returning to his friends.

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