Page 100 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
She buries her face in my chest. "I love you."
"I love you too."
We drive back to campus the last week of August. The truck is loaded with our stuff, plus a care package from my mom that's probably seventy percent baked goods. Harper's quiet on the drive, looking out the window with this thoughtful expression.
"What are you thinking about?" I ask.
"Everything that's coming. The team, your games, graduation..." She trails off.
"Liam," I finish.
She looks at me sharply. "What?"
"You're thinking about seeing Liam again. It's okay, you can admit it."
"I'm not—" She stops, sighs. "Why would you even say that?”
I shrug. “Because I’m thinking about it.”
“Projection,” she mutters. “I was not thinking about that, but now that I am.” She pauses. “It's going to be weird, right? I thought he was your best friend?”
“He was and then you came into the picture, and he completely backed off.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
I shake my head. “Don’t be.”
“No, I am. I am very sorry. I didn’t mean to come between you and him. You lost him for a friend, and that’s not fair.”
I grab her hand. “It’s fine.” And then I sigh. "He’s been posting on Instagram with a different girl every week, seems like."
Harper is quiet for a moment. "That’s good, right?"
I shrug. "Just seems like he's trying really hard to move on. Makes me wonder if he actually has."
"Cole, even if he hasn't, it doesn't change anything. I'm with you."
"I know." And I do know. But there's a part of me that's been dreading going back to campus, to the reality of sharing space with Liam again. The summer has been this bubble where it was just Harper and me, no complicated history or awkward encounters. Going back means popping that bubble.
Harper reaches over and takes my hand. "Hey. We're solid. Nothing's going to change that."
"Yeah," I say again, and I squeeze her hand to prove I mean it.
Campus is chaos when we arrive. Students everywhere, cars triple-parked, parents helping their kids move into dorms. Harper and I head straight to my place—she's officially moving in this year, which feels monumental even though she's basically lived there since last spring.
"Home sweet home," I say, unlocking the door.
Rex goes absolutely ballistic when he sees us. My roommate Finn lives here full-time and didn’t mind I’d be gone for the summer. But I’m happy he didn’t find anyone else for the time being. Rex is acting like we abandoned him for years instead of months.
"I missed you too, buddy," Harper laughs, letting him lick her face.
We spend the afternoon unpacking, turning my space into our space. Harper's books join mine on the shelves. Her clothes take over half the closet. Her fancy coffee maker replaces my shitty one in the kitchen.
"This is real, huh?" she says, standing in the middle of the living room and looking around.
"What is?"
"Us. Living together. Being adults."
