Page 50 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
“Fuck, you’re beautiful, Harper.”
I close my eyes and feel him everywhere. He’s in me, touching me everywhere, kissing me. I’m lost in the sea of Liam Murphy, and I don’t want to be found.
When it’s over, we’re tangled together in the couch cushions, skin still slick with sweat, breathing slowly returning to normal.He traces a lazy finger along my collarbone, and I can feel his eyes on my face even though I’m staring at the ceiling.
“This is fun,” he says quietly. “You’re fun. You’re different.”
“Different?” I ask, turning my head to look at him, half afraid of what he might say.
“Just… different for me. In a good way.” He doesn’t elaborate, and something in his expression tells me not to push for more details. “Trouble,” he adds with a small smile, like the nickname explains everything. I stare at his dimple, remembering how I melted for it the first night we met. I want to ask what he means, want to know if I’m different enough to matter, if this is more than just convenient for him. But I already know the answer, and asking would only make this harder than it already is.
He doesn’t suggest breakfast tomorrow, doesn’t ask about my week or make plans to see me again. He just lies there, content, as if this is exactly what it’s supposed to be—here and gone, no strings attached, no expectations beyond what just happened.
Something cold seeps into my chest, displacing the warmth from his touch. For him, this is a good night. A successful hookup with someone he enjoys spending time with. For me, it’s a brutal reminder that I shouldn’t have come here, that I’m starting to want things from him that he’ll never give.
I start pulling on my clothes, telling him I have an early morning, need to get home. He doesn’t try to stop me, justwatches me dress with that same lazy satisfaction, like he’s already mentally filing this under ‘mission accomplished.’
“Drive safe,” he says as I head for the door, the same thing Cole said to me this morning, but somehow it sounds completely different coming from Liam. Casual instead of caring, routine instead of genuine concern.
In my car, driving through the empty streets back to my apartment, my body still hums from his touch, but my mind is surprisingly clear. This was it. The last time. I can’t keep doing this to myself, can’t keep coming back for more of something that feels incredible in the moment but leaves me hollow afterward.
Tomorrow, I’ll ignore his texts. I’ll delete our conversation thread if I have to. Whatever this is between us, it can’t keep happening—not when my heart’s starting to want things he’ll never give, not when there’s someone else who might actually be willing to offer them.
Cole’s face flashes through my mind—his smile, the way he really listened when I talked, how he made me feel like I was worth getting to know instead of just worth sleeping with.
I pull into my parking spot and sit for a moment in the darkness, engine ticking as it cools. This was the last time with Liam. It has to be. It will be.
23
Game Night
Cole
It’sWednesdayafternoon,andI’m sitting in the campus library pretending to study for my exam when an idea hits me. I pull out my phone and text Harper before I can second-guess myself.
Me:Game night at my place tonight. Just a few people. Want in?
I’m not overthinking it—I just like the idea of her being part of my circle, of seeing how she fits with the people who matter to me. There’s something about Harper that makes me want to share the parts of my life that extend beyond just the two of us.
Her reply comes after a few minutes.
Harper:Who’s “a few people”?
I can picture her raising an eyebrow as she types, probably wondering if she’s about to walk into a house full of drunk hockey players doing keg stands.
Me:Sirus, Maddie, two guys from the team. Nothing crazy. Just hanging out.
There’s a longer pause before her next message.
Harper:Alright. But if your friends are weird, I’m blaming you.
Me:Deal. Seven o’clock?
Harper:See you then.
When I get home, I vacuum the dog hair and clean a few of Rex’s drooling stains. I toss a soft blanket over the back of the couch, set Rex’s toys in their basket, and make sure there are enough chairs for everyone.
Finn’s out of town again, which means we’ll have the place to ourselves without worrying about disturbing anyone. I grab a few different board games from the closet and set up drinks in the kitchen, keeping everything casual and low-key.
