Page 64 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
“No—not like that!” I protest, though I realize how weak that sounds. “I only kissed Cole. I’ve only slept with Liam. I didn’t know they were best friends, Maddie. I had no idea.”
Her hands go to her temples like she’s developing a migraine in real time. “Oh my God. So, you say yes to Cole when he asks you to be his girlfriend, but you were still secretly seeing Liam? Harper! This is bad. This is so bad!”
My inhale, feeling the tightness in my chest. I just lost Cole, Liam, and I can’t lose her too. My vision goes blurry as I watch her stare dumbfounded at the ground.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, letting the tears fall. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I––I shouldn’t have come here tonight.”
“You think?” Maddie says dryly.
“I just—I need to leave.”
When I turn to walk in any direction other than the restaurant, Maddie links her arm through mine. “You made a big mistake, but it’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”
I hold onto her like she’s the only thing keeping me on the ground.
Back at our dorm, I toss my purse onto the couch and immediately head for the kitchen to pour myself the largest glass of wine physically possible. Maddie, however, disappears into the hall and emerges with a battered whiteboard that’s seen us through everything from exam schedules to vacation planning.
She sets it up on the coffee table and wipes it clean.
“If we’re doing this, we’re doing it properly,” she announces, uncapping a dry erase marker.
“Doing what, exactly?”
“Damage control. Pros and cons. Strategic planning.” She draws a line down the middle of the board and writes COLE and LIAM at the top of each column.
“Talk,” she demands.
I take a large sip of wine and settle onto the couch. “This feels very stupid and pointless.”
“Which is why we need to fix this.” She taps the marker against the board. “Start with Cole.”
I stare at his name, thinking about his smile, the way he made me feel safe without being boring. “He’s reliable. Treats me like I actually matter, not just like I’m convenient. Low-drama—well, before tonight anyway. Makes me laugh without trying too hard. Doesn’t play games.”
Maddie dutifully writes each point under his name. “Cons?”
“He can be guarded sometimes. Careful.” I pause, remembering the look on his face when the truth came out. “He might not forgive me. Actually, he definitely won’t forgive me. The hurt in his eyes tonight is going to haunt me forever.”
“Now Liam.”
This is harder. How do you explain the kind of chemistry that makes you forget your own name? “Electric chemistry. Makes me feel alive in a reckless way. Says what he wants without hesitation. The best sex I’ve ever had.” I pause. “Though I haven’t had sex with Cole, so that’s not entirely fair.”
“Disgusting, but noted,” Maddie says, writing. “Continue.”
“He surprises me with these moments of real vulnerability. Like, underneath all the player bullshit, there’s something genuine that he doesn’t show many people.”
“And the cons?”
“He sleeps around. Can be careless with feelings. Might not forgive me either, based on how angry he looked tonight. I don’t know if I can trust him with my heart.”
Maddie steps back to survey our work. The board looks like a relationship autopsy—depressing.
I stare at it, the weight of what I’ve done settling fully in my chest. “Neither of them is going to forgive me, Maddie.”
Maddie twirls the marker between her fingers. “Not with that attitude.”
“Maddie, I lied to both of them. For weeks. They’re best friends, and I turned them against each other by being selfish and stupid.”
“Okay, yes, you majorly screwed up. But people forgive major screw-ups all the time if you handle the aftermath correctly.” She draws three boxes under the pros and cons lists. “Which brings us to strategic options.”
