Page 77 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
“Yeah, I heard.”
“When do I ask any girl to be my girlfriend?”
He takes a moment to think. “Got it.”
“Got what?”
“I got it, Cole,” he says. “I won’t make shit awkward. I won’t talk to her. I’ll let you guys do your thing. I’ll stay out of your way.”
“Do me a favor,” I say, throwing him on speaker. “Text her right now that you want to see her, and I’m going to do the same.”
He laughs. “Sneaky Cole’s come out to play.”
“I’m serious, man. I don’t want to be played.”
“Yeah. No shit.”
I open up my text message and say, “If what she said was true tonight, then she won’t entertain you, but if she does, then I’m done.”
“Yeah,” he says. “I am… thinking… about you. Come over… tonight. Send.”
I type out a message too, but I don’t send it.
“Any dots popping up yet?”
“No. Did you send yours?”
“Nah I’m going to wait a couple minutes.”
“Oh, we got dots,” he says, and my heart races. “And… they disappeared.”
I rub Rex’s belly now, wondering what she’s going to write back. It’s silent for a minute as we wait. Anxiety fills my chest.
“Okay, here we go,” he says finally, and I inhale. “She said, ‘I don’t know why you’re asking, Liam. I told you it was a one-time thing, and it’s not happening again.’ The end. Happy to hear me get rejected?”
I pet Rex and think. “It’s not like that, Liam. I need to make sure she’s not a liar.”
“She’s a good girl, man. She’s denying me point blank. Shoot your shot. It’s your chance.”
“Yeah, I don’t know.”
“You like her, right?”
I don’t answer.
“That’s how I know you like her. You know what? I’m going to do you a real favor.”
“Don’t, Liam,” I warn. “Don’t do whatever you’re thinking.”
He laughs like he was never going to do anything and was just trying to get a rise out of me. “Then text her right now and do it yourself.”
“You’re seriously chill right now?”
“Yeah, if there’s anyone I’m okay losing to, it’s you, brother.”
I scoff. “Yeah, fucking, right.”
He laughs. “I already got a girl coming over tonight. I knew Trouble was too good for me. You have my stamp of approval.”
