Page 31 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
I pad into the kitchen where Maddie’s perched on the counter in black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, cradling a coffee mug. Her hair is in a messy bun that actually looks deliberately tousled instead of like she stuck her finger in an electrical socket, which means she’s feeling better than expected.
“Morning, sunshine,” I say, grabbing my favorite mug—the one with the chipped handle that I refuse to throw away. “How’s your head?”
“Surprisingly functional,” she admits. “Though I may have made some questionable decisions last night.”
I pour myself coffee and lean against the counter across from her, unable to resist the opening she’s just given me. “So... did you kiss Sirus?”
Maddie almost chokes on her coffee, sputtering slightly before fixing me with a glare. “What? No. Maybe. Shut up.”
“Wow.” I laugh, stirring cream into my coffee. “That’s a really strong denial there, Mads.”
She mutters something under her breath about tequila and bad decisions, her cheeks turning pink in a way that’s absolutely adorable. She’s clearly more embarrassed than she wants to admit, which means it was definitely more than just a kiss.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she says. “I was being responsible. We didn’t... do anything else.”
“I wasn’t judging. Sirus seems nice.”
“He is nice. That’s the problem.”
Before I can ask what she means by that, my phone buzzes against the counter. I glance at the screen and do a double-take.
Unknown number:Hey, it’s Cole. How about I take you on a proper date without your cousin this time?
My first reaction is confusion—apparently Maddie’s drunken matchmaking efforts actually worked. My second reaction is this weird flutter in my stomach that I definitely didn’t ask for and don’t quite know what to do with.
Maddie notices my expression immediately. “Who’s that?”
“Cole. Apparently you were giving out my number last night.”
Her grin is completely unrepentant. “Good. You should date him. He’s decent, Harper. Like, actually decent. Not a player, no obvious red flags, probably doesn’t have commitment issues.”
I shrug, trying to play it off even though my pulse has picked up slightly. “I’m not looking for anything right now.”
“Then go for the free dinner. At least let a man buy you something nice. Make a friend.”
There’s something in her tone that makes me study her face more carefully. “Why are you pushing this so hard?”
“Because you deserve someone who treats you right.” She takes another sip of coffee, then adds casually, “Hey, Liam left the party early last night.”
I keep my expression neutral even though my heart does a little skip. “Cool.”
“You don’t know why he left?”
I shake my head, hoping I look appropriately disinterested. “No idea. Like you said yourself, he’s a player. He can play with whoever he wants.”
The lie sits heavy in my chest, but there’s no way I’m telling Maddie that I was the reason Liam left early. That would lead to questions I’m not ready to answer and lectures I definitely don’t want to hear.
I look back down at Cole’s text, rereading it while I sip my coffee. He was steady at dinner, easy to talk to once we got past the initial awkwardness of being set up. There’s no real reason to say no, and maybe it’s exactly what I need—something normal and uncomplicated to balance out the fire hazard that is Liam.
Before I can overthink it, I type back.
Me:Sure. When?
Cole:This week. You pick the night.
Me:Wednesday. I’m free after six.
Cole:Perfect. I’ll pick you up. Unless you want to meet me somewhere public so you can bail if I’m boring.
