Page 85 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
"Are you even listening?"
"Not even a little bit."
He laughs, leaning down to kiss me. "We're never going to actually eat at this rate."
"It’ll be your fault.”
He kisses me, tugging at my hair.
We do eventually manage to make breakfast—slightly burnt toast aside—and sit at his small kitchen table with our knees touching underneath. Cole tells me about learning to cook from his dad during high school, and I share the story about the time Maddie and I nearly burned down our aunt's kitchen trying to make dinner for the family.
"What were you trying to make?" he asks, laughing.
"Spaghetti. Somehow we managed to start a grease fire with spaghetti."
"That's actually impressive."
"That's what the fire department said."
He reaches across the table and wipes a bit of jam from the corner of my mouth with his thumb, then licks it off his finger. The gesture is casual but charged, and suddenly the air between us shifts.
I set down my fork. "We should probably finish eating."
"Probably," he agrees, but neither of us moves.
Instead, Cole stands, walks around the table, and pulls me to my feet. His kiss is deeper this time, more urgent, and I melt into him as my back presses against the counter. The breakfast gets cold as we get lost in each other, his hands in my hair, mine sliding up his bare chest.
"Bedroom?" he murmurs against my lips.
"Bedroom," I agree breathlessly.
This time it’s fast and like we’ve done it a hundred times before. He pulls my hair, making me cry out louder. And when he slows down his pace, he compliments my ass. Then he grabs my throat gently and kisses me. I lean against him, getting lost in how good this feels.
Later we're sprawled on his bed, and he reaches for clothes. Him and I get dressed, and I can’t help but smile to myself. This is fun with him. He’s so hot and sweet, I just can’t.
“You okay?” he asks, turning around.
I shrug. “Perfect.”
Over the next few days, Cole and I fall into a rhythm. He shows up at the library with my favorite coffee when I've been studying for hours. We cook dinner together, getting slightly better at it each time. Inside jokes develop—something about my terrible toast-making skills becomes our thing, and Cole's tendency to narrate Rex's thoughts in a ridiculous voice never fails to make me laugh.
"Rex thinks you should stay over again," Cole says one evening, doing his best dog voice. "He promises to be a good boy and not whine this time."
"Oh, Rex thinks that, does he?"
"He's very insistent about it."
Maddie rolls her eyes affectionately when she sees us together. "You two are disgustingly cute. It's actually offensive."
Sirus makes jokes about Cole being whipped, but it's clear he's happy for his friend. "Never thought I'd see the day Cole Richardson got distracted from hockey."
"I'm not distracted," Cole protests.
"Pretty soon you’re going to skating straight into the boards.”
I find myself smiling for no reason at random times throughout the day. Cole's become central to my life so quickly, but I don't feel like I'm losing myself. If anything, I feel like I'm becoming a better version of myself. My grades are good, my relationship with Maddie is stronger than ever, and I'm genuinely happy.
One night, I'm lying in my own bed in the dorm, and I realize I'm smiling just thinking about him. I text him something silly, and he responds immediately.
