Page 76 of The Most Perfect Wrong

Ryan:If you were single.

A grin spreads across my face, heart racing a little faster.

Cooper:And you’re still full of yourself…

As soon as I hit send, I wish I’d gone with flirty instead of snarky. I scramble to redeem myself.

Cooper:Of course I think about it. Every. Damn. Day.

Ryan:Too bad that’s all we’ll ever have to think about… well, that and Newport.

Cooper:What do you mean? Trust me, I think about way more than that.

Ryan:Yeah, but those are just fantasies. Too bad we can’t make them come true…

Cooper:Why not?

Ryan:You know why. Starts with B, ends with d.

Cooper:An affair could be exciting, tho. Sneaking around, hooking up in random places, trying not to get caught. Admit it—that’s hot. (winky face emoji)

Ryan:Yeah, I’ve been on the other side of that, and trust me… not so hot. Also, never worth it.

Cooper:Relax. I’m joking.

Ryan:Brad there with you?

And… just like that, he killed the vibe.

Cooper:Almost. In an Uber.

Ryan:Well, enjoy your time with him. He’s a keeper, that one. You’re a lucky girl. Just… try not to think about me while he’s touching you tonight. Not fair to Brad.

Cooper:Nice try, Ryan. #eyeroll

Ryan:Lol. Night, Cooper.

And that’s it. I sit in the silence for a while, listening to the ocean until I hear Brad’s Uber pull up. I head inside, trying to muster up some excitement.

I force a smile as Brad steps through the door, willing myself to look excited.

“Hey, babe!” I greet him with a hug and quick kiss. “How was the flight?”

“Hey, baby. It was good.” He holds on to me a bit longer than usual, his arms tightening around me.

My dad comes to the door. “Hey, Brad. Good to see you.” They go in for a man hug, slapping each other’s backs. My dad’s always liked Brad. Maybe they share some unspoken connection—cheaters’ instincts, or something. I hate that they share the thing I dislike most about them.

“Hey, how’s my favorite father-in-law?”

“I’m good, really good.” They pull apart from their bonding hug, and my dad turns to Brad with a grin. “So, when’s the big wedding? I can’t get her to give me any details,” he adds, glancing at me with a raised eyebrow.

“We don’t know yet, Dad,” I say just as Brad answers, “Hopefully soon.” We exchange a look that says it all—proof we’re on entirely different pages.

“I keep trying to nail down a date,” Brad says, pulling me closer.

Without meaning to, I pull back slightly. “There’s no rush, though…” I say gently, catching Brad’s frown and my dad’s puzzled look. “I just want things to be perfect. No need to rush into anything,” I add, hoping it’ll satisfy them both.

“Right,” Brad says as he looks at my dad. “We were talking about the fall a few weeks ago.” He looks back at me. “That should give Cooper all the time she needs to plan and make everything perfect.”

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