Page 102 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
"Harper, you're going to burn out."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You fell asleep in your dinner last night."
"That was one time."
"It was literally yesterday."
She sighs, dropping her bag and sinking onto the couch. "I just want everything to be perfect. Senior year, my grades, my portfolio for job applications. I can't afford to slack off now."
I sit beside her and pull her feet into my lap, starting to massage them. "You're allowed to rest. You're allowed to not be perfect all the time."
"Says the guy who has every aspect of his life perfectly plotted out."
"That's different."
"How?"
"Because I do it to reduce stress, not create it."
She's quiet for a moment, then says, "I'm just nervous."
"Of what?"
"The future. What comes after graduation. What if I can't find a job? What if we end up in different cities? What if—"
"Harper." I lean forward, making her look at me. "We'll figure it out. Plus we have an entire year ahead of us. We don’t have to have it all planned right this second."
"You're always so certain about everything."
"Not everything. But I'm always certain about you."
She crawls into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. "What did I do to deserve you?"
"Probably something terrible in a past life. This is karma balancing out."
She laughs, and I feel the tension drain from her body. "I love you."
"I love you too. Now go take a shower and get some sleep. Your presentation can wait until tomorrow."
"Bossy."
"You like it."
"Unfortunately, I do as long as you pull my hair while you’re at it."
September slides into October, and hockey season kicks into full gear. We're good this year—really good. The team has chemistry,Coach is pushing us hard but fairly, and our record reflects it. We're five and oh to start the season.
Harper comes to every home game, wearing my jersey and cheering louder than anyone else in the stands. After wins, she waits for me outside the locker room with that smile that makes everything worth it. After losses, she just holds me and doesn't try to fix it with words.
"Best season yet," Sirus says after we win our sixth straight game.
"Don't jinx it."
"I'm not jinxing anything. We're legitimately good."
He's right. But there's something else happening too. Liam is playing out of his mind—scoring goals, making plays, carrying the team on his back in ways I've never seen before. It's like he's channeling everything into hockey, using it as an outlet for whatever he's dealing with.
