Page 94 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
"You don't know that."
"Harper, you've been studying for three weeks. You know this material better than the professor."
He's probably right, but anxiety doesn't respond to logic. He makes me tea and quizzes me on concepts until my brain feels like mush, and then he puts me to bed and promises everything will be fine.
Me:I ace the exam.
Cole:Told you. Celebrate tonight?
Me:Yes!
That night he bends me over his bed, pulls my hair, and this time we listen to Rex whine the entire time while Cole tells me how much he loves me, loves this, loves us.
The last day of finals falls on a Friday, and there's this collective exhale across campus. People are packing up, making summer plans, saying goodbye to friends they won't see for months. I finish my last exam around noon and head straight to Cole's place.
He's on the couch with Rex when I walk in, and he looks as exhausted as I feel.
"Done?" he asks.
"So done." I collapse next to him, and Rex immediately tries to climb into my lap. "How was your exam?"
"Brutal. But over." He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "We survived the year."
"Barely."
"We need to celebrate."
"I need to sleep for approximately sixteen hours first."
"Deal. Sleep, then celebrate."
We don't make it to the bedroom. I fall asleep right there on his couch, Rex curled up at our feet, Cole's fingers running through my hair. When I wake up a few hours later, the sun is setting and Cole is watching me with this soft expression.
"Hi," I mumble, disoriented.
"Hi."
"How long was I out?"
"Couple hours. You were snoring."
"I don't snore."
"You definitely snore."
I sit up, stretching. "What time is it?"
"Almost seven. You hungry?"
My stomach answers for me with an embarrassing growl. Cole laughs and stands, pulling me to my feet. We order pizza because neither of us has the energy to cook, and while we're waiting for it to arrive, Cole gets this look on his face like he's working up to something.
"What?" I ask.
"I've been thinking about summer."
My heart does this weird skip. "Yeah?"
"My dad offered me a job at his construction company. It's in my hometown, about two hours from here." He's watching my face carefully, trying to gauge my reaction. "I'd have to be there for most of the summer."
