Page 65 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
“I’m scared to ask.”
“Plan A,” she announces, writing in the first box. “Apologize to Cole immediately. No excuses, no justifications. Own everything, tell him you didn’t know they were friends, and that you choose him.”
“What if I don’t know if I choose him?”
She gives me a look. “Then you’re not ready for Plan A. Plan B: Give him space but keep showing up in small ways. Drop coffee at his door, send stupid memes, remind him you’re worth a second chance.”
“That sounds like stalking.”
“It’s only stalking if it doesn’t work.” She moves to the third box. “Plan C: Go nuclear. Grand romantic gesture. Think billboard, public apology, or showing up at a game with a sign that makes the entire arena root for you two.”
I lean back against the couch cushions, staring at the board like it’s going to hand me the answer to my life. “You think any of that will work?”
Maddie grins, and for the first time tonight, it reaches her eyes. “Honey, I’ve pulled off worse miracles than this. But first...” She caps the marker and gives me a pointed look. “Maybe stop running to Liam when you’re confused about your feelings.”
I can still feel the phantom heat of Liam’s stare, the way he looked at me on that sidewalk like I was the only thing in theworld that mattered. And I know that stopping might be easier said than done.
Which is exactly the problem that got me into this mess in the first place.
“Maddie,” I whisper. “What if…”
She shakes her head. “You don’t have any options for Liam. You like Cole.”
“I do, but––”
“But––nothing! Liam is pure sex appeal, Harp. He’s got that charm about him. Why do you think he’s such a player? It dies out quickly when reality hits. He’s going to break your heart.”
“I haven’t even given him a chance.”
“Oh,” she starts laughing without humor. She points at me. “So, you’re saying you’d rather screw Liam than to be with a guy like Cole?”
“No,” I shake my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying.”
“You haven’t had the opportunity to sleep with Cole, so you don’t even know how good it can be.”
I sigh, feeling the tears rush to the surface. I wipe my face when they fall. “Maddie, I like them both.”
Her eyes widen as she walks toward my bed. She grabs one of my romance books and says, “Newsflash, Harper. This isn’t a reverse harem. You do not get both!” She chucks the book back on my bed, and my chest squeezes.
“How about I do eenie meanie miny mow?”
She rolls her eyes at me and sits beside me. She grabs my hands and says, “If there was a knock on the door right now––”
“Right now?”
She nods. “Right now. Who are hoping to see on the other side?”
I close my eyes because she’s right. She’s so right.
She smiles. “That’s what I thought.
30
The Morning After
Cole
Iwakeupbeforemy alarm, staring at the ceiling like the answers to my life are written up there. The pale October light filtering through my blinds feels harsh, making everything look washed out and unfamiliar.
