Chapter 2 #2
I laugh at her distressed expression because that’s the last thing she should be worried about. “Soph, my T-shirt is a million sizes too big for you, and it covers anything you want to keep covered. Also, it’s me. I’ve seen you wearing only a T-shirt literally a million times. It’s no big deal.”
She mutters something that sounds like Maybe not for you, and I don’t know what that’s all about, but before I can ask, she sighs again.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the caretaking or whatever, but I’m tired, Ty.
Are you going to tell me what you need, or do I have to guess?
And just so you know, I think I left all my brain cells at the bottom of a margarita glass last night, so please don’t make me guess. ”
“Can I sleep here?” I ask, motioning to the empty side of her big bed.
Her eyebrows draw together in confusion. “You want to sleep here? Like, in my bed?”
I nod. “Yes.”
I see a flash of something in her eyes I can’t quite make out in the dim light, but it disappears before I can figure out what it was.
She tilts her head to the side, studying me.
“You have a room, right down the hall. As a matter of fact, I vaguely recall you crowing about how you upgraded your room to a suite you were incredibly thrilled about, and now you want to sleep here, in my extremely regular and very un-suitelike room?”
“You know your dad would have upgraded your room if you asked him to.” Sophie’s dad is a tech genius who founded a company a million years ago that made him billions.
She rolls her eyes. “Not even the all-powerful Gabe Sullivan can get a hotel room upgraded during the Super Bowl. I have no idea how you managed it.”
I give her a wide smile. “My limitless charm and dashing good looks.”
The look she gives me can only be classified as Cut the shit or I will end you. “You seriously want to sleep here?”
“Yes.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Why?”
I give her what I hope is an innocent smile. “Because I want to spend some extra time with my very best friend in the entire world.”
Sophie practically growls at me. “Try again.”
“Because I missed you last night. I didn’t get to see enough of you when we were out.”
That same look flashes through her eyes, and it drives me a little crazy that I can’t pinpoint it. I usually know all her looks. “Tell me the real reason or you can go back to your room or sleep in the hallway for all I care, but you definitely won’t be sleeping next to me.”
“Ugh, fine.” I look at the wall behind her, suddenly very interested in the watercolor of the French Quarter hanging there. “There are girls in my room,” I mumble.
“What was that?” she asks, cupping an exaggerated hand around her ear. And they say I’m the dramatic one. “I didn’t quite hear you.”
I sigh, meeting her eyes. “There are girls in my room. Two of them. Nothing happened,” I add quickly, feeling compelled to say that even though I can’t be one hundred percent sure it’s true.
It feels true, though, and right now, that’s enough for me.
“I don’t know why they’re there. But I don’t want to be there with them. ”
Thinking about being back in that room has my stomach clenching again, my hands curling into fists. I should probably spend some time pondering why that is, but right now, my eye is on the prize. The prize being a few more hours of sleep in my best friend’s bed.
Sophie stares at me for a beat. Then two. The silence between us stretches to a minute, maybe more, before she blows out a breath, pulling back the covers on the empty side of the bed. “Get in.”
“Fuck yes!” I exclaim, taking my hat off and tossing it on the floor before vaulting over her and rolling into the empty spot. “You are my favorite human,” I say earnestly, tucking a loose curl back behind her ear.
“I know.” She flops back against her pillows as I sit up, unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it off, throwing it next to the bed before I give my pants the same treatment, leaving me in my undershirt and boxers. “Consider it your MVP present.”
Lying back down, I turn on my side again so I’m facing her and toss her a wink. “This is definitely better than the car.”
Sophie laughs, putting a hand on my face and shoving me back. I capture her wrist, tugging her to me and wrapping my arms around her, her familiar strawberry scent making me smile. This is the only place I want to be. “Seriously, thank you.”
“You can thank me by buying breakfast in the morning. And when I’m hungover, I eat a lot.”
Her voice is muffled against my hair, and it makes me smile again. I pull back and then kiss her cheek. “Oh, I know. Consider it done. All the strawberry pancakes you want. You really are my favorite person, you know.”
When she flashes me that grin of hers, my entire world lights up.
Nothing could ever be wrong when my best friend smiles at me like that.
“I know I am. I’m fabulous. Now, I know you’re a big deal Super Bowl champion and you’re probably running on adrenaline and good vibes or whatever, but us mere mortals still need sleep to function, so let’s do that.
” She reaches up and pulls down her sleep mask then tugs the covers up to her chin, snuggling into her pillow and making herself a cozy little nest.
“Did you have to get the mask with the eyes?” I ask, rolling onto my back and smirking up at the ceiling. “It’s really fucking creepy, Soph.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you somehow forget that I’m letting you sleep in my bed out of the goodness of my heart?
I’m saving you from the cleat chasers in your room instead of sleeping all alone and diagonally across this giant bed the way god herself intended, and you repay me by making fun of my sleep mask?
” Sophie lets out a tsk. “Interesting choice, Harry. I think maybe you and the cleat chasers deserve each other.”
“Nooooo,” I whine, smothering a laugh because honestly, she really does look ridiculous with that mask over her eyes and her mouth set in a scowl.
But Sophie’s wrath is unpredictable, and I really don’t want to sleep in the hall.
“The mask is perfect. You’re perfect. I’m a slave for you, Sophie Sullivan.
I owe you breakfast and then so many more things for saving me from the strangers in my bed and being the best friend a guy could ever ask for. ”
“That’s more like it,” she grumbles, tugging the covers up higher. I settle into the pillows, and we both lapse into silence. Just when I think Sophie is asleep, her hand slides over, and she links her index finger with mine the way we’ve been doing since we were little kids.
“Hey, Ty?”
“Yeah, Soph?”
“You won the Super Bowl.”
I feel the grin explode across my face, my entire body lighting up at her words because what even is life right now?
“I fucking did. I’m really glad you were here to see it.
Winning wouldn’t have been the same without you there.
” They are the truest words. I’ve played thousands of football games in my life, and my best ones—win or lose—are always the ones where I get to look up and see Sophie in the stands.
She squeezes my finger with hers. “No place I would rather be. Forevs, Harry.”
I smile into the darkness at the familiar words. The ones we made up as kids, promising each other that we would be best friends forever and ever no matter what. In this comfortable bed, with Sophie next to me, my brain quiet and settled, I am content right down to my toes. “Forevs, Sal.”