Chapter 12 Number in Hand
Number in Hand
Cole
I’m posted up near the kitchen island with a couple of teammates, nursing a beer that’s gone warm while half-listening to Marcus tell some elaborate story about a fist fight he got into during juniors.
The music’s loud enough that I have to lean in to catch every third word, but the gist seems to be that he won and the other guy deserved it.
Typical Marcus story, in other words.
Across the room, Sirus is basically serving as Maddie’s personal furniture.
She’s draped against him, laughing way too loud at something he whispered in her ear, and he’s got that dopey grin that suggests he’s already planning their next date.
They’re cute together, I’ll give them that, but I can’t help noticing that Harper didn’t show up tonight.
Which is probably for the best. This isn’t exactly her scene—too loud, too chaotic, too many drunk college students making decisions they’ll regret tomorrow.
Still, I find myself wondering what she’s doing instead. Probably something reasonable, like homework or sleep or whatever normal people do on Saturday nights.
“Cole!”
I look up to see Maddie peeling herself away from Sirus and tottering over to me, that mischievous glint in her eyes that immediately puts me on alert. She’s had enough tequila that she’s moving with the careful precision of someone who’s trying very hard to appear sober.
“My cousin likes you,” she announces, loud enough for a couple of heads to turn in our direction.
I blink, caught between amusement and secondhand embarrassment. “Is that so?”
Behind her, Sirus grins and smacks my chest with the back of his hand. “Yeah, man, get it.”
“Very subtle, both of you,” I say dryly.
Maddie plants her hands on the counter and leans in like she’s about to share classified information.
“I’m serious. You should take her on a proper date.
Not some hockey-player-party thing, and definitely not another double date where Sirus and I are practically sitting in each other’s laps. Just ask her out.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And why’s that?”
“Because she’s a good girl,” Maddie says with the exaggerated seriousness that only comes with alcohol. “She deserves someone who treats her right. Like, actually right. Not some player who’s going to pump and dump her or ghost her or treat her poorly.”
There’s something in her tone that suggests she’s speaking from experience, either her own or Harper’s. “Pump and dump, huh?”
Sirus wraps his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “She’s very protective of Harper,” he explains. “It’s cute.”
“It’s necessary,” Maddie corrects. “Harper’s had her heart broken by enough guys who looked good on paper but turned out to be complete disasters.”
I’m getting the distinct impression there’s a story there, but this probably isn’t the time or place to dig into Harper’s dating history. Still, Maddie’s drunken sales pitch is working better than it should.
“You’re very persuasive when you’ve had tequila,” I tell her.
“I’m persuasive when I’m sober too. Tequila just makes me louder about it.”
I’m not going to lie, I am curious. Harper was... unexpected. Sharp and funny and surprisingly easy to talk to once she stopped looking like she was planning her escape route. The kind of person I could actually see myself getting to know better, if she was interested.
“Alright,” I say, pulling out my phone. “Give me her number.”
Maddie’s face lights up like she just won a bet with herself. She digs her phone out of her back pocket, punches in Harper’s number, and hands it over with a triumphant grin.
I save the contact, no intention of texting tonight—she’s probably enjoying her night, and I’m definitely not sober enough to craft a message that doesn’t sound like it was written by a drunk college student at a party.
But maybe later.
“Yes!” Maddie announces, throwing her hands up in the air.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I warn. “I haven’t even texted her yet.”
“But you will.”
Before I can respond, Liam appears beside us, looking restless in that way that usually means he’s about to leave early. “I’m heading out,” he says, smacking my back in goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”
“Later,” I call as he disappears into the crowd.
Maddie giggles, watching him go. “I wonder where he’s going. It’s a shame he’s got that whole ‘commitment-phobic player’ thing going on.”
The next morning, I’m up early, letting Rex out into the backyard while I nurse my first cup of coffee. The house is quiet—Finn’s still asleep, and the neighborhood hasn’t quite come alive yet.
I grab a trash bag and clean up the yard, picking up the sticks and leaves that accumulated during the week. It’s mindless work, but there’s something satisfying about it. After that, I run the vacuum through the living room, straighten the throw pillows, and wipe down the kitchen counters.
It’s my version of a Sunday reset. My space feels better when it’s in order, and I function better when everything has its place.
I’m just finishing up when my phone buzzes with a call from Sirus.
“You hook up with Maddie yet?” I say as soon as I answer, just to mess with him.
Sirus groans. “No, man. We’re just... hanging out. Taking it slow.”
“Uh-huh.” I smirk, unconvinced. “Since when do you take anything slow?”
“Since I actually like this one and don’t want to screw it up.” There’s a pause. “Speaking of screwing things up, you know anything about where Liam went last night? Who’s the girl?”
I lean against the kitchen counter, curious. “I don’t know a thing. Why?”
“Fuck,” he mutters.
“What?”
Sirus sighs. “I’m worried he’s seeing my sister again.”
“You think?” I question along with him, but as the thoughts continue swirl, I say, “Nah, Sirus. There’s no way it’s your sister.”
“How do you know?”
“I can tell this is a new one.”
“I don’t know. He’s being weird, man. I’m––”
“Ask your sister.”
Sirus laughs. “Can’t do that without starting a world war in the fam.”
“Shit, well… I’ll ask him. He’ll tell me.”
“Thanks. I just… I can’t have him hooking up with her again.”
“Understood, brother. I got your back.”
“Over Liam’s?”
I laugh because he has a point. “The team comes first. And one of those rules are we shouldn’t be banging each other’s siblings.”
Sirus chuckles nervously. “I owe you one.”
Around lunchtime, I’m throwing together a sandwich when I decide to call Liam. He picks up on the third ring, sounding suspiciously cheerful.
“So,” I say, “mystery girl.”
Liam’s grin is audible in his voice. “Turns out stalking my Instagram was the best decision she ever made.”
“That’s where you disappeared to last night? Didn’t think you were the repeat-performance type.”
“What can I say?” Liam laughs. “Trouble’s got skills.”
I pause with my sandwich halfway to my mouth. “Trouble?”
“Yeah, that’s her nickname. Fits her perfectly.”
There’s something in his tone—affection, maybe, or genuine interest—that I don’t usually hear when he talks about his hookups. It’s almost like he actually cares about this girl, which would be a first.
“So this is becoming a thing?” I ask.
“Maybe. Probably. We’ll see.”
“Tell me one thing––no bull shit.”
He barks a laugh.
“Is it Sirus’s sister?”
He laughs again. “Are you serious?”
“Just tell me the truth.”
“He’s worried I’m fucking his sister again? Couldn’t ask me himself?”
“Don’t turn this into a thing, Liam. He’s worried about his sister and I’m keeping bro code. If it’s a no then it’s simple.”
“It’s a big N-O, bro-code-keeper. It’s not her.”
“Am I ever gonna get a name?”
Liam laughs. “Yeah, her name’s Trouble.”
I shake my head.
“You’re not ruining this one for me,” he laughs. “When you meet her, you’ll meet her as my girlfriend.”
“Wow.” That’s the most commitment I’ve ever heard Liam express about anyone, which is either self-growth or a sign of the apocalypse. “This girl’s the one, huh?”
“I’m trying not to scare her off. Just taking it at her pace.”
Later in the afternoon, Sirus stops by to drop off a spare stick he borrowed last week. We’re standing in the entryway, Rex weaving between our legs looking for attention, when Sirus nods toward my phone on the counter.
“You should text Harper,” he says. “Maddie swears she’s into you.”
I’ve been thinking about texting her all day but haven’t been able to figure out what to say. The usual “hey, what’s up” feels too casual, but anything more elaborate feels like I’m trying too hard.
“Just keep it simple,” Sirus advises, reading my hesitation. “Ask her out. Worst case scenario, she says no, and you move on.”
He has a point. I grab my phone and type quickly before I can overthink it.
Hey, it’s Cole. How about I take you on a proper date without your cousin this time?
I hit send before I can second-guess myself.
“Done,” I tell Sirus.
“See? Easy.” He grins. “Did you talk to Liam?”
I nod. “Yeah, he should be coming over soon actually.”
Sirus laughs. “Butt buddies.”
“Fuck off.”
“What’d he say?”
“You’re in the clear. It’s not your sister.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “Yeah, man. I’m positive. I remember what he was like when he was with her and it’s not like that this time.”
Sirus takes a moment to think and then sighs of relief. “Thank fuck.”
Then Liam rolls up to my house and gets out of the truck, walking over to the front door. Rex starts barking. Liam let’s himself in and pets Rex.
“What’s up,” Sirus says.
Liam walks over and says, “I’m not fucking your sister.”
I shake my head as Sirus stares at him.
“You better not be.”
Liam laughs. “Don’t worry, big guy.” And then he looks around and points at the stick. “Look at who finally brought back what he borrowed.”
“Don’t be a dick,” I say to Liam, but he just laughs.
Sirus says, “I’m gonna head out. Let me know if she texts back.”
“Will do.”
When Sirus leaves, Liam turns to me and says, “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day where Sirus hooks you up with someone.”
“Yeah, well… I’m gonna kick your ass in Call of Duty.”
“You’re not.”