When I answer with an indistinctyes, she starts laughing, though the sobs don’t subside. "Stop it! You’re making me cry even more."
But it’s already too late, so we both laugh tearfully while she keeps saying how much she misses us, and I return it.
"You’re the best first friend one could imagine," I say sincerely when we’ve calmed down a bit.
"Oh no… I’m going to cry again, dammit." Jules makes a frustrated sound that causes us both to sob out laughing again.
I never thought making friends would involve so many tears, but I decide that I don’t mind. Because much more important is the warmth with which this friendship fills my heart.
I’m lying in Cole’s bed, flipping through a magazine that Jules left here. The articles in it are about diets, so-called one-night stands, and countless people I’ve never heard of.
"Sophie?" Cole’s voice snaps me out of my astonishment.
I put the magazine aside and sit up. "Yes?"
"Close your eyes," he instructs me, still being on the first floor.
I don’t feel like another surprise. I’m still sad about Buster and don’t think anything could cheer me up. "I don’t want a surprise," I call out loudly, but Cole doesn’t give up.
"Just do it!" His voice is louder, but I still can’t see him as I look toward the stairs.
"Did you close them?" he asks when I don’t reply.
Sighing, I do. "Yes."
I can clearly hear him climb the last steps before a new, strange noise is added. It sounds like fast steps of many legs, but not dull. More like… clicking. Just as I’m about to ask Cole what it is, something lands on the bed beside me, and I cry out in shock as a wet warmth drags across my face. When I open my eyes, a dog knocks me over, apparently desperate to sit on my lap.
"Buster!" Laughing, I try to stop him from licking my face while he makes high-pitched whining sounds and jumps around on the bed.
"Sure you don’t want that surprise?"
I try to push Buster off me to look at Cole. He stands at the foot of the bed, grinning at me with his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Why—How—" I stumble over the words, not understanding why Buster is here.
"I thought you could use a friend." Shrugging, he watches Buster continue to try to shower me with dog kisses.
A huge lump forms in my throat as my chin begins to quiver. I scramble past Buster until I reach the foot of the bed and literally throw myself at Cole. He doesn’t even sway a bit before he wraps his arms around me.
"But I already have Jules and you," I say in a cracked voice against his chest as tears of joy escape my eyes.
Cole strokes my hair with one hand. "You can never have too many friends, little darling."
TWENTY-FOUR
SOPHIE
"It seems like Buster needs to go out," I say after Cole told me he had something to take care of and that I should stay here.
"I won’t be gone long. I’m sure he’ll be fine for a little while."
My gaze follows the dog as he walks through the large room with his head down, sticking his snout wherever it fits. "I don’t think so. See how he’s sniffing everywhere?"
Cole narrows his eyes as he pulls on his leather jacket. "Are you a dog expert now?"
Well, I’m not, but I just can’t get rid of the feeling that Buster should go out. Until a few minutes ago, he was lying perfectly still next to me on the sofa, but then he jumped up and has been doing this sniffing thing ever since.
"He’ll have to wait," Cole decides. "As soon as I get back, we’ll take him out."
