Confiding in You ϟ a.i.

Chapter 55

==Ashton's POV==

Normally, I would be opposed to spending time with Milly and Michael when I could be spending it alone with Maddie. They always bicker and Michael ends up sitting in silence with his legs curled up by the end of it. Today, though, I'll make an exception.

Our little Supernatural marathon tonight is at Maddie's house, which is the only reason Milly and Mikey being there is okay. That means they don't get to talk much, I can cuddle with Maddie, and I get to watch hours of sexual tension between Cooper and Milly. It'll be great.

Milly getting with Cooper is the only thing that makes me feel a little less guilty about Lily. They just need to carry on with their blooming relationship and I'll be okay. Especially because if he is paying attention to her, there's less of a chance that she'll tell anyone what she knows.

And that's exactly why I've brought an abundance of alcohol, because the two of them seem to be the most attracted to each other when they're drunk. When I took the wine, I told my mom I wouldn't be the one drinking it, but I'll probably have some too.

It's not like she believed me anyway.

I knock on their door, the two bottles of wine in my hands, a good hour and a half early. Just because I'm fine with spending time with people that aren't Maddie doesn't mean I don't need alone time with her beforehand.

Cooper opens it after a good minute, the hood of his sweatshirt up and an annoyed grimace on his face. I smile wide at him anyway.

"Hey!" I say, holding the wine out to him. He doesn't take it, so I drop my arms and pretend that didn't happen.

"She's upstairs, probably consumed with a dumb book," he tells me immediately, pointing. I look, but I don't move.

Cooper, lately, has had this idea that unless I've told him otherwise, every time I show up to their house is for Maddie. I mean it's usually been true, but he gets all butthurt about it and acts like I don't care about him, and it's annoying. It's not like we haven't been best friends since elementary school or anything.

"How are--" I start, ready to have a conversation with him while I wait for Maddie to come down. He cuts me off before I can get another word out.

"Things with Lily?" he says quickly, clearing his throat, "Great."

"I was going to say 'how are you,' but that works too," I take an awkward step inside. I've been standing in the doorway even more awkwardly the whole time.

Cooper's expression changes and it's as if he was never annoyed with anyone at all. His eyebrows come together nervously and he brings his hands up to rub his eyes. He's acting pretty f*cking weird, if you ask me.

"Sorry, man," he says, his voice suddenly tired and his body much less tense, "I'm just stressed. I didn't get scouted for soccer so now I have no clue if I'll get into OSU."

I lean against the back of the couch and set the bottles I'm holding down on the floor. When I look up, Cooper's pulling down on the strings of his hoodie and frowning.

"Are you and Lily still planning on going there together?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" he shoots back and I shrug.

I don't get what his issue is with me mentioning Lily all of a sudden. I thought she was starting to fix things with him like I told her to.

"I was just wondering," I say and again he loosens up.

"I applied to UC San Diego, too. It's near my dad," he tells, still fiddling with the strings, "I probably won't get in there either."

"You will, dude," I attempt to comfort him. It's not like I know how he's feeling.