Page 106 of Love Thy Neighbor

Caroline brushes a curl behind her ear, her nerves loud and clear, but I also see her wavering just the slightest bit.

River folds her hands together, tucking them under her chin, begging Caroline with her eyes.

Please, she mouths.

And Caroline caves.

“Okay.”

“Yes!” River wraps her in a hug, squeezing her tightly. “Oh my gosh,thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She releases her, clapping her hands. “This is so huge! You just saved us so big.”

Caroline shoots her a shaky smile.

“You.” River points to me. “Go get the stuff. We still need to put everything on hangers and set up displays and—whatever. You don’t have to know all the details. I just need them ASAP, so run.”

I nod, and she turns away, muttering about everything she still needs to do.

She disappears into the truck, leaving me alone with Caroline.

She turns to me, and I see it.

It’s written on her face clearly.

Betrayal.

She’s hurt.

And I fucking hate when she hurts.

A pang I wasn’t expecting hits me square in the chest.

“Hey! Come on, Caroline,” River says, poking her head back out of the truck. “We need to get this stuff moved around.”

Caroline turns to go, and I reach for her.

“Care…” I say, grabbing her wrist.

She pulls out of my grasp, shaking her head. “Just go, Cooper.”

She leaves me standing there without another word. Not even a backward glance.

And I know in that moment that I fucked it all up.

16

Caroline

He lied.

Cooper lied to me, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Even as the day rolled on and we got busy with the event, I couldn’t push it out of my mind. It was all I could focus on. I was moving through the festival like a robot.

There hasn’t been a time in our friendship when he hasn’t been completely honest with me. I know this because I knowhim. We’ve always been able to trust each other wholly…until now.

He said he’d drop it. He said he’d let me work through my fears on my own. Said he’d respect my decision.

And he didn’t.

Cooper lied to me.

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