Page 110 of Love Thy Neighbor

Well…no.

I mean, I hoped, but what girl doesn’t?

Her lips turn up at the corners when I don’t answer. “You love him, don’t you?”

“So much,” I whisper.

“You tell him that?”

“No. It’s…complicated.”

She grunts. “It always is.”

“Have you ever fallen in love with your best friend only to have them lie to you and break your trust?”

“Well…no, I haven’t. I guess that does complicate things a bit, huh?”

I pinch my fingers together. “Just a bit.”

“Sorry, kiddo.” She winces. “Tell you what, coffee is on me tonight. You sound like you really do need it.”

“Thank you.”

She tosses me another wink, then pours me a fresh cup of joe. She slides the coffee my way and gives me a somber smile before moving away.

Coffee in hand, I take the long way home.

When I finally make it up to our apartment, Cooper’s light is off.

And for the first time in over a month, I sleep alone.

17

Cooper

For the firsttime in my life, I was really starting to love Mondays.

Lazy mornings in bed with Caroline. The laughter. The fun. The sex.

But Caroline didn’t come to my bed last night, which makes it two nights in a row she’s slept in her own room.

I’ve reached for her only to find nothing but miles between us so many times I’ve lost count.

The only real communication we’ve had is a note that read,Give me time.It was sitting next to the full coffee pot the morning after the festival.

It feels like it did in the days after I kissed her. She’s not actively avoiding me this time and running from the room every time I walk into it, but we’re not talking either.

We’re sharing the same space, but we’re not.

It’s too quiet and feels like, at any moment, something—or someone—is going to explode. It’s so fucking hard to breathe because I feel like all my reasons to do so are missing.

I had to get out of there. Had to get a break from the silence.

Which is how I ended up in front of The Gravy Train, trying to convince myself to go inside and not storm back to our apartment and demand she talk to me.

“Hey, man.” I turn to find Dean striding up to me. It’s early, and based on his attire of dress shirt and slacks, he’s headed to work. “You going in or coming out?”

“In.”

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