Page 77 of Love Thy Neighbor

“Well, I still think you’re pretty damn hot.”

“Pretty damn hot?”

“Yeah. I definitely wasn’t aware of that mole on your ass.”

“Cooper!” I hold my arm up against the onslaught of the pillow she’s throwing my way. “I do not have a mole on my ass!”

“Fine, fine,” I say, snatching the pillow from her and chucking it across the room. “Mole or no mole, you’re hot. Beautiful.Sexy.”

“That’s much better.” She crosses her arms over her chest, grinning victoriously. “But that’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” I sigh, scrubbing a hand through my hair. “Is that what you want? A relationship?”

She takes a moment to answer, brows pinched together in concentration.

It feels like forever passes before she nods.

“Yeah, I think that’s what I want. I’m not good at casual sex.”

“You’ve nevertriedcasual sex.” She huffs, and I laugh. “But I know what you mean,” I say. “You’re definitely the relationship type, and I get that. It’s just how you’re wired.”

“What about you?” she asks. “Have you thought about it? Us in a relationship?”

I nod. “I have.”

She tugs her lip between her teeth, chewing on it. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, and I don’t think it’s a crazy idea. Actually, I think it makes sense.A lotof sense.”

“In what ways?”

“All of them.”

I turn toward her, reaching out and plucking her lip free. I run my thumb over the swollen flesh. She peers up at me, those big blue eyes swimming with worry, curiosity, and caution.

“When we didn’t talk after Friday night, it fucking sucked. I hated it. Hated not having you here, not seeing you laugh. Hell, I’d have rather had you slap me and call me an ass for kissing you than ignoring me. It was agony, especially because I thought for sure I’d fucked things up on a whole new level. I was terrified I’d lost you for good.”

She opens her mouth to speak, and I shake my head, stopping her.

“But it made me think, made me realize small things that have always bothered me and I couldn’t place my finger on why. Like all those times in the past when we fought. When we ignored each other over ridiculous things like when you definitely stole my signed Kobe Bryant jersey, spilled Kool-Aid all over it, and then returned it stained, swearing up and down it wasn’t you.” She tucks her lips together, holding back her laugh. “We didn’t talk for a week after that. I wassomad at you then. But I realize now it wasn’t just me being upset with you over the jersey. I was mad because you weren’t there…because I missed you. I just didn’t know how to articulate that then.”

I cup her face and pull her closer.

I press a kiss to her forehead, then lean back, peering into her eyes.

“If you want to know if I see a relationship with you now, yes. Because my life isn’t the same without you in it, Caroline.”

She wraps her hand around my wrist, leaning into my touch and squeezing her eyes shut tight. “This scares me so much.”

“Me too.”

“What if we suck together?”

“Well, youdosuck.”

“Coop…” she groans.

I laugh. “I’m sure we’ll suck. All couples suck every now and then. But wouldn’t it suck more if we didn’t even try?”

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