Page 94 of Love Thy Neighbor

She rolls her eyes, but there’s pure love in the gesture.

My moms met in college. They were roommates, and much like River and Dean, they loathed each other at first. It took them almost all of freshman year to warm up to each other.

Now, they can barely go twenty-four hours apart.

They’re the reason I didn’t do relationships.

If I couldn’t have what they have, I didn’t want it.

But now…

“Speaking of Caroline…” Momma Kira cuts through my thoughts. “How is our favorite gal doing?”

Just the thought of her makes my heart race. Sends a pulse of pure fucking elation right through me.

I can’t remember the last time I felt this good, this whole.

This absolutely sure of something.

“You’re smiling like crazy,” Momma B says. “What happened?”

I am?

I try to school my features, not wanting to give away what’s going on with us. We still haven’t told our parents yet.

Just in case, as Caroline put it.

“There it is again,” she comments. “Something funny?”

“Girlfriend of the year award goes to…drumroll, please…me! I bring coffee,” Caroline announces, and I turn around to see her carrying two mugs, her eyes not leaving them as she tries to balance them in her hands without spilling anything. “Though I filled the mugs up too full. You’re way better at this than I am.” She shrugs, setting my coffee on the bedside table. “And that’s fine. You have your skills and I have mine, like that thing I do with my tongue that you love. It’s—”

Her eyes widen when she realizes I’m on the phone, mug paused halfway to her lips.

At least she put panties on.

“Oh god,” she mutters.

I have to give her credit—she doesn’t drop her cup.

But her face flames a bright red. Probably redder than I’ve ever seen it, and that’s saying something.

I shake with laughter and she shoots narrowed, accusatory eyes my way.

“Cooper!” she hisses. “You could have warned me.”

I shrug. “I wanted my coffee.”

I turn my attention back to my moms. Momma Kira’s smirking, and Momma B has her hand covering her mouth, probably trying to hide her laugh.

“Did I hear that right?” Momma Kira asks. “Girlfriend?”

I feel the corners of my lips pull up, still loving the fact that Caroline is indeed my girlfriend.

“Well,” says Momma B, “guess that explains why he looks so happy. And here I was worried about his hairy palms.”

Caroline sputters, nearly choking on her coffee.

No matter how long she’s been part of my family, she still can’t seem to get over how open and honest we are. My moms have never been the type to shy away from talking about sex. They figured the more open they were, the more open I’d be, and the more I’d come to them with any questions or issues.

---