Page 98 of Love Thy Neighbor

Ugh.

Maya takes a sip of her coffee, then sputters when she realizes what River is getting at, coffee dribbling down her chin.

She wipes at the liquid, eyes wide as she stares at me in disbelief. “You and Cooper?” She smirks. “You dirty, dirty little secret keeper. How long?”

“Yeah, Caroline, how long?” River echoes.

I can’t help it; a smile pulls across my lips just thinking about him. “A little over a month.”

Maya gasps loudly. “You…you…youhussy! You’ve been sleeping with him that long and didn’t say anything?”

I shrug, picking at the sleeve on my cup. “We didn’t want to jinx it.”

“And now?”

Another grin. “I think we’re past that point.”

“Awww.” Maya clutches her chest. “That’s actually kind of sweet. How’d it happen? Who jumped who first? Is he good in the sack?”

I laugh at her questions as she peppers me with them rapidly.

“You really are sex-deprived,” I tell her.

“Trust me, I do not need the reminder.” She frowns momentarily, probably thinking of the awful divorce she went through last year. Then she smiles again, waving her hand. “Anyway, give us the details. I want to know everything.”

“Well, it happened not too long after you guys asked about our kiss.”

“Ah,” River says, nodding. “Sothat’swhy you canceled your date with the dude from the bookstore.”

“That’s why, and because I really don’t think that would have worked out anyway. He was too shy for me. Which I know is ridiculous coming from me of all people, but I just realized I needed someone more…confident, and Cooper isdefinitelyconfident.”

“I’m not going to pry into the intimate details of your sex life, but that truly sounds like he’s deliciously confident in all the right ways in the bedroom.”

She waggles her brows, and I giggle.

Gosh, I feel like I’m doing that so much lately.Giggling.Like a teenager who just fell in love for the first time.

Oh crap.

“I’m in love with Cooper.”

The words hit my own ears, and everything clicks into place.

I am madly in love with Cooper Bennett.

My best friend since I was fifteen. The same guy who has been there through everything. The aftermath of my parents’ divorce. All the embarrassing tribulations of high school. My first crushandmy first boyfriend. He was there to hold me when my grandparents passed. When I lost my virginity to that asshole Bobby John. Hell, he moved halfway across the country just to go to college with me.

He’s been there for all of it.

He’s my rock. He’s my person.

Myeverything.

River and Maya exchange a glance—then burst out laughing at the same time.

“We know,” my boss says once they calm down.

“You do?”

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