Page 95 of How to Love Your Neighbor
“I might have to stage an intervention for you and those brownies.”
She held them closer to her chest and angled her body away. “Watch yourself, Jansen.”
“I just realized I’ve never done this. I want you to know you’re not the only one in uncharted territory,” he said, looking down at his feet.
“You’ve never brought wine and brownies to someone’s house before?”
He looked up with a smile. “Actually, not together, I don’t think, but what I meant was, I’ve never…”
When he trailed off again, her curiosity spiked. “Never what? It can’t be that bad.”
“It’s not bad. I haven’t visited a couple as a couple.” He said it like he was ripping off a Band-Aid.
Because she was having to put effort into keeping a leash on her heart, she decided to lighten the mood and his obvious discomfort.
“Does that mean I can call you my boyfriend?” She singsonged the word.
Noah’s brows scrunched together and he tested out the word, making her smile wider. “Sort of feels like middle school. Girlfriend. Boyfriend.”
She batted her eyelashes. “How about my fella?”
His lips quirked. “Oh look, it’s 1950.”
Grace tapped a finger to her lips. “Myman.My big, strong—”
He groaned dramatically. “‘Boyfriend’ works fine. Girlfriend.”
She leaned against him, hiding her smile. Middle-schoolish or not, she liked the labels.
He pressed the buzzer for the apartment again, but he also took her hand and linked their fingers together. It didn’t matter what they called each other. She appreciated his willingness to be vulnerable more than any label he could have given to their relationship.
The apartment was on the fifth floor, overlooking the rest of the residential neighborhood.
“You’ve already unpacked everything?” Grace asked, looking around the living room after handing Rosie the brownies.
“I didn’t have a ton of stuff and we got rid of things we had doubles of,” Rosie said, passing Grace a glass of wine.
“Nice place, man,” Noah said to Josh.
“Thanks. Is this weird for you? Us hanging out? Or is it everything you were hoping it’d be?”
Noah gave him a look that Grace knew the story behind. She smothered her laugh with her hand, which had Noah side-eyeing her.
Rosie glanced between them. “What am I missing?”
“Have you told her the story?” Grace asked Josh.
His surprise was clear. He clapped Noah on the shoulder. “Youtold her? You’re a confident man. Not everyone would share that story with someone they were into.”
“Tell me,” Rosie said, pulling her toward the couch.
“Pretty please?” Grace folded her hands together and looked at Noah through lowered lashes.
“Dude. She does it or I do.” Josh sat down on the chair that sat kitty-corner to the couch.
Noah flopped onto the chair opposite it. “Whatever. Clearly, I’m just here for entertainment.”
Grace told the story, stopping when Rosie nearly spit wine out of her mouth.
