Page 160 of Neighbors With Benefits

“Maybe not every day,” Jazz said. “But you absolutely have to make this for me again.”

Smiling smugly, I said, “Oh, I intend to. Maybe on a special day.”

I glanced at Dante. His eyes flared with understanding, and then he smirked at me.

“Like Christmas?” Jazz asked.

“Not special enough,” I said. “Something unique. A once-in-a-lifetime event. Like this.” I gestured with my fork.

Jazz paused with the fork halfway to her mouth. She stared at me for one heartbeat, two, three. I held my breath. Had I overreached?

“I’d like that,” she said, smiling and holding my gaze for a moment longer. “I’d like that a lot.”

Bash gasped. “Wait a minute. Do you mean…”

Dante put an arm around him. “Don’t ruin it.”

Jazz smiled at me, then returned to her cake, chewing with a huge grin on her face the entire time. To the left of her, Dante nodded at me once.

I nodded back.

It wasn’t a proposal. Not really. But it was a promise, one held between the four of us.

We had a future together. One where we would become, with the help of one-another, the best versions of ourselves.

And I couldn’t wait.

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