Page 31 of Crave Thy Neighbor

“Really?” Caroline says, twisting her lips up. “I thought since it worked out so well for you, you’d be all for it.”

“Well, Nolan’s not the commitment type. Dean says he’s never had a relationship last longer than a few weeks. I highly doubt Maya wants to get into something like that when she has Sam to worry about too.”

I point to River. “Exactly.”

“You can always sneak around,” Caroline suggests. “Sam would never have to know.”

“My god,” River mutters. “What happened to our sweet, innocent Caroline?” Another blush steals up her cheeks, and River rolls her eyes. “Never mind.Cooper.”

She says his name mockingly, and I laugh because River is the same way over Dean, even if she doesn’t want to admit it half the time.

“Again, moot point. Not sleeping with him. I barely know him.”

Not that it was going to stop me before…

River slides her eyes my way, and something flashes in her gaze that I’m having a hard time deciphering, which hasn’t happened in a long time.

It’s gone as quickly as it came, and I wonder if I imagined it.

“But you are saying yes to him, right?” she questions.

I sigh. “I’ll think about it.”

“Well, you better think hard. We’re down to the wire here.”

Like I need the reminder.

The clock is ticking away. It’s all I hear when I close my eyes at night.

“I know,” I tell her. “I have one other application out. If I don’t hear anything by Friday, I’ll accept.”

It’s a lie, but she doesn’t need to know that.

She seems pleased enough by my answer, a tight-lipped smile pulling at her face. “Okay. Now, let’s get to work. We have about three more boxes to get through before we can close. I want to get home at a decent hour tonight. Dean’s making me chicken Alfredo, and I can’t wait to make fun of him when he inevitably messes it up.”

Me: Can we talk?

With a heavy sigh, I set my phone down next to the stove, then return my attention to the task at hand: spaghetti.

After my major letdown of being rejected again yesterday, I finally stumbled upon some good news.

A new build I applied to previously is extending their leasing…in two months. It’s within the school zone limitsandmy price range. Assuming my credit and background checks come back good—which I know they will—we’re unofficially in.

This means, if everything goes as planned, I’ll only have to put my pride aside and accept Nolan’s offer for two months.

I check my phone to see if he’s texted back yet.

Nothing.

Dammit.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Hmm?” I say, not looking up from the red sauce I’ve been stirring the past few minutes. I shake more salt into the mixture, then give it a taste.

Almost there. Needs a bit more salt.

Aside from all the great memories I created with Sam, being a stay-at-home mom gave me something else I’m grateful for—the ability to cook a decent meal.

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