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Noah’s words puh his head, pulsed blood through his heart "I ran straight to your house when I got hoa when I found that house es to you, but you were them as well, to ive a shit how this sounded--it was real and honest and he wanted Noah to know it-- "Hell, maybe in some way I was even in love with you back then"

Noah sucked in a deep breath "What?"

"I said I’m in love with you, Noah Don’t pretend you don’t know, to hear h as he’d hoped This would have been a lot easier if he did

"I love you too, Coop I’ve always loved you"

Cooper let out a breath, he didn’t realize he held

After that, the room when silent Noah didn’t move froain, still lying with Noah’s legs around hi each other, the way he hoped they alould

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The teeks after they got ho went at warp-speed Cooper worked a couple of extra shifts, on top of his regular schedule He was exhausted, but he also wanted to be there to help Noah as he put in hours into his neorkshop Cooper had wanted to do this for Noah, so it hadn’t felt right that the other man spent time out there alone So any ti with Noah

They’d gone in for Noah to fill out the paperwork on the lease for the store, so everything was lined up for hiet to work He had to e unit, which held all his tools and also some pieces that he had already made

"I feel bad you have to make the drive back by yourself," Cooper told hi to California, but then he’d rent a truck to haul everything back "It sure would make the drive easier if you had so in the kitchen Cooper had gotten off work not long before He’d taken a shower, and then co dinner

"Don’t worry about it You can’t get the ti to kill o Plus, I don’t " Noah nodded toward the table "Sit down We’ll figure out the bills and everything while the food finishes cooking"

Cooper rolled his eyes Noah was insistent that if he was going to be staying here, well, they hoped forever, that they had the bills splitridiculous"

"No, I want this to be equal, Coop I’ off your property I don’toff you We’re in this together, all the way"

"Don’t want to be hed Boyfriend Whoa He never thought he’d have one of those "You kno hters make You probably havehis feet up on the chair across from him Noah stepped up behind him, his hands on Cooper’s shoulders "That’s not the point Now shut up and humor me" He bent and kissed the side of Cooper’s neck "But I like hearing you call me yours"

Aaaand, just like always, Cooper’s dick perked to attention at the sound of Noah’s voice "If we’re going to do this, we need to do it I’d h of Noah He’d taken Noah a couple times these teeks, but usually it was Noah inside hi his lover had him in a way no one ever had, or would

"Horny bastard" Noah said next to hi out They’d halved the expenses, each of the specific utilities In his way, he wondered if that was Noah trying to s more permanent between them Not that they weren’t, but like he wanted it in stone Cooper huh where he was concerned, they were already in stone, ce stars, or whatever you wanted to say

There was only one dark cloud having over them--and Noah didn’t even know the extent of it Not only did his aunt and uncle not knoas in love with another man They still didn’t know Noah was here Thatelse Noah had made another comment about how excited he was to see Cooper’s faet the reception he assumed Well, from Autumn maybe, but not Vernon