Keep It Together

It's not awkward unless we make it awkward.Carmen... I've forgiven Isaac for being a jerk to me when we were kids, but while my grudge against him is gone, my fears are alive and well. I don't care how much chemistry there is between us. I'm done with all the games guys play, and I've found a way to make life a whole lot easier.I friend-zone them. Every single one.It's worked super well. Until now.Isaac isn't like other guys. He knows about the friendship-only box I've shoved him into and constantly teases me about it. It's not the elephant in the room. It's his favorite joke.The line between fun and flirtation is growing thinner with every interaction. Isaac hasn't just charmed my parents and all the senior citizens we pick up for bingo night. He's also winning me over, and I'm terrified.Isaac... I couldn't have designed a person more perfectly apt to make me lose my mind than the grown-up version of Carmen Ortega. I already knew she was funny, adventurous, and kind. But adding attraction to that is like pouring lighter fluid on a campfire.Telling her how I feel will send her running in the other direction, so I make jokes. If she wants to see the truth in the words, it's right there.She can try to set me up with her friends, sic her neighborhood matchmaker on me, and ban me from bringing her flowers. For now.I won't step across the line without her permission, but I'm not afraid of the long game. Carmen is the goal, and I plan to show her what being friends forever really means.Read the whole Sworn to Loathe You rom com seriesWorst Neighbor Ever - A PrequelI Hated You First - Book 1Carpool Crush - Book 2Not Friends - Book 3Keep It Together - Book 4Freelance Flirt - Book 5**All of Rachel John's books are closed-door romances sprinkled with flirty banter and swoony kisses only.** Rachel John lives in Arizona with her husband and four kids. She writes romcom and contemporary romance of the tame variety - but with lots of swoon and snark. Besides hanging out with the characters in her head, she likes to jam out to music that annoys her kids, read romance books, occasionally go running as part of her zombie apocalypse prepping, and work on family history. She has a fairly useless English Literature degree from Arizona State University, but learned the most about writing and craft from the awesome writer community online. Rachel is most active on Instagram with the handle @racheljohnwrites. Come say hi!