4
MADDIE
What the actual hell just happened?
Hugging Sheldon tighter to my chest, I glared at the big giant of a man stomping away from me. Or rather his broad back. I may have sneaked a peek at his butt too, but only because it would have been a crying shame not to.
"Don't go into the mean man's yard again, okay?" I warned Sheldon as I turned and headed for my house. Not ashamed in the slightest, I tried to catch a glimpse of Mr. Personality before I slipped inside, but he was long gone.
Everything that man lacked in manners, he made up for with his gorgeous looks. To be fair, gorgeous was an enormous understatement. The instant I had my first good look at him, the breath had left my lungs in one fell swoop.
Because… wow .
That strong jaw I'd gotten a glimpse of the other day was sharp and covered with dark whiskers that I bet would feel amazing scraping along my skin. He had these beautifully full lips that I envied and hated at the same time. No man should have been allowed to have a mouth like that.
It simply wasn't fair .
Nor was it fair that his nose, that had clearly been broken more than once, only added to his broody appeal. Or that his dark, dark eyes were so intense, I felt the weight of his stare all the way to my toes.
Then there were those scars… they ran from his neck and disappeared into his shirt.
I was no expert, but it kind of looked like they might've been burn wounds.
Thick gnarly wounds. And I would put my life on it, they had something to do with the downright tormented look in those black as night irises.
My heart twisted a little right then.
I didn't dare think about the kind of situation you needed to be in to get an injury like that.
"What a shame," I mused, setting my pup down on the kitchen floor. "The sexiest man I ever see just has to be the biggest asshole too." As I went about getting my breakfast ready—cereal and milk—Sheldon watched me with curious eyes.
Slipping onto the stool at the breakfast nook, I took in the view beyond the kitchen window. This side of the house didn't have an ocean view but that didn't mean the picture was any less appealing.
Bright morning rays filtered through the leaves of the sycamore tree in my front yard and danced over the sidewalk, the spots where it touched shimmering like little diamonds. The sight instantly pulling a happy memory to the forefront of my mind.
I had been in that awful teenage stage where it felt like it had been me against the world.
Or at least my dreams against what my parents thought my dreams should've been.
My grandma had convinced me to take an early morning walk with her.
Instead of giving me the same lecture my dad given me the night before, she'd put her arm around my shoulders and hugged me tightly to her side.
"Do you see that?" she'd asked, pointing toward the shiny sidewalk.
Naturally my mumbled, "What," hadn't deterred her one bit. She'd simply leaned in close and whispered, "They aren't afraid to shine, and you shouldn't be either."
Her words, her acceptance, had stunned me into complete silence. I hadn't known how to express to her how much it meant. But it didn't matter. She knew. She'd always known.
Just like she'd known I'd need a place to come home to if things didn't work out in New York.
Blinking furiously, I shoved a spoonful of cereal into my mouth and glared at Sheldon still sitting next to his bowl. "This is all your fault, you know?" I mumbled around my breakfast. "Why in the name of Zeus did you dart off like your tail was on fire?"
In answer, his head swiveled from side to side, the goofy look on his face almost melting my heart. Before I turned into a big softie—which always happened around Sheldon since he'd been with me through some of the toughest times of my life—I stabbed my spoon in his direction. "Don't do it again."
Although, I wouldn't mind getting another look at Mr. Personality.
"Ugh!" Annoyed, I pushed to my feet and rinsed my bowl and spoon. I seriously needed a hug from a guy, or rather I needed his bits to hug my bits, so I didn't go around fantasizing about my grumpy ass neighbor and his big hands and stupid mouth.
An annoying ping sounded from my phone, reminding me that I needed to get my ass in gear, or I would be late for work. And the absolute last thing I needed was for my dad to have something else to hold over my head.
Maddie couldn't cut it in New York and now she can't even show up for work on time.
It hadn't always been like that, and I honestly had no doubts that both my parents loved Jennah and me fiercely. They simply didn't understand that their dreams and our dreams didn't have to be the same.
Dropping to my haunches, I raked my fingers through the impossibly soft fur on Sheldon's head before bounding up the stairs to get myself ready for the day. I was back downstairs and putting my pup in his crate twenty minutes later.
I kissed him on the nose and with a quick "Be good," I pushed to my feet and hurried out of the house, taking extra care to leave the sliding doors open just a smidge. I couldn't leave Sheldon outside with no supervision, and it didn't feel right for him to have no fresh air.
Maybe not the safest choice but nothing bad had ever happened in our little town, so didn't worry about it too much .
As I made my way to my light blue Prius, the need to search out Mr. Personality was too strong to ignore. I wish I knew why that idiot of a man intrigued me so. There was this nibbling feeling in my gut that it had to do with way more than his good looks and impeccable manners .
Or maybe I really just needed my vagina to hug someone's penis.
Pushing all thoughts of my somewhat tortured and extremely sexy neighbor to the back of my head, I slid behind the wheel of my car and made the ten-minute drive to the hardware store.
Just as I slipped through the door, my back pocket buzzed. With a quick reach behind me, I pulled my phone out and swiped the screen to life. My grin spreading almost immediately.
Frankie: I've decided you need to get laid.
My fingers flew over the little screen.
Me: You decided, huh? Since it's my bits we're talking about here, shouldn't I be the one making the decisions?
Of course, my deprived brain would conjure up an image of my neighbor at the mere mention of a little action between the sheets. And I really, really couldn't help but wonder how all that grumpiness would look on him when he was naked and moving over me.
Clearly, I needed help.
The phone I was still clutching vibrated against my palm, saving me from the twisted path my thoughts had taken .
Frankie: Since you're the one holding her hostage, no.
My thumbs hovered above the screen, ready to fire back a response when I heard my dad's gravelly, "Morning, Madison." Instead of giving her the smartass comeback I had planned, I typed a quick, 'gotta go.'
"Hi, Dad." I slipped my phone back inside my pocket and jerked my chin toward the box he was carrying. "New stock?"
"Yes, it's that acrylic paint your sister insisted we get." He stopped a few feet in front of me, his gaze everywhere except on me. I hated this. Hated how we couldn't be together for even a minute without it being awkward as hell.
Behind my ribs, my heart squeezed violently. Emotion crawled up my throat and I swallowed hard to push it back down. "Do you want me to shelve it?"
"Shelve it?" My dad's thick brows pulled together. Blinking a few times, he shook his head slightly before shoving the box into my hands. "If you can be done before lunch, that would be great."
And then he was gone, leaving me to wonder if I'd ever have a normal relationship with him at all.
A heavy sigh blew over my lips as I hoisted the box higher and shuffled to the aisle where we kept the paint supplies. One by one, I slid the small tubes onto the empty space on the shelf, regretting taking my parents up on this job offer.
Maybe I'd subconsciously believed the hardware store was the best I could do, or maybe there'd been a part of me that in spite of everything had still wanted to make them proud.
Whatever it'd been, I'd grabbed this job they'd created for me with both hands.
And now it was draining me.
Shaking my head, I forced my thoughts in a different direction. Unfortunately for me, my mind was hellbent on torturing me because the first thing that popped into my head was Mr. Personality and those thick scars marring his skin.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I unlocked the screen and tapped my thumb against the Google icon. Less than a minute later, I was staring at all kinds of burn wounds.
I felt sick.
The more I scrolled, the more my stomach wanted to roll over on itself. My hand shot to my mouth, my heart twisting a little as I tried to imagine how horrible whatever happened to him must've been.
"Oh, my gosh," I whispered.
"What's the matter with you?"
At the suddenness of my sister's voice three things happened at once:
A very unladylike curse fell from my lips.
My entire body jerked.
My phone went flying through the air, landing in front of Jennah's feet with dull thud.
Before I had time to react, she bent down and scooped up the device. It was completely stupid of me to think she wouldn't take a peek at the screen first. "What the heck are you looking at?"
Brows pinched together, her gaze bounced between the phone clutched inside her palm and me.
It made me uncomfortable.
And it wasn't just because of the images on screen; my sister and I weren't close. Hadn't been for years. Not since the day our dad very cruelly started comparing me to her. And to no one's surprise, I was found wanting.
Rationally, I knew it wasn't Jennah's fault. She'd never gloated about it when words like that were thrown around like they weren't live grenades with the ability to destroy wherever they landed.
Even knowing that hadn't stopped me from pulling away from her. From building a wall so high, I didn't even know how to scale it.
Moving fast, I stepped forward and snatched my phone out of her hand and shoved it into my pocket. "It's nothing. Did you need something?"
Her face twisted; the same sadness I saw the previous day shone in her eyes again. She opened her mouth, but instead of saying what was on her mind, she pressed her lips together and let out a heavy breath through her nose.
"Just wanted to see the new stock."
That wasn't the truth but because of the uncrossable bridge between us, I didn't push. Even when deep down, I really wanted to.
"I think these paints are a great addition to this section." My gosh, this couldn't be more awkward. Nibbling on my lip, I scraped my palm over the back of my neck. "You…uh…still need me to watch Tommy on Saturday?"
Wringing her hands together, Jennah nodded. "Yeah, if you don't mind."
"Not one bit." And I really didn't. I might've been biased since he was my nephew, but Tommy was the best kid, and spending time with him was always a priority.
"Great." She took a step backward. "I better get back to it, those books aren't going do themselves." The words were barely out of her mouth before she spun around and hurried away, leaving me to stare at her retreating back.
With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, I turned back to the paints and frowned at the colorful tubes. Why were we like this? And more importantly, how could I fix it? I didn't have the answers to those questions, nor did I think I'd get them anytime soon.
That's was why I kept my head down and proceeded with my tasks on autopilot like I'd done every other day before this.
By the time my little Prius rolled to a stop in my driveway, I jumped from the car and all but ran to my backyard where I had an uninterrupted view of the beach and ocean.
The sky above the endless stretch of blue was painted in breathtaking shades of orange and pink, in stark contrast with the white sand.
And because my house was right at the edge of the beach, I had the luxury of witnessing the sight before me every single day. My grandma, who had known me better than anyone else, might've had a hand in it too .
Before she'd passed on, she purchased two houses—this one and a bigger one in the central part of town—without telling a soul about it. Jennah and I had certainly gotten the biggest shocks at the reading of her will eight months prior.
As silly as it may have sounded, I often wondered if the breeze that wrapped around me could somehow be her letting me know that even though she wasn't with us anymore, she was there ?
The wind picked up again, the strands of my ponytail fluttering beside my face. I was in the middle of brushing the wisps of hair when and odd sensation washed over me. A tingle started at the base of my skull before slithering down my spine.
Is someone watching me?
Twisting, I scanned my surroundings. Mr. Stevenson, a seventy-something-year-old retired teacher, lived to the left of me. We'd been neighbors for as long as I'd lived here, and not once had this feeling come over me.
My gaze shifted to the right. Mr. Personality's house. It was quiet, eerily so. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone's eyes— his eyes —were on me. Goosebumps popped up all over my skin, a shiver working its way through my body.
Awareness settled deep in my bones, and I couldn't take it anymore. My feet started moving, hurried steps taking me to the safety of my home. I slammed the door shut behind me and made sure to click the lock in place.
It wasn't that I was afraid of the broody man living next to me but rather the intense feeling that'd washed over me at the mere thought that he'd been watching me. I liked it a lot more than I should have.
Exploring those kinds of feeling usually led to nothing but trouble.
Trouble I definitely didn't need.