“Are you…talking to a loaf of bread?”
My head shoots up at the sound of a deep voice, and my eyes widen at the very hot—and very shirtless—guy in front of me.
Definitely not an old retired couple.
Chapter 2: Don’t Call Me That
The guy smirks at me. “You can close your mouth now.”
“Who the heck are you?” I blurt out. “And why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
Oh man, not only does he—cough—have a hot bod—cough—but he’s got amazing dark hair, and these warm hazel eyes…
Snap out of it, Megan! You don’t even know this guy! Hot or not, you need to collect yourself and act casual!
“Not that it’s any of your business,” he drawls, leaning against the doorframe, “but I’m not wearing one because I don’t feel like wearing one.”
“Well, uh,” I say, trying not to clear my throat, “good for you.”
Good for you? That’s the best I could come up with?
“Well, uh,” he copies me, that smirk still intact, “from the way you were totally checking me out, I guess it’s good for you too.”
There’s no hiding my loud gasp. Who the heck does this guy think he is?! The sexiest teen of the year? I was not checking him out…that much…
I scowl at him. “Just take your stupid bread.”
“Feisty, huh?” He laughs some as he crosses his bare, toned arms. “I like that.”
Okay, I’m done.
I am so done, and that’s why I throw the loaf of bread down at his feet before stalking off with a huff.
“You know, you’re not very friendly!” he calls after me. “Are all the neighbors around here like that?”
I ignore him and just keep walking, well, until I go crashing down to the ground with an: OOF!
“You tripped over our garden hose!” I hear him yell in between his annoying snickers. “Can you hear me? I said you—”
“I HEARD YOU!” I shriek, turning over to sit on my butt. “I KNOW I TRIPPED OVER YOUR STUPID GARDEN HOSE! IT COULDN’T BE MORE OBVIOUS!”
Ow, my knees. Lovely…they’re all red and will probably bruise. Just what I needed.
“Wow, that was something else,” he comments, walking toward me, “our first time meeting each other, and you’ve already fallen for me.”
Is this guy for real right now?
“Conceited much?” I mutter, wishing I had just stayed home and conveniently forgot to deliver the stupid blueberry bread.
“Here, let me help you up,” he says, apparently not hearing my bitter remark.
I narrow my eyes at his extended hand. This could be some kind of trick. I don’t know how exactly it would be, but I’m not planning on finding out.
“Come on,” he insists, widening those gorgeous eyes at me, “just give me your hand.”
Don’t fall for it, Megan.
But I do.
I give him my hand, and then he pulls me up to my feet in one smooth, effortless motion. What the—
“You okay?”
Um, how can I be okay when I am this close to a shirtless hottie who smells so flippin’ amazing? I can’t be, which is why my heart is racing like crazy right now.
“I’m fine,” I force myself to say, sliding my hand out of his grasp, “and I’m leaving…again.”
“Hey,” he drawls as I turn to go, “aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Nope,” I reply with creased eyebrows. “I don’t think so. Goodbye.”
Have a nice life…
“Not even a thank you?”
I pause in walking away, and then look at him over my shoulder. “Seriously?”
“Well, I did help you up,” he states with a smug look, slipping his hands into the pockets of his black basketball shorts. “Saying thank you would just be the polite thing to do.”
“Yeah, sure,” I agree sarcastically, “and laughing at me after I tripped was just the polite thing to do, right?”
At that, the corner of his mouth goes up. “I mean, it was pretty funny.”
I don’t even bother responding to him. It’d be pointless. I just need to go home and regret coming out here. So, for the hundredth time, I walk away. Of course, I barely take a step though when he’s suddenly speaking again.
“Oh, before you—”
“What?” I snap, turning around to completely face him. “I am not thanking you, so you can just forget about it, okay?”
“Easy, tiger,” he replies in a cool tone, “I just wanted to know Feisty’s name.”
He did not just call me that again.
“Don’t call me that,” I hiss, crossing my arms, “I’m not—”
“Don’t call you what?” he interrupts, looking confused. “Tiger? Or Feistyyyyy?”
He then wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I feel my cheeks burning with anger.
“That is it!” I growl, stomping off toward my house. “YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORST! AND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, PUT A DANG SHIRT ON! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT!”
“You have a great night too, Feisty!”
He has the nerve to laugh, and I grumble under my breath until I’m within the safety of our beautiful home. Why couldn’t we just get another old retired couple?
Hot or not, that guy is a nightmare.
——————
The first thing I do when I wake up the next day is go over to my window and peek outside at the new neighbors’ house. And no, I’m not looking for him, I’m just checking to see if the moving truck is still there. Which it is.
“What are you doing?”
I whirl around to see Hailee standing in my doorway with her arms crossed. “There’s this thing called knocking.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you spying on our new neighbors?”
“Of course not,” I respond with a scoff. “Now get out of my room, Hailee.”
“Make me.”
I snatch my hairbrush off my bed, and then point it at her with
