Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Um…” I hesitate, taken aback, “this is my daughter, Paige, and I’m Rain.”
“Oh, honey! The pleasure is all ours!” Flynn waves me off.
“Yes, new neighbors are exactly what we needed.” Owen nods in agreement.
“How much do you wanna bet Tenly was here first?” Flynn mutters under his breath. Owen rolls his eyes before looking right at me.
“She was here first, wasn’t she?” Owen questions, his right brow raised.
I open my mouth to reply, then stop, unsure what to say. Do I tell them yes?
“She always has to one-up everyone,” Owen grunts.
“That woman is a toxic bitch,” Flynn hisses, his cheeks turning red. Maybe she is the neighbor who doesn’t approve.
“Easy now. Tenly and Rain could have hit it off and here you are blabbing—”
“Oh, screw Tenly,” he interrupts, and I have to bite my cheek to keep from laughing.
“Who is Tenly?” Paige asks, coming down the stairs. Oh lord, don’t get her started on the drama. The girl lives for it. She’s never involved, but she craves it like a drug. Watches every reality TV show and knows everyone’s business at school.
“A shitty woman who thinks she’s above everyone else.” Flynn doesn’t hold back, and Owen slaps him on the arm.
“What?” He holds his bicep, where Owen just hit him. “It’s true! You can’t tell me what she said about us adopting didn’t piss you off.” He stares at his partner, waiting.
“Of course it did, but we have to live with her across the street, so I just ignore her oppressive beliefs—you should, too.”
Flynn scoffs, looking the other way, as if he has better things to do than listen to this crap.
Paige laughs, gaining their attention.
“So, she’s like the gossiping bitch of the suburbs?”
“Paige!” I scorn, my heart beating in my chest like a drum. I cannot believe she said that! I’ve never heard her use that word before.
“Yes,” Flynn and Owen say at the same time.
I turn away from the door, taking the plant and wine to the kitchen, unsure what to say to our new neighbors after all that was just said. Do I thank them for the gifts? Continue on about Tenly? Owen and Flynn come farther into the house, their eyes scanning the place like they’re in a haunted house rather than one of their neighbor’s. I find it odd.
“Wait until you meet the Gradys. Their kids will drive you up the wall!” Owen throws a hand out, shaking his head, gaining a slap on the arm from Flynn.
“Okay, I think that’s enough gossiping for one evening.” Flynn fakes a smile, clearly nervous about Owen’s opinions. “I’m so glad you and your daughter are here. This house could use some light.” His head swivels, pointedly looking around the place, and my curiosity piques as to what the heck that means. “Wait—was there something up with the people who lived here before us?” Paige asks what I’m thinking.
“They just…weren’t happy,” Flynn stammers, and my suspicions rise. The room grows quiet, tension whispering that there’s more to this than they’re letting on. Owen turns around to leave. “Come on Flynn,” he calls. Flynn smiles. “Don’t be strangers!” he says so friendly and over the top, as if he didn’t just go gossip queen before tucking tail and running.
Paige takes a slow step toward me; her eyes still on the door.
“That was weird,” she says, her voice low.
“Yeah, I can’t argue that,” I admit, grabbing the bottle of wine from the kitchen counter.
“What do you think they meant about bringing light into the house?”
I bite my bottom lip, staring at the front door. The black paint covers every crack and crevice. The color and what happened here projecting onto Paige and me.
“I don’t know, but first thing tomorrow, I’m painting that damn door a different color.”
“What, why?” Paige’s head snaps up so fast, another strand of her hair comes loose.
“Because it’s black. It’s sad and—”
“Powerful and strong. Keep it,” she interrupts. My brows furrow at the way she sees and feels about the color.
Maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong. I’ve always seen the color as something evil, but maybe it represents something more—like strength and authority. If it weren’t for the dark door casting its dominance, every neighbor that has stepped into this house today would have seen how fragile Paige and me are. Instead, they’ve seen something ruthless and compelling.
“All right, we’ll keep it black.”
4
Heston: Thinking about me yet?
Phone in hand, I stand in my room in my champagne-colored bra and matching panties. I was hoping he’d forget about lunch since I don’t know how to feel about it. Should I be excited or dreading it?
The fact that Heston is handsome, especially his sexy smirk and his short, ash blond curls, has a smile spreading across my face. He makes me feel like a high schooler again, I swear. The butterflies and constant urge to giggle at everything he says is mortifying. I hope I never witness myself mid-flirt.