Page 59 of Bad Boy Neighbor

She pushes me with a laugh. “You’re on the left. No funny business.”

“Define funny business?”

“I’m going to use the bathroom. Behave.”

Gabriella takes what appears to be one of the longest showers in the history of showers. She exits dressed in a black tank top and pink boxer shorts. Judging by how short they are, hugging her curvaceous ass, she obviously didn’t expect to be parading so much skin in front of me.

In the confinement of the bathroom, after taking my shower and stopping myself several times from tossing off, I give myself a much-needed pep talk.

Stay on your side of the bed.

No funny business—to reiterate.

But then I remember our kiss. How delicious she tasted against my lips.

Fuck! Get out of here now and control yourself.

Exiting the bathroom, I plonk myself on the bed. I’m beat. The drive has exhausted me, and now, I have to lay in the same bed, watched by cats and keep my hands off Gabriella.

When the lights turn off, I joke, “Should I wear my noise-canceling headphones?”

She laughs.

Minutes later, she whispers, “Oliver?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you miss it… playing soccer?”

I sigh, my eyes wide open listening to the sound of my heart accelerating faster.

“All the time. I never stop thinking about it.”

The truth has set itself free. I was born to play, and this trip is the biggest step I have taken to this day, despite the possible outcome of not being able to repair my shoulder. There are no guarantees, and in the end, I could get hurt in more ways than one.

“Do you think you’ll be able to play again?”

“I pray every day some miracle will help to make me play again,” I say, barely above a whisper.

There’s silence, and I know her well enough to know she’s processing.

“Gabs?”

“Hmm…” she murmurs.

“Are you scared to go back home?”

“Yeah, kind of. I’ve been having so much…” she pauses, searching for the right word, “… fun.”

“Me too.”

“What about Bianca?”

“What about Bianca?” I retort.

“Are you guys… um… do you still?—”

I quickly interrupt. “No. That was the first time I’ve heard from her since I left. We’re over. That boat has long sailed.”

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