Page 10 of Doctor Neighbor

"Nah, just a bunch of shocked bystanders. But man, it's messing with my head. I keep replaying it, wondering if I missed something."

Shep leans back, running a hand through his hair. "That's heavy, Buster. No wonder you look like you've been hit by a truck."

"Tell me about it. And to top it all off, I ran into someone I'd rather not have seen right after it happened."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

I hesitate, not sure if I want to get into the whole Cole situation. "Just... someone from my past. It was awkward as hell.”

“That sounds fun. Speaking of awkward, how are things with Lara? Is there any movement on her part to take her name off the deed of the house? I know this has been weighing on you.”

I let out a heavy sigh, grateful for the change in topic, even if it is about the bitch threatening to end my by sheer malice. "Man, where do I even start?"

Shep leans forward, his food forgotten. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse. If you can believe it, Lara has gotten even more antagonistic."

"I didn't think that was possible," Shep says, shaking his head. "I was thinking y'all would be going on your merry ways by now. All the beer you’ve been drinking."

"Shit. That was to get as far away from her in body and spirit as possible. I wish we were going on our merry ways. She is going to fight me as long as she can just to fuck with me and make me miserable."

"Damn. She is a special kind of evil."

"Yeah, leave it to Lara to find new ways to make my life hell." I rub the back of my neck, feeling the tension in my shoulders. "I've been camping out in the basement of that million-dollar monstrosity I financed. You know, the one we were supposed to build our future in?"

Shep winces. "Ouch."

"Tell me about it. But I can't do it anymore, man. Even if we don't see each other, just knowing she's up there, devising more plans to twist the knife in my pancreas one more turn. It's driving me crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if she comes down and goes through my shit when I'm gone."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I bit the bullet and bought a condo close to the hospital. Closing's this afternoon, actually."

Shep's eyebrows shoot up. "That was fast."

I nod. "Had to be. I looked at five places and put a contract on it the same day. Contract to closing was two weeks since I didn’t go through traditional financing. I pulled it out of my 401K. I’m moving out this weekend. Can't wait to get the hell out of there."

"And Lara?"

"Oh, we'll keep duking it out through the lawyers. It's like a full-time job at this point." I shake my head, feeling the frustration bubble up. "I never thought I'd be that guy, you know? The one with the messy, drawn-out divorce. Especially since we never even got married."

"Hey, it happens to the best of us," Shep says, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Well, it sucks. But at least I'll have my own space soon. No more tiptoeing around my own house.”

Saturday, August 10

X4 Downtown BHM

1801 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham

8:03 am

I push through the gym's door just after it opens, the familiar scent of sweat and disinfectant greeting me. The place is nearly empty, just how I like it. There is no waiting for equipment, no small talk, just me and the weights.

First, I approach the bench presses, loading up the bar with more weight than most guys can handle. As I push it up, the metal clangs, my muscles straining: one rep, two, three. I feel the burn, but it's nothing compared to the fire Lara's lit under my ass.

Moving to the squat rack, I load up even more weight. My quads flex as I lower myself, thighs parallel to the ground. I push back up, feeling the power in my legs. It's a rush, this control over my body when everything else is spinning out of control.

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