Page 2 of A Very Grumpy New Year

“Did they teach you how to sneak up on someone in the Marines?” I ask him and he blinks.

“Yes.”

I roll my eyes. The guy never gives me much. I’ve seen him laughing and smiling with his friend, Kip, so I know that he’s capable of it. With me, though, he seems to only be able to manage one or two-word sentences. It’s started to become a challenge for me to get him to say more than a handful of words at the same time. So far, I’m not winning.

“You’re really good at it.”

He grunts at me, and I frown at his back as he takes one last look around the place.

“I was never very good at sneaking around. I was always the first one caught in hide and seek,” I tell him.

Another grunt.

“For the love of God,use your words!” I snap at him, and he blinks at me in surprise.

“Okay.”

“Oh my God,” I groan as I stomp past him.

I head out to my car and climb behind the wheel. Huxley is right behind me and he heads my way, leaning down to see me through the window. I stubbornly refuse to roll it down.

Alright, and maybe the window also doesn’t work in my car so I couldn’t roll it down even if I wanted to. Which I don’t.

He sighs, shaking his head, and then stands and opens my door.

“You need a new car,” he tells me, and I glare at him.

“Really? Why?” I ask sarcastically, but he answers me anyway.

“This thing can barely run. Half of the features don’t even work,” he says, reaching down and hitting the window button. My car screeches, and I swat his hand away.

“Yeah, well, in case it wasn’t obvious based on my old living arrangements, I can’t afford a new car or to fix this one.”

“It’s a good thing that this place is being condemned,” he tells me and I want to punch him right in his handsome face.

“Good for you maybe,” I grumble and he looks away.

I stare at my new roommate, trying to convince myself that moving in with him isn’t going to be my biggest regret in life, but it’s hard to believe that.

The man drives me crazy. Normally, I’m pretty laid back and easy going, but when I’m around Huxley, I’m on edge. I can’t quite name the feeling and maybe that’s what throws me off around him.

I mean, sure, I’m attracted to him. Who wouldn’t be? The man is gorgeous. He’s close to six and a half feet tall, tan from being outside so much, with deep green eyes and dark brown hair, and he has this whole rugged vibe thing going on that would make any girl swoon.

Including me.

Huxley doesn’t seem to be interested in dating or girls, though. At least, not as far as I can tell. I’ve never seen him with anyone in town other than Kip. I’ve never seen him so much as look at any of the women in town, either.

Ginger, my best friend, is convinced that Huxley has a crush on me, but I think that she’s just saying that because she’s dating Huxley’s best friend, Kip, and she thinks it would be fun if we were also dating best friends.

“You can follow me home. Hopefully, your car makes it,” he mumbles, and I want to yell at him, but he slams my door shut and ambles over to his truck.

I glare at him the whole way.

Why did I think that moving in with him was going to be a good idea? I mean, my body can’t decide if I hate him or want to jump him.

Why can’t it be both?My subconscious asks, but I ignore her.

Huxley pulls out of my drive and I follow after him slowly.

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