Page 28 of The Escape Plan

“Well, I figured that if we’re going to be living next door to each other for the rest of the summer, it might be better to just be friends,” I reply with a grin. “Then maybe you’ll start keeping your clothes on around me.”

Her blue eyes flare and I hold in a laugh. Teasing her is just too fun.

This morning when I woke up (at the crack of dawn, thanks to the jet lag), I lay in bed for a while replaying our conversation on the fire escape.

There’s got to be at least fifty apartments in this building, and I can’t believe that we’ve ended up being next door neighbors. I also can’t believe we are somehow trapped in a small space together again.

But honestly? I can’t say I’m disappointed.

I’m having more fun than I thought I would when I decided to walk around the building and explore its amenities.

Keeley glowers at me. “Maybe we’ll just keep our relationship defined as strangers and leave it at that.”

“Oh no, we are way beyond the point of me being a stranger to you, Keeley Roberts. I know your last name. I’ve met your brother. I also possess the knowledge of what kind of pajamas you wear, what brand of laundry detergent you use, and what color your bath towels are.”

What I don’t mention is that I’m also painfully aware that underneath that sweatshirt of mine she’s wearing there’s a small constellation of three freckles on the left side of her belly button. Which is pierced, to match her nose ring.

A fact I’m definitelynotgoing todwell on.

Because although Keeley’s pretty and I enjoy her fun, feisty personality, I’m not here in Serendipity Springs to meet women.

Orwoman, singular.

Oh, and I also don’t want to sound like a total creep, being her next-door neighbor.

So, there’s that.

“Fine, we can go with creepy stranger,” she says with a smirk.So much for not trying to appear like a creep.

“How about Good Samaritan neighbor who rescued you from spending a night sleeping on the fire escape?” I counter.

“Hmm.” She purses her lips as if in serious thought. “I’ll meet you halfway with creepy neighbor.”

“Handsome neighbor.”

She laughs. “Neighbor.”

It’s my turn to smirk. “Or, circling back for a moment… friends.”

“Fine!” She sighs. “You’re right. I think we might be past the point of not being friends.” She rolls her eyes. “Which is very unfortunate.”

“Lucky, you mean,” I counter with a grin. “For you, of course.”

“I beg to differ. You clearly know so much about me because you’re so obsessed with me.”

“Guilty as charged,” I say blithely.

“So maybe the more important question would be whatdon’tyou know about me?”

“Umm,” I say, making a big show of tapping my chin like I’m deep in thought. “I don’t know what age you are.”

“I’m twenty-five,” she says. “You?”

“Twenty-six.”

She smirks cheekily. “I must say, I expected a much less boring question from you, Becks.”

I like it when she calls me Becks, I decide as I smirk back at her, leaning forward to peer into her eyes. “Well,Keels, because you called my question boring, I’ll have you know that my question was originally going to be about how you ended up with ketchup on your cheek. But I didn’t want to be rude.”

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