Page 2 of The Neighbor's Son

“I said I’d be more than happy to call his wife and ask her if she would like to come take care of that for him.” Clara smirks at me. “He left in a rush after that. Asshole.”

Clara and I both work on people’s bodies. Hers is for relaxation and mine is for therapy. I’ve done therapy on a ton of men, mostly athletes, and not one has been inappropriate toward me. But, then again, I’m not a knockout like Clara.

I’m just me.

As she yammers on about work, I stare down at my breasts that bounce with each step I take. The good thing about my weight gain has been my bigger boobs. I try to see that as something positive rather than focus on what I hate about myself. Plus, my boobs make it to where I don’t have to see my stomach when I look down.

It’s just the mirror that reminds me.

We round the bend, passing the complex office where Reid’s probably inside working, and slow down when we hear a heated discussion taking place. Sure enough, Tammy and Joel, the couple from unit ten, are on their patio arguing for the whole complex to hear.

“You’re addicted to porn, Joel, and it’s ruining our marriage!”

Clara snaps her head at me, eyes wide and mouth in a gaping “o” shape. “They are so loud.”

I try not to listen, but it’s hard not to.

“It’s the only action I’ve seen in months,” Joel bites back. “How about you dust off the cobwebs and have sex with your husband? Maybe then I won’t have to resort to my hand so much.”

Tammy is chain-smoking on her vape, the cherry-scented clouds floating their way over to us. “We had sex the other day. You’re so dramatic.”

When she locks eyes on me, her demeanor changes. Then, as if she needs to claim her balding, portly husband, she rushes over to him and throws her arms around him.

He’s stiff at first and then the two of them start sloppily making out, only pausing long enough for Tammy to hit her vape and smirk victoriously at us.

“I’m still not over her accusing me of sleeping with Joel,” Clara says bitterly as we hurry past their public display of affection. “Seriously. I have taste. Joel is…absolutely not my flavor.”

I know what her flavor is.

Travis.

But that only happened once, and he’s avoided her ever since. Now, I’m pretty sure he and Cole both are sleeping with the new girl, Savvy.

“Do you think anyone’s moved in yet?” Clara asks, pointing to unit nine. “It seems like Gordon’s kids have been cleaning out his stuff for over a month now. Reid’s too nice if you ask me. He should have told them they had thirty days tops so he could rent it out again.”

She abandons the trail to walk over to Gordon’s back patio. His outdoor furniture is gone. It’s sad he passed away, though I didn’t really know him.

“It’s empty,” Clara says, motioning for me to come over. “Look.”

Unlike Clara who is full of boundless energy, I’m already breaking a sweat and huffing for air due to being out of shape. I climb the steps and then peek into the window.

“It’s going to take a lot to get that place looking good,” I murmur as I take in the yellow-stained walls. Gordon smoked the real stuff unlike Tammy and her sugary-sweet vape juice.

Someone steps into the living room from the hallway, causing me and Clara both to scream in surprise. The person whips their head our way at the commotion.

“Oh my God,” Clara says through the window. “You scared the shit out of us, Brayden!”

He waves to us, flashing a friendly smile, as he carries a couple of paint cans. If he says something to us, I don’t know what it is because I nearly trip over my own two feet trying to get back to the walking trail. For some reason, I’m flustered at having been caught by the landlord’s son.

“Brayden will be legal soon,” Clara teases, tugging on my elbow when she makes it to my side. “He’s cute. Perfect distraction to help you forget Derek.”

Heat burns at my cheeks. The last thing I need right now is another man. Or, boy, in this case. Not happening.

“That was embarrassing,” I grumble.

“We weren’t doing anything wrong, Casey. Lighten up.”

I start power walking, needing to put distance between me and Brayden. His smile is always so bright and contagious, and I always easily returned it. For some reason, today, it unnerves me. Most likely because of Clara’s “Brayden will be legal soon” comment. My face heats up again much to my annoyance.

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