Page 17 of Salvation

At the sound of Wesley’s voice, I groan as a burning sensation crawls it way back up my throat and scramble my body back to the toilet, lifting the lid and emptying what little is left in my stomachagain.My mom protests, but he must have made it past her because his feet come into view a few short seconds later. I groan again and bang my head against the toilet seat.

“Go. Away.” I growl.

“Oh, please.” Wesley says as he falls into a crouch at my side. “I was there when you got drunk for the first time. This is nothing.”

“What happened?” he asks, breaking the growing silence. I swear I can see a glimmer of worry in those blue eyes, but it’s gone in a second. And before my mom can open her huge, gossiping mouth, I snap, “Food poisoning.”

She gives me a weird look, but I shoot her a glare, and she holds up her hands, backing away from the doorway and thankfully leaving the topic alone. “I’ll grab you some ginger ale.”

Wesley has no idea what happened with my father, and it will stay that way. I made sure of that evenafterI had left town.I turn my attention back on him, his stupidly-handsome face putting me in an even worse mood than before. “What are you doing here?”

He holds out his hand with a smirk. “Hi. I’m Wesley. Your new neighbor.”

“What?” I smack his hand away. “Shut up.”

He just stares at me, still crouched with his forearms resting on his knees. If I wasn’t so dizzy and delirious from the amount of vomit that’s just left my system, I would probably be drooling from the way his arms look in his navy blue t-shirt. I close my eyes. “Pleasetell me you’re joking.”

“I would never joke about something like this, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“You can’t be my neighbor.” He says matter of fact. I pop one of my eyes open at that.

“We literally lived next to each other for 18 years of our lives. And I can do whatever the hell I please, Conway.”

“This is different.”

“I already put a deposit down.”

“Un-deposit it, then.”

“Youknowthat’s not how it works.” I can’t believe he’s sitting here and arguing with me after just witnessing me puke my brains out. Only Wesley would be the type to not even bat an eye at something like that. I look and feel disgusting right now, and he’s here in front of me looking likethat.The thought alone makes me see red, and I’m scowling at him. Does he truly not know how to read a situation like this? Or does he genuinely not care?

“Leave.”

“Not until you tell me you’ll back out of the deal.”What the hell is his issue?

“It’s not going to happen. Now, leave before I castrate you.”

He only looks amused at my idle threat. “Or worse. Call your mother.” I add. That’s got him narrowing his eyes at me. He knows I’ll do it. It wouldn’t be the first time.He stands and stuffs his hands in his pockets. An anxious tick of his.

“This isn’t over,” he concedes.

I flip him the bird and then shoot him a wink once I see that scowl on his face. “See you Sunday,neighbor.”

Once he leaves, my mom appears back in the doorway with a mischievous grin on her face and a glass of bubbly liquid in one hand. “Don’t even start.” I moan.

She shrugs and hands me the glass. “At least you stopped puking.” She wrinkles her nose and then adds, “Speaking of, I’ll go grab a candle to light. ”

I don’t say anything else as she leaves or even when she comes back because she’s right. As angry as I can, and will be at Wesley tomorrow, I am grateful for the small distraction he provided me. I sip the ginger ale my mother brought me and think of all the ways I can make Wesley Conway’s life a living hell while living next door.

Chapter 16

Wesley

Ihate it. The sounds, the amount of people, the smell. New York City is the last place on earth I’d ever want to be. But here I am.

I didn’t tell anyone I was coming, only let it slip to Harper that I’d be gone maybe a day or two so that she could hold down the bar. She didn’t question me, only gave me a weird, long stare that had me fumbling to explain it was a ‘business adventure.’ It couldn’t have been more of a lie.

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