Page 15 of More Than an Ex-Girlfriend

When I park outside my new place, Archer is standing in the same spot on the porch as he was the other day. I run up to him as the guys back their trucks up close to the house.

“Hey. Did you get moved in?”

He nods. “I did. Need help unloading?”

“I don’t expect you to carry my stuff. I’m just hoping that things between us will be neighborly. Maybe.” I search his face, hoping for a glimpse of the tenderness I used to see.

With an accusatory stare, he bores holes into my soul. “Why did you end things?”

Truck doors slam, and any minute someone will come walking up.

As much as I want to tell Archer everything, I can’t. I’d rather he be upset with me. If I explained that I left because of what his grandmother said to me, it would crush him. And I refuse to do that.

I squeeze my eyes closed, hoping Goldie and Layla will hold the other guys back another few seconds. “I can’t talk about it, Archer. Please can we just start over from today?”

“Start over?” Disdain drips from his words.

“As friends or just neighbors. Please.” I feel raw, exposed, and fat. “I’m not even expecting you to forgive me for the way I ended things, but I can’t talk about it.”

Silently, he studies my face before brushing past me and marching toward the trucks. “Her place is on the left. We should probably start with the couch. At least there aren’t any stairs.”

Layla rushes up to me and winks. “This is totally like that movie. Only different. Instead ofThe Parent Trap, it’s The Boyfriend Trap.”

“I don’t want to trap him.”

“Figure of speech. Trap, nab, get. Call it what you want, but it’s easy to see that you want him. And it’s soooo obvious that he wants you too. But it might take him a while to figure that out.”

“Thanks, Little Miss Sunshine.”

“Just wait and see. I’m right about this.” She pushes open the door and whistles. “This place is great. Bigger than the apartment. And looky at the door that connects the two units. You don’t even have to walk outside to say hello.”

I must’ve been seriously distracted when I toured the other day because I didn’t notice a door. Or maybe Layla is just pulling my leg.

Curious, I hurry inside. There is indeed an adjoining door.

CHAPTER6

ARCHER

As soon as everyone climbs into their trucks, I shut myself into my house. This is where the weird starts.

Footsteps sound on the porch, and it isn’t hard to guess who’s knocking at my door.

My grandmother didn’t raise me to be rude, so I open it.

On the ground, there is a plastic container with a sticky note on the top that readsFor my new neighbor.

I spent the wee hours of the morning convincing myself that it was a crazy coincidence that Regretful-Racoon was baking my favorite cookies, but this container proves I was wrong.

When I lean down to pick up the cookies, her door closes.

After retreating back inside, I pop open the lid and grab one of my favorites. I haven’t had one of these in a long time. Lettie always was good at baking. It’s not a surprise she ended up working at a place like Sweets. What’s surprising is that she ended up here. Where I live. It can’t be an accident.

Munching a cookie, I slide my phone out of my pocket. Lettie is Regretful-Raccoon. After reading through our Reddit messages, I unblock Lettie. It doesn’t make sense to keep my neighbor blocked. That wouldn’t be very friendly.

Staring at the adjoining door, I bite into another toffee cookie, listening as Lettie drags furniture around. It feels wrong not to offer help, but my feet refuse to move.

I’m still trying to process that I’ve spent the last few months getting over Lettie by talking to Lettie. How, out of all the people in the world, did I end up messaging her? The story she posted didn’t even mention that she broke up with someone. Just that she made a decision she regrets.

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