Page 3 of Thanks for the Love
All of a sudden, my mother’s voice plays in my mind, lecturing me about the dangers of moving to this city. I don’t want to have to call her and tell her she was right. I can’t even count the number of hours she spent trying to talk me out of it. I appreciate that she wanted me to stay near family, but I still don’t know why she didn’t understand my reasons for leaving. She knew the hell I went through.
I’m starting to feel a bit nauseated. I don’t think I hit my head, but the whole thing happened so fast.
“Hey, don’t move yet,” he says. I glance up, but the sun is so bright I can’t see the stranger's face.
“Stay here. I’ll grab you some ice.”
Before I have a chance to say anything, he takes off inside Lila’s house.What’s happening?Some random guy just appears out of nowhere, and I let him waltz into my new home like he owns the place. My mind starts spinning with worst-case scenarios, thanks to my mother’s wild paranoia. I don’t even have my phone with me. It totally figures that the one time I don’t have that damn thing glued to my body would be the time I'd actually need it most.
Before I have a chance to make a run for it, the man returns with a bag of ice.
“What hurts?” he asks. “I’m so sorry. I just wanted to say hi, and the next thing I know you were falling.”
When I finally get a good look at his face, I let out a gasp. And not in a bad way. I certainly didn’t expect him to look—well, like he does. I take in his black wavy hair, grey eyes, and structured jawline. I guess I’ve officially met a handsome stranger—in my backyard.Gah, what the hell is wrong with me?
“I think it’s my hand or my wrist,” I mutter. Now that I’ve seen what he looks like, I’m not sure which is worse—the pain or the humiliation.
He gently takes my hand in his and starts giving me instructions. I wiggle my fingers and wince as he presses a few spots in my wrist.
“I think you need to get this checked out.”
I nod absently.
My mind is spinning right now. I’ve only been in town for a few hours, and I have no idea where to find an urgent care or hospital. So much for my plans to spend the rest of my day getting settled.
“How do you know the Barlows?” he asks.
Barlows?
Oh wait, Lila’s last name is Barlow.
“I actually just moved here,” I say. “But shouldn’t I be asking you the same thing? Who are you, and what are you doing in the Barlows’ backyard?”
He gives me a sheepish grin. “I live next door.”
He points to the house on the right. There’s a half stone wall that separates the property, but the layout looks somewhat similar from what I can see.
“So, you were watching me?” I ask. “That’s not creepy at all.”
All the color drains from his face.
“Ugh. When you put it like that, it really does sound bad.”
I should probably be uncomfortable right now, but I’m not at all.
“Just so you know, I promise I wasn’t watching you,” he insists. “I was sitting on my patio working, and I saw you come outside. I waved, but I guess you didn’t see me.”
It’s totally possible. I must have been so enamored with the resort-style backyard and the hammock that I didn’t notice him.
“I’m Theo, by the way. My family has lived next door for years—you're welcome to do a background check.”
A feeling of relief washes over me, although just because he’s my new neighbor doesn’t mean I should completely let my guard down. I barely know Lila, much less her neighbor.
“I’m Gabby.”
He flashes me brilliant smile. “It’s nice to meet you. I only wish it were under different circumstances.”
I catch myself staring at his face again. He’s really handsome.Maybe I did hit my head?
