The Boy Next Door: A Standalone Small Town Romance (Soulmates Series Book 3) (6 page)

Chapter 10: Connor

I was throwing a ball around the yard, trying to wear Sarge out
so I could take him to work.

Not because I needed one more dog at the office, but because he
ate half a slipper last night, and if his bowels went haywire later, I wanted
to be there to lend a hand.

I’d just thrown the slobbery tennis ball for the hundredth time
when I heard a man’s voice next door, followed by Laney’s.

Unfortunately, the tasteful bushes my parents and Helly had put
between the properties forty years ago made it hard to see what was going on,
and I couldn’t hear well enough to make out the conversation.

But I had to know if he was Mr. Sort of.

When Sarge brought the ball back, he turned around before I
threw it again, and when it didn’t leave my hands, he turned around and looked
at me like, “What are you stupid? I didn’t bring you that so you could sit on
it?”

I walked back towards the tall bushes and held the ball out. His
mouth watered as he stared at it. “Now’s your chance to get me back for the
other day,” I said. “So be a good wingman, and don’t let me down.”

He was nearly cross eyed from fixating on the ball.

I reached it over the chain link fence that went halfway up the
bushes and let go.

He took off just how I wanted him to.

I followed him down the hedgerow and around the corner into
Helly’s driveway, feigning a slight jog despite the fact that I had no
intention of hurrying once I arrived.

By the time I rounded the parked cars, Laney was already down on
one knee, scratching him behind the ears and speaking to him at an elevated
pitch.

The man in the suit stayed standing and was the first to see me
coming.

“Sorry about that,” I lied. “I’m trying to wear him out, but
obviously it’s my arm that’s been the first to go.”

Laney’s eyes flashed up at me, and there was something unsettled
in them. But when she looked back at Sarge, her expression changed again.

She stood up when he broke away and ran to me. “Morning.”

“Morning.” I looked back and forth between them. “Connor,” I
said, extending my hand to the suit.

“Henry,” he said, shaking my hand.

The guy obviously had no idea who I was. “I live next door,” I
said, letting Sarge sniff him from the knees down while I sussed him out above
the waist.

“Nice to meet you,” Henry said, trying not to get slobbered on.

“Not a dog lover?” I asked.

“He’s allergic,” Laney said.

“So how do you know Laney?” I asked, allowing Sarge to keep doing
his thing.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

“Which one?” I asked.

The color drained from his face.

“That was a joke, man,” I said, slapping him on the back a
little too hard. “Lighten up.”

“Aren’t you late for work or something?” Laney asked me in a
pointed tone.

“Not at all,” I said. “But you’re so thoughtful to ask.”

She glared at me.

I tilted my head. “I think Henry might be, though. By the look
of that suit.”

Henry raised his eyebrows. “Is there something wrong with my
suit?”

“No,” I said. “Of course not. It’s just a nicer suit than anyone
my age would wear around here.”

“Perhaps we’re not the same age,” he said, pointing out the
obvious.

“Maybe that’s all it is,” I said. “How old are you?”

“Thirty six.”

“That must be it then,” I said. “What do you do, by the way? If
you don’t mind me asking.”

“You must have somewhere to be,” Laney said, her cheeks turning
red.

“I’m an accountant,” Henry said.

What the fuck was Laney doing with an accountant? She was raised
by a crystal loving hippie for Christ’s sake?!

“What about you?” Henry asked.

“I’m a vet,” I said.

He raised his eyebrows. “A very friendly vet, I take it?”

I shrugged. “I try.”

“Oh my,” Helly said, coming around the corner. “I’m missing all
the fun out here!”

“Grandma, this is Henry.”

Helly gave Henry a big hug. “So nice to finally meet you. Don’t
you smell lovely?”

“And Connor was just leaving,” Laney said, crossing her arms.

“Oh no,” Helly said, turning to me. “Are you sure you can’t
stay? I’ve made far too much breakfast, and I used your lovely tomatoes in the omelets.”

I smiled. “It’s nice of you to offer, Helly.”

“Too bad he can’t accept the invitation,” Laney said, her face
twisted like a preteen who isn’t getting her way.

“Laney’s right,” I said. “I really shouldn’t stay, but I’d be a
fool to say no. It’s been far too long since I enjoyed one of your brunches.”

Helly clapped her hands together. “Fantastic. Just give me a few
minutes to set the table, and I’ll call you guys in when I’m ready.”

“Sounds good,” I said, noticing Helly and I were the only ones
that seemed pleased as she skipped away.

Henry angled his body towards Laney. “Any chance your folks are
in town?”

“No,” Laney said, avoiding my eyes. “They’re traveling on
business. As usual.”

“Shame,” Henry said. “I’m dying to meet them. Have you met them,
Connor?”

I raised my eyebrows.

“A few times,” Laney interrupted. “But he and my dad don’t see
eye to eye on politics so it always ends in an argument.”

What the fuck was she talking about?!

“Isn’t that right?” she asked, her eyes pleading with me.

“Yeah,” I said. “Her dad’s a real right wing nut job.”

Laney hung her neck forward like I hadn’t exactly aced the pop
quiz.

“But her mom is definitely where she gets her good looks,” I added.
“I mean, talk about a milf-”

“That’s enough, Connor,” Laney said.

“I’m starting to think we’ll just have to go visit them,” Henry
said. “If they’re too busy to come to us.”

“That’s a great idea,” I said. “They love visitors.”

Henry let out the biggest sneeze I’ve ever heard. And right when
I finally settled back into my startled skin, he did it two more times.

“Sorry, man,” I said, taking a step backwards. “I’ll get Sarge
back inside and wash up for breakfast.”

“Good idea,” Laney said. “And if you can’t come back, we’ll
understand.”

“Oh I wouldn’t miss it,” I said.

Laney put a hand on Henry’s square shoulder. “Why don’t you go ask
Helly for an antihistamine, and I’ll be right behind you.”

“Sure,” he said, itching his eyes as he walked away.

I turned my back to them at the same time, but Laney poked me in
the kidney as soon as I heard the front door close.

“What the hell, Connor?!”

I stopped in my tracks and faced her. “Excuse me?”

She put her hands on her hips and craned her neck forward. “Can
you take a hint?”

“Can you tell me what the hell is going on here?”

“My boyfriend drove down to see me. That’s what’s going on
here.”

“So this isn’t a joke?” I asked. “I was convinced I was dreaming
this.”

“It’s not a dream. It’s my life, asshole.”

I fixed my eyes on her. “It’s not your life, Laney. It’s a
charade.” I threw the tennis ball into my own backyard so Sarge would stop
breathing on my hand and watched him just long enough to make sure he got
around the corner okay. “And Henry seems like an okay guy- not good enough for
you, obviously- but you already know that-”

Her lips fell apart.

“But I bet he’d rather be in a relationship with someone who’d
be real with him over whatever hilarious performance you’re putting on-”

“It’s not hilarious.”

“No shit.”

“Look,” she said. “I don’t expect you to understand but-”

“What could possibly justify the fact that he thinks you have
parents somewhere that might want to meet him?”

She pressed her palm to her cheek.

“He probably thinks the scars on your arm are from Bark in the
Park-”

Her whole body drooped.

“Oh my god. Tell me you didn’t tell him you got bit by a dog.”

“Please don’t interfere.”

“Hey, you’re the one that started this joke,” I said, raising my
hands. “I just threw in a few punch lines on cue.”

“It’s not a joke,” she said. “And I’m begging you to keep your
mouth shut and not make this impossible for me.”

“He has no fucking clue who I am, does he?”

She shook her head.

“What the fuck, Laney? Did what we had mean nothing to you?”

“Of course it did, but-”

“Breakfast is ready!” Helly called from the front porch.

“Please,” she said. “I need to know you’re not going to throw me
under the bus.”

I shook my head. “I’m not the guy that throws you under the bus,
Laney. I’m the guy that lifts the bus off you after you jump in front of it. And
frankly, I’m insulted by the fact that you haven’t figured that out.”

Chapter 11: Laney

The mischievous faced garden gnomes taunted me all the way back
to the house, and by the time I sat down at the kitchen table, I wanted to die.

And strangle Connor, of course.

In just five minutes, he’d completely wiped away the guilt I
felt over what I did to him and replaced it with frustrated rage.

I mean, it was cute when we hung out all the time when I was
fourteen, but we were adults now, and I didn’t appreciate him appearing out of
nowhere when I was at my most desperate.

It was like he was some kind of predator that could smell my
blood right before it got spilled.

And it was ridiculous for him to ask why Henry didn’t know about
him. As if the way to build solid relationships was to bring up the ex who
popped my cherry, the ex who first made me feel like a woman, or the ex who
made me believe I understood where Juliet was coming from when she stabbed
herself with that happy dagger.

Ugh.

Not that I knew much about building solid relationships.

I’d only ever had one, really, and I blew it.

And apparently, it was still haunting me.

Meanwhile, my relationship with Henry was built on fabrications that
resulted from my giving easy answers when I wasn’t in the mood to be honest or
open up. But my fibs were never supposed to hurt anyone. They were supposed to
do the opposite.

Yet there I was on pins and needles wondering if Connor was going
to use this opportunity as spiteful payback. After all, it would be so easy for
him to break Henry’s heart…

An hour before I intended to break it.

Fortunately, Henry seemed completely oblivious to the steam I
could feel coming out of my ears, and Connor obviously thought he was at some
kind of circus show because there’s no omelet so tasty that it warrants a face
as smug as the one he was making.

“So how did you two meet?” Connor asked, helping himself to a
second serving of hash browns.

“I met her in the diner where she works,” Henry answered between
bites.

“How romantic,” Connor said. “And who asked who out?”

“I asked her,” Henry said. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”

“I live next door,” he said. “Laney and I went to high school
together.”

“That’s putting it a bit mildly,” Helly said. “Don’t you thi-”

“Does anyone want more tea?” I interrupted.

“No thanks,” Connor said. “I’d rather save room for a few more hash
browns. Helly, you’ve really outdone yourself.”

“Yeah,” Henry said. “I have to agree. These are way better than
the ones at the diner, don’t you think, babe?”

“Yeah,” I said, pushing mine around the plate.

“So how long have you guys been together then?” Connor asked.

“You sure do ask a lot of questions for someone who almost
didn’t get invited to brunch,” I said.

“Do you like the tomatoes, Henry?” Connor asked. “I grew them in
my garden.”

“Wow,” Henry said. “I can barely grow my own toenails, much less
something worth eating.”

I forced a laugh that was so full of tension I was surprised no
one offered me a laxative.

Then I started dominating the conversation with enough shit to
clog every toilet in Glastonbury just to keep the two of them from speaking any
more.

Finally, when everyone had cleaned their plates, Helly got up to
do the dishes and Connor offered to help.

I thanked her again before excusing myself and Henry. Then I led
him upstairs to my room and closed the door. I just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, looking around my room and
then back at me. “You’re acting seriously weird.”

“I’m not okay,” I said. “I haven’t been okay since you met me.”

He laughed.

“I’m being serious.”

He furrowed his brow. “What’s going on,” he asked, sitting on
the edge of my paisley print bedspread.

“We need to talk.”

“I kind of figured that out when you disappeared with a bunch of
your stuff out of the blue yesterday.”

“Right.”

“Sit down,” he said, patting the bed beside him. “And calm
down.”

I sat next to him and took a deep breath. He was so kind, so
understanding. I never should’ve lied to him in the first place.

He probably would’ve loved me despite everything. But between my
childhood and my being a waitress with no professional prospects, it seemed the
least I could do was dip dye my past in some rose tinted paint.

I liked that he was so measured, so sturdy. I liked that he was
older than me and thought my hysterics were cute, even though I didn’t think
they were cute.

I’d practically developed an ulcer the week I went to meet his
parents at their house in the Hamptons. Sure, I’d proven that I could convincingly
play the part of his girlfriend, but it would always be a part.

And if Harrison Ford could tire of playing Indiana Jones, how
could I expect to be happy playing Henry Hart’s other half forever?

“Talk to me,” he said, lifting my chin.

I stared into his dark eyes.

“There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”

I sighed. Apparently, there were loads of things I couldn’t tell
him, but none of them mattered now.

“Please, Laney. I have a lot of talents, but mind reading isn’t
one of them.”

“I found the ring.”

His eyes grew wide.

“In your sock drawer.”

He swallowed.

“I can’t marry you, Henry.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“But you were going to,” I said.

He nodded. “Someday. When I thought we were both ready.”

“So why is there already an engagement ring in your sock drawer?”

“Besides the fact that I thought you wouldn’t find it?”

I nodded.

“Because I saw it and thought it was perfect for you. And it was
on sale.”

I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t have to add that last part.”

“You didn’t have to snoop in my sock drawer.”

“I wasn’t snooping,” I said. “I didn’t have any clean socks.”

“Are you telling me the reason you freaked out and drove up here
is because you found the ring?”

I shrugged. “I know it’s ridiculous, but-”

“Ridiculous isn’t the word I would’ve used.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Worrying,” he said. “That’s the word that came to my mind.”

“I know.”

He brought his hands together and looked down at his lap.

“It’s not that I don’t love you.”

“You just don’t love me enough.”

“No.”

He looked at me. “And you don’t think you ever will?”

“I’m sorry.”

He nodded and stared at the purple shag carpet in the middle of
the floor.

“Isn’t it better that I told you sooner rather than later?”

He cocked his head. “It would be better if you loved me back.”

“I do love you.”

He fixed his eyes on me. “Just not the way I love you.”

I pursed my lips.

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

I desperately wanted to open a window, but it didn’t seem like
the moment to leave his side.

“Why would you move in if you didn’t want a future with me?” he
asked.

“I thought I did.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Until you found the ring?”

I nodded.

“Was it the princess cut? Would you prefer a marquise-?”

“It’s not the ring, Henry. And it’s not you. It’s me. Really.”

It’s always me.