Page 31 of A Very Grumpy Neighbor

A future with Jade.

NINE

Jade

It’s been a long day,and I’m looking forward to going home and spending the rest of the night on my couch. Maybe with Meyer, if I’m lucky.

I smile as I think about him. He’s been on my mind all day. Every time I think about our night together, I feel like I’m floating on a cloud. It was…everything. It was better than I hoped for my first time.

My body heats, and I squirm in the driver’s seat as I replay all the things he did to me last night.

Maybe I can get him to give me a repeat performance,I think with a smile as I turn onto our street.

My smile widens when I pull into my driveway and see Meyer sitting on my front porch waiting for me.

“Hey!” I call as I climb out of my car.

“Hey.”

“What are you doing over here?”

“Missed you.”

“Yeah?”

He grunts, and I grin.

“How was your day?” he asks as he takes my bag.

“Good. I got to oversee some new trees being planted up on the east ridge.” I point towards the forest where I spent most of my day.

“Sounds fun.”

“It was. How was your day?” I ask as I unlock my front door and head inside.

“Boring.”

“What did you do?”

“Hung out around the house. Chopped some more firewood. Talked to an old friend.”

“Yeah? Who?”

“You don’t know him,” he says dismissively.

I roll my eyes. “Right, but does that matter? Tell me about him.”

“Why?”

“I’d like to know more about you and your friends.”

He crosses his arms and looks out the window at his house. “His name’s Luca.”

“Uh-huh. And he was also a Marine?”

“No.”

I wait for him to go on, but he doesn’t elaborate.

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