Page 2 of Tempt Thy Neighbor

“Dad, I—”

“Clear it out. I’ll alert security and you’ll have an escort out.”

I didn’t intend to leave him hanging and was going to stay to help him find a replacement. But now? Security?

Yeah, I’m definitely done.

“Security won’t be necessary.”

“It’s company policy, Ms. Evans.”

I hate the way he calls me that. Like I’m nobody to him.

“Fine,” I bite out, shuffling around the chair, a new purpose in my step as I stride to his office door.

I quietly make my way down to the supply room and grab a discarded box nobody will miss. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as I make my way back to my desk. Can see their concern. Can hear their unasked questions.

Without any other fanfare, I collect all my personal items, set all calls to be forwarded directly to my father, and head for the front of the building. Security meets me halfway there, and I ignore the frowns lining their faces.

There’s no goodbye party. NoThank youfrom my father for my years of service.

It’s just…done.

There’s this odd sense of relief and dread as I hop into my car and make the drive back to my apartment in a haze, my mind fully on the shitshow of a morning I’ve had.

Who knew when I got up this morning that my life would change so much in just a few short hours?

Lost in my thoughts, I don’t register the car I park next to.

I don’t register the low music coming from inside my apartment as I slip the key into the lock.

And I don’t register the shoes sitting by the door as I push it closed.

Which is probably why I’m caught unawares when I walk into the living room to find my boyfriend of two months drilling my roommate on the couch.

Today fucking sucks.

1

Holland

I can’t remembera time I had a worse night of sleep.

It could have been when I was ten and sick with the flu. Or maybe when my college boyfriend broke up with me and I spent the entire night hugging the toilet because I believed mixing vodka and whiskey would make my heartache go away.

Either way, I swear I didn’t sleep more than two hours.

With a defeated sigh, I push myself up into a sitting position, earning a low growl from Morris, a white, fluffy cat who’s mistaken my legs as his new bed. Annoyed with me, he saunters away and slips past the door I left cracked last night. Normally I’d sleep with it shut, but it was too hot and the last thing I wanted to do was bother my host with my discomfort.

Besides, it’s not my brother’s fault I’m sleeping on the floor of his spare bedroom. That fault belongs to my ex-roommate and ex-boyfriend, who are apparently in love.

Whatever. It’s not likeIwas in love with him or anything.

Besides, my lease was up in a few months and I wasn’t even sure if I was going to stay anyway. So really, they did me a favor.

I rub at my aching eyes, then drag my hands through my hair. My body is hurting and my head is throbbing. Looks like today is going to be just as awful as the last two weeks have been.

My phone screen lights up, and I catch it out of the corner of my eye.

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