Chapter One
I take the stairs to go to my apartment. I’m so lost in my thoughts, that I don’t pay any attention to my surroundings.
"Watch it!” Someone warns me.
I look up, and a man that I have never seen before is standing right in front of me. He has dark hair cut in a military style and deep blue eyes. I see tattoos on his neck that seem to go all the way down to his torso. I can’t help, but think how handsome he is. I take a step back to put some distance between us.
He must be my new neighbour.
I smile as I present my hand to him. “Hello, my name is Taylor Walker. What’s your’s?”
He glares at me as if I’m already a nuisance to him. “Annoyed.” He let out as he walks past me.
Rude! I say to myself before I keep walking up the stairs.
I unlock the door with my keys and look through my mail. “Bills. Bills. Bills.” I mumble to myself.
I will deal with them later. Right now, all I want is to take a cup of coffee before I put myself pretty for my date with Elliot.
I don’t smoke or drink. My only drug is coffee. I need at least four cups per day, and that’s when I have a good day.
As I make a cup of coffee for myself, I take a disposable cup to make another one. I don’t know why I even bother with this. So why am I purring a second cup for a man I don’t even know, is beyond me.
Okay, I’ll admit. I didn’t like our first encounter.
I wonder if he takes sugar or milk. He seems like a man that likes his coffee black.
I bite my lips nervously as I pass my threshold.
Why am I doing this again? I ask myself on the way to his apartment.
I know where he leaves. He’s my next-door neighbour.
I clear my throat as I knock on his door.
No response.
I knock again.
“What the fuck do you want?” He snaps at me while he opens his door.
My heart skips a beat. Maybe it’s because of his deep blue eyes that they keep staring at me as if they want to devour my soul or something.
I smile so he won’t notice how nervous he makes me. “Uhmm, I wanted to properly welcome you to the building.” I give him the cup of coffee that I made for him.
He takes a drag at his cigar, looking at my body all the way up to my eyes. “Are you here, because you want to fuck?”
My jaw drops on the floor. “What? No!” I nearly scream at him.
He chuckles, seeing my reaction. “That’s what I thought.” He starts to close the door.
“Wait, you could at least tell me your name.” I won’t back down, even if his words made me uncountable. I put my hand in my chest to give a little drama. “Don’t tell me that a man at your size is scared by a little woman like myself.” It’s my turn to tease him.
I’m five foot tall, and he’s like six. He’s a mountain man.
He takes the cup from my hand. “I’m not scared shit. Thank you for the coffee, buttercup.” He then closes the door in my face.
Argh!
You don’t get to take my coffee and not answer my question.
I knock on his door harder this time.
“Leave me the fuck alone!” He says, glaring at me.
I shake my head stubbornly. “Not until you tell me your name. It’s rude otherwise.”
“You won’t leave me the fuck alone, is that it?” He let out a growl. “Owen Blake. Now Piss off!” Once again he closes the door in my face.
I smirk as I walk back to my place.
I look at the time. “Shit! I’m going to be late for my date with Elliot. I have to hurry to get ready.”
I drink my coffee in a hurry and run inside the bathroom to take a shower.
Elliot and I have been together for over a year now. He wants me to move in with him, but I don’t want to. I love my independence and my apartment to give them up.
I brush my teeth after my shower as a towel covers my body.
As I look inside my closet, I wonder what I’m going to wear. I think I’m going to go with my green cocktail dress and some black heels. I decided to put light makeup on myself.
I run, hearing my cell phone inside the kitchen. “Hello.”
“Hey, baby,” Elliot says over the phone. “I’m sorry, but I have to reschedule our date. I have an emergency at work that I can’t get out of.”
I sigh. It’s not the first time that this has happened.
“I can always come over tomorrow.” He suggests.
“Sure.”
“I am sorry, but I truly have to go now. See you tomorrow.” He hung up before I have the chance to say goodbye to him.
I just got dressed for nothing.
I need some air.
I grab my jacket to go upstairs to the rooftop. I love to go there and think.
As I arrive, I stare up at the sky. A full moon is out tonight.
I hear a noise and when I look to where it was coming from, I jump as I see a shadow not far from me.
“Relax, buttercup. It’s just me.” He smirks, seeing my reaction.
I put my hand on my chest while my heart beat fast. “God, Owen. Warn someone before you give them a heart attack.”
He takes a drag from his cigar, as he keeps staring at me.
Will he stop doing that?
“You know, one of these days, this will kill you.” I point at what he has in between his fingers.
He exhales the smoke from his lungs while his eyes try to pierce my soul.
I feel nervous under his stare, but at the same time, I feel drawn to them.
“Who cares how I would die. Eventually, everyone will meet their fate. Not that I care, but where are you going dressing up like that?”
I look down on myself. “I was supposed to go out on a date with my boyfriend. He cancelled at the last minute. He has an emergency at work.”
Owen licks his lips. “Maybe he’s screwing with someone as we speak.”
I cross my arms in front of me, feeling annoyed by him. “Why are you so mean to me? I never did something to deserve this. Besides, I trust him. He would never do something like that to me.”
I take a few steps to leave but stop at the last minute. “All I did was try to be nice to you, and that’s what I get.”
He frowns his eyebrows. “I never asked you shit. It’s not my problem if you can’t handle the truth.”
“Ugh, I’m leaving,” I say as I step further away from him.
“Good riddance.” He says loud enough for me to hear him.
Owen’s words start to hunt me more than they should. I trust Elliot. He’s a good man. I’m sure all he wanted was a reaction from me, and he succeeded.
That’s all and nothing else.
I trust Elliot. I say one more time.
