“Oh damn is right.” Her eyes lit up, and I just wanted to make a dash for the car—but it was too late—he spotted us and started walking our way.
“Good morning!” He waved, and a stupidly sexy smile spread across his face. “I’m your new neighbor. I just moved in yesterday. My name is Everette.”
“She’s your neighbor.” Amelia gave me a nudge. “I’m Amelia, but I’m just visiting.”
“Good morning.” I held up my hand and gave him a slight wave.
“Tell him your name…” Amelia gritted her teeth and lowered her voice—I’m sure he heard her anyway.
“Right—my name is Holly.” I stammered over my words, and I’m pretty sure I blushed.
“Nice to meet you.” His nodded and looked towards the street. “I was just about to go for a jog—maybe I’ll see you around!”
“Maybe…” I watched as he walked to the sidewalk and stretched his legs before he started to run.
Everette’s eyes were turquoise-blue—that was the only part of him I hadn’t been able to see clearly when I spied on him the previous night. His chestnut-brown hair had a bit of a wave to it, and it was lighter than it appeared to be when he was fresh out of the shower. His beard was a darker shade of brown and fairly thick, but it was neatly trimmed. It was hard to speak to him without remembering how gorgeous he was underneath the clothes he was wearing—hell, he was gorgeous in a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt.
“He wants to see you around.” Amelia grinned and unlocked her car. “That’s promising.”
“I’ll be gone in a couple of days.” I shook my head back and forth. “I probably won’t even see him again before I leave for college.”
“I would go out of my way to see him if he was my neighbor—don’t forget about the tree house.” She opened the door and sat down in her car.
“We really shouldn’t have done that,” I sighed as I sat down in the passenger seat.
“Oh come on—it’s his fault. He was the one walking around in front of an open window.” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“I’m positive that he had no idea anyone could see him.” I turned my head towards Amelia. “And we’re never going to talk about that again.”
“Fine, we’ll put in the vault with the rest of our secrets.” She cranked up her car, but the grin didn’t disappear from her face.
My trip to Amelia’s house went about how I expected it to go. She wanted to play around and avoid packing her stuff, while I just wanted to get it over with. Her parents wandered into her room a few times and tried to help, but she was quick to usher them out the door. She made a few comments about Everette once we finally started working. I didn’t need her to remind me that he was gorgeous—the image of what I saw from the tree house was seared into my thoughts, and it was all I could really think about. I replayed the conversation we had that morning over-and-over, and it made me mentally cringe. I was barely able to greet him—didn’t even tell him my name until I was prompted by Amelia.
He probably thought I was an idiot…
“I guess we’re done.” Amelia wiped some sweat off her brow and looked around the room.
“Do you want me to help you carry some boxes to your car?” I sat down on the edge of her bed.
“Nah, my dad will take care of that.” She shook her head back and forth.
“Alright.” I nodded. “It’s nearly time for your parents to take you to dinner—you might as well drop me off on the way.”
“I wish we could hang out again tonight, but they really want me to spend some time with them.” Amelia sighed. “Like I haven’t been doing that for the last eighteen years…”
“Maybe you can come over tomorrow?” I raised an eyebrow. “My parents won’t back home until Monday.”
“Yeah, I should be able to come over.” She sat down beside me. “I can’t believe this is the last time you’ll be in my room.”
“We’re going to college—not dying.” I shook my head back and forth. “We’ll still see each other when we have a break, plus we’re both going to be home for Christmas, and before we know it, it’ll be summer again.”
“I guess so.” She sighed. “I’m going to miss you, Holly Pierce.”
“I’ll miss you too, Amelia Hartley.” I leaned my head against her and laughed.
Amelia and I had been saying goodbye with our first and last names since we were kids—but those goodbyes didn’t have much weight behind them. We were always going to see each other at school or on the weekends, and it was a guarantee we took for granted. The true weight of our next goodbye started to resonate between us as we sat there on her bed. It was going to be the longest stretch of time we had gone without seeing each other since we were in elementary school—we weren’t kids anymore. High school was over. College was the next step in our lives, but even that was a glimmer of what was yet to come.
“Do you think we’ll be like all of those friends that lose touch after high school?” Amelia leaned forward and started to stand.
“No.” I shook my head back and forth. “We’re different.”
In the back of my mind, I wondered if what I said was really true. Other people probably said the same thing right before they wandered into the next chapter of their lives and got lost in it. I wasn’t going to be able to run to Amelia every time some guy I was interested in looked at me—or god forbid—spoke to me. There would be no more late nights spent watching movies our parents would have never let us watch if they were supervising us—no more teenage debauchery or rebellion. We were officially going to be on our own, and that meant a lot of things would have to change. I was going to have to learn to stand on my own two feet—face my problems alone—and navigate my way into my early twenties as a woman instead of a girl. I might even find love or a distraction until the right guy came along.
Maybe I should actually consider baking some cookies for my new neighbor…
Chapter Two
Everette
My run let me hit the reset button and brought my thoughts into focus once the adrenaline kicked in. I had a lot on my mind, and the weight of my future felt like it was laying across both shoulders. I was warned that I would be making a lot of sacrifices when I told everyone that I wanted to become a doctor—sacrifice just came with the territory. While my friends from high school were throwing their hats in the air to celebrate graduating from college, I was preparing for medical school. They found jobs, started earning money, and chipped away at their student loans while I accumulated more. Medical school wasn’t a breeze by any means, but it was just one more step. As soon as it was over, I started my residency—and I had one more year until I would officially be done with it. It was hard to remember the kid I used to be that just wanted to become a doctor so I could help people. I don’t think I really understood what I would be giving up in order to devote my life to an honorable cause.
Those sacrifices didn’t sound that bad when I was eighteen, but I’ll be thirty-one in a few months—and the loneliness has finally started to catch up with me.
Most of my friends from high school were married—some of them already had kids in middle school. I didn’t even have a girlfriend, much less a wife. Dating was practically impossible while I was in medical school, and while life was a little easier after I started my residency, it still made relationships hard. Some of the doctors I worked with at the hospital were able to successfully balance their love life with their professional one, but I struggled with it. I spent too much time analyzing why the relationship wouldn’t work instead of living in the moment. I wasn’t even sure it was possible to fall in love. That was more complicated than diagnosing patients or recommending the right treatment. There was no prescription for falling in love—it was far too complex for modern medicine.
Maybe one day I’ll meet someone that changes my perspective, but I have my doubts—my mentor drives a Maserati to work every day and has a new girlfriend every other week. He seems like the happiest guy in the world…
Later that day
I took a week off work to move into my new house, and unpacking boxes was the only thing I had to worry about until it was time to return, so I spent the day doing that. I didn’t have enough furniture to fill my home, but that would come in time. The house had been on the market for a while, and I considered it a steal. I was tired of living in a small apartment in downtown Los Angles—suburbia was a lot more appealing. The neighborhood was close to the hospital where I was completing my residency, and there were plenty of jobs available in the area, so it seemed like a good investment, especially considering the fact that I was going to own the house one day instead of just dumping money into a rental.
Was that my doorbell? I have a doorbell!
The chime echoed through the house and snapped me out of my thoughts. I wasn’t expecting anyone. My sister was supposed to stop by on Sunday to offer some tips on interior design, and my parents wanted to wait until I was settled before they scheduled their first visit. I walked to the door, pushed the curtain away from the side window, and saw my neighbor standing on the front porch. I met her earlier in the day before I went for a run—and it appeared that she was holding a plate of cookies. My neighbors in my apartment complex barely said hello when I passed them in the morning. Life is suburbia was definitely going to be different. I leaned back to make sure I was presentable and then reached for the doorknob.
“Hi! It was Holly, right?” I tilted my head to the side and smiled.
A beautiful name for a beautiful girl…
“Yep! That’s me!” She nodded, and her face lit up with an amazing smile. “I was in a hurry this morning, so I didn’t really get a chance to officially welcome you to the neighborhood.”
“Please, come in.” I took a step back. “My house is a bit of a mess right now—I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. I understand.” She walked through the front door and held up the plate she was holding. “I hope you like chocolate chip cookies.”
“I think everyone likes chocolate chip cookies.” I chuckled under my breath.
“They’re fresh out of the oven.” She pulled back the clear plastic wrap that was covering them and invited me to try one.
“Wow!” I picked up one of the cookies, and it was warm to the touch—I took a bite, and it practically melted in my mouth. “I have some milk in the fridge. Would you like a glass? I’ll never be able to eat all of these on my own…”
“I might have already had one—to make sure they were good…” She winced, but it was comical and looked cute.
“That’s fine. One cookie is never enough.” I carried the plate into the kitchen and motioned for her to follow me.
“That’s true…” She shrugged, and her smile quickly returned.
Holly was drop-dead gorgeous with a natural beauty that was practically dazzling. She had light brown hair with auburn highlights that looked like they were put there by the sun, hazel colored eyes that seemed to sparkle when she spoke, and curves that were impossible not to notice. I could tell she was young—probably late teens or early twenties—she had a youthful glow that hadn’t been extinguished yet. I used to have that glow too when I was younger—before stress started to slowly grind it away in medical school.
“Here you go.” I put two glasses on the table and filled them with milk. “Now we can eat cookies the right way.”
“Thank you.” She picked one of them up, took a bite, and then chased it with milk.
“These are so good you really don’t even need milk.” I finished my first cookie and immediately reached for another one.
“I’m glad I didn’t screw them up,” she laughed. “I’ve never made cookies on my own before.”
“Ah, you still live with your parents?” I raised an eyebrow.
“For a few more days.” She nodded. “Then I’m off to college…”
“Oh?” I felt a hint of disappointment sweep through me. “Where are you headed?”
“The University of Arizona.” She took a bite of her cookie and followed it with a sip of milk.
“Good school.” I leaned back in my chair. “What are you going to be majoring in?”
“Um…” She looked down. “I’m not really sure. I used to think I wanted to be a teacher, but I don’t know if I really want that kind of responsibility. I’ve been leaning more towards Applied Science or Business Administration lately—something that will help me get a good job after I graduate.”
“Teaching is a good job.” I shrugged. “It might not pay as much, but I think it has its own rewards.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “I might end up doing that after all, but I’m going to take some core classes first and see how I feel about it in a year.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” I took another bite of my cookie and nodded. “You’ve got plenty of time to figure it out.”
“Tell that to my parents…” She sighed. “They just want me to pick something and stick with it.”
“I’m sure you will when you finally decide what that is.” I nodded.
“You’re a doctor—right? My parents cornered the real estate agent to find out who was moving in next door…” She reached for her milk.
“I am.” I raised an eyebrow and laughed as I imagined my real estate agent being cornered by concerned inhabitants of suburbia.
“Did you always know that was what you were going to be when you were growing up?” Holly leaned back in her chair.
“Sorta…” I shrugged and nodded. “My parents gave me a lot of hints—doctor, lawyer—president. They didn’t care which one I chose as long as I was successful at it.”
“President?” She looked down and laughed. “That’s quite a leap from a lawyer.”
“Yeah, I think they were kidding about that one, but you never know with my parents.” I shook my head and chuckled. “Okay, I’m going to have to hide these cookies, or I’m going to keep eating them. Do you want another one?”
“Yes, but I’m going to do the responsible thing and pretend that I don’t.” She took a sip of her milk.
“Let’s just have one more—to get it out of our system.” I grabbed a cookie and pushed the plate towards her.
“I would have thought a doctor wouldn’t want me to have another cookie…” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“No, eat all the cookies you want—if you get sick, you have to pay me to make you better. I’m just investing in my future.” I winked at her and took a bite of my cookie.
“That’s so wrong.” She grinned and reached for a cookie.
“So are dentists that give kids candy after they fill their cavities—same concept.” I sipped my milk and shrugged.
Holly and I kept talking while we finished off our final cookie, but the conversation didn’t end when we wiped away the crumbs. She was surprisingly easy to talk to, and it was a breath of fresh air after spending most of my days with people who just wanted to talk about work. The few times I went out for drinks with my co-workers usually devolved into conversations about stuff that happened at the hospital. I found myself getting lost in her eyes while we talked—and I laughed more than I had in years. The age difference was obvious—she was way too young for me, and we were at completely different points in our lives—but I wasn’t thinking about that when I started to wonder if those perfectly pouty lips were as soft as they looked.
“Would you like the grand tour?” I motioned to the house. “I don’t have much stuff yet…”
“Sure, why not.” She nodded. “It’ll be interesting to see what you’ve done with the place.”
“Did you know the family that lived here before me?” I pushed my chair back and stood.
“Yeah, they had two kids my age.” She stood up and wiped a couple of cookie crumbs off her shirt.
“Ah, I figured they did—there’s a tree house in the back yard.” I walked to the window and pointed.
“Yes, there is.” A hint of a devious grin formed on the edge of her lips but quickly fade
d. “Are you going to tear it down?”
“Honestly? I don’t know if I’ll have time to tear it down myself.” I shrugged and walked away from the window. “Maybe I’ll hire someone to take care of it at some point—it’s definitely seen better days.”
I gave Holly a tour of the house, but there really wasn’t much to see. I mainly just wanted to keep talking to her and didn’t want the conversation to dry up once we shared a few details about our lives. It had been a long time since I had been able to entertain someone—especially someone as pretty as her. If she wasn’t leaving for college in a couple of days, I would have probably asked her out on a date—even if she was too young for me. There was something that drew me to Holly, and I didn’t really know why. Maybe the loneliness had just finally chipped away at my normal inhibitions. I definitely needed to start putting myself out there more and going on dates if I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering if I should have just taken a chance rather than analyzing the impossibilities of it.
I said I would start dating more after college—then I said the same about medical school—now I’m almost done with my residency and I barely need two hands to count the number of dates I’ve been on since high school.
“That’s about it.” I motioned to the empty room next to the one I slept in. “I think I’m going to turn this one into an office.”
“Are you planning to bring your work home with you?” Holly looked into the room and then turned back towards me.
“Probably.” I nodded. “I don’t know where I’ll end up after I finish my residency, but I don’t really want to work in a hospital for the rest of my life—I’d like to have my own practice with patients I see regularly instead of strangers—that’s kind of what I always envisioned myself doing when I decided to become a doctor.”
“Are you going to specialize in anything?” Holly tilted her head inquisitively.
“I’m technically certified for internal medicine—mainly because that was the easiest way to get a residency—but I’d rather be a family physician, so I continued my residency into family medicine.” I shrugged. “It’ll depend on what is available when I start looking for work. The hospital offered me a job, but I’m going to keep my options open.”
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