Boys Next Door: A Contemporary Reverse Harem Romance (Boys Next Door, Book 1)

by Mia Belle

  “You heard her,” I say to Zane. “Open the door and let’s talk. I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “Screw off, Aidan.”

  “Look, man. I didn’t mean it and I’m sorry.”

  The door opens. He’s still got that hard look on his face. “Whatever happened between me and Lia is my business.”

  I nod slowly. “Okay. But did you say something to upset her?”

  He rolls his eyes. “You’re not the only one who cares about her.”

  “I know…”

  “Why the hell would I hurt her?”

  I throw my hands up. “Because that’s what you do. You push people away.”

  He narrows his eyes. “For your information, I didn’t push Lia away. She pushed me. Now get the hell out of my face.” He slams the door.

  Lia pushed him away? Why would she do that?

  In my room, my fingers hover over my phone to text her, but I figure she wants to be alone. As much as I care about her and have this need to protect her, we’re not really friends. Wish we were, though.

  I make way to my window and lift the blinds. I don’t know why I expect her to be in her dad’s room. Too bad I’m not across from hers like Zane is. I really want to talk to her.

  My phone pings and I quickly read the text. It’s from Burke. I text him and the other guys, forgetting about Lia and Zane and all the crap I’ve been through this year.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Zane

  I slam my fist into the wall. Why? Why the fuck did I try to kiss her? Did I actually think she’d want to kiss a guy like me? All I’ve done is bring her pain. And I’ll keep doing it the more time I spend with her.

  It wasn’t a lie when I told her she’s the only person I feel closest to. We have this connection that I’ve never felt with anyone else. Usually I push people away, like Aidan claimed, but it’s different with Lia. I think I may be falling in…

  No. That’s ridiculous.

  I flop down on my bed, and something catches my attention. The sketchpad Lia used to draw my bear’s pirate hat. She did an awesome job, which doesn’t surprise me. Lia’s got a lot of talent, she’s just not aware of it. And I don’t only mean in drawing. There’s just something about her that makes me feel like I can trust her. And I hope she trusts me…or trusted me.

  Did I break that trust by trying to kiss her?

  I kick the floor. Damn it. I should have remembered about that asshole Josh. He messed her up, which is why she built that wall around herself. I think I was doing a good job slowly demolishing it. And it all went to shit when I tried to kiss her.

  Fuck.

  My eyes spring to her window, where the blinds are shut. Is she in there? Is she thinking about me? Or has she erased me from her life?

  I reach for the sketchpad and pencils and continue the drawing. I loved when she watched me. Made me feel like she was part of it. My heart pleads for me to stop, to choose something else to draw, that I’m only going to hurt myself, but I don’t listen to it.

  There’s a knock on my door before Caleb peeks in. He gives me a small smile as he sits down at my desk chair. He swivels around like a little kid.

  “What?” I say as I continue drawing.

  Caleb doesn’t answer and when I glance up, he’s deep in thought. Shrugging, I return to my drawing. Caleb and I get along well, but he’s more Aidan’s cousin than mine. They’ve known each other since they were babies and though they’ve always treated me like a brother, it’s not the same as blood.

  I should know all about that.

  “What’s up?” I ask after he’s been brooding like that for five minutes.

  “Something’s up with Aidan.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  He shrugs. “Dunno. He has a secret.”

  “He doesn’t. Just thinks he has the right to tell me what to do. And when things don’t go his way, he throws a fucking tantrum.”

  “What was with that? I heard Lia’s name mentioned.”

  “What about her? You think I had something to do with her running off, too? You think I hurt her?”

  His eyes widen. “Huh? You hurt her? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t even know she was here until she ran out of the house.”

  “I don’t want to talk about her.”

  “Fine.”

  I wait for him to get out of my room, but he doesn’t.

  “What’s going on in that brain of yours?” I ask. “You didn’t come here to talk about Aidan or Lia, did you?”

  He shakes his head, swallowing hard. “I need to talk to you about something serious.”

  “Why me? Seems like Aidan would be a better choice.”

  “You’re the only one who’d understand.”

  I lift a brow. He releases a shaky breath. “I want to find my dad.”

  The sketchpad drops to the floor. “Are you insane?”

  He winces. “I hate that people are dying because of me. How many will die before the cops find him?”

  “They’re not dying because of you. That’s on your dad.”

  He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, then, “I thought you’d understand. You know what it’s like to have someone out there who—”

  “I’m not taking about him.”

  “But wouldn’t you do something if he started killing people?”

  “My brother’s not a killer.” I stand up and pat his arm. “Look man, just let the cops do their job. You sit tight and watch over yourself. We all need to watch over each other. And like Julia and Craig said, they’re gonna find him.”

  He doesn’t respond. I gently squeeze his arm. “Promise me you won’t go searching for him.”

  He just looks at me.

  “Promise me or I’m telling Craig.”

  He frowns.

  “Promise, man, or I’m going to Craig right now.”

  He huffs. “Fine. I promise.”

  I plop down on the bed. “Out of all three of us, you’re the biggest idiot,” I tell him. “Biggest dumbass in the world. And I thought you were the smartest.”

  He rolls his eyes. “Whatever.” He gets to his feet. “But if anyone else dies, it’s on you.”

  I watch him head to my door. “I already told you it’s your dad’s fault. Quit putting the blame on others. I get that he’s your dad and you had a good relationship with him, but that guy doesn’t exist anymore. Maxwell Armstrong doesn’t exist.”

  Caleb heaves the door open and vanishes from sight.

  I pick up the sketchpad from the floor and am about to continue my project, when my gaze wanders to the window.

  Her blinds are still down. I force myself to focus on the drawing, but all I think about is her, and that’s not because she’s the star of my current artwork.

  If I don’t fix this, I might lose her.

  With my pad and pencils in tow, I climb into my window, letting my legs dangle outside. I sit here for a little bit and think. About Lia, my past, about Caleb and his stupid idea. I hope I knocked some sense into him. I mean, I get his reasoning, but it’s still stupid for him to even consider it.

  Peering at the window next door, I’m pretty sure I see some movement in there. “Amelia,” I call.

  The blinds lift and my heart skips a beat. “Hey, Zane!”

  But it’s not Lia. It’s Sophie.

  Chapter Forty

  Lia

  I’m still thinking about what happened in Zane’s room only a few minutes ago. As much as I try to push it away, I just can’t. All I see before my eyes is Josh’s wicked smile. And the pain he caused me. It’s as if I’m reliving it all over again. I never felt safe when I was with him. And I know I’ll never feel safe with any other guy. They’re all the same.

  “Boo!” someone yells, throwing my door open. I leap up in bed, my heart racing. But it’s just Sophie.

  She hops onto the bed, a bright smile on her face. I haven’t seen much of her lately and I’m more than glad she stopped by. I can us
e my best friend right now.

  She takes in my messy hair and rumpled clothes. “Why do you look like you just woke up?”

  “Nothing, I’m fine. How’s life with your new best friend?” I meant it as a joke, but it didn’t come out that way.

  Sophie pulls at her strawberry blonde hair. “She’s not my new best friend…”

  “You kind of act like she is.”

  “Well, I mean, I’m her good friend. Like we hang out all the time.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You never want to go anywhere. And, like, you’re not interested in all the stuff we do, so I don’t bother asking you to join us.”

  I give her a look. “Alexis hates me. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I have no right to tell you who to be friends with.”

  Smiling, she wraps her arms around my waist. “That’s why you’re awesome. Because you’re so understanding.” She draws back, her smile widening. “You’re happy for me because I’m finally part of her group.” Her smile drops. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time for you. Why else am I here?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “To hang out with my bestie, duh!”

  I laugh, but it’s out of habit. I can’t help feeling there’s a specific reason why she’s with me and not Alexis.

  We decide to watch some TV, choosing a show Sophie is now into—per Alexis’s recommendation, of course. Honestly, the more I watch, the more I like it. Alexis might hate me, but she’s got pretty good taste in TV.

  “So…” Sophie’s eyes drift from the TV to me. “Why didn’t you tell me about Aidan?”

  She knows about his football injury? “What about him?” I ask.

  She playfully slaps my arm. “He’s into you.”

  “What?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Come on, Lia. He was staring at you, like, all day.”

  “What?”

  “You really didn’t notice? Wow. TV and movies always make the girl clueless and I always thought that was an exaggeration. But you seriously have no clue, do you?”

  I just stare at her.

  “And he talked to you in algebra. Only to you. Lots of other girls were around, including me, but he ignored us.” There’s a bit of sourness in her tone.

  “You’re crazy,” I say.

  “Do you like him?”

  “I don’t really know him.”

  “That’s not answering the question.”

  I give her a look. “You’re seeing things that don’t exist. Aidan doesn’t like me.”

  “Then why does he deflect advances from other girls?”

  “Maybe he’s still in love with his ex.”

  Her eyebrows crease. “His ex?”

  “Yeah. She broke up with him when she found out he was moving.”

  Sophie considers this for a few seconds. “Nah. Can’t be. I saw the way he stared at you, and that wasn’t the look of someone still not over his ex. Unless he only wants one thing from you.” She lifts a brow.

  “He’d never do that.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do.”

  She slams her hands to her hips. “You know more then you’re letting on, Amelia Kelly.”

  “Fine. We hung out a little, and I’ve gotten to know him. He’s not that kind of guy. He’s not a jerk.”

  She stares at me. “Did I hear right? You think all guys are jerks.”

  Maybe. Or I did. I’m not sure. I just realize now that my neighbors are different from Josh. No matter how much I try to convince myself they’re the same, the truth is they’re not. And I treated one like crap. He was there for me, he drew me. He wanted to kiss me. And I pushed him away.

  The Armstrong boys are kind and sweet and friendly. Each one has made me feel special in a different way. Aidan shared his secrets and insecurities with me, and his loss of something that meant the world to him. Zane helped me smile. And Caleb gave me a cooking connection to my mom.

  “Lia, hello.” Sophie snaps in my face.

  I blink. “What were we talking about?”

  “Aidan. Do you like him?”

  I tear my gaze away from her. Do I? I love spending time with him and wish we could hang out more. The same goes for the other two. I want us to be more than neighbors.

  I shrug. “He’s a good friend.”

  “Just a friend?”

  “Yeah.”

  She grins. “Cool. So what—?”

  “Amelia?” a voice calls from outside.

  I freeze. Zane wants to talk to me after I gave him my cheek and ran out on him?

  Squealing, Sophie leaps to the window. She yanks the pull cord so strongly she nearly tears the entire shade down.

  “Hey, Zane!”

  He’s sitting in his window, sketchpad and pencils on his lap, legs sticking out. I wonder if he’s working on that drawing of me. Or maybe he trashed it.

  His eyes move past Sophie and focus on me. They’re consumed with that intense look that causes my stomach to do a weird flip.

  “Where’s Aidan?” Sophie says.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Because I want to know.”

  He doesn’t say anything, his attention still on me. Sophie turns around to look at me, then faces Zane again.

  “Alexis and I have a theory,” she tells him. “And I want to know what you think.”

  “Okay?”

  “We think Aidan likes Lia.”

  He rolls his eyes. “We all like Lia.”

  “I mean, like that.”

  He doesn’t say anything, his gaze moving from Sophie to me.

  “I asked Lia how she feels about him and she told me he’s just a friend.”

  Zane crosses his arms over his chest. “Why are you asking me this?”

  “Because you’re his brother, duh.”

  He takes his pencil and starts drawing. I can’t see what’s on the page from here. “This isn’t really any of your business.”

  “Yes, it is. I’m looking out for my best friend.”

  He raises his head. “You mean the best friend you ditched?”

  She glares at him. “Wow. You’re an asshole.”

  His eyes are pasted on me and mine are glued to his.

  Sophie throws her hands up. “Whatever. I’m going.” After grabbing her phone from my desk, she stomps out of my room.

  I still haven’t taken my eyes off his gorgeous green ones, and he hasn’t stopped gazing at me, either.

  After what feels like hours, he breaks his stare, returning to the drawing. I slide closer to my window. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  He glances up. “Do what?”

  “Defend me.”

  “I know. Just wanted to.”

  A few silent minutes tick by. He doesn’t continue to draw, but keeps his eyes on me. Mine wander around, flicking his way every so often.

  “Amelia, about what happened,” he says, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Needing to occupy myself with something, I grab my little piggy bank and twirl it between my fingers. “Why did you?”

  He shrugs, focusing back on his art. A few long seconds pass before he looks up again. “I think you know why.”

  I swallow.

  “I won’t do it again,” he says. “Not until you tell me it’s okay.”

  My head’s swirling with so many thoughts. What does this mean? That Zane…likes me? Or is he just messing with me?

  Do I like him? I don’t know. He’s nice in a Zane kind of way, and I definitely enjoy chatting with him. But I can’t see myself falling for anyone again. I just can’t.

  “I’m going to head in now,” he says. “Night, Amelia.”

  I don’t have a chance to answer before he slips out of the window. He sits on his bed, still focused on the drawing. I watch him for a little bit, noting how much of himself he puts into his work. Like he’s drowning in it.

  His head lifts, and when our eyes connect, he gives me that crooked smile, along with a wave. I wave bac
k, my heart hammering in my chest. I feel hot and cold at the same time, something I haven’t felt before, not even with Josh.

  He resumes drawing, shutting me and everything out.

  I go downstairs to the kitchen, passing the living room. Dad’s watching news on TV. “Sweetie?”

  I peek my head into the room.

  “Everything okay? You seemed a little upset when you returned from next door.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He regards me for a few seconds. “All right. There’s something I need to discuss with you, but it can wait until after dinner. What are you in the mood for? It’s been a while since we had Mexican.”

  “Homemade,” I say.

  He lifts his eyebrows. “You’re cooking?”

  I shrug. “I want to try it on my own. Maybe one of Mom’s recipes.”

  His eyes fill with grief and pride at the same time. “I’m glad, but are you sure you want to take care of dinner? I should handle it.”

  I shake my head. “I want to do this. I want to share something with her. And maybe you and I can cook together sometime. Not that I know what I’m doing.”

  He laughs. “Sure. I’d love that, sweetie.”

  I look at the reporter on the TV. “Anything important on the news?”

  He sighs. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of terrible things out there.” His tone is worried, and I’m unsure what it means.

  “Dad, what’s going on?”

  He gives me a reassuring smile, one that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s okay, Lia. We’ll talk after dinner.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “We’ll talk later.”

  Nodding like I’m on autopilot, I leave the living room and enter the kitchen. I flip through Mom’s recipe books until I find something simple enough to try.

  While I’m in the middle of chopping vegetables, I pull out my phone and take a selfie of me and the vegetables and discarded peels. I send it to Caleb.

  Me: Proud of your student?

  It takes less than a minute for him to respond.

  Caleb: Very proud. What are you making?

  I quickly text back, then continue my quest to create a decent meal.