6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jessica

"I think your hair needs a good conditioner. It's all over the place."

Who does he think he is? I seethe, staring at the blank screen in front of me. He wouldn't know anything about healthy hair if it popped him in the face. What an annoying man. Ugh! I grab my phone from the counter beside me and turn on the camera, flipping it to look at my reflection. Although my hair is a little messy because I'd fallen asleep on the kitchen counter, it's nothing close to what Sean exaggerated. I pat down the sides to stow the flyway's, and it looks fine.

Shaking my head, I set my phone back down and fold my arms. Sean exaggerates everything, even his acting. Yes, I said it. I want to stick by my jab, but guilt pricks my heart, making me sigh and take back my words. I'm all for berating Sean because he deserves it sometimes, but I'll also give him credit where he deserves it. He's a darn good actor—an excellent one, in fact—and I know because I've watched all his movies. Even though they're romances, I know.

Ever since Evelyn told me you were a writer some years back. I checked you out and stocked up on all of your books, I've been a fan ever since. I never miss a new release.

A smile touches my face as I remember his words, and I bite into my cheek to keep it down. What am I doing? Why am I smiling at something Sean said?

Yet, for some reason, the smile will not be stopped, and it keeps growing wider until I'm grinning. A question nags at me, making me ponder restlessly; my writing task is forgotten. Why did Sean read all my books?

Growing up, I knew neither Sean nor Jamie were readers. They would rather jump through hoops than pick up a book. This is why I've never gotten mad at Jamie for not reading any of my books, although he makes up for it by buying every copy. Sean, on the other hand, actually reads them.

On my end, I watch all of Sean's movies—even though I'm not interested in romance at all—just because I'm attracted to him. Seeing him on the screen tickles a part of me that I would never admit to, so I never miss any of his films. Is that why he reads my books, too? Because he's attracted to me?

As soon as the thought sprouts, I squash it. There's no way he's attracted to me. Sean O'Connell can never be attracted to me; he treats me like a "bro". I look down at my outfit again and groan. Of all the times I run into Sean, why is it today when I look like a hobo? I haven't worn any of these clothes in years, but because I wanted to check my mail, I quickly threw them on.

Of course, I didn't know I would run into Sean. I had planned to avoid him for his stay here in Willow Falls. He's probably gotten used to the hustle and bustle of being in a big city and will tire of this town soon. I'm sure. But now, there's no way I can avoid him. Not when he's my neighbor!

"Ugh." I groan again. "I'm going to kill Jamie. Honestly. I'm going to kill him."

A vision of a sweaty Sean in sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt flickers through my mind again, and I freeze. He looked so good when I saw him outside with his shirt stuck to his body from sweat. That sweaty t-shirt left nothing to the imagination of just how toned he is. His arms are so muscled and huge I thought the t-shirt might rip. He must be so strong. A blush creeps up my neck, and I jump off the chair and race up the stairs. Since I don't have anything better to do with my time, I should leave the house instead of sitting around thinking about how handsome Sean is.

He might be handsome, but he's completely annoying. Nothing can change that.

I step into the shower and rush back in a few minutes, unable to bear staying in the house alone any longer. Sean has never stepped foot in here, but the entire place seems to be crammed with his presence. There's no way I'm staying here for one minute longer. I choose a black dress and tie my hair back before grabbing my key and heading back downstairs.

I'm going to Bake My Day to eat some pastries and talk to Evelyn for a bit. I don't plan to spend the entire day with her, seeing as each day that passes draws my deadline closer. She's usually a wonderful distraction, and I'll take advantage of that this morning. I toy with the idea of visiting my parents, but I'm not ready to answer any questions about my love life right now, so Evelyn it is.

I step outside my house, looking over to the next house to be sure Sean is nowhere in sight before dashing toward my car, parked haphazardly in the driveway. As I reach it, I spy another car driving into Sean's driveway and pause. That's Jamie's car. A frown creases my forehead, and forgetting I'm supposed to hide from Sean, I march over to the fence to wait for Jamie to get out.

A few seconds later, Jamie parks and exits the vehicle, whistling a familiar tune. He hasn't seen me yet, and I wish he was close enough so I could hit him in the arm to wipe the restful smile off his face.

"Psst!" I call, hoping Sean doesn't overhear.

Jamie stops and turns to me, his slight smile blossoming when our gazes meet.

"Hi, Sis." He starts to walk toward me, then stops, the smile disappearing. "You're frowning."

"You're such a genius, Jamie. Nothing gets past you, does it?" I flash him a toothed smile. "Why is Sean O'Connell my neighbor?"

A laugh bursts out of him, and he slaps a fist over his mouth to stop it unsuccessfully. "Uhm – has he been a bad neighbor?"

"Jamie?" I almost fly over the fence, but I take it from my dangerously depleting level of patience that it's best to stay put. "Please, tell me there's something you can do. I don't want him here."

"What?" Jamie frowns. "He has as much right to be here as you have. He paid for it."

"And it's all your fault, isn't it?" I retort. "You did this. Why?"

"It was that day you ate the last bite of my sandwich and laughed in my face. I was upset with you," he says. "I told you I'd get you back, and fortunately, Sean reached out to me to get a place for him to stay while he was here. So–" he shrugs. "And voila! He's your neighbor."

My brother is enjoying this entirely too much, so I nod. "Don't worry, Jamie. I'll get you, too. You know I always do."

His eyes flare in panic for a few seconds. My brother is no match for me. He's too calm and gentle to play wicked games, unlike me. He frowns when I smile, wave, and head to my car.

I meet Evelyn in her office as usual, and as I trudge to the chair, she stares at me with a curious smile.

"What is it, Jess? Are you okay?"

"No." I settle into the chair and heave a big sigh. "Your annoying brother is my neighbor."

"What?" Evelyn's mouth falls open, and she sits up. "Your next-door neighbor?"

I frown at her, suspicious because it's weird that she doesn't know. Sometimes, she would join Sean and Jamie in teasing me, so this might be one of those moments. "I'm sure you knew about this."

"What? No." She shakes her head, and I instantly believe her. "Sean promised to forward his address to me, but he hasn't, so I haven't been able to see where he's staying." Then she sighs. "That's such a weird coincidence. Of all places in town – "

"It's not a coincidence," I say. "It's my idiot brother that orchestrated it," I explain the incident to Evelyn, and she bursts into laughter. It's hard to share in her mirth, so I just stare blankly at her.

"Jamie did this?" She blinks. "Who knew he could be so devious?"

That was a good question. This type of setup is Sean's kind of thing, but Jamie has probably picked up some skills after years of interacting with the devil.

"So how's it going?" Evelyn asks. "Being neighbors with Sean?"

"When is he leaving town?" I ask. "Tonight?"

Evelyn laughs. "I hope not."

"I just found out about him being my neighbor this morning." I scowl at her. "And he's already stepped on all my toes." Grabbing the edge of her desk, I lean forward. "Can you imagine he made a snide remark about my hair? He said my hair ‘needs conditioner'! Imagine that!"

Evelyn slaps a hand over her mouth, but I suspect it's more to keep herself from laughing. "He said that? Is he serious? You have the healthiest hair!"

"He's an idiot!" I smack my head onto the table dramatically.

"I thought Jamie was the idiot."

"They're both idiots." We glance at each other, and both burst into laughter, almost doubling over from it. Evelyn shakes her head. "I'm sure Sean is having a field day, but you've got to ignore him. You know how he is."

"The next time he steps onto my side of the yard, I'm calling the police."

"He'll just come right back to haunt you." She giggles. "I always wondered why Sean loves teasing you," she says thoughtfully. "He's the gentlest big brother ever, but with you, he's just…a kid. It's cute."

"Don't do that." I wag my finger at her, my breath catching in my chest. "Don't romanticize this."

"What? I'm not!"

"All those romantic books and movies you watch have fried your brains," I accuse, making her laugh again.

"Speaking of books, how's yours coming along?"

I sigh and shrug. Evelyn narrows her eyes. "You've not written much?"

"Much?" I echo. "I've not written a single word."

She gasps, and frowns, lines creasing her forehead. "Now, this is becoming worrisome. This is unlike you. I've seen you write six chapters in one night!"

I sigh again. It seems to be my favorite habit these days. "I don't know what to do. I wish there were something."

"We need to figure this out. I'd hate for you to miss your deadline. Mrs. Salman will not be happy about that." Mrs. Salman is my agent, and I've tried not to think about her for days now because I don't want to enter panic mode yet.

"I'm hungry."

"What do you want?" Evelyn asks with a smile.

"You know what I want, don't ask me." I laugh. "Come on, let's go eat some sweets."

Evelyn shakes her head and leaves her desk to come toward me. I join her, and together, we leave the office.