This was going to be four long weeks.
6
I stretchedout on the couch in Topher’s mom’s house, quiet all around me. No voices, no footsteps, not even the faint sound of someone breathing nearby. I was utterly alone.
And where was Topher? Oh, right—at his mansion. After we cleaned the bedroom, Topher bolted, saying he had work to do. Later, he texted that he’d be spending the night at his place. Cool, no big deal. Just left me here to fend for myself in a house I barely knew.
So, yep. I spent the whole night alone in a strange house.
And it wasglorious.
No one telling me I should be working harder. No smug looks from across the room. No lectures about how I’m “wasting my potential” because I wasn’t “squeezing every last drop of productivity out of the day.” Yes, those were his exact words. It was just me, that ridiculously comfy couch, one of Mrs. Brodie’s dog-eared bestsellers, and the sweet, sweet absence of Topher hovering nearby, silently judging me for not treating work like it’s the meaning of life.
Topher’s mom had surgery before dawn. The plan was for him to visit her once she was out of recovery later that afternoon. I’d texted him that morning, asking how the surgery went. He said everything went well, and she would likely need a few days of recovery. Which meant...
I had a few days all to myself.
I could read, I could nap, I could do absolutely nothing. Sure, I needed to figure out what my next job would be, but the idea of spending a few days like this? It felt like a surprise vacation. Topher might pop in now and then to check on things, but with his mom in the hospital and work dragging him back to his mansion, I didn’t expect him to stick around much. And honestly? That was fine by me.
I could practically hear the quiet stretching out ahead of me, endless and peaceful.
Then, like a marching band crashing a silent retreat, the tranquility was shattered.
I heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock. Before I could even react, the front door swung open, and in bustled a short, round woman with tight gray curls, dressed in a floral blouse so bright it could be seen from space. She carried a basket of muffins as if it were her ticket to wherever she wanted to go. Without so much as a glance in my direction, she let herself in and closed the door behind her.
“Yoo-hoo! Anybody home?” she called out, loud enough to wake the dead, her eyes already scanning the room as if she owned the place.
I shot up from the couch, bewildered. “Uh, hi?”
“Oh, you must be Kathleen!” The woman breezed right in, beaming at me like we were old friends. “Josephine told me all about you. I’m Gladys from next door, and I’ve been keeping an eye on the place while she’s in the hospital. You know, just making sure things are running smoothly. I’ve got a key in case of emergencies.” She winked as if that explained why she was making herself at home, already plopping down in the armchair across from the couch, setting her muffin basket on the coffee table.
“That’s... uh... nice of you.” I was trying to process the fact that a stranger had just let herself into the house.
“Oh, honey, Josephine called and told me about her son finally bringing home a girlfriend. It’s all very exciting!” She winked again, like we were sharing some secret joke. “So, where is he?”
“Uh, Topher’s working.” I tried to sound casual. “He had some things to take care of.”
Gladys leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Didn’t seem like he spent the night here, though. I saw him leave yesterday afternoon, and I never saw him return. Where is he now?”
I could feel her nosy gaze burning into me and coughed. “He’s, um, at his place in the Garden District, but he’ll be back soon.”
“Oh,willhe now?” One eyebrow shot up as she leaned in closer. “Seems a little odd, doesn’t it? To leave his girlfriend all alone here on your first night together?”
My stomach twisted. It was clear we were being snooped on, and if this nosy neighbor figured out we weren’t really dating, it would only be a matter of time before it got back to Topher’s mom. The last thing I needed was for her to know this whole relationship was a sham. And then what? I’d be homeless. Again. I had no job, no place to stay, and the one thing keeping me off the streets was this ridiculous fake relationship.
I whipped out my phone, my heart pounding in my chest, and shot off a text to Topher:Get over here right now. Your neighbor, Gladys, is asking too many questions. I think she’s on to us.
I glanced at Gladys, who was still staring at me like I was a puzzle she was determined to solve. She cleared her throat. “So, how long have you two been together? Josephine didn’t give me many details.”
I forced a smile. “We haven’t been together too long.”
“Well, you two must beveryserious if you’re already staying here while Josephine’s in the hospital. Isn’t that something?” She eyed me with a twinkle that could only mean one thing—gossip. “So, when are you moving in together for good?”
I nearly choked. Luckily, my phone buzzed with Topher’s text:On my way. Don’t let her find out the truth.
Great. No pressure.
Trying to keep my cool, I smiled again. “We’re taking things slow. No rush to move in together or anything.” My voice cracked slightly.
