The stranger squints at the apartment number beside my door, then back at me as if he’s still trying to work through his mistake. “Huh. My dad said he moved into the duplex, but I guess he meant upstairs. He did, however, forget to mention that a hot blonde moved in too.”
I arch a brow and tap my right foot, quickly beginning to lose my patience. I might’ve been flattered by his compliment if his baby face hadn’t given him away. Based on the tiny caterpillar crawling across his upper lip, I know he’s barely old enough to drink.
“Are you one of Mr. Cooke’s sons?” My few interactions with my landlord were brief, but I remember him mentioning he has two sons.
The man flashes his teeth, clearly pleased with himself. “Guilty. The name’s Knox—also known as the better Cooke son.”
Knox holds out his hand for an attempted handshake, but I just stare at him until he finally retreats. “That remains to be seen,” I say, unimpressed.
Behind me, I hear Wren mutter under her breath, “Oh, Ilovethis.”
I tilt my head and shoot her a disapproving look beforeturning back to Knox. “Those stairs lead to the upstairs apartment. Hopefully, those are better directions.”
I’m about to close the door when he braces a hand against the doorframe, keeping me from slamming it in his face.
“You sure you don’t want me to stick around? Seems like I’d be a great addition to whatever’s going on in there.” His gaze flicks past me and hovers over Wren, who is perched on the couch enjoying the free show.
I exhale sharply while massaging the bridge of my nose. “And what exactly do you think is going on?”
His lips twitch, and I can only imagine the scenarios running through his adolescent brain. “I don’t know, but I’d love to find out.”
Before I can finally get rid of him, Wren chimes in behind me. “Oh, he’s fun. I like him.”
I glare over my shoulder. “You would.”
Knox chuckles, clearly entertained. “Damn. You’d get along great with my brother. It seems like you both need help loosening up.”
I open my mouth to reply, but the words feel stuck in my throat. People were constantly trying to label me as too serious, like being responsible and cautious were some kind of flaws. That was just a polite way of calling me boring.
“Wonderful,” I say quickly, trying anything to get him to leave. “As eager as I am to take you up on that offer, Wren and I have plans, so goodbye.”
He sighs dramatically, but there’s still a hint of amusement in his expression. Before he can continue his incessant badgering, a deep voice calls his name from the steps leading to the upstairs apartment.
“Knox, please leave my neighbor alone.”
Knox turns toward the voice with a bright smile, clearly unfazed by the annoyance in the stranger’s voice. “There he is,” he says. “Big brother to the rescue.”
Curious, I peek my head out the door to see who thevoice belongs to. The man, who I assume is Henry, is standing at the top of the stairs and looks like Knox’s polar opposite.
The darkness conceals most of his appearance, but warm light reflects off the round frames perched on his face. I can tell his hair is darker than his brothers and is piled high in perfectly messy curls on the top of his head. And then there’s his outfit. A crisp linen shirt flows down his body into slacks that are tight against his thighs and a stark contrast to the lanky man standing in front of me.
I swallow hard when his eyes flick to me. His eyes are sharp as he assesses me and slowly attempts to peel back thick layers with one glace. It’s brief, but the air stretches tight between us, palpable and still. His lips press together and hesitate before tilting up into a gentle smile caught between apologetic and intrigue.
Seconds later, his eyes settle back on his brother and his expression darkens. Irritation settles into the sharp cut of his jaw, and the smile he awarded me shifts into an irritated frown.
“Come on, Knox. My apartment is up here. No need to ruin her night,” Henry says, voice flat.
“I wasn’t ruining her night,” Knox scoffs. “I was improving it.”
Henry ignores his brother and looks at me again. “Sorry about him.”
I shift awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Knox is irritating, but at least he’s predictable. However, my new neighbor is unreadable and quiet in a way that makes my belly twist. The look from before still lingers on my cheeks in an unexpected rose-colored blush.
“It’s fine,” I manage, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
He nods and gives Knox one more pointed look before walking back up the stairs.
“And that’s my brother Henry,” Knox says, whipping his head back toward me. “I think he likes you.”
