Small victory, but I’ll take the ‘W.’
Other than the text check-ins, life’s pretty boring without my brothers around 24-7. Both of them are on the approved visitors list, so Callum’s come over and watched film with me a few times and Weston brought me somedecent towels and sheets. The linens in the condo are scratchy as hell.
I’ve also been on a shopping binge. Before, I’d play hockey and then party after every game. Free drinks, VIP sections at every nightclub, different women every night.
Not super fulfilling, but at least it killed time.
Now, with the strict curfew and the lack of entertainment, I need something else to do. There’s hardly any furniture in the place, so I shoved the extra bed into the closet and made the guest room a makeshift gym. So far I have a bench, weight rack, mat, full kettlebell set, and a box jump. Helps me kill a few hours a day before mandatory lights out.
Apparently, I’m in athlete jail.
And I haven’t been able to talk my way out of it or smile my way back. Tough to win anyone over while I’m on house arrest.
I’m cranking out another set of chest presses, with Def Leppard pushing me on, when there’s a bang at the door.
Bang, bang, bang.
Then again, this time louder.
Wiping my sweaty face with the hem of my T-shirt, I walk to the door. The cheap wood paneling shakes with each thump and I have a sneaking suspicion I can guess who’s on the other side.
I tip my head up at the ceiling, huff out a quick breath. Then, not bothering to check the peephole, I fling the door open and smile down at her.
“Tori.”
“Rule number four: no loud music. There was a noise complaint against you.”
I lean on the doorframe, a high-pitched guitar riffdrifting into the hallway. Knox stands next to Tori, avoiding eye contact with me.
“Really? Because the neighbor to my left is at her daughter’s for the entire month, and Mr. Monty?” I gesture across the hall. “He wears hearing aids. His batteries got delivered here last week.”
She scrunches up her nose. “You know the neighbors?”
“Of course I do. You don’t?”
“No.” She shakes her head, like meeting people who live near you is the most ridiculous thing ever.
“What if you need to borrow a cup of milk?”
“I’m dairy-free.”
“Naturally.”
“The music?” She points into my condo, the heavy bass vibrating the floorboards.
I rake a hand through my hair. “It’s pushing me.”
“Yeah, well it’s annoying me. And I’m trying to work.”
“Ever heard of noise cancelling headphones?”
“I don’t want to wear headphones in my own home.” She pops her hands on her hips and glares at me.
“It was you.” I narrow my eyes at her. “You’re the noise complaint.”
The right side of her mouth tips up a little. “Me? No.”
“C’mon. Live a little. Def Leppard never hurt anyone.”
