The Rebel Next Door by Whitlock Emily

Author:Whitlock, Emily
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-06-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Brandon

My body aches and feels sore from the rigid booth where I spent the entire night at the local diner. The seats were painfully firm, and there were lumpy areas that made it impossible to find a comfortable position. To make matters worse, the table was coated with a sticky mixture of syrup and ketchup residue from previous customers. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't fall asleep even for a minute, thanks to the relentless thunderstorm raging outside.

Now that the rain has finally ceased, another issue has arisen–overwhelming humidity. A heavy, thick mass of air envelops me, making me feel like I am trudging through an unforgiving swamp. My damp clothes cling irritatingly to my skin while my hair takes on an unruly life of its own, becoming a frizzy mess in this unrelenting moisture. Every breath draws in warm air that only amplifies the uncomfortable sweating that leaves me feeling drenched all over.

As the clock's hands inch closer to noon, Shawn shows up, ready and willing to help with the tree problem in Charlie's yard. Taking a good, hard look at the situation, it becomes clear that lightning had struck the tree during the storm, causing the once sturdy trunk to splinter in half. Heartbreakingly, one section of the now-broken tree crashed down onto Charlie's garage roof, causing a considerable amount of damage.

Surveying the scene, both Shawn and I realize this won't be a quick or easy fix. The sheer size and weight of the fallen tree make its removal quite a challenge, and we know we'll have to think outside the box to come up with a solution. After discussing various options and planning out our strategy, we agree that using ropes, pulleys, and chainsaws will be our best bet for cutting up the tree into manageable pieces and hauling those chunks away from Charlie's property.

"It's incredibly thoughtful of you to offer to do this for Carrie," Shawn remarks, looking around at the tools and supplies we have gathered.

"I'm just doing what any good neighbor would do," I reply, wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Last week, you were grumbling about walking ten feet to hand them a package. Now you're willing to put in all this effort to help them out? What's changed?" Shawn inquires, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Nothing's changed," I insist, picking up a shovel. "I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving them to handle this daunting task all by themselves. We have the skills and resources to make their life a bit easier, so why not lend a hand?"

"So, are you planning to meet up with Charlie again soon?" he asks, curiously raising an eyebrow as he picks up the scattered pieces of wood.

"Well, to be honest, I never really thought of our get-togethers as 'seeing' Charlie," I respond, crossing my arms defensively.

"Oh, come on," he scoffs with a slight smirk. "You two were practically joined at the hip, spending every moment you could together for an entire month. How would

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