Mr. Right Next Door by Naima Simone

Author:Naima Simone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2022-10-28T16:03:54+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

JENNA STRODE ACROSS the parking lot, sliding her hands into the pockets of her peacoat. Her boots tapped out her irritation on the sidewalk as she headed toward her mother’s store.

An emergency, Helene had said.

Jenna’s lips twisted. That could mean anything from her father’s election campaign losing a major donor to a piece of gossip about Jenna circulating the Rose Bend grapevine. Her mother would’ve demanded her immediate presence for both “catastrophes.”

For an insane moment, Jenna had considered ignoring the summons. Or telling her mother she was in the middle of work. But that would’ve begun a line of questioning she’d rather avoid. So here she was. Obeying the summons. As she always had.

A small seed buried itself just under her ribs, sprouting tiny roots of discontent.

Always had didn’t seem like a good enough reason to do anything. Not anymore.

Not since that late-night conversation with Isaac.

In the three nights since she’d shared her past and they’d shared a—okay, she’d call it a kiss because a cosmic mating of lips, lust and souls sounded a wee bit over the top. But since the kiss, she’d done nothing but go over and over every moment. Isaac had emblazoned himself on her memory, and she couldn’t remove him.

Neither could she pretend that she hadn’t emerged from that conversation changed. He’d stirred an irritation in her, like a pebble in the shoe, that rattled around, chafing. Whereas before she could effectively snuff out the what ifs, she found it harder to do now.

What if you told your parents the truth?

What if you told them no?

What if you stopped running and were brave enough to discover if people could accept you for you?

What if you finally lived for yourself?

Those rebellious, terrifying, exhilarating thoughts swirled in her head, squeezed her chest. But before the buzzing of those hopes could become too loud, she turned down the volume. Isaac had known her for a matter of weeks. Unlike most people in this town. Memories were long, and as Sydney had proved with each encounter, folks’ willingness to believe in change was short.

But then again, Jenna hadn’t given anyone a reason to offer her the benefit of the doubt, to extend her grace. Even now she was her father’s puppet and dancing to her mother’s tune. Unburdening herself in that backyard and receiving the soothing balm of Isaac’s compassion and the heated possession of his kiss had indeed shaken something loose in her. But her feet remained too mired in the muck of her reputation to truly be free. And her heart remained too filled with the fear of a girl who desperately yearned for her parents’ approval.

God. She slid her hand between the lapels of her coat and rubbed her knuckles over her heart. When would that little girl grow up? And let go?

Dropping her arm, Jenna spotted the awning to her mother’s store.

For one brief, glimmering moment she’d believed maybe she could answer those questions.

Then reality and her own cowardice snuffed out that hope.

She thrust her fingers through her hair, so fucking tired of herself.

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