The Man Next Door by Ashley Zakrzewski

Author:Ashley Zakrzewski [Zakrzewski, Ashley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-10T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LAUREL

Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but Hudson didn’t have to invite me over for dinner with his family tonight. Does this mean he is finally understanding that he deserves someone in his life, whether it be me or someone else? He needs someone to be able to open up too, besides just a friend.

Things seem to go better at dinner, and he even opens up to others around the table. Hudson is acting like a new man and it is nice to see. Happiness looks great on him. Hopefully, he doesn’t clam back up, and only gets better from this point. His family’s reaction tonight shows how much change has happened in the last couple of weeks. Maybe his mother’s right; he just needs someone to push him outside his comfort zone and force him to open up.

I haven’t seen my sister in a week, and it’s time to fill her in on this new stuff with Hudson. Her course load has been hectic, and it’s honestly probably a good decision that she left the company. I’m not sure she would have been able to keep it up with working full time, too. She’s so close to graduating and nothing needs to deter her away from that.

I knock, and she opens the door with glasses on her nose and her hair up in a high bun, ushering me inside quickly.

“Come on, I’m trying to write this paper. I’m on deadline and can’t seem to write a damn thing.” Her hands are flying all over the place.

“I can come back another time.”

I turn to leave.

“No.” She takes off her glasses, grabs a bottle of wine and two glasses, and sits down on the couch. “Please talk to me about something besides school. It might actually help me be able to focus later. I can take a half an hour break.”

I didn’t even know where to start. Lacey did make it clear when I moved in down the hall that she didn’t want me to be in her business. So, I’ve kept my distance and haven’t really been checking in on her as often as I want to. “Well, some things have happened.”

She crosses her legs and turns her body toward me. “Okay, like what? Did you meet someone?”

“Yeah, my boss.”

“No - you cannot be serious. Hudson? He’s not the type of guy to date the women he works with. Not sure that will ever amount to anything.”

Lacey did know him pretty well. “Well, maybe things have changed. We kissed. More than once. And tonight he invited me over to dinner with his parents.”

She looks a little flustered. “You mean to tell me you’ve been seeing Hudson and haven’t mentioned it to me? What the hell? I’m not mad, just surprised. He’s so… brooding and uptight.”

“Whatever. Point is, do you think I should just step away and forget it? I really like him, and think we can work if we both put in the effort. He has changed, and his personality is coming out a bit more now that I’ve pushed him out of his comfort zone, I think.

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