The Neighbor

by Nikki Rayne

  The Neighbor - An Enemies to Lovers Romance

  Don’t Hate Me - Book One

  Nikki Rayne

  Jamie Knight

  Contents

  The Neighbor

  Mailing List

  1. Hope

  2. Max

  3. Hope

  4. Max

  5. Hope

  6. Max

  7. Hope

  8. Hope

  9. Max

  10. Hope

  Epilogue - Hope

  More to Come!

  About the Author

  The Neighbor

  By Nikki Rayne

  & Jamie Knight

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and all incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Nikki Rayne

  First Edition April 2020

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Mailing List

  If you’d like to be notified when Nikki Rayne’s and Jamie Knight’s next book is released, sign up for the mailing list and get a free copy of Drilled!

  1

  Hope

  I pulled my travel bag behind me, keeping a big, bright, stupid smile on my face. My phone buzzed as I exited through the automatic double glass doors.

  The message was from Tori. She was running late.

  “Dammit,” I said.

  A woman wrapped her arm around her young daughter and ushered her quickly past me. The evil look poured out of her narrowed brown eyes.

  “Shit,” I said, shaking my head. “Sorry.”

  I’d managed to make it worse.

  The woman practically jogged to get her daughter away from my potty mouth. If she had to deal with what I had to put up with over the last two days, she’d probably understand.

  I stood there in my itchy uniform, watching for Tori’s car. I’d only been outside of the building for two minutes when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

  “Hope,” Marcie, my supervisor, said. “Can we talk?”

  “Um, sure,” I said, looking around.

  I was exhausted, and the last thing I wanted to do after waiting on people on a long flight was talk to Marcie. We were back from Hawaii. On the flight, I had imagined I was one of the people in the seats ready to enjoy a long vacation on the beach. Instead, I was the one walking up and down the small aisles to make sure everyone was comfortable.

  Marcie’s office was near the main doors. I’d be able to see Tori’s car through the glass walls, but I sent her a quick message that I had to have a quick talk with my supervisor.

  It wasn’t a problem, though, because Tori was still fifteen minutes away. She claimed she was stuck in traffic, but I was fairly certain she forgot she had to pick me up.

  Marcie closed her office door and flashed me a thin-lipped smile as she gestured at the chair in front of her giant desk. “Please, have a seat.”

  I rolled my bag in front of the chair as if it were my shield. I sat down and looked around the room nervously as she walked to the other side of her desk.

  There was a photograph of a young girl dressed in red and wearing pigtails with cute little bows at the ends. She looked happy, but I wasn’t sure how she could have been with Marcie for a mother.

  Marcie was hard. Tough. She didn’t put up with anything, which was why I was pretty sure she could see the sweat collecting under my arms, soaking through the thick fabric of my uniform.

  “Hope,” she said, folding her hands.

  Oh shit. Not now. I needed this job. I needed it more than ever.

  “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” she continued.

  I was tempted to drop to my knees and beg for another chance. Her words blended together. I wasn’t sure how she could maintain eye contact with me while giving me such devastating news.

  “Do you even like being a flight attendant?” she asked.

  I shook my head. I knew what all the words had meant on their own, but it took me some time to figure out what they meant in that particular order.

  “It’s okay,” I said. Why hadn’t I lied? What the hell was wrong with me.

  “We’ve had too many complaints. I’m afraid we’re going to have to let you go,” Marcie said.

  “But I need this job,” I said.

  Marcie’s lips pressed together into a thin frown. Her eyebrows were curled up caterpillars on her forehead.

  “I’m sorry, Hope,” Marcie said. “Do you need to get stuff from your locker?”

  “What did I do wrong?” I asked, staring out the window. The cars racing by were smears of color.

  Marcie stood and gestured toward the door. She was ignoring my question.

  “Seriously,” I said, staying in the chair. I looked at her over my shoulder. Her hand was on the doorknob. “What did I do?”

  “You don’t smile enough, we need our attendants to be friendly. Your language is not what we expect from our attendants, and you bring our clients the wrong things. It’s like you’re not paying attention or even trying.” Marcie held up her palm. It looked like she could have gone on and on for days about my short-comings but that she had to stop herself before she did. “Hope, I like you, but we both know you don’t want to be here. It’s just not a good fit.”

  I stood. My sweaty fingers wrapped around the handle of my bag.

  “You’re right about that. I’m tired of having my butt slapped or grabbed. I’m tired of the pilots asking me to spend the night with them, even the married ones.” I straightened my shoulders. “That’s right, I said pilots… plural. I’m also sick of the other gossiping flight attendants who tell each other I’ve slept with said pilots when I, in fact, did not. Charlotte did, though, if that matters to you.”

  Marcie opened her mouth, but this time I held up my palm. I scratched my eyebrow and sighed.

  “You’re right. I don’t want to be here.”

  Marcie swallowed and stepped to the side. She didn’t say another word as I stormed out of the airport.

  I walked around the front of the building, stopping by her office window. A familiar horn beep behind me as I set down my bag, turned, and flipped off the entire building.

  I grabbed the handle and rolled my suitcase over to Tori’s car.

  “Hey,” she said as I opened the backseat door. Concern saturated her voice. “Everything okay?”

  “Not really,” I said, slamming the door.

  I popped open the top two buttons on my uniform and rubbed the top of my chest. It felt like I could finally breathe again. I drew in a long breath before lowering myself into the passenger seat.

  “Let me guess,” Tori said.

  “Please don’t.”

  “You’re too good for them,” Tori said, turning to make sure it was safe for her to pull away from the curb.

  “You don’t have to say that every time.”

  Tori looked at me with her hard, blue eyes. I knew she was judging me.

  Tori was one of my two best friends since high school. She’d also had the same job ever since she graduated from college.

  She was gorgeous. I hated to say it, but attractive people like Tori didn’t get fired the way people like me did.

  My hair was cardboard box brown with hints of crimson, and my eyes were a deep brown that almost looked black. I wasn’t model thin, not even close, and while Tori wasn’t either, she had legs that went on for days.

  I was sh
ort and plain.

  Although I did have a nice ass.

  Tori and I didn’t talk the rest of the drive, which I was thankful for. The only time she opened her mouth was when she went through the drive-through and ordered us both a chicken sandwich.

  “Are you settled yet?” she asked as she pulled into the driveway.

  I’d only been in the house for a week. My grandma’s memories still haunted every room.

  “No,” I said, glancing over at the man cutting his lawn next door.

  “Whoa,” Tori said. “Hot neighbor.”

  “He has a kid,” I said. “Don’t even think about it. I already think he doesn’t like me.”

  Tori narrowed her eyes. “Why wouldn’t he like you? You’re the sweetest thing.”

  “Tell that to my ex-boss,” I grumbled.

  “Olivia’s here,” Tori said, staring into the rearview mirror as she put the car into park. “Oh shit. She’s crying. Again.”

  2

  Max

  Great. The whole gang was at the new neighbor’s house. Jesus Christ, I just needed to get some sleep tonight.

  If I wasn’t up worrying about Lily, the new neighbor was keeping me up with her loud music and annoying parties. Wasn’t she too old for that kind of shenanigans?

  People were coming and going at all hours of the night. Even during the day, it seemed like there was always someone stopping by. Sometimes I wasn’t even sure if the homeowner was even there.

  I sure as hell missed Mrs. Blair, the kind, sweet, old lady who used to live next door. It was sad when she passed. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t shed a tear or two for the nice woman. She’d always been so kind to Lily. It had been like having another grandma next door.

  She did get a bit nosy when Courtney picked up and left with the pool boy. I still couldn’t believe she’d left Lily behind the way she did. Poor kid. Thankfully, she probably didn’t remember much about her mother.

  I shook my head. I hated to even give any of my thoughts to Courtney after what she’d done.

  I turned off the lawnmower and stomped my feet on the pavement to shake off the grass that had gathered up the sides of my shoes. When I heard the painful sobs coming from next door, I considered turning the lawnmower back on and letting it run until it was out of gas.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my neighbor with her arm around the crying woman. I was trying not to watch, but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to make sure the woman wasn’t hurt or in need of medical care.

  “Hello,” the blond walking behind them called in my direction. Her eyelids fluttered as quickly as her fingers moved in a cutesy little wave.

  I gave her a nod before she disappeared inside the house after my neighbor and the sobbing woman. At least once the door closed, the woman’s wails were muffled.

  I was fairly certain the woman wasn’t injured. Not physically anyway.

  I shook my head. I was acting like a dick. Hopefully, the woman was okay, and if she wasn’t, they’d get her help.

  I could blame my attitude on my exhaustion. Being a single working dad wasn’t easy. And I could also blame it on the fact that sometimes, people just didn’t mesh, and that was my new neighbor and me.

  Sure, she was beyond stunning but that didn’t mean a damn thing. In the sunlight, her hair looked like milk chocolate that had been kissed by fresh strawberries. And her ass? I would have killed to curve my hand around her peach-like round bottom.

  I pressed my hand to my face and chuckled at myself. Dammit. I really was exhausted. The woman was annoying. It was like having a teenager living next door, and she most definitely wasn’t a teenager.

  I pressed the button, and my garage rumbled as it closed. I walked around the side of my house, unable to ignore the woman screaming so loudly next door that I could hear it in my yard. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if I could hear it had I been inside my house.

  Asshole this. Fucker that.

  I hated to be that guy, but was there anything I could help to move things along quicker? To get her out of the neighborhood so it could go back to the nice, quiet place it once was. Hell, if I could afford to move because if I could have, I would have done so after Courtney left us.

  All I knew was that I needed that woman gone. And if I had to do something to move things along, then so be it. She started this war, not me.

  If she would have been a good neighbor, things would be different.

  Her front door opened and she walked out to the car parked in the driveway. The only thing separating us was the three and a half foot tall wooden fence.

  She took out a suitcase and stopped moving when she saw me looking at her. Her head tilted, and a scowl grew on her face.

  “Can I help you with something?” she asked.

  “No,” I replied. “But if there is any chance you can get your friend to screaming her lungs out, that would be good. I have a nine year old inside, and I’m pretty sure she can hear every unpleasant word.”

  The woman stared at me for a long moment. It seemed like she was considering tearing my head off.

  “Not that it’s any of your business,” she said, her eyes widening, “but she just left her husband and is kind of going through some shit.”

  Been there.

  “Yeah,” I said. “It’s not any of my business. And it’s not the business of anyone else in the neighborhood, but yet here we all are listening to it. I just don’t want my kid to hear the words coming out of her mouth. Is that really too much to ask?”

  “Your daughter probably hears far worse at school,” she said with a huff.

  All the kindness, admittedly, wasn’t much, dropped from my face. “I doubt that. Look, lady, she can say whatever she wants but if she doesn’t lower her voice and stop disturbing the peace, I’m going to have to call the police.”

  The woman snorted.

  “Lady? Disturbing the peace?” She looked me up and down. “Give me a break, grandpa. I don’t even hear her. Maybe you just need to mind your own business and stop being a nosy neighbor.”

  Was this woman for real?

  “Lady—”

  “Hope. My name is Hope. Stop calling me lady. It’s rude.” Her eyes sharpened. Flames shot upward over her long eyelashes. She looked like an evil crow staring back at me, trying to decide if it wanted to poke out my eyeballs. “You know what? I don’t need this today.”

  “I don’t need this any day,” I responded.

  She grabbed her bag and turned her back to me. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, watching her as she walked back toward her house.

  My body shuddered with the slamming of her front door.

  She might have an amazing backside but the woman was an absolute nightmare. I needed her gone.

  3

  Hope

  “You guys are not going to believe what just happened. My neighbor is a huge dick,” I said. Olivia was struggling to catch her breath. “What’s going on?”

  “She’s hyperventilating,” Tori said. “I think that’s what it is.”

  Olivia’s eyes were round and glassy. Both hands were pressed to her chest. “I… can’t… breathe.”

  “We need to get her to the ER,” I said. Worry rushed through my veins like hot coals.

  “No,” Olivia choked out. “Can’t… afford… it… now.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll pay for it,” Tori said as she put her arm around Olivia’s shoulders. She glanced over at me… her face stretched with seriousness. “I’ll take her and call you as soon as I can, okay?”

  I frowned. “No, of course, that’s not okay. I’m coming with you.”

  “Hope, no. That’s not a good idea. You need to stay and get some sleep. I don’t want to be there waiting for both of you to get seen,” Tori said.

  “Are you sure?” I asked. It wasn’t like I was going to be able to sleep with Olivia at the ER.

  “I’m positive,” Tori replied.

  Olivia gave me a quick nod. “Stay.”<
br />
  “Ugh, fine. But call me as soon as you can,” I ordered, as I followed them to the front door.

  “Promise,” Tori said before leading her down the porch stairs.

  I felt awful for not going with them. But I was also not going to complain because I was so freaking tired from my trip and then the weight of getting fired still resting on my shoulders. I still hadn’t fully absorbed everything.

  How was I going to pay for the house? Grandma had left my dad money and me the house. It made my stomach turn to even think about having to ask my dad to borrow money… again.

  I was too old to ask my dad for money. I should have had more in my savings but it seemed like every time I got ahead in life, something would go wrong, and it would cost an arm and a leg to fix it.

  There was a reason I didn’t have a car. I had to sell it the last time I needed money.

  Tori was undoubtedly sick of chauffeuring me around. But she kept doing it with a smile on her face.

  She was a good friend. A great friend. A far better friend than I was.

  I walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back. The bright sunlight felt like pins stabbing my eyeballs. My eyes narrowed as I peered out the window, watching them make their way to Tori’s car.

  As I was about to turn away, Olivia dropped to the ground.

  “Oh, shit,” I said, letting the curtain fall back into place.

  My feet pounded the ground as I made my way to the front door. By the time I was on my front lawn, my neighbor was crouched down next to her, checking her pulse.