Блейк Пирс - Next Door

“…Yes, of course,” Chloe said, clearly stunned.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

And with that, she hung up the phone, wondering what the hell she had just gotten herself into.

Chloe was pruning a head of broccoli when the doorbell rang. She knew right away that it was Danielle. She was quite nervous about this but, at the same time, happy to see something as stable as an actual boyfriend in her sister’s life. Steven, meanwhile, was skeptical. He figured the boyfriend would be someone just like Danielle, creating an even tenser environment with two people to worry about.

Chloe had managed to shrug off Steven’s attitude toward Danielle for most of their four years together but now that the wedding was getting closer, it was really starting to annoy her. But that was an argument for another day.

Chloe wiped her hands off on a dish towel and walked to the door. She took a steadying breath before she answered it. She hated to sway toward Steven’s line of thinking but she was slightly worried about what Danielle would look like.

When she answered the door and found her sister somewhat made up and striking, she nearly did a double take. The black hair was put up into a cute little bun in the back. She was wearing a slight bit of makeup—just enough to help her cheeks glow—and had thankfully decided against band T-shirts or her standard pseudo-goth look. She was wearing black, but it was a semi-dressy tank top with delicate straps. Her tattoo showed along her upper back but that wasn’t too distracting. The jeans she wore surprised Chloe the most; they were basic dark denim and quite tight, showing off her curves in a way Chloe had never seen before.

“Danielle, you look amazing,” Chloe said.

“Yeah, don’t get used to it.” She stepped aside and nodded to the man who had come with her. “This is Martin.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Martin said, extending his hand.

Chloe shook it and noticed for the first time that he was dressed basically how she’d expected Danielle to show up. His T-shirt was wrinkled and his cargo shorts had a noticeable tear underneath one of the pockets. He wore a tattered pair of flip-flops with well-worn bands. His hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in a few days. He looked tired and out of sorts. Chloe couldn’t help but wonder if he was high. And if not high, almost certainly a user. She dreaded the moment when Steven met him.

“This house is enormous,” Danielle said as she stepped through the foyer and into the living room.

“Yeah, it does feel big,” Chloe said. “We’re nearly unpacked. I think once all the crap is out of the boxes, it might not feel so big.”

The sunlight was reflecting off of the polished hardwood floors as she led Danielle and Martin into the kitchen. Chloe bit back a tiny smile, enjoying the feeling of sort of showing off in front of Danielle. There was no malice in the feeling, but more of a basic sense of pride.

“Got kids?” Martin asked.

Wow, Danielle really doesn’t talk about me, Chloe thought. “No,” she answered. “Not yet and no time soon.”

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