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“That’s rich coming from the detective who is rarely ever home,” I shoot back as I stalk toward my house.
“All of you have terrible social lives,” Grayson says with a shake of his head. “But Adrian is walking around with a face identically as gorgeous as mine and not even going on a date or two. It’s a crime against womankind.”
“Humble,” I say and Grayson squeezes my shoulder with a mischievous grin.
“Just come out with us. We’re going to throw axes. You can pretend the target is Levi’s face if you’d like.”
“This whole thing was your idea. He should be angrier with you than me.”
“I’m his twin, he can’t stay angry at me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I grumble and come to a stop in my driveway. “Fine. I’ll go, but only if you promise not to come here unannounced ever again.”
“What if it’s for a surprise party?” Grayson asks and I glower at him. “Okay, okay, chill. I won’t come without at least texting you first.”
I nod. “Good. Now let’s go print a photo of Levi for the target.”
The next morning I walk across my yard to Juliette’s front door. All night, I couldn’t get her crestfallen look out of my mind. I tried to tell myself that I should leave things that way. It would be easier if she was upset with me and stayed away. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. We’re neighbors, we’ll have to see each other a lot, it doesn’t make sense to be enemies. It has nothing to do withlikingher, no, it’s all very practical.
I knock lightly on the door three times, hearing Murphy bark once in response. The door opens and Juliette appears in the gap. Her blonde hair is in soft waves, the light strands standing out against the deep mauve of her sweater dress. The dress that is hugging her figure a little too perfectly. I swallow and keep my eyes on hers, which are wide with surprise.
“Adrian.” The breathy way she utters my name has warmth pooling in my stomach. This was a mistake. I should have just let her hate me.
“I came to apologize for yesterday,” I state. She blinks up at me. “I was rude and I shouldn’t have said things the way that I did, even if we aren’t dating.”
The smile that spreads across her face steals my breath. She’s unbelievably beautiful.
“Thank you for apologizing, but it’s okay. I’m sure it’s hard having your brothers gang up on you like that.”
“I brought you something.” I hold up a bag of cookies. “Maverick owns a bakery and I remembered you mentioning you like chocolate, so I brought you chocolate chip cookies.”
Her eyes crinkle up at the edges as her smile widens even more. She’s too sweet, too pure.
“Thank you,” she says with a kind of awe that my small gesture seems unworthy of.
“It’s no big deal.”
She opens her mouth to respond, but the buzzing sound of a phone interrupts. When she pulls it out of her dress pocket, I take a step back.
“I’ll let you take that. See you around.”
“See you.” She says with a smile and then answers the phone in a cheery voice. “Hey, Care!”
I walk back to my house, unsure of how to feel. For the first time in a while, I’m unhappy a conversation I was a part of was interrupted. I expected Juliette to talk to me, maybe retell that story about the guy who lived in my house before me. Now I’m left feeling bereft over missing out on her animated storytelling. My brow furrows.What is wrong with me?
Chapter nine
Juliette Monroe
“Carolineyouwon’tbelievewhat just happened,” I whisper into the phone, worried that Adrian will hear me through the walls on his way back to his house.
“Why are you whispering? I’ve told you before that Murphy doesn’t actually understand you.” I look over at the dog in question, who is currently gnawing on a chew toy shaped like a teacup.
“I think you’re wrong, but that’s not why I was whispering.” I peek out my blinds, but Adrian is gone. “Adrian just came over to my house, apologized, and brought me chocolate chip cookies.”
“What did he have to apologize for?” Caroline’s voice takes on a protective edge.
“Nothing, it’s not important.” I wave the bag of cookies around even though she can’t see them. “What’s important is that hebrought me cookies.”
