AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Isla let out a breath. “I knocked, and he opened the door in nothing but six pack abs and boxer briefs.”
Harper and Olivia both rested their chins on their hands and leaned in. “Then what happened?” Harper asked.
“What do you think? I dropped the pan and got out of there. Like an adult.”
Harper and Olivia looked at each other. Silence spread between them before loud barking laughs erupted. As if Isla didn’t already feel like an idiot…
“Go ahead, laugh it up.”
‘Sorry, but I just have this visual of you darting across the lawn,” Olivia said. “Too bad you don’t have security cameras. I’d watch it on repeat.”
The girls laughed harder, and this time Isla even let a few giggles slip. Once the laughing subsided, Harper cleared her throat. “Did he run after you?”
Isla shook her head. “I don’t think so. I didn’t look back. He was in his underwear, so I doubt it.”
“To have been a bird in a tree to witness that.” Harper laughed.
“I’m glad you find this so amusing.”
“It’s kind of funny,” Liv said, choking on a laugh.
“Sure, living next door to my ex-boyfriend is hilarious.” Isla took another swig from the bottle of vodka, perfectly aware that she couldn’t drink her problems away but was going to damn well try.
Chapter 2
19 Years Ago
Saturday morning cartoons played in the background, but Nolan didn’t care to watch. He was too focused on his Legos. Dad had brought home a new set for him last night, and he was a few Legos away from finishing the boat.
“Nolan, come here a sec!” Mom called from the other room, and Nolan hurried to finish. “Now, please.”
He grumbled and let his head fall forward as he got up and ran into the kitchen where Mom put the phone on the charger.
She was about to call for him again when she turned and spotted him. “Oh good. You’re here. I just got off the phone with Mrs. Garrick. Her granddaughter is over today, and she’s invited you to go with them to the beach. Isn’t that exciting?”
He thought about his Legos in the other room. “I don’t want to go.”
“You love the beach.”
Swimming was fun, and he really like building sandcastles. “I don’t like girls. They have cooties.”
“I think you’ll like this girl. Now go put on your bathing suit, and I’ll pack you a bag.” He pouted out his bottom lip, but Mom didn’t care. “Off you go.”
He stomped out of the kitchen and turned toward his bedroom.
“Don’t forget to clean up your Legos,” Mom called from the other room. “I do not need to find another one with my barefoot.”
Nolan went back to his Legos. There were only five left. He sat down and quickly clicked them into place. A smile spread across his face as he lifted the completed boat and admired his work.
“Nolan!” Nolan’s head popped up and swiveled to Mom, who stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “Bathing suit.”
“Going!” he declared. He took the completed boat with him and put it on his dresser with the other Legos. He had a firetruck, a jet, a train, and a helicopter! One day he’d have an entire room of Legos.
“Nolan, let’s not keep Mrs. Garrick waiting.”
Nolan grabbed his bathing suit and swapped his pajama pants for the dark blue and red shorts. He went to run out of the room when his eyes drifted to his dresser. Maybe he could take one of his Legos with him. No, the last time he did that, he lost a piece in the sand and they never found it.
He left his Legos in place and went back to the living room. SpongeBob was on and Nolan stood in front of the TV to watch.
