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Word count: 2705

Angela's POV

*

"Now we're all set." I heaved a sigh of accomplishment and smiled at the chocolate cookies on the tray.

After baking two plates of cookies for over two hours, I was ready to pay my new neighbors a visit and so I quickly cleared up my kitchen. Or rather, our kitchen.

I decided to transfer the cookies from the tray into a small basket with handle instead, so it would be easier for me to carry.

I looked down at myself when I was halfway through the sitting room and hoped the new neighbors wouldn't have a problem with my baggy shirt or sweatpants.

They were really comfy and I wasn't going to change them for anything in this world. Or beyond. It rolled my eyes at my choice of words.

My ringing tone startled me for a second as it vibrated against my skin through the front pocket of my five years old sweatpants and I contemplated on either ignoring or picking it.

At the last minute, I dropped the basket of cookies on the dining table and attended to the call.

Maddy's name flashed through the screen.

"Maddy....where are you?" I snapped immediately I swiped my hand over my iPhone screen.

I couldn't hide the worry in my voice, no matter how hard I tried.

"Shit Angela, are you back home? You sound like you are pissed..." Her pitchy voice screamed like she'd just been drenched with hot water.

I planted my free hand on my waist to give off the mother duck aura while glaring at the cookies like they'd offended me.

"What did you think? You left with Rocky and went to god knows where and you girls didn't even think there'd be need to call me. Didn't you say you'll be back home this morning?"

"Wha-"

I could imagine her scrunching up her brows in a deep frown.

"Don't. You have no excuse."

"Oh, not the temper again." She groaned.

I scoffed. "So now you're saying I have a temper right? I tell you how I feel, being worried sick and all because I was planning a movie night for when I get home only to discover you girls weren't even at home but all you can say is that I have a temper."

I paced around, feeling my anger rise at my own defense.

"Honey, chill. We thought you'd still be at the mansion. You remember you love spending days with your familia whenever you're back from your trip. And we even went to the usual meet up spot with Brandon last night."

"Well, I didn't spend the night there." I deadpanned.

"How were we supposed to know? You've not made a single comment in the group chat or called even after we left messages so we just figured you'd be busy. What did your parents even want to tell you last night?"

I opened my mouth and shut it like a fish gasping for breath.

She was right. I ignored the messages in the group, because I was just not in the mood to chat before I slept off last night.

I had been thinking about my future and what it held for me, wondering if there was even a glimpse of me falling in love somewhere there.

Now I was getting engaged soon to someone who still hadn't contacted me, and I didn't know how to feel about that.

It was sad that I wouldn't have the chance to meet that person according to my own will. To fall in love with him and know the feeling of sparks flying in the air between us.

Experiencing coming home to be wrapped in someone's affectionate and loving arms.

My throat clogged up at the thoughts.

I was suddenly not in the mood to talk to her, or anyone.

Okay I would blame it on my sudden anxiety with the marriage issue, and now I was also going to meet our neighbor or neighbors too. I should at least make a good first impression, right?

I was sometimes kind of shy at first meetings, except they were strangers and I knew I wasn't going to meet them again.

I could just hold a good conversation with the person with the mindset that I wouldn't see them again because a part of me feared second meetings.

For all I knew, it could be awkward and tense.

What sort of people were the new neighbors anyway?

Maybe they were bat shit crazy and would blow our heads off with music and partying all night? No. This estate was reserved for peace and calmness. And if anyone brought their studio and blasting noises over, I wouldn't mind reporting them.

Or maybe they were highly religious people who'd always come over to invite me and the girls for an evening with the Lord?

I shuddered at the thought of having to ignore such people and pretending I wasn't at home.

"Hey, you there?" Maddy's voice brought me back to the present.

"Uhm...yeah, sure I am." I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples.

"I said how did the dinner-"

"I'll tell you guys when we meet tonigh-"

"I'm staying over at Derek's place." Maddy cut me off. Her tone was apologetic, but I shook my head quickly. She could spend as much time as she wanted with her boyfriend... or best friend as she liked to call him.

If I wasn't single, I'd also be spending time with my male best friend that was head over heels in love with me too. Because I knew how much he needed me with him.

But I didn't have a male best friend who was in love with me.

"How's he?" I breathed.

"He's holding up. The funeral is next week Friday."

I heaved a shaky sigh.

I knew Brody before he got sick and died. He was handsome, and very nice. He died at the age of eleven. He had beautiful brown skin that made us girls swoon.

Brody was Derek's eleven years old Mexican breed, a large and bubbly dog.

Full of life and love but he died of food poisoning, died in pain. I wasn't there when he took his last breath but I had facetimed, and it wasn't a beautiful sight.

Even after Brody's death since two weeks ago, Derek still didn't want to bury him.

He just kept him embalmed but Maddy finally got to convince him to let his dog go and rest in peace.

"He needs you right now. He's hurting so you can stay as long as you feel is necessary. We have new neighbors so I'm going over with a plate of cookie." I softly explained.

"Wait, wait...the other house? Really?!" She shrieked as if she wasn't just sounding glum, and I rolled my eyes. She sounded as excited as my nervous self had initially felt.

Let's just say the giddiness was contagious because we'd not had anyone in the house next door in a while.

"Yes. The same one." I chuckled with a smile.

"Are you freaking me? We've not had people in that house since forever."

"Same thing I told Brandon when he was here earlier today. I made cookies and I'm taking them over right now."

"So you're playing the good neighbor? Good luck. If it's a hot man, you have my permission to tap that ass." She told me suggestively.

I blushed.

Like I full on went red as my face heated up. I was already hoping it was, though I knew the probability of it being a man was close to nonexistent.

It could be a couple. An old couple relocating to start their lives after buying the house next door.

"Madeline, what the hell?!" I whisper yelled.

"You know what I mean, virgin Mary." I could imagine her rolling her eyes at my flustered self.

"Please. I know what it means to have fun. I've had fun when I was touring."

She snorted.

"Going to clubs and watching movies where they make out doesn't count as fun, miss. And you know it. Let's imagine it's a drop dead gorgeous man who's just moved into town and decided to move into the house next door. You could what, show him around? Give him an all too pleasing tour and-"

"I have to go Maddie. Tell Derek I'll pay him a visit soon." I ended the call and released a deep breath.

Thinking about Maddy's words wouldn't do anything to ease the flustered mess I'd become and I knew I was just overreacting.

With that resolve, I picked the basket and went out the door.

~

"Is there someone here?" I groaned and knocked again, making it my third time knocking on this hard wooden door.

I heard thumping but it ceased just as soon as it started.

"Kindly make use of the doorbell, that's why there's a doorbell out there." A deep voice groaned from the other end.

My eyes widened as I hoped I hadn't interrupted anything. I hadn't even noticed the doorbell on my left in the shape Of a red elephant with a button on the stomach.

I could hear some shuffling, so I shifted on my foot and waited for them to open the door. My eyes casually darted around, noticing the grasses had been trimmed.

I listened for any sound coming from inside because curiosity was eating at my insides.

There were no constant slapping of flip-flops on the tiled floors which I guessed would be tiled like ours. There were no clanking of plates and pots and definitely, I hadn't heard anyone shouting at anyone so far.

Maybe it was a newly wedded couple?

My knuckles rapped twice against the hard wooden frame of the door again and this time, the thud of what I guess was an heavy object falling on the ground also came from close by.

I bit my lips, wondering why I didn't just listen and used the doorbell as he'd instructed.

The basket was already calmly sitting on the ground beside my foot.

"I just said you should be kind enough to use the-" the male voice snapped when the door slammed open and my eyes were instantly connected to an inked arm.

Subconsciously, I trailed the inked arm upwards slowly till it landed on a face.

Not just any face.

A very gorgeous face.

With captivating hazel eyes staring deeply at me.

My breath hitched dramatically as my throat closed up. It was like I'd momentarily forgotten how to breathe. Standing before me was a man with the aura of a Greek god.

I allowed my eyes go lower from his face down his neck.

He had broad shoulders, and the outline of his torso was taut and fine.

"Hello..." He man trailed off, his eyes regarding me with nothing but obvious boredom in them. My brain registered his hazel eyes which held me in a captivating spell for the second time.

It added a touch of sexiness and maleness to his thick voice and chestnut hair which was scattered in a much too good looking way on his head.

He was in a white tank top and grey sweatpants.

It felt like I'd momentarily lost my voice as the outline of his torso made me feel slightly disoriented.

"Hi." He tried again, waving his hand beside his face and that did the trick. Instantly, I was brought back to the present.

"Uhm, hello. I uhm, yeah I'm from the next door," I pointed towards our house and licked my dry lips. "So err, I came to say hi to the new neighbours."

I looked back up at him and saw he was still staring intently at me, but now with a smug face. Probably enjoying my flustered expression.

Damn my hormones! What happened to my self composure?

"You're from the next door." He stated. I gulped and nodded.

Oh yeah, I should probably use my words instead.

"Yes. So, you're welcome."

"Thanks. Miss..."

He raked his eyes over me from my head to my toes. I could feel my face heat up than was necessary.

"Angela. I'm Angela." I cleared my throat.

"Thank you, Angela. Please come in. Hope you don't mind me inviting you in? I'm still clearing some of my stuffs." He said. The richness in his voice made me stare for longer than I should have.

What the hell was up with my body and why was I shamelessly ogling this man even though he was totally sex on legs?

Stepping into his house wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially if he was newly wedded, like Brandon had suggested this morning.

But I didn't hear any other sound from inside the house, except the other person wasn't in yet?

"Oh, there's no need. Uh... did you move in, I mean are you like a family?"

I mentally face palmed.

How would I ask him if he moved in here alone or with his bride? Or a large family?

"What?" He raised a brow and leaned closer a little. As if he couldn't hear me properly.

My senses became instantly clouded by his sandalwood scent. It was intoxicating and I felt the greed to pull him closer and sniff him swirl in me.

I trampled the urge immediately.

I caught a glimpse of red ink on his neck and realized the tattoo went from his arm upwards, and to his back.

Okay, tattooed.

I was standing before a beautifully tattooed man.

Also this man had a dangerous look to him that I couldn't quite pinpoint.

Or maybe it wasn't dangerous.

It was more of a dominating aura.

"Nevermind. Welcome to the neighborhood. I wouldn't want to intrude on your work, so just do your thing." I rasped and turned around to leave quickly.

"Isn't that mine?"

"Huh?" I turned around and saw him pointing at the basket still sitting there idly. In my flustered state, I'd almost forgotten I brought a basket of cookies here.

"The basket." He added for clarification.

"Yes, uhm, it's yours." I smiled slightly while picking it and handed it over to him quickly. He brushed his fingertips against the back of my hand and I shuddered, pulling my hand away quickly.

There was a connection. But I wasn't sure I could handle it.

I didn't even know him from Adam.

"Then come in let's share it. It's sweeter when it is shared." He spoke, his voice sounding low.

His hazel eyes pinned me with a deep stare that made me feel like he was seeing all of me. He rested himself on the door with a lazy stance.

"Huh?" I looked away for a bit, not liking where things were heading. What's happening to me?

What was with the vibrations I just felt when our hands touched earlier?

"Yes. Please come in and join me. I wasn't busy before you came and I'm sure you can suspend whatever you had in mind for a few minutes to talk to a bored man." He stated.

Like someone who looked like him and carried himself this well would be voted for even a minute in his life.

I looked up at him to see he was actually waiting for my response and decided to try one more time.

"I don't want to interrupt. I heard you moving things and-"

He frowned. "No, I'm done with most of the things. Besides, it would be rude of me not to share with you after all you don't expect me to eat it all." He gave me an accusatory look that had the little smile I'd gathered with courage falter.

"Sure. I would love to." I nodded.

Without looking back, I followed him in and he shut the door with a soft click.

*

The conflict has begun even from here guys.

She's soon to be engaged to Eros. But then there's a drop dead gorgeous guy next door.

What's a girl to do? Let's see how things will pan out.

Thank you all for reading and for the 2.8k reads. I'm honored.

God bless you all. :-)