All Chapters of The Rogue Next Door: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

MayaI don’t want to go back inside that apartment.I spent half my childhood trying to escape it.Now I’m standing outside staring at the open front door, wishing I could somehow turn around and pretend none of this is happening.But the sheriff’s deputy is still waiting.The movers have slowed down, giving us space without really giving us privacy.And somewhere inside that apartment are the certified letters my father has been pretending didn’t exist.I wipe the last of my tears away before looking at him.“Dad.”He still won’t meet my eyes.“What are the letters?”Silence.“Dad.”His shoulders sag even farther.“I was hoping you’d never have to know.”A knot tightens in my stomach.“Know what?”He rubs both hands over his face, looking older than I’ve ever seen him.“Please,” he whispers.“Not here.”I glance toward the deputy.He gives us a sympathetic nod before stepping farther down the hallway, giving us as much privacy as he can.Cole’s hand brushes mine.Just enough to remin

MayaI’ve always believed that if I just worked hard enough, everything would eventually fall into place.Get good grades.Work extra shifts.Save every dollar.Smile through the hard days.Keep your head down.Don’t ask for help.Somewhere along the way, I’d convinced myself that life worked like one of my college classes. If I studied enough and made all the right choices, I’d earn the future I wanted.Simple.Predictable.Fair.Only…Life wasn’t grading on effort.It was grading on survival.By the time Cole drops me off at the house, it’s almost dark.The porch light is already on, casting a warm yellow glow across the front steps. For a second, I just sit there staring at it through the windshield.Home.Funny how much that word has changed.A few months ago, home was just wherever I happened to sleep.Now…Home has become people.Bree yelling because somebody stole her cereal.Anthony pretending he doesn’t care while secretly making enough pancakes for everyone.Logan leaving le

ColeBy the time I pulled into the football facility, the parking lot was already half full.That alone told me this wasn’t a routine meeting.Coach didn’t drag everyone back to campus at eight o’clock on a Wednesday because he suddenly missed us. Mandatory meetings after dark usually meant one of two things—someone had done something unbelievably stupid, or something had happened that was about to affect the entire team.Neither option sat well with me.I climbed out of my truck and headed toward the locker room. The building felt different tonight. Normally there was music blasting from somebody’s speaker, guys yelling down the hallway, someone throwing tape or footballs at another teammate.Tonight?Nothing.The silence was almost unsettling.Jake was already sitting at his locker, bouncing one knee impatiently while scrolling through his phone. The second he saw me, he looked up.“You got any idea what’s going on?”I shook my head.“No.”He frowned.“I tried texting one of the ass

ColeGame days always started the same.Long before the stadium filled with screaming fans. Long before the marching band took the field. Long before reporters started shoving microphones into players’ faces, there was this strange stretch of quiet that belonged only to us. It was the calm before everything sped up, and after three years of college football, I’d learned to appreciate it.Usually.Today wasn’t one of those days.I sat in front of my locker with my elbows resting on my knees, staring at my helmet sitting on the shelf across from me. The polished black shell reflected the fluorescent lights overhead, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about defensive coverages or the game plan Coach had drilled into us all week.I was thinking about six NFL scouts.Six.Coach had repeated that number so many times this week that it had practically become part of the playbook. Every throw would be evaluated. Every decision dissected. Every mistake magnified. It wasn’

Maya Everything around me turned into noise. The marching band was playing. The student section was on its feet. People were hugging each other after Cole’s touchdown pass, high-fiving strangers, screaming until their voices cracked. I couldn’t hear any of it. My eyes stayed locked on my phone. Five missed calls. One text from Dad. Then another from someone claiming to be with the sheriff’s office. For a second, I honestly wondered if I was reading it wrong. Maybe it wasn’t my father. Maybe there was another Robert Bennet somewhere in Polk County. Maybe… “Maya?” Logan’s voice cut through the panic swirling in my head. I looked up, and the smile on his face disappeared almost instantly. “What happened?” I couldn’t answer. My mouth had gone dry. Instead, I turned the phone toward him. His eyes moved across the screen, and I watched the exact moment he reached the last message. His expression changed. “Okay,” he said quietly, calm enough that it a