All Chapters of The apartment next door: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

By the time I dragged the last box into my apartment, I was already regretting moving.The building was close to campus, cheap enough for my budget, and according to the landlord, “perfect for students.”He had forgotten to mention the broken elevator, the strange smell in the hallway, and the fact that my front door needed a small fight before it would close.Still, the apartment was mine.Technically rented, but mine enough.I dropped the box beside the others and looked around.A tiny kitchen. One bedroom. One bathroom. A living room currently filled with boxes.It wasn’t much, but I liked it.My phone buzzed.Nina: Are you alive?Me: Barely.Nina: Send pictures.I sent her one.Her reply came immediately.Nina: This is depressing.Me: Thank you for the support.I laughed and put my phone down.Something crashed against the wall beside me.I froze.A second thud followed.Then music started playing next door.I stared at the wall.Perfect.My first evening here and I already had a

By Friday, I had learned three things about living next to Ethan.One, he played music while cooking.Two, he knocked on the wall whenever he was bored.And three, he had absolutely no respect for normal texting hours.My phone buzzed at 11:48 p.m.Ethan: Are you awake?I stared at the message.Me: Unfortunately.Ethan: Come outside.I frowned.Me: Why?Ethan: Just come.I should have ignored him.Instead, I pulled on my oversized hoodie and stepped into the hallway.Ethan was sitting on the floor beside his door with two takeaway boxes.I looked down at him.“What is this?”“Dinner.”“At midnight?”“Late dinner.”“That’s worse.”He held one box out to me.“I ordered too much.”I folded my arms.“You expect me to believe that?”“No.”At least he was honest.I sat beside him anyway.The hallway was quiet, except for the soft hum of the lights above us.“What did you get?” I asked.“Chicken and rice.”I opened the box.“You remembered I don’t like spicy food?”He looked at me.“You told

By Tuesday morning, Ethan was apparently alive again.I knew because there were three knocks on my wall at exactly 7:40.I stared at it.Then my phone buzzed.Ethan: Good morning.Me: No.Ethan: Harsh.Me: You’re recovered. Go bother someone else.Ethan: I prefer consistency.I rolled my eyes and got ready for class.When I stepped into the hallway, Ethan was already outside his apartment, leaning against the wall with a coffee in his hand.“You look better,” I said.“You sound disappointed.”“A little.”He handed me another cup.I looked at it.“What’s this?”“Coffee.”“I can see that.”“For you.”I took it slowly.“Why?”“You fed me yesterday.”“So?”“So I’m returning the favor.”I looked at the cup.“You bought coffee because I gave you soup?”“Don’t make it emotional.”I smiled.“Wasn’t planning to.”We walked to campus together.Again.At this point, I was starting to think it had become a routine without either of us agreeing to it.When we reached the lecture hall, Nina was wai

By Thursday, I had convinced myself that Nina was wrong.Completely wrong.Ethan and I were not dating.We were friends.Neighbours.Occasionally annoying classmates who somehow kept ending up in the same places at the same time.That was all.Which was why I absolutely did not notice when he walked into the lecture hall ten minutes late.I also did not notice the girl walking beside him.“Interesting,” Nina whispered.I kept my eyes on my laptop.“What?”“You just stopped typing.”“I’m thinking.”“You’ve been thinking about the same sentence for thirty seconds.”I looked down.She was right.The cursor was blinking after half a sentence I had apparently abandoned the second Ethan entered the room.“Maybe I forgot what I wanted to write.”“Mhm.”“Nina.”“I didn’t say anything.”“You’re saying plenty with your face.”She smiled and looked toward the door again.Against my better judgment, I followed her gaze.Ethan was standing near the back of the room talking to the girl beside him.

Saturday morning should have been peaceful.Instead, Ethan knocked on my door at nine.I opened it with one eye barely functioning.“What?”“Breakfast.”“No.”“I bought coffee.”My hand stopped on the door.Ethan lifted the cup.I opened the door wider.He grinned.“Knew that would work.”“You’re manipulative.”“And yet here we are.”He raised the paper bag in his other hand.“Come over.”Ten minutes later, I was sitting at his kitchen counter eating a croissant.His phone was beside mine. My coffee sat next to his. He moved around the kitchen without asking whether I needed sugar because he already knew I didn’t.I stared at the cup.When had this become normal?“What are you doing today?” he asked.“Studying.”“All day?”“Yes.”“That sounds miserable.”“It’s called responsibility.”“I’ve heard rumours about it.”I rolled my eyes.“What about you?”“Library.”I looked at him.His grin appeared immediately.“No.”“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”“You were going to ask me