Book Neighbors Novels & Stories

You have a lot of free time. Books were my little silent friends, I had libraries of them in my basement. The last time I had friends they all turned against me when a bounty was put on my head. Of course, I killed them all and decided, friends were useless. They were just on the list of future enemies waiting for the right opportunity to stab you in the back. Anyway, I carried my books back to the library and arranged them in the order they initially were then took a glass and opened the door to my underground bunker where I kept my blood bags in a freezer. Two glasses later I emerged and changed into my gym clothes. It was time for the morning run. The moment I opened the door, my nosy nei

“No, it’s just... I’ve noticed how you two are around each other. He cares about you, probably more than he realizes. And that’s good for you, because he’s the most sincere one in the house.” I didn’t know how to respond, so I said nothing, keeping my eyes on the path ahead. “Just... be careful with him, okay?” Neel continued, his voice soft and emotional. “Dev’s been through a lot. He hides it well, but he’s carrying more than any of us know.” “I’ll be careful,” I promised, my mind spinning with Neel’s words. Had Dev said something to him? Across the block was a quaint, nearly deserted bookstore nestled between a coffee shop and an antique store. The wooden sign above the entrance swayed sl

“I live directly below her house.” Noelle laughed. “Of course you do.” I raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?” “Of course Sasha somehow has Rowan Blackwood as a neighbor.” She looked at Rowan. “I didn’t even know people could randomly become your neighbor.” “Usually requires escrow,” Rowan said. I closed my eyes for a second. Noelle laughed again. “This is insane.” “Geography is pretty common,” I said. “Not for you.” Noelle pointed at me with the tip of her finger. “You have a project with Moretti Holdings, then you go home and find out your neighbor is the founder of Blackwood Systems. Who else lives on that street? The Prince of Monaco?”

I growled under my breath, veering back to look at the strip center. Then I saw it. Betty's Books…24-hr bookstore. A honk sounded from behind me. The light was green. I pulled into the turn lane, whipping a u-turn and pulling into the parking space. I got out, stepping into the empty storefront. It wasn't unusual. Who would go to a bookstore at 9 PM on a weekday? Me. That's who. The shopkeeper popped up behind a stack of books on the front desk. "Hello! Welcome in!"

I would look through the peephole but I'm too short to reach. I pull the door open to find five people on my porch. "Hello. My name is Becca," a short, dark haired woman speaks. She is just beautiful. "This is my husband, Scott and our children. Lisa, Matthew and Brandon. We are the Keaths across the street. It is very nice to meet you. We just came over here to welcome you to the neighbourhood. It is really nice to see a ne--- Damnit, Becca. Your scaring her." Becca speaks but Scott cuts her off. I try not to laugh at the cute little scene. "Would you guys like to come in." I ask politely. They all nod and I move out of the way. I close the door once they are all in and walk them over to th

I called again, moving toward the door but I got no answer. This guy is not only a nerd, he is also weird and somehow crazy. I wonder how I was going to cope with him when I joined his book club. I grabbed my phone off the table and unlocked it. As the screen popped on, messages flooded in. Group chats messages , especially the ones I've muted for a while now. ‘Arian Smith, Orleans College Book Club President, Accused of Misusing Club Funds.’ I blinked, trying to wake myself from the dream. I scrolled down, read it again and it was still the same.

But protection has a cost it makes me more visible. At Keenan’s bookstore, it’s the same thing. People hang around longer. Neighbors stop by just to chat. It feels normal on the surface but I see the way people scan the street before coming in. The way Keenan watches the door when someone unfamiliar browses too long in one section. “You don’t have to babysit me,” I tell him once. He looks at me and doesn’t joke this time. “I’m not babysitting I’m making sure nothing happens on my watch.”

I looked at the back of the man who escorted me to my unit. “ Today’s a lot of surprises” he took a glance at me with a half smirk on his face. “So, you happen to be my new neighbor” he added before facing me, stopping in front of my door. I frowned at him in confusion. “I live at 720” he chuckled, my mouth hanging half open at his statement. He laughed more, “so my neighbor Liana, maybe I can borrow the book tomorrow? I’ll just knock and I’ll bring the book as well” he smiled before placing down the bags he offered to carry before striding toward his unit and opening the door. He opened it and looked back at me, gesturing for me to go in as well with a smile.

His hands on the wheel looked almost relaxed. We ended up at this little neighborhood on the edge of the city I’d never been to before. Not the shiny downtown parts or the dangerous corners. Just normal streets with normal people. Kids riding bikes. An old lady walking her dog. Nico parked outside a small bookstore that looked like it had been there forever. The sign was faded, and books were stacked in the windows like they were trying to spill out onto the sidewalk. “Bookstore?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as we got out.

In the background, a bookstore I recognized: the one two blocks from my old apartment. Notifications stacked on the screen: Mom – “Call me when you’re up, I want to hear how the reading went!! ❤️” Jax – “You bombed, or you killed it, no in-between. Spill.” Unknown number – “Hi Willa, this is Marcy from Broderick Books. Loved your sample—can we talk?” My throat closed. The date stamp at the top was wrong for my old life. Right for one that had kept going. No crash.