Romans & histoires Harry And The Lady Next Door

"Wait." I looked away. "Is this his shirt?" I swallowed hard. “Yes." Maya just stared at me as I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "And I found out last night that he lives next door." The room went silent. Then… "HE WHAT?!" "Lives next door.” I repeated slowly like I was reminding myself. "Next door as in same street?" "No, same building.” Her jaw dropped. "Same floor?" "Yes… ground floor." Her eyes somehow widened even further. "Ariana. You sat on a stranger's lap and he turned out to be your neighbor?"

I hid my identity as a Mafia heiress to live a quiet life. I never thought my new neighbors would be the ones to pick a fight they can’t win. I'd just gotten back from the gallery when my phone started blowing up. On the Nextdoor community forum, a woman named Brenda had @'d me. "Hey, penthouse girl. You're single. What do you need a whole rooftop garden for? My husband's throwing a party. We'll be needing it starting tomorrow."

Just as Harry prepared to rummage through my parents' bedside tables to find anything valuable, the neighbor opposite happened to take the garbage out and saw the door open with the interior looking like a mess. Seeing a man sneaking around inside and rummaging through things, the neighbor got suspicious. She quietly hid to the side and took her phone out to call the police, quietly describing the situation and saying that someone was robbing the house opposite. The police arrived very quickly with a police camera, and they dashed into the house, catching Harry right in the act.

Then the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Arielle and her mother. 'Oh no. She's here to confront me,' I thought. "Sorry to bother you," Arielle's mother said. "We just moved in next door." Still rattled, I answered, "Hello. I'm Neil Gates." "Here's the thing—I have to go on a business trip for a week. My daughter… isn't quite right in the head." She tapped her temple. "Could you possibly look after her? I'd really appreciate it."

I stare at the screen for a second. How do I even explain this? How do I explain that my mother just informed me I’ll be living next door with the boy who makes my life miserable? How do I explain that said boy showed up at my bedroom window five hours later asking for a favor? How do I explain my life without sounding completely insane? Ella: I have to stay next door for two weeks. The typing bubble disappears. Then reappears. Then disappears again. Finally: Lila: …with HIM??

The night around the area had slowly quieted down. Harry stared at his phone screen, scrolling through the group chat that had gone silent an hour ago. He took a deep breath, muttering under his breath, “I’ve got plans to go shopping with Delilah tomorrow. Maybe I’ll ask her to have dinner too.” He took one last drag from his cigarette before crushing it on the ground. Then he dialed a number. “It’s me. Harry.” The woman on the other end sounded surprised, and a little too pleased. “You? Calling me this late? I thought you said we shouldn’t talk in private anymore.”

Jacob knew this woman well, his next-door neighbour, otherwise known to him as 'that hot MILF next door'. "No? I see." She continued, taking Jacob's stunned silence as a response, "Well... Hi, I'm Mrs Harper. I'm your neighbour from next door. But I guess you already recognised me." Jacob stood awkwardly, unable to speak while his mind internally screamed to start working. "I promised your mother that I'd return this book. Do you mind if I come in?" Mrs Harper chuckled awkwardly as she waved a book at Jacob. "Yes!" Jacob exclaimed in agreement, albeit louder than he expected to, "Yes... Yeah, I know you, Hi"

My name is Gavin York. I’m thirty-five years old, and I have worked in the city for the past five years. It’s been tough to get by lately, so I decided to get a roommate to cut down on rent and living costs. I advertised online and waited, but months ticked by with nothing. Just as I was about to take down the notice, a message from someone named Rose Wilder popped up in my feed. Her profile picture showed a woman with a sultry, mature vibe, but her page was blank. It looked like she had just appeared out of thin air.

She explained, and a lump rose to my throat as I distanced the phone from my ear, throwing my head backward in exasperation. I kind of anticipated that Harry had a plan B when I readily agreed to sign the divorce papers without getting into a fight like he always wanted. Now he had snatched my rights to the joint account we both grew together and gave it to that old hag of his mother? Obviously, he had usually put her first before me, but this was the height of it! My teeth clenched in pathetic anger. “Ma'am, are you listening to—? I cut the customer care lady's words off by mindlessly hanging up.

“Did you also get a typo in your message? Like, did he tell you your room mate's a man?” “No. It clearly stated Serena Lowell. Children's book illustrator and introvert.” He recited. “It's Donahue. Serena Donahue.” I snapped. He paused, then shrugged. “Whatever, sweetheart.” “Shit! Just my luck.” He opened the fridge. "Want a beer?" I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly. "This is a nightmare." "Nope," he said, cracking the can open. "This is your new reality. Welcome home, roomie."