Chapter 1

Ariel

“Why are you standing next to the window?”

I jumped back with a shriek, my hand going to my throat. “You scared the cra—cookies out of me, Lenny.”

My little brother regarded me with a disapproving stare. “You still spying on the new neighbor?”

I cleared my throat, my heart still racing. “I’m not spying. I’m making sure he’s who he says he is.”

“Maybe try talking to him instead of watching him from behind a curtain.”

Sometimes I wondered which of us was the adult. He was eleven years younger, but because Lenny was so small, people sometimes thought he was my son.

And no matter how hard it was to take care of an almost teen, I’d never regret fighting for him.

Thoughts of what we’d gone through made my eyes wander to the table and the letter resting on top that could change our lives. Because Mom was back. And she wanted Lenny.

I hadn’t heard from her since I was granted guardianship over Lenny and she walked away. That was four years ago.

I prayed she’d lose interest as quickly as she usually did.

“It’s called reconnaissance.”

He threw himself onto the couch, games controller in his hand. “It’s called cowardice.”

I stepped back from my position next to the window and sat down at our small kitchen table. I had to tell Lenny about the letter. But a tiny part of me was afraid he’d choose her over me. Okay, a big part. I’d always shielded him from the worst of it. “I’m not a coward. Only careful.”

“You’re paranoid. You have no friends and I’ve never seen you with a guy.”

I threw a stale cracker that had been sitting on the table for a while at him. It bounced off his forehead and landed on the carpet where it would stay for a while longer.

“And when would I have time to spend with friends or a boyfriend?”

He shrugged, bored with the conversation. His attention span at the moment was less than that of a toddler.

Deciding to approach the letter another day, I grabbed my keys. “Want to come to the supermarket with me?”

“Nah. But get me more frozen pizzas. And Sprite.”

Lenny spent a lot of afternoons and often nights by himself which meant he had to make his own dinners. My job had erratic hours. At least the job that paid the bills. Lenny knew I worked at Walmart. But I was only there part-time, not full-time like he thought.

I hated lying to him, but I also couldn’t tell him the truth.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“’Kay. I’ll try not to burn down the apartment while you’re gone.”

“Appreciate it.”

My old Ford Taurus was parked in one of the lots assigned to the apartments. It was a piece of shit, rusty around the doors and trims, the red paint faded.

But it hadn’t let me down yet. And nobody looked twice at me when I drove it.

My mind churned, trying to come up with a reason why Mom wanted Lenny. I had to find a lawyer. I’d have to take on more jobs to pay for one. But Lenny was worth every shitty assignment and soul-destroying task.

My car rattled and groaned but started. I bumped my way along the gravel driveway. Our landlord was so cheap, he’d refused to concrete anything. I turned the heat on high, dreaming of a holiday on an island where it wouldn’t rain the whole time we were there.

I’d promised myself that one day I’d travel. But so far the odds weren’t in my favor.

The glare of the bright lights from the supermarket hit my eyes and I blinked. I couldn’t even remember driving there.

I was usually hyper aware of my surroundings. But I’d been feeling off lately. Something big was coming. And I never ignored my intuition. It had saved me more times over the last few years than anything else.

The ominous feeling had stayed with me all week. And I wouldn’t be able to get rid of it until I figured out what was going on.

 My trips to the supermarket were my only outings these days, and I always looked forward to wandering the isles, filling my cart with junk. Even after years of living on my own, I wasn’t used to being able to buy whatever food I wanted.

I still expected my card to get declined at check-out every time I handed it over.

My first stop was the fresh produce aisle. Despite Lenny and my love of junk food, I tried to cook healthy meals whenever I was home. I used to freeze his dinners, but he never ate them, and opted for pizza instead.

I’d never tested the theory, but I suspected he would happily eat pizza for every meal.

After satisfying my guilty conscience and loading my cart with a few pieces of fruit and vegetables, I went to the soft drinks section. The bottles were heavy and I always ended up squashing all my food when I got them last. But not today.

I was busy debating if I wanted to get coke in cans or bottles when someone stopped next to me. “Hello, neighbor.”

The smooth voice washed over me, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Looking up, I met the amber eyes of my new neighbor.

“Hi.”

His eyes danced with laughter at my obvious reluctance to engage in conversation. But he wasn’t deterred. “Late night shopping?”

Instead of the snarky response that sat on the tip of my tongue, I nodded and loaded my cart with the cans. I could debate which option was better next time.

When I walked away with a chin nod, he fell into step behind me. At least the aisles were too narrow to walk next to each other. “I noticed Lenny’s chain has come off again. If you don’t mind, I’ll fix it tomorrow.”

“Knock yourself out.”

I was stubborn and suspicious, but not stupid. I’d never turn down help. I had no idea how to get the chain back on and no time to take the bike to the shop. And since it was Lenny’s only method of transportation, I had to get it fixed.

He followed me down the junk aisle, stopping when I picked out chips and chocolate that would get me through the week. “Honey and bacon flavor. Good choice.”

He stayed with me through the cleaning aisle where I debated if I should buy a new mop or just replace the mop head I currently had.

Jude pulled his cart up next to me. “I can ask my cleaner to drop in this week after she’s done with my apartment.”

“That’s not necessary. But thank you for the offer.”

“It’s a standing offer. Let me know if you change your mind.”

“Thank you.”

I knew I’d surprised him with my gratitude when I walked away and it took him a few seconds to follow me.

“I’m Jude, by the way.”

Ignoring him would be rude, and I might be a bitch, but I wasn’t an asshole. “I’m Ariel.”

“Like the mermaid?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, like the mermaid. And yes, I’ve heard every possible joke you could make. I didn’t choose my name. Or my hair color.”

He held up his hands. “I wasn’t going to say anything. Promise.”

I tried hard not to acknowledge what his grin did to me. Or how the arm porn he was currently displaying made me look twice.

Gesturing behind me, I shot him a tight smile. “I should finish my shopping.”

“Of course. Sorry to keep you. And you’ll be happy to know my shopping list includes sugar.”

And I definitely didn’t appreciate his backside as I watched him walk away.

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