He's the guy moms warn their daughters about. Bold, outspoken, and self-confident, Brian O'Brien returns to his hometown only to discover some things changed in his absence.
Brian has a new neighbor - a shy, smart girl Leah, who hates his guts since...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Bella doesn't waste time on greetings. Her lips are on mine as soon as she sees me, and she slides her hands under my shirt. The chick's eager.
Too bad I'm not.
Sure, I could fuck her and might even enjoy it. That was my initial plan, and the boy isn't that picky when it comes to his needs. What stops me are Mac's words. If the chick's catching feelings, I have to end it before it's too late. I don't need more problems — swallowing pills and not getting enough sleep sucks on its own.
"Bella." I grab her wrists and nudge her away. "We need to talk."
Bella frowns. "You don't like talking."
I unlock the garage, flick on the light switch, and lead her inside. "I want to have a conversation with you this one time."
We sit on a bench next to each other. I have no idea how to do this, so I just spit it out fast. "I want to make sure you don't like me."
Bella laughs. "Don't like you? Of course, I like you, silly."
I sigh. "You like to fuck me. I wanna be sure that's all it is."
Her shoulders slump. "Because you're not the relationship type, at least, not with me."
"Do you want a relationship?" I ask and feel instantly sorry for her because the way she lowers her eyes to her lap tells me the answer.
"I guess I hoped that you...you know...could like me too, just a little."
"You're great, and I like you, but I'm not looking for a girlfriend. And I might be a jerk, but I don't wanna lead you on. It wouldn't be fair. We had fun together, but I'm afraid it's over."
Bella sniffles and looks away. Why would she even want to be with me? Lots of guys I know are pinning after her. She could choose any dude she wanted.
I draw an arm around her shoulders and peck her cheek. "Don't waste your time on me anymore. If you want a boyfriend, find a good guy who can give you dates and all that shit girls like. Okay?"
Bella looks at me with too much sadness for my liking. "That's the thing, Brian. You're a good guy. You're just not for me."
I put my hand on the small of her back. "Come on; I'll see you out. Do you want me to take you home?"
Bella shakes her head. "I have somewhere to be. Thanks for the offer."
I nod and watch her walk away. It could've gone worse, but I'm not exactly thrilled, regardless. I've been blind, thinking Bella was okay to be just someone I had a good time with. I guess girls never are.
I rotate my shoulders and rub my neck as I stroll back into the garage, straight to Pops' office.
Once inside, I take in the mess of papers and invoices on his desk. It'll take me a minute, my ass. That's a gig for at least a couple of hours, unless...
