My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family Book 1) by Piper Rayne (phonics reading books TXT) 📕

I wish I could go with her. I’m not gonna lie, seeing her at the bottom of the basement stairs freaked me out. But I push all those thoughts from my mind because I am not falling for her. I’d have felt as if I’d been gut-punched regardless of who was lying at the bottom of the basement stairs. It means nothing.

I wait anxiously, the minutes passing like hours until she’s wheeled back into the room. The doctor says she’s okay to fall asleep since her eyes aren’t dilated and she hasn’t thrown up, but until they get the results of her test and make sure it doesn’t show any signs of a serious concussion I’ll still worry.

I snuggle on the chair with the blanket they give me and wrap her hand in mine until I fall asleep, ignoring the fact that it comes easy because she’s near.

“Aren’t they the cutest?” Marla coos, her voice waking me.

It takes a moment for me to figure out where I am—until I glance next to me and see Presley all snuggled in the fetal position. Our hands are intertwined. I slide my hand out from hers.

“Marla. Dad. Hey, Rylan.”

He stands with his leg in a cast, the crutches holding his weight.

“We’re just on our way home,” Marla whispers. “How are things here?”

She comes up beside the bed and I figure she won’t be leaving anytime soon. She’s like a younger Grandma Ethel.

“Good. The test came back and said she has a mild concussion, so they’re just observing her.”

“That’s good.”

Presley stirs, and when her eyes flutter open, she jolts back. I chuckle. You can tell she doesn’t come from a big family.

“Hey, Presley, heard you took a bit of a tumble,” my dad says.

“Yeah.” Her cheeks pinken a bit.

“Hi, Presley, I’m Marla.” Marla speaks to her as if Presley’s hard of hearing.

“Mom,” Rylan says as though he’s annoyed with her.

I’ve been there. Dad squeezes Rylan’s shoulder just like he used to do with me, to caution me in a polite way not to make a scene. Rylan says nothing more, so obviously the method is still effective.

“Hi, Marla.” Presley slides up on the bed, her hands going to her hair and running under her eyes. Her makeup is smeared and her hair is a little matted, but she’s still the most beautiful woman in here.

“So I know this is crazy, but I’ve been meaning to come by. We’d love to have you over for dinner.”

I clear my throat and I’m granted my dad’s death stare.

Presley looks to me as though she needs my approval, so I say, “You should go. Have fun, and I’ll catch you when you’re done.”

Marla laughs and her gaze fixates on Presley. “He’s just kidding. So how about this Thursday? We’ll do it before the town meeting, then everyone can walk over.”

“Oh. Okay. Where do you live?”

“Cade will bring you.” Marla looks at me.

I nod. “I’ll take you. It’s near the downtown area.”

Presley nods. “Okay.”

“Great. Then we’ll see you then.”

Presley opens her mouth, but no sound comes. She swallows. “What can I bring?”

“Just yourself.” Marla waves and touches Presley’s leg. “Hope you get out soon.”

“Feel better, Rylan,” I say, watching them all go.

Dad didn’t say one word, although I could feel his presence as usual.

Only in the Greene family are you not in charge of setting up the meet-the-parents. Then again, Presley isn’t going to my parents’ house as my girlfriend and she already knows my dad. She’s going on Marla’s invitation because Marla wants to meet the new girl in town.

“Are you sure you want to go?” I ask.

“You can go. You don’t have to stay with me,” she says, changing the subject.

“I don’t know, I was thinking…” I look around. “Maybe we test out these hospital beds.”

I slide up into the bed with her. After a lot of thinking after the doctor came in and she was still sleeping, I’m pretty sure she’s not used to people being there for her. I’m going to be her person. I mean, isn’t that included in the friend’s portion of friends with benefits? To sleep next to her while she recovers from a concussion my brother caused? I’m sure Xavier would agree.

Thursday comes fast, and I’m not prepared to have dinner at the Greene’s. My stomach has been stirring all day.

Cade took the doctor’s orders seriously when he said no strenuous activity for a week, so other than a few hot make-out sessions and Cade devouring my breasts, we still haven’t had sex. I’m starting to think the benefits portion of our agreement will never involve sex. But so far, I haven’t had to see Reese again and I kind of like it that way.

At the end of the workday, Cade walks through the back door of my shop. Since Adam is finished working here and my grand opening hasn’t happened yet, it’s a little lonely.

“Not you too,” he says in my ear from behind me because “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes plays from my Bluetooth speaker.

“I kind of like it.” My hands cover his, and he kisses my neck.

“Ready then?” he asks, stepping back.

“I’m going to wear my overalls just to tempt you to cross the line.” I lift the hem of my shirt in a seductive dance.

“We’ve got three more days,” he says, tapping his nonexistent watch.

“Then it’s on. You better clear time on your calendar, because I don’t expect to leave my bed all day. You’re going to need the wholesale box of condoms.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckles.

“I’m just saying, so far the benefits are weak.”

“Are you suggesting my Kielbasa isn’t filling you up?”

“I want it to fill another part of me.” I turn on the lights by the window to light up the showcases I just set up and lower the lights on the interior of the store.

Cade stops me before I can go through the back door, his hands running up my outer thighs and around until he reaches the