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

My mom’s head whips in my direction and she gives a small shake of her head. That’s the difference between Clara and me. Where I grew up, you don’t leave your house without a full face of makeup, dressed to impress. Anything natural isn’t the norm, hence my blonde hair. I’m starting to think maybe it’s time for a change though.

“We’ll be right back.” Clara leads my mom out of the store, and they veer left through the crowd of people outside.

Then I spot Cade in the crowd. He’s a little taller than the people he’s with, but he’s got a beer in his hand. Again I question what went wrong with us. I thought a friendship was growing between us. I admit I caught feelings, but I wasn’t going to tell him that or pressure him to make it something more.

My thoughts are interrupted when the bell rings again and Ethel, Dori, and Midge walk in.

“Parsley,” Ethel says, coming over while Dori and Midge walk around and check things out.

I don’t bother correcting her on the name thing—I’m sure she’ll only deny it again. I’ve yet to put in security cameras and I really hope that Midge doesn’t help herself.

As though Ethel sees me watching Midge, she pats my hand. “Dori will keep an eye on her.” Her gaze scatters around the store. “It’s beautiful. You did a great job.”

“Thank you.”

“I already bought the summer read and six-pack from next door. I’m giving the beer to Sal down at Northern Lights. They tell him he shouldn’t drink beer, but I sneak it into him.”

I really hope when I’m older, I live somewhere like Northern Lights. Those elderly people are probably having more fun than high school kids.

“Well, thank you for supporting duo night.”

She smiles and pats my hand. “Now tell me why my grandson is out there looking so depressed.” She nods toward where I saw Cade before she came in.

“I’m not sure.”

“Is what Nikki’s saying true? You two are over?”

I choke out a laugh. “We never even began.”

“Oh, that’s not true and we both know it.”

The door chimes again and of course it’s Reese who walks in, along with a woman carrying a baby to her chest.

“Grandma Ethel!” Reese coos and prances over in her high heels with her arms out.

But the truth is, I’ve never been so happy to see Reese. Her arrival means an end to this conversation with Ethel.

“Reese,” Ethel says in a frigid tone but does hug her.

“I missed you so much.”

“Funny, I never got a card. Or a call.” She winds her arm through mine. “Have you met Presley Knight, Sunrise Bay’s newest resident?”

Reese smiles. Man, she’d give the girls back in Connecticut a run for their money. “I did.”

“So you know that she and Cade are—”

The girl with the baby rolls her eyes and heads to the children’s section. I wish I could follow her. I glance around and catch Dori smacking Midge’s hand.

“Oh, Cade just told me they’re just friends,” Reese says.

“You know Cade,” Ethel says.

“He keeps those feelings to himself,” she says. “I know, I still remember when he finally opened up to me about his mom.”

Ethel glances at me from the corner of her eye and I swear it feels as if someone used a pair of tweezers and pulled the realization out of the back of my head. What the hell? How did I not put everything together? This whole time I thought Cade’s inability to open up to me had to do with Reese but it was actually about the loss of his mom.

“It was a hard loss for him, and I don’t think we should all be gossiping about it,” Ethel says.

By Reese’s twisted face, she’s just as surprised as I am that any subject is off the table to gossip about with Ethel.

“Definitely.” But Reese’s smug look that says Cade’s shared more with her than he ever will with me sets my teeth on edge. God help me, I’m still jealous. Another bad sign. “I should join my friend. Sorry it didn’t work out, Presley. Cade is the bachelor of Sunrise Bay, but he only trusts a few people.”

As if by speaking his name she made him appear, the door chimes and Cade walks in.

I can’t deal with this right now. It’s all too overwhelming. My chest feels tight and my heart is racing and all I can think of is bolting.

“I’m sorry, I need a breather. Can you watch the store?” Leaving it with Ethel isn’t the best option, but my throat is closing up. There’s no way I’m talking to him right now.

Reese catches him first and beelines over to him, hugging him tightly. I walk toward the door.

Cade dislodges himself from Reese. “Presley, wait.”

But I don’t stop. I push the shop door open, almost hitting a man. “Sorry,” I say and walk away from the crowd congregated outside our businesses.

“Presley!” Cade yells, and a deafening silence falls over the crowd.

I turn around, exhausted. “What?”

“Let’s talk.” He follows me in the direction of The Grind.

“You’ve had time to talk, Cade.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at his feet. He doesn’t really want to talk.

“See? You can’t talk. Isn’t that the problem?” Unshed tears prick at my eyes and I hold them back, doing my best not to lose my shit right here in front of everyone. I thought the town would break me, but it was him. Anger and frustration stack up inside me and I stand straighter. I cross my arms and wait. “Okay, you want to talk? Talk.”

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

I look behind him at all the faces staring at us. “Why? Everyone here knows what’s going on with us.” I look around him at all the townspeople. “Yes, Nikki was right. Cade and I have been screwing for the past few weeks.”

A few people laugh, some look on with sympathy, but I don’t care.

I put up my hand. “Maybe I should clarify. We weren’t screwing.