Chapter 1

The Fence Between Us

I did n't know brokenheartedness could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fencing in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the utmost composition of her I had left. `` seed on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My voice cracked, and I hated how do-or-die I sounded. But I couldn't assist it.

Three class together. She was my first everything. Now she was off at some college a one thousand miles away, talking like I was a wearisome phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even Worth keeping.

The line went dead. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy grass, the weightiness in my bureau heavier than it had been all workweek. I felt pathetic. nineteen years old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even find angry. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her voice, soft, warm, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbour, was standing just on the other side of the wooden fence, a garden hose in one hand, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a black bikini top that hugged her thorax just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that piano tan glow not talk through one's hat, not sunburned, just real. Her trunk was the sort that turns promontory at every age, curvy, thick in the best room, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to represent it off. `` Yeah. Just ... living stuff. ``

She smiled at me, eyes kind. `` Breakups suck. But trust me you'll survive. ``

I laughed awkwardly. `` Is it that obvious ? ``

She nodded with a smirk."You were yelling into your phone like it owed you money."

I rubbed the rachis of my neck opening."tinker's damn. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I've got a son about your age. I know how rough it gets. Look, if you ever wan na public lecture, or just hang out, don't be a stranger. We're neighbors now."

I looked at her, really looked and for a arcsecond, I forgot how lousy I felt."Thanks. That ... actually means a lot."

She gave me a wink."You'll leap back. And in the lag, lemonade's always cold over here."

Then she turned around .... and yeah, I absolutely stared. I didn't even try to hide it. That ass. That walk. The little leaping. Goddamn.

The following few 24-hour interval blurred together. Mostly tardy nights and mindless scrolling. I tried going for ladder, hitting the gym, blasting music too gaudy anything to drown out the quiet.

But every afternoon, like clockwork, Katherine would come out to the pool.

It was her turn. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that same bikini ... or sometimes a dissimilar one, smaller even. The fencing between our yards wasn't highschool enough to kibosh my survey from my bedchamber window. Not even close. She must've known. component part of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretch in ways that had me holding my breath. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest rebellion and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my bagger and the same query running through my mind over and over :

What would it sense like to extend to her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty years old than me. Married. My neighbor. But none of that stopped the thought process or the way my soundbox reacted to her. Every time she bent over to adjust the pocket billiards umbrella, I swore she was going to disclose me.

She was a fair sex, not a young lady. And somehow, that made everything worse.

One evening, just before sundown, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a ready glance. But it happened. My heart and soul jumped. Did she have intercourse ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

I ducked away from the screen, suddenly embarrassed, but something in me buzzed with something else too.

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

It was just after twelve noon when I finally worked up the mettle to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Saami bikini as before, maybe even to a lesser extent material this time. The top strained to book those titty in, and her pelvic girdle curved like something out of a dream. The sunshine made her skin glow. She was lying on her venter this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to bury what day it was.

I didn't programme on saying anything. I was just going to walk past the fence, maybe waving, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her headland, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the probability to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summer or you gon na come say hello ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. Come preserve me company."

I hesitated. My heart was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"come on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That dividing line hit somewhere low in my venter. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit surd here — or maybe that was just her. The aroma of coconut palm oil and sun-warmed peel drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those tits were half out. My heart didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"semen in. Too hot to stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding drinking glass door. Her ass swayed with every tone, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her house was gorgeous. spread floor architectural plan, spic-and-span kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the blank space — graceful but unbothered, convinced in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a seat,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall meth."You doing okay these mean solar day ?"

"acquiring there,"I said."Breakups yield meter, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the buffet. No boot, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to vent — I'm around. My husband's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"study stuff. Conferences, client encounter. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."semen with the job. livelihood him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get tedious ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this clock time. Like there was a secret tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must aid. You know ... always having somebody there."

She tilted her head."You mean for company, or for sex ?"

My mouth opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an reliable answer. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up family relationship just had ... more of that hooey figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her methamphetamine hydrochloride, and leaned her hip against the board just a infantry from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her odourise — something subdued and sweet-scented — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of masses just go through the motion. Some don't even verbalize about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My cheeks were burning, but I couldn't facial expression away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to affright you off. I just like true conversations."

I nodded slowly, my pharynx dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her plump for move — the balmy line of her waist dipping into blanket pelvic arch. My thoughts were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"Being wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My heart jumped a piddling. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that melodic phrase was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a slow sip, trying to meet it cool.

We talked a little tenacious — about college, about the oestrus, about her bloom dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, galvanizing buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. hired hand on my shoulder. A smile that lingered just a moment too long.

"Come by anytime, Tommy. Door's always open."

The whole walk back to my house, I could still palpate where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sweet on my tongue, but not as sweetened as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how prosperous it'd be for it to fall.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and curve ball

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the nervus to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Saami bikini as before, maybe even to a lesser extent framework this prison term. The top strained to hold those tits in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her skin incandescence. She was lying on her stomach this prison term, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to bury what day it was.

I didn't design on saying anything. I was just going to walk past the fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summertime or you gon na descend say hello ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. Come preserve me company."

I hesitated. My core was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"Come on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That line hit somewhere low in my stomach. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The high temperature hit arduous here — or maybe that was just her. The aroma of coconut oil and sun-warmed peel drifted in the air. I tried not to gaze, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those nipple were half out. My centre didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"Come in. Too hot to stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding methamphetamine door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nothing to shroud it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her sign of the zodiac was gorgeous. exposed base programme, spick-and-span kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the space — graceful but unbothered, convinced in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a seat,"she said, pouring lemonade into marvelous looking glass."You doing okay these twenty-four hour period ?"

"Getting there,"I said."Breakups takings sentence, I guess."

She handed me a meth and leaned against the comeback. No surge, no ineptness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to blowhole — I'm around. My husband's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"piece of work hooey. conference, client meetings. He's in Ohio River this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."ejaculate with the job. donjon him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get tiresome ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this time. Like there was a secret tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help. You know ... always having someone there."

She tilted her nous."You mean for company, or for sex ?"

My mouth opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an honest answer. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationships just had ... more of that stuff figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her crank, and leaned her hip against the mesa just a foot from my genu. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her nose — something soft and sugariness — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of the great unwashed just go through the motions. Some don't even talk about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My cheeks were burning, but I couldn't look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to frighten you off. I just like honest conversations."

I nodded slowly, my pharynx dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her back move — the soft line of credit of her shank dipping into across-the-board hips. My thinking were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"Being wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My spunk jumped a slight. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that assembly line was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't resolution. I just took a slow sip, trying to work it cool.

We talked a piddling longer — about college, about the heat, about her heyday dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole clip, there was this stream running under it all. A repose, electric automobile buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. hired man on my shoulder. A smiling that lingered just a second too long.

"Come by anytime, Tommy. threshold's always open."

The totally walk back to my house, I could still sense where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sweet on my tongue, but not as sweet as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how slowly it'd be for it to fall .