Finally (Neighbor from Hell #12) - R.L. Mathewson Page 0,39
said as she perused the selection of candy bars in her secret stash and-
What happened to her Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?
“It really is,” Ben murmured in agreement as she selected a 3 Musketeers candy bar.
“Is that what you wanted to talk about?” Charlie asked as she gestured with her candy bar towards the signed poster of Snape.
Chuckling, Ben picked up her poster and hung it directly behind her desk. “No, I wanted to know if you had something to tell me.”
“And what exactly do you think I need to tell you” Charlie asked as she carefully nibbled on the candy bar that was going to have to hold her over until Ben was finished so that they could have lunch.
“I was thinking that we could talk about what’s going on with Devin,” Ben said, throwing her a questioning look over his shoulder.
“What are you talking about?” Charlie asked, taking another bite as she found herself glancing towards the windows that could really use some blinds and at the man in question.
“I’ve seen the way that he looks at you,” Ben said, drawing her attention back to find him watching her with a curious look in his eye.
“And how exactly does he look at me?” she asked, spinning her chair around to face him.
“The same way that you look at him,” he said with a pointed look as he picked up her Goonies’ poster.
“There’s nothing going on with Devin,” Charlie said, sighing heavily as she gestured to the other side of the room where she’d promised the kids she’d put their favorite posters.
“But you want there to be,” Ben guessed as she found herself turning her chair around and watching Devin.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, spinning her chair right back around as she absently toyed with the candy bar wrapper.
“Why not?” Ben asked, hopping off the ladder.
“Because it’s complicated,” Charlie said, hoping that he’d leave it at that.
“Everything about you is complicated,” he said, chuckling as he grabbed her Hogwarts poster and brought it over to the kids’ side of the room.
“This is true,” she murmured absently as she found herself glancing back towards the window and wondering what was wrong with her.
She had a plan and it didn’t involve making her life more complicated on something that was definitely a bad idea, but sometimes, she wished it did. He was her boss, her landlord, father of her two favorite people in the world, one of her best friends, and the man that still had no idea that she was planning on leaving. She really wasn’t looking forward to that conversation, Charlie thought, tossing the rest of the candy bar on her desk.
When did her life get so complicated? Charlie couldn’t help but wonder as she watched the man that was supposed to be helping her decorate her new office grab his bag and head for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to work,” Ben said, shrugging.
“Wait. What about lunch?” Charlie asked, gesturing towards the mini-fridge where the delicious lunch that she’d packed for him was waiting.
“The fridge is empty,” Ben said, chuckling as he headed out the door, leaving her wondering what he was talking about as she walked over to her mini-fridge and-
“That little bastard,” she said with a sad shake of her head as she closed the door, grabbed Devin’s Bradford Creations’ hoodie, pulled it on, and headed to the shop where she found the man that kept stealing her lunch working on a bookshelf.
“You’re buying me lunch,” was all Charlie said before she turned around and walked away.
Without bothering to look back, she walked over to the back stairs, stepped onto the second stair, turned around and waited. She didn’t have to wait long before Devin was pausing in front of the stairs. With a sigh, she reached over, grabbed onto his shoulders and jumped onto his back and said, “So, I’ve been thinking,” as she laid her chin on his shoulder while he grabbed hold of her legs and headed for the door.
“What’s that?” he asked as he headed for the door.
“I think I’m gonna have to put a lock on the mini-fridge,” Charlie said as he pushed the door open with his foot and carried her outside.
“Wouldn’t help,” Devin pointed out.
“I know,” she mumbled sadly. “I thought the decoy lunch would work.”
“You thought wrong,” he said, carefully navigating the walkway covered in rock salt and ice to his work truck.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as he lowered her to the ground.