My New Neighbor

CHAPTER 1: Hello Neighbor!

●CARRIE●

        I woke up in the middle of the night, again, from another nightly routine nightmare about my ex finding me and hurting me.

       People think sometimes, that when you finally get a chance to leave an abusive relationship, that you're free. That the fear and nightmare is over and that you're safe.

       Well maybe that's true for some. Or maybe it's just that it's only been a year since I had left my old dark life behind me and escaped from a well feared and well known gang leader, Tanner Evans.

        Luckily, I had my best friend Sam, willing to leave a start a new life herself, with me.

       Sam and I have been best friends since we were kids and is a badass tattoo artist that has such a great big clientele that it takes several months to get an appointment with her and owns her own shop that's not too far away from our apartment.

       This morning, after taking a shower and getting ready for my job at a barber shop that is actually not too far away from Sam's tattoo shop and is 50's themed, I notice I'm the first one up, so I start making some coffee and breakfast.

       Right as I get done, pouring a couple cups of coffee for us both and plating the food, I hear Sam's bedroom door open up and she walks out with her hair a little messy, wearing a tank and booty shorts.

       "Good morning." She yawns as she walks into the kitchen.

        "Morning. I made us some breakfast and coffee." I said as I handed her her mug and a plate of food.

        We walked over to our small squared dinner table, sat down and started to eat our breakfast.

         "So how did you sleep?" She asks me before drinking some coffee.

         "Okay. I had another nightmare." I say while shrugging my shoulders and begin eating some of my food.

          "I really wish you'd go see somebody." She tells me for the thousandth time.

          "I told you before, I tried all that therapy and victims group stuff. It didn't work. But don't worry, I'm still trying to find other ways to cope. Plus, they haven't really been as bad or as frequent as they were before." I tell her.

          "Well you know I'm not trying to sound like your mom or anything. But, I just worry about you. I'm afraid of you not letting any other guy ever love you. Or especially, the fact that I'm really worried you're gonna grow cobwebs 'down there'. It's been too long." She smiles before taking a bite of her toast.

          "I know what you're saying, but I know that things are going to be okay. I'll handle it." I assure her. "Can we just please stop talking about it. Otherwise I'm not making you anymore food ever again." I tell her with a wink.

         She gasps before saying, "Would you really let me starve?!" She says sarcastically.

        "Shut up." I tease back.

        We both begin laughing. Though she really can't and SHOULDN'T cook. She has burned almost everything she has attempted to try and make.

        After finishing breakfast and leaving for work and walking out of the apartment complex. I notice a nice black 2017 Lincoln, parked out in front of the complex and a moving truck behind it.

       I stared at the car for a moment in admiration, then as I walked in the direction of my work, I noticed a couple of guys carrying a recliner chair out from the back and though both guys were fit and really cute, my attention immediately turned towards a tatted all over the body athletic sexy as fuck, guy, walk up onto the sidewalk, while looking at his phone.