Lynda pulled into her driveway just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the quiet street. It had been a long day at work, filled with deadlines and last-minute edits. All she wanted was a hot shower and maybe a glass of wine to unwind.
As she stepped out of her car, she noticed a faint glow from the house next door. So Isaac actually does live there.
Yesterday, the place had looked completely abandoned. No lights, no movement—just silence. But now, a soft yellow glow seeped through the curtains of the front window, a quiet reminder that her mysterious neighbor was home.
She didn’t know much about him, only that he claimed to work in security and had an unreadable expression that made it hard to tell what he was thinking. Something about him felt… different. Not in a bad way, but not necessarily in a good way either.
Shrugging off the thought, she walked up to her front door, unlocked it, and stepped inside.
As soon as she entered, she felt it again.
That nagging feeling.
Like she was being watched.
Lynda shook her head, exhaling. “Get a grip, Stetson.”
She set her bag down and moved to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water. The house was still mostly empty, boxes stacked against the walls waiting to be unpacked. Maybe that’s why it didn’t feel like home yet.
Or maybe, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, it’s something else.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. A message from Stella.
Stella: Hey, how’s the haunted house?
Lynda rolled her eyes and typed back.
Lynda: It’s not haunted. Just quiet.
Stella: Uh-huh. And how’s Mr. Mysterious next door?
Lynda hesitated before replying.
Lynda: Normal. I guess.
Before Stella could respond, a noise outside caught Lynda’s attention. A faint, rhythmic tapping. She set her phone down and moved toward the window, peeking outside.
Isaac.
He stood on his porch, talking on the phone. His expression was serious, his posture tense. Even though she couldn’t hear him, something about his body language told her that whatever conversation he was having wasn’t casual.
After a moment, he ran a hand through his hair and let out a slow exhale, as if he were trying to work through a problem in his head. Then, as if sensing her gaze, he turned slightly in her direction.
Lynda quickly stepped back, her heart racing.
Great. Now I look like a creep.
She waited a few seconds before glancing outside again.
Isaac was gone.
Lynda swallowed, suddenly feeling uneasy.
Something told her that Isaac Caleb wasn’t just an ordinary neighbor. And whether she liked it or not, she was going to find out why.
...--------*----*----*--------...
A knock at the door pulled Lynda from her thoughts.
She set her glass down and made her way to the door, already knowing who it was. Sure enough, when she swung it open, Stella stood there, grinning.
“Well, well, look at you. All settled in yet?” Stella asked, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
Lynda smirked. “Not even close.”
Stella glanced around at the half-unpacked boxes. “Yeah, I can see that. Good thing I came.”
“You just wanted an excuse to snoop,” Lynda teased.
“Obviously,” Stella shot back, tossing her purse onto the couch. “Now, where do we start?”
Lynda sighed and gestured toward the kitchen. “I was thinking of organizing the dishes first.”
“Boring, but fine.” Stella rolled up her sleeves dramatically. “Let’s do this.”
Just as they were about to start, another knock sounded at the door. Lynda exchanged a confused glance with Stella before heading to answer it.
When she opened the door, she found Isaac standing there, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his jeans.
“Hey,” he said smoothly. “Saw your friend arrive. Figured you could use an extra hand.”
Lynda blinked, caught off guard. She wasn’t expecting him to offer help, especially considering he didn’t seem like the overly social type.
Before she could say anything, Stella leaned against the doorway with a knowing smirk. “Oh? The mysterious neighbor volunteers? How generous.”
Isaac met her gaze, unfazed. “Just being neighborly.”
Stella chuckled, glancing at Lynda. “I like him.”
Lynda shook her head, amused. “Alright, fine. If you really want to help, come in.”
Isaac stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the mess of boxes. “Where do you need me?”
Lynda pointed to a stack of heavier boxes near the living room. “Those have books in them. If you don’t mind, you can help move them to the shelf over there.”
“Got it.”
As Isaac moved to start unpacking, Stella leaned in toward Lynda, whispering, “He’s kind of hot, don’t you think?”
Lynda elbowed her lightly. “Shut up.”
Stella grinned but didn’t push further.
For the next hour, the three of them worked together, unpacking and organizing. Stella and Isaac exchanged small talk here and there—mostly Stella asking him questions, and Isaac giving short, measured responses. It was clear he wasn’t much of a talker, but he wasn’t completely closed off either.
Eventually, the living room was starting to look more put together.
Lynda reached up to place a decorative frame on the shelf, standing on her toes to get it just right. But as she adjusted it, the frame slipped from her fingers.
She gasped, losing her balance as she tried to catch it.
Before she could hit the ground, strong hands gripped her waist, steadying her.
Lynda’s breath hitched as she found herself inches away from Isaac, his hands firm but careful as he held her in place.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
“You alright?” His voice was calm, but there was something else in his gaze—something unreadable.
Lynda swallowed, trying to shake off the sudden tension. “Yeah. Just… clumsy, I guess.”
Isaac smirked slightly, releasing her once he was sure she was steady. “Noted.”
Stella, who had witnessed the whole thing, cleared her throat loudly. “Well, that was cute.”
Lynda shot her a warning look, but Stella just grinned.
Isaac simply shook his head and went back to unpacking, as if nothing had happened.
Lynda, however, wasn’t sure she’d be able to forget it that easily.
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