Lust Next Door - S01 E35

Story 4 months ago

Lust Next Door - S01 E35

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 35

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A sigh floated from Serena's lips while she watched Mayo eat peacefully from his dish, Immediately bringing her back to the diner; when she sat next to that food and across from her enemy.

Although the term enemy was growing more and more precarious each time she used it to describe Connor. Not sure what to replace the title with, and not sure if she should keep it there either.

Were they enemies? When they fucked he was Serena's favorite person, certain ways he smiled at her or cared about different things made him feel like her friend, when they fought she was sure she hated him, and when a gorgeous girl calls after him on the steps of a restaurant Serena wanted to cry over him.

The thought of the diner sent rolling waves of discomfort all over her body. Making Serena groan and walk over to her sink, she grabbed a crystal glass and filled with water from her tap quickly. Gulping down the cool liquid in hopes to send the bile back down her throat.

She had no clue who that women was, but she knew in an instant that she was no stranger to Connor. It shouldn't bother her, not at all.

But her voice rung through her head like dong being hit in her skull. Serena stared down at the empty sink, trying to ignore the incessant thumping of her heart.

She saw snippets of their conversation from yesterday, her mind replaying the way Connor stepped closer into her, mumbling something deathly passionate for only her to hear. While she sat there in the passenger seat like a fool, watching as if she was in spot lights with her distress and flaws on display fro her to laugh at.

How silly she must've looked, hurting and collecting herself in his car while they swapped breaths on the diner's steps.

How silly Serena must've looked last night, and in the past. She could practically feel phantom hands gripping around her waist now as she remembered how she looked four years ago with her other him.

Serena panted as her vision tunneled into fuzzy black, air leaking through holes in her lungs. She gripped the edge of her sink, nearly doubled over herself as suppressed memories flooded back up and poured black ink in her heart.

Wide eyes, pooling with tears, she could see, feel, her younger self sunken on the cold tiles in her dimly lit bathroom. She was screaming through blubbers and messy oceans of tears, begging him. Gasping out her pleas as he left through the front door slamming it after him, the sound echoed through her and seemed to break the bones in her body. It made her flinch and then Serena was staring at the bottom of her sink again.

She was here, in the present, in the safety of her home; but her heart was beating in the past. The panic swelling around her throat, making her pant and try to catch her breath rapidly.

"Fuck." She mumbled wincing her eyes closed, trying to steady her herself. Her heart was beating so fast she could hear each pulse in her ears like a beating drum, all while trying to shake the ghostly feeling of his hands around her neck.

Her arm shot up to the cabinet next to her, opening it. While shaking slightly she grabbed a lone container, rattling an orange pill bottle in her hand.

Serena haphazardly unscrewed the cap shook out two tablets. She tilted her head back dry swallowed them quickly.

Immediately, she took a deep breath and put her hand on her chest, closing her eyes she focused on counting her breaths.

After a minute, Serena felt slightly better, at least being able to shake the unwanted memories and calm her heart rate down. when she opened her eyes, she was greeted with the wonderful sight of that girl from the diner yesterday, now leaving Connor's house.

Her eyes widened as she watched her wave to the door, Serena assumed Connor was standing just out of view in the door frame.

Immediately pain swarmed around her jealous heart. Confusing her more, why did she even care.

Why was her heart and emotions getting pulled through fucking ringer this morning. One thing after another. She wanted to pull her eyes away, the pain that was leaking into her heart through every beat was begging her to stop looking.

But she couldn't, and anger started to stir in the pit of her stomach.

Serena watched as the woman glanced over to her house, then back to the door and blew a kiss.

Serena was gripping her sink so hard she thought it might crack beneath her steal fingers. Staring razor sharp daggers at her head, hoping her look might pierce her skull.

She walked to her fancy looking BMW and drove off.

Finally Serena whipped around and stared at her hardwood floor as opposed to his house.

She was seething with anger laced in poisonous pain.

Connor was an asshole, a walking dick bag that thought with only his genitals. That was clear.

What was the point of stringing me along, picking on me, poking into my life, when he brings girls in and out of his house like they are disposal. She thought while desperately trying not to let her pushed away darkness swarm up into her mind.

What was the fucking point. It was quite clear to her that Connor was incapable of changing, he was a fuck boy through and through. He even had the audacity to nearly grind on that girl right in front of Serena at the diner.

Clearly thinking that they were anything but enemies was a mistake.

So why did she feel like crying?

Serena groaned and pushed off her counter storming over to her library, she needed to calm down, transport herself somewhere else for a while.

She grabbed her phone and book from where she left it on her desk, and walked over to her cushioned window seat. Settling deep into the velvety feel of the pillows and throw blankets, she was about to crack open her book when her phone dinged.

She wanted to rip her heart out and throw it across the room when it started to beating rapidly at the idea it might be Connor.

She flipped the screen around and it flashed to life.

Liam: Hey beautiful, got a question for you.

Her shoulders and face softened as she looked at the message, remembering the soft and gentle man on Connor's team, it pushed her disappointment aside.

It was nice feeling warm tickling emotions inside instead of the conflicting jagged edges she felt with Connor. Liam's safe smile and kind eyes played in her mind, making a much needed smile erupt on her face.

Liam seemed nice, easy, and safe. All things she craved and protected in her life before she met Connor.

Serena: Glad you messaged me :) what's up

Liam: I have a ticket to my game tomorrow, wanna come and watch?

Immediately Serena let out a wistful sigh looking down at her phone, a distraction was what she wanted and one fell right into her lap.

And it just so happened Serena wanted this distraction to be more than that eventually.

So agreeing was easy. Everything with Liam seemed easy.

Serena: that sounds perfect actually, I'd love to.

Liam: Meet me there at 6? Game starts at 7 so it'll give me some time to sweep you off your feet ;)

Serena: You're hilarious, looking forward to it.

She looked out her window and allowed herself to smile, this was good. He seemed good. Even if it felt a little lack luster right now, Liam was good. She was so used to the aggravating explosion of feelings that was Connor, that this felt dull in comparison now.

That pissed her off even more, that man next door was tampering with her life in more ways than one. Claiming her heartstrings to pluck for himself, and rip in half whenever he wanted.

Serena groaned and mentally cursed him out. All the more reason to explore different options, Connor and her together was like fire and ice. Complete opposite, and never gonna work together.

She looked back down at her phone and scrolled through her short contact list, one swipe brought her to the bottom. A sad pitiful list. Everyone else her age probably had ten times this, and normally that fact didn't bother her, but today it made tears rupture down her cheeks.

Spilling fast and hot, she tried her best to stop the weighted tears. Swiping her hands across her cheeks desperately while she took in short breaths, Serena never cried, not in a long time. She hated what crying meant, where it brought her back to.

Without really thinking she called Melody, inhaling deeply to steady her breaths and leave her tears to continue to fall silently, unheard and bubbling down her face like a brook.

"Hello there, I'm glad you called because I wanted to reach out anyways. These chapters were awesome! Thank you." Melody dragged out the word awesome and finished her praise with a light chuckle.

"Oh yeah of course." Serena's voice lacked any sort of enthusiasm, her throat coated in thick sadness.

"Everything alright dear? Why'd you call?"

"I'm not even sure, Mel." Serena pulled her knees up to her chest and glanced down, a chain was slung over her heart, slowly pulling it down to drown in herself.

"I've just never been more confused in my whole life, and I've pretty much been to hell and back before." She mumbled reaching up to swipe her mute tears off her face, "so now I'm calling my editor, because your the only person in my phone that I can talk that isn't him."

"Connor, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah." Serena finally sniffled, hiding her teary face into the safety of her arms.

"Oh honey, don't feel bad you're calling me. I know you better than a lot of people, and you know me well too. I've been working with you for, gosh how many years now? I'm old." Melody sighed into the phone which made Serena smile a little.

"Well anyways the point is; you're more than just a client to me, you're also my friend darling. This seems like a lot right now, whatever is going on with Connor, because frankly the hell you've been through, you were able to understand as just that. Hell. This is something entirely new to you, and as much as you'd to like control and understand everything since what happened, something like this you just can't." The older women reasoned into the phone.

"I don't think I like not knowing. It hurts, it's different kind of pain then before. But it brings up the same fear I've always had." Serena sighed and closed her eyes, letting two pearly tears crest her face.

"Can you explain exactly what is going on between you and Connor? I could give you better insight if I knew a little more."

"Basically, we hate each other Mel. I promise, half the time we are arguing, making fun of each other, or he's deliberately trying to make me angry. Then the other the half...we...oh gosh don't make me say it." Serena shoved her blushing face into her arm as if someone might see.

Melody just laughed, "I got it don't worry."

"So that's us. It's this twister of ups and downs and fighting and flirting and I can't wrap my head around it. I can't decide if he's a good person or a shitty one wrapping himself up with a ribbon for me. There's moments, small, consequential moments where I find myself...looking at him longer than I should. If that even makes sense. But it's fast and followed by an insult or quip, gone just like that. Oh and he idolizes Skylyn Voss."

"Oh geez." Melody hissed, "I kind of gathered that from his incessant interrogating."

"Yeah I know, he's got every one of my books. He knows, well he thinks he knows, all these things about her. Has all these expectations and hopes around this character I hide behind, he's dedicated theories and time to Skylyn. Then to find out that Skylyn is just me." Serena groaned, "Every time I think about that I feel like I'm gonna be sick. He'd be crushed, so fucking disappointed, I can't ever tell him."

"Well I think it's telling that his theories about the author are true. Maybe he knows Serena better than you think if he's able to understand Skylyn so well."

"No. Melody Morris, I just watched some girl leave his house, there is no understanding anywhere. Connor will be Connor, a party animal, no strings attached, kinda guy."

There was a beat of silence as Melody listened, and Serena could tell she wanted to something else, something more, but instead the silence dragged out a bit longer. Filling the space between their words and Serena's anger. She let out a short laugh finally and spoke.

"People are surprising. Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, thanks again for listening." Serena let a fond smile pull her lips up, even if she didn't get much clarity on her situationship, talking about it and having someone just hear what she said felt good.

"Of course, have a good night Serena. And remember...you're not with Peter anymore, you're not in that house, you're here."

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