“Well, why visit now when she’s not here? Some family you are,” he says with a sneer.
That fucking stings.
“She’s given me the use of her house for the summer.”
He stares at me until the silence between us becomes uncomfortable. Or maybeI’mthe only one that’s feeling uncomfortable.
It’s true, I’ve never visited my grandmother here. I’ve only met her once before, six months ago when she reached out to me through social media and arranged for us to meet in secret, so that my dad didn’t find out.
Nanny D, as she asked me to call her, is not a big fan of my dad. I don’t blame her. There’s not a vice out there that he hasn’t been addicted to.
Hence getting fired from his high-paying, government-backed omega-research job – and turning his experimentation on me instead.
He was convinced presenting me as a success story would earn him his job back.
Delusional.
But still, I had to run. When I discovered that he’d taken all of my savings – meant for my accommodation payment at university this autumn – I knew I needed to get away from his toxicity. And that I needed a new job to try and save up all over again.
He got me fired from my last job by attempting to rob the place. The only reason he’s not in prison right now is because my last boss was a nice guy and he took pity on me. That, and I paid the money back. It wasn’t much anyway. Stupid fool tried to hold the place up for twenty quid to buy a bottle of vodka at the shop across the street.
Never mind that he could have just stolen the vodka. No. Why would he, when he could fuck up my life instead?
After that, I made a quick call to Nanny D and she had the seemingly perfect solution, to come stay at her place while she’s away to get some much needed space from my dad, and to re-earn the funds that were taken from me.
She offered to help with some of the funds that were taken – I never told her how much – but there’s no way I’m taking money off a little old lady who I only just met.
The stranger seems to be contemplating my words, or maybe he’s just admiring the view. Either way, his eyes have softened a little and his lips are no longer twisted in a snarl.Finally.
It makes him even more attractive, damn it.
“Alright,” he says eventually. “I believe you. But you need to be careful around here. This is not the kind of place where you want to be making enemies.”
“I don’t plan on making any enemies,” I say, trying to keep my voice light and friendly. “I just want to have a good summer and find a job.”
“Good luck with that,” he mutters, turning away and disappearing into his house.
I watch him go, feeling a little deflated. He’s not exactly the friendly neighbour I was hoping for, but at least he’s not trying to kick me out anymore. And who knows, maybe he’ll warm up to me eventually.
As I turn to go into my grandmother’s house, I can’t help but feel a shiver run down my spine. Something about him, beyondthe gruff exterior and snappy attitude, draws me to him. Maybe it’s the way his muscles bulge or the way his eyes seem to gleam with a hidden story or the sharp way he watches me. Whatever it is, I can’t ignore it. I can’t believe I didn’t get his name, but I guess with three months of living beside each other ahead of us, there will be plenty of time to get to know each other later.
Whatever.I have more pressing matters to attend to, like finding the key to the damn house, and then finding a job and exploring. Who knows what other secrets this place holds, besides my mysterious and brooding neighbour.
For now, I’ll let him sulk in his house and focus on making the most of my summer. Maybe he’ll come around and join me in the fun. Or maybe I’ll find someone else to share my adventures with. Either way, I’m ready for whatever this scorching summer has in store for me – so long as that includes gainful employment.
“Knock, knock,” a friendly sounding voice calls through the open doorway a couple of hours later. I’ve been unpacking and exploring the large old house, but I’m honestly not expecting any visitors. I don’t know anyone down here in the sleepy seaside village of Silver Sands, North Devon. Known to the locals simply as Silver.
“Coming,” I shout from the kitchen at the back of the property. It’s hotter than hell today and Nanny D’s ancient property definitely doesn’t have air conditioning, so the only way to get any breeze was to have all the windows and doors open. I figured it would be safe because the house is set back from the road with a long driveway and front lawn. I definitely wasn’t expecting any visitors.
“Hi, can I help you?” I ask, pushing through the swinging door that separates Nan’s kitchen from the lounge. I love that the sitting room is at the front of the house to make the most of the ocean views, but that swinging door is something out of a childhood dream. I chuckle to myself and mute the music playing through the wireless system, stopping a summer banger in its tracks. Despite the age of the house, Nanny D has the place kitted out with all the mod cons and gadgets, much to my delight.
Standing in the open doorway there’s a girl who looks to be about my age, maybe slightly older. She’s wearing trainers, smart beige cargo shorts and a blue Butler Hotels polo shirt. She’s also beautiful and beaming the biggest smile at me.
“Hi! You must be Lani,” she says with a wave. I’m impressed she said my name right, most don’t on the first try. It’s l-ah-ni, not lane-y. I smile at her. Hooked on one arm is an old fashioned wicker picnic basket which looks heavy and awkward to carry. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” I say with a shrug, even though I have no idea who she is or what she’s doing here. She knows my name, so that has to count for something, right?
“Here, this is for you. It’s really heavy, so you might want to set it down.”