My Enemy Next Door

I repeat those words in my mind as I walk into the library where her best friend Amy told me she would be.

Spotting a table with our names on them, I take a seat next to Amy.

“Where’s Kelsie?” I ask.

“Okay, look.” She let out a breath. “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but she’s not coming.”

“Excuse me?”

“I told her exactly what you said,” she says, looking genuine. “I said Tyler wants to personally apologize for everything and since he knows you wouldn’t believe him, he gave me instructions on where to meet him tonight.”

“What did she say in return?”

She sighs and picks up her phone. Then she holds it closer to me and hits play.

Kelsie’s face appears onscreen via recorded video message. Even without make-up and in a torn Harvard sweatshirt, she’s turning me on with ease.

“I saw your message again,” she says, shaking her head. “I’ll spare you a conversation and just say…Tyler Hudson is an unbearable asshole who I’ll never forgive, but hopefully one day I’ll forget. I’d rather keep him as colleague or an enemy, nothing more. Ever.”

The video ends, and I can’t help but hit play again.

I’m not sure why, but seeing the anger in her eyes, the vitriol dripping from her lips, is making my blood begin to boil.

She didn’t even give me a fucking chance…

“Well, I’m interested in you.” Amy rubs my arm. “I mean, I’m her best friend so we do have tons in common. It might be like dating the same person, but better.”

“No, thank you.” I stand up, leaving the cake on the table. “Appreciate the offer, though.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m only interested in dating Kelsie,” I say. “Well, was.”

“So, you’re incapable of being interested in anyone else?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“She doesn’t want you, and she’ll never fuck you,” she says. “Why bother wasting anymore of your time?”

I don’t answer her. I just walk away.

Beyond hurt and livid about that video, I’m now only interested in beating Kelsie in everything for the rest of the year.

If she thinks I’ve been “one-upping” her before, she hasn’t seen shit yet …

Tyler

Present Day

Manhattan, New York

The expression on Chassie’s face told me everything that I needed to know.

“I would’ve forgiven you if you’d met up with me to apologize,” she said softly. “Maybe not immediately, but—”

“Eventually.”

“Yes.”

“I wanted to start over back then,” I said. “Can we start over now?”

She nodded, and I pulled her close against my chest.

“Let’s start with hiring a team to build you a soundproof room next door,” I said. “I’ll pay for every dime of that.”

“Am I really that loud when I’m recording?”

“Yes.”

“Noted.” Her cheeks flushed red. “I’ll agree to that, after you agree that I’ll be listed as first chair on the case, even if I don’t do any work.”

“I think you’re out of your goddamn mind.” I looked at her. “But I’ll agree this one time.”

“Do we need to discuss a schedule for sex?”

“Every night will suffice,” I said. “You need to take me off your shit list, though.”

“I did that a while ago.”

“When?”

“After the café.”

“Is it still up on your Facebook page?”

“I’ll take it down once you list me as first chair.”

I laughed. “Besides your first name, you really haven’t changed at all.”

“Do you consider that to be a good thing?”

“Yes.” I pulled her on top of me so we could pick up where we left off, last night and in college. “That’s a great thing.”

Epilogue I

Chassie

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Six months later

“Is this some type of joke?” I look over at Tyler as he steers into the lane that leads towards Harvard. Of all the places to take me for a “surprise drive,” anywhere near my college hometown should be at the bottom of the list.

“We're not staying for long.” He looks over at me. “I think there’s something you'd love to see.”

“Is there a sinkhole opening up there?"

“No.” He smiles. "Your former best friend is getting a divorce, and right after she leaves the courthouse, she's getting served with the papers in my glove compartment."

"What's the charge?"

“She double-crossed the wrong professor in college over a project that made a lot of money,” he says. “Now, he wants to sue her for every dime that she's ever had.”

"You honestly think that I would take pride in watching you kick someone while she’s down?"

"You haven't stopped smiling since I mentioned her divorce."

"Can I record you while you serve her the papers?”

"Absolutely."