But He's My Grumpy Neighbor (But He's a Carter Brother #1)

by Annah Conwell

I bite back a smile at her rambling story. Usually I find people who talk this much to be overbearing, but Juliette is different. She makes oversharing … endearing.

She laughs and it’s like the first day of spring after a harsh winter, bright and hopeful and sweet.

But my shock melts into relief when I see who has Kyle by the collar. Adrian.

“My problem is that you’re forcing yourself on a woman in the street.” Adrian’s voice is dangerously low. “I barely touched her!” Kyle whines while trying to wriggle out of Adrian’s iron grip. “And you won’t touch her ever again, nor will you contact her.”

“Then it’s settled. You’re going to leave without so much as a glance at her, or you’ll have to deal with me.”

“My car is by the market. I’ll drive you home.” Adrian’s voice is still hard and unyielding, but I know without a doubt I’m safe with him.

When I saw that scumbag grab her arm I almost blacked out I was so furious. It took all the self-control in my body not to rearrange his pathetic face. I growl and stalk over to my fridge, hoping some water will cool me down. Because even though we were standing in the cold, my blood is boiling.

“When you marry her, can I be the best man at your wedding? I think I should get to since I’m your twin.” I narrow my eyes at him. Maverick and Levi both laugh at us. “I’m not marrying Juliette.” Grayson’s faux innocent look fades into a smirk. “We’ll see.”

Georgiana is Peach Hollow’s morality police. When I first moved here she took it upon herself to educate me on how hand-holding leads to a baby on your hip. She has diagrams that would make even the most promiscuous of people blush. The image on page seven of her twenty-page pamphlet still haunts me years later.

“Anything you don’t want is worthy of punishment. You deserve respect.” His words come out gravelly and rough, those deep blue eyes boring into mine. “That’s kind of you to say.” “It’s not kindness, it’s basic human decency.” His words snap me out of the romantic haze I was enjoying. He’s right, but it brings back flashes of painful memories where I wasn’t treated with respect at all.

“Please don’t ever hold back or change yourself around me. You’re incredible, Jules. You’re like a sunflower, always growing toward the light. You make everyone around you want to be better, including me–especially me. I’m sorry your parents didn’t love you the way they should have. You deserve better. If someone isn’t giving you what you deserve–even me–you don’t have to settle for less, okay?”

“I’ve never felt worthy before, I’m not sure I believe I am.” I’m gutted by her words, heartbroken that anyone could look at this angelic woman and think of her as anything less than priceless. “Then take your time. I’ll be here showing you your worth every day, until you see it too.”