Page 220 of Phobia

Oh God… Why is he looking at me like that?

He totally knows I was watching him. That’s why he’s here… to call me out for being a creepy pervert, then smash all my flamingies to death.

My lips part, ready to start spewing apologies. But he beats me to the punch.

“Sorry.” His lips curve. “Didn’t mean to trespass or anything. I was just checking out your birds.”

I’m literally gawking at him, and I can’t stop.

Words. Say words.

“Th-that’s okay,” I stutter, clearing my throat.

“Are they yours?” he asks casually, his fingers absentmindedly petting Phillip’s plastic head.

“Yes.” I shift on my feet.

He nods, moving onto Harry. “I thought only old ladies had these.”

I frown. “You have agnome…”

“It’s my mom’s.” His mouth spreads into an even wider grin, like he’s messing with me, teasing me or something. But I’m so blinded by the perfectness of it, my brain has gone completely blank, and I can’t think of anything witty to say.

Usually I’m quick with the comebacks, but right now, I’m an awkward statue. All I can think about is his fist curled around his—

“Well,Ilike flamingos,” I mutter defensively. “More than gnomes.”

He chuckles, and my stomach twists almost uncomfortably. “Yea, me too.”

Suddenly, he’s stepping closer to me, extending his hand. For some reason, I back up, like he’s holding me at gunpoint. My back hits the door, and I flinch.

He just chuckles again. “I’m Jules. I just moved in next door. But I guess you already know that, based on you hating on my gnome.”

I’m still up on the step, and he’s on solid ground. I’m kind of looking down at him, which is a bit awkward. The twitches I already had are eventwitchiernow, being face-to-face with him for the first time.

He’s a million times hotter up close. With these light amber-colored eyes, like wildflower honey complimenting the fuck out of his complexion. And that voice… It’ssomuch nicer than what I’d been imagining in my head.

My gaze falls to the hand he has extended up to me, and I swallow. Not shaking it would definitely come across as rude, but my palms are all kinds of sweaty right now.

Still, I reluctantly take it, giving him a quick, unenthused shake before snatching my hand back. “I’m Asa.”

“Nice to meet you, Asa,” he says, kindly, though it sounds like there’s some intrigue in his tone.

It’s all in my head, I’m sure of it. He’s just being friendly…

The thing is, I’ve been staring at this kid through our bedroom windows for the past three nights. And it’s sorta made me feel like I alreadyknowhim, in some intimate way. It’s really twisting knots in my gut, because I wasn’t even sure I was interested in guys before. Now, I’mswooning, and I don’t know how to stop.

“Y-you too,” I stammer, trying to remember how to act normal. I clomp down the two steps in my boots, and Jules’s eyes fall to them. “You said you… live with your mom?”

His chin lifts, locking me with his shimmering irises.

Thank God I’m wearing my shades. I feel like those eyes could totally read every perverse thought I’ve ever had about him.

“Yea, it’s just the two of us,” he tells me. “We moved from Fort Lauderdale.”

Ah… the plot thickens.

“I was gonna say… you don’t seem like you’re from around these parts,” I’m able to get the sentence out, and I begin to relax a little.