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Chapter Two

MACKENZIE

What a fucking day! Time was not on my side when my alarm decided to give me the silent treatment, causing me to be late for work.

Work was a disaster, of course. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. Not to mention, my period had been kicking my ass all day. To make the day even worse, I stepped in a puddle on the way home!

Before I got off work, I planned on going to the bar to relieve some stress with a nice blonde or brunette. By the time I actually finished up at work, I was too tired to even entertain the idea, so I swung by the store for some wine and headed home instead.

When I finally got home, I dropped my keys on the table next to the door and kicked my shoes off.

It was well after ten, and I was exhausted. I stayed late at work to finish up a few things, but I fully regretted that decision. It was about a twenty-five-minute drive from my apartment, but every soul in Seattle was out. I hated traffic!

I grabbed a glass from my cabinet and settled down on the bench at my window.

Aside from my strong attachment to roofs and indoor plumbing, I rented this apartment because of the reading nook at the bay window overlooking the city.

It was as breathtaking at night as it was in the morning, which is why I sat there every day. I had lived in Seattle my whole life, and I didn’t think I would ever get tired of looking at it.

I’d been hearing music all night, and it hadn’t bothered me, but as I was coming back from the bathroom, a loud thud made me jump.

“What the fuck?” I said, grabbing my heart to make sure it was still there. Since I moved in, things had been pretty quiet until tonight.

I listened for another minute. The music was a little louder, and I heard another loud noise. I couldn’t make out the song itself, but it sounded like a song you would dance to at a bar or a party. I shrugged it off and went back to my book. It wasn’t any of my business.

I was hoping it would go away eventually, but it didn’t. It was now almost one in the morning, and the sounds continued.

I walked closer to the door to see if I could hear anything else. All I heard was laughing, and the music grew louder.

“What the hell?” I muttered. I knew it was a Friday, but some people worked on the weekends, and it was the middle of the night. I tried to ignore the raging party across the hall, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

I walked out of my apartment and listened to the sounds like a detective, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from, but it was obvious. As soon as I stepped outside, it was like the music was seeping through the walls.

The music came from inside my new neighbor’s apartment across the hall, who I hadn’t met yet. When they’d gone inside a few times, I only caught the door closing behind them, and a welcome mat showed up a few days ago. I didn’t know who this person was, but I already didn’t like them. They were probably some inconsiderate and immature frat boy. My last neighbor was an elderly, quiet man. I miss Charles.

I let out a huff and marched the whole seven feet to the door. I started with a knock, but stopped halfway through, realizing there was no way in hell they could hear it. Instead, I curled my hands into fists, and pounded on the door, alternating hands until someone answered.

They probably thought I was the police or the SWAT team, but I didn’t give a shit. I just wanted to come home and relax in peace, which I could see wasn’t going to happen.

I also polished off half the red wine that was sitting on my coffee table, so I wasn’t in a raging party type of mood to begin with.

Usually, I wouldn’t be this upset. It was only music, but after the day I had, and the alcohol, a pen drop would’ve sent me into a fit of rage.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been confronting a stranger while drinking and on my period, but there I was anyway, banging on their door in the middle of the night. I hoped they weren’t an ex-con or mafia type, because that would’ve sucked.

I pounded on the door for another few seconds until it flew open.

“Oh my God, I’m coming! Can I help—” The woman on the other side of the door cut herself off as she swung it open, her eyes meeting mine as my breath caught in my throat.

She was not a frat boy.

She continued after a few seconds of me staring at her. Blink, you dumbass!

“Uhh… Hi. Can I help you?” Her words slurred a bit, and I realized I had made a major mistake.

I cleared my throat and scowled at her, remembering why I was there to begin with. “Yeah, I hope so. Do you think you could turn the music down? Some of us are trying to sleep.”

She looked at me, narrowing her brows as her tongue popped out to wet her bottom lip. Holy fuck! This was not the best idea.

I looked her up and down and suppressed a groan. She was painfully gorgeous, with her long, curly red hair which caressed her sexy collarbones. I mean, seriously, who knew collarbones could be so hot?

She had a natural makeup look with light eyeshadow and a cupid’s bow above her crimson, fucking red lips. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were a captivating shade of gray. And those freckles… my God, they were like a masquerade mask, forever embedded into her skin.

She wore the most maddening green dress, which showed off her shoulders and stopped halfway up her thigh. It was perfectly low-cut, leaving little to the imagination.

My mouth parted slightly on its own but I closed it, hopefully before she noticed. I tossed my thoughts away and cleared my throat.

She raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you so drunk that you can’t hear me? Turn. Down. The music.”

She scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. “No, I heard you just fine. What’s your problem, and who exactly are you?”

My eyes traveled to where her hands now rested, and back up to meet her scowling expression. “I live across the hall, and my problem is that some of us adults are trying to sleep. See, we have these things called jobs, and they require us to get this thing called sleep.”

That came out harsher than I would’ve liked. Maybe coming over here wasn’t the best idea, especially because it seemed we both had been drinking.

“Well, excuse the fuck out of me, grandma. Lighten up.”

I rolled my eyes and scoffed at her drunken attempt at an insult. “Grandma? I’m sure I’m not much older than you. What are you, twenty-one?”

“I’m twenty-four, actually, but thanks for the compliment. And how old are you? You look like you could pass for thirty-five.” She smirked.

I narrowed my eyes. “It wasn’t a compliment. And no, I’m not thirty-five, thank you very much. I’m twenty-seven, not that it’s any of your business. Can you just try to turn it down if you’re capable? Because looking at you, it seems like that might be a bit of a challenge.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

I didn’t bother to respond as I turned and walked away. Before I got to my door, I could have sworn I heard a whispered, “Bitch.” I chuckled softly when she slammed the door behind her.

It seemed she may have been capable of at least one thing because I didn’t hear a peep for the rest of the night.

I tried to go back to reading, but I was too pissed off, so I settled on taking a shower and went to bed.

By the time I got into bed, my adrenaline was still high. I was usually more laid-back and didn’t typically get confrontational like that. But I was already on edge, and the wine certainly didn’t help.

I mean, sure, attractive didn’t even begin to describe her, but she was clearly intoxicated and inconsiderate.

I rolled my eyes and turned over on my side. I was glad the day was over, and I hoped I would never have to deal with her again.