BEHIND HIS GLASSES 👓

THE BOY NEXT DOOR

Chapter 2: The Boy Next Door

Chloe’s POV

The first night back in Maplewood was the kind that made it hard to sleep. My room felt both familiar and foreign — the walls painted in the same pale yellow I remembered from childhood, the creaky wooden floor that always betrayed my sneaky midnight steps, the window across from mine that still faced the Williams’ house.

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling fan as it hummed softly, trying to drown out the memories pressing in on me. Memories of Dad’s laugh echoing through this very room when he helped me unpack my toys, his warm hands ruffling my hair, his promise that Maplewood would always be home.

But Dad wasn’t here anymore.

Now it was just Mom, my little brother Ethan, and me. And no matter how many times I told myself I was strong, the emptiness in this house felt like a wound that hadn’t healed.

I turned my head toward the window, almost against my will. Sure enough, the curtains on the other side shifted. A silhouette moved — tall, broad-shouldered, unmistakable even in the dim glow of the streetlight.

Brad Williams.

His glasses caught the faint light as he leaned closer to the window, his expression unreadable. For a second, it almost looked like he was going to wave. Instead, he just stared. Quiet. Unmoving. Like he was trying to figure me out all over again.

I scowled and yanked the curtain shut. The last thing I needed was to be reminded of him every night.

---

The next morning, the smell of coffee and toast pulled me downstairs. Mom was already dressed for work, fussing over Ethan’s school uniform while juggling her phone on speaker. She looked exhausted, her dark hair tied up in a messy bun, her blazer hanging loosely from her shoulders.

“Morning, honey,” she said distractedly, sliding a plate of toast toward me. “Don’t forget, your best friend is coming by today. I thought it’d be nice for you to reconnect before school starts tomorrow.”

I perked up a little. “Lila?”

“Mm-hm,” Mom confirmed, balancing her coffee mug and her phone at the same time. “She texted last night. Said she can’t wait to see you.”

Lila Montgomery — my partner in crime since we were seven. If anyone could make this return to Maplewood bearable, it was her.

“Great,” I mumbled around a bite of toast, already imagining her squeal when she saw me.

The sound of a door shutting outside made me glance through the window. Across the street, Mr. Williams — Brad’s dad — was climbing into his car, dressed in a crisp suit. He gave a polite wave toward our house when he noticed me watching. I forced a small smile back.

Behind him, Mrs. Williams stepped out onto their porch, watering the flowers that lined the railing. She looked like the type of mom you saw in TV commercials — always put together, always cheerful. I used to adore her cookies as a kid.

And then, behind her, came Brad.

He looked exactly like he had last night: glasses perched low, dark hair falling into his face, earbuds tucked in. He didn’t say anything to his mom, just stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket and walked down the steps.

Mrs. Williams caught me staring and lit up like it was Christmas. She waved enthusiastically. “Chloe! You’ve grown so much! Welcome back, sweetheart!”

I pasted on a polite smile and waved back. “Hi, Mrs. Williams.”

Beside her, Brad finally lifted his gaze. His eyes met mine, steady and unflinching. He didn’t smile. He didn’t wave. He just… looked.

And for some reason, that annoyed me more than if he had smirked.

~~

By the time Lila arrived later that afternoon, I was practically bouncing at the door.

She looked the same but older — same bouncy curls, same mischievous grin, but taller, with a confidence that made her seem like she owned the world.

“Chloe freaking Peters!” she shrieked, throwing her arms around me so tightly I almost lost my breath. “You’re back! Do you know how dead this town has been without you? I had to survive with boring people. Boring!”

I laughed, hugging her back just as hard. “You survived, though.”

“Barely,” she teased, pulling back to study me. “You look… different. Prettier. Like, annoyingly prettier. I hate you already.”

I rolled my eyes, but my chest warmed. Same old Lila.

We spent the next hour sprawled across my bed, catching up on everything we’d missed — her endless complaints about Maplewood High, the drama between her classmates, and her theories about which teachers were secretly dating.

Through the window, I caught glimpses of Brad coming and going. He walked to the corner store once, headphones still glued in, hoodie pulled tight like armor. Later, he sat on his porch steps, scribbling something into a notebook, his expression dark and focused.

Every time I looked, I told myself I wasn’t looking.

And yet, I couldn’t stop.

~~

That night, as Lila headed home and Mom tucked Ethan into bed, I found myself at the window again.

This time, Brad was already there. Sitting by his desk, glasses sliding down his nose, lamplight spilling over him as he flipped through a thick book. His brows furrowed, lips pressed together, completely absorbed.

He didn’t notice me. Not at first.

But then, as if he sensed it, his head lifted. His eyes locked on mine across the narrow gap between our houses.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then, with deliberate slowness, he reached up and slid his glasses off, setting them on the desk. Without them, his eyes looked sharper. Intense.

It was the kind of look that made my heart stutter — like he wasn’t just seeing me, but seeing through me.

I snapped my curtains shut, pulse racing.

God, what was wrong with me?

This was Brad Williams. The boy next door. The boy who’d once made my childhood a nightmare.

And yet…

For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure if I knew who he really was anymore.