Her Arrogant Demon Next Door

Chapter 6 Chelsea POV

“ Why are you mowing my lawn ?” It didn’t come out as harsh as I wanted it to. I mean, I had no idea why I was trying to be mad at him in the first place. Maybe because he just did it without asking, I have felt like men were too involved in my life since I moved here him and Frank. Just a few short days ago, damm where had my quiet life gone, he stopped the mower.

I think I’m going to have to repeat myself, but he must have heard me over the loudness of the mower. He gestured to it with his hand, giving me a duh look. “ I was just making sure everything was OK with the mower. I picked you up. If not, I’d take it back”.

Now I felt like sh*t. F*ck. Why was I so disoriented by my emotions at the minute ? “Oh well, thanks. But I could have done it. I’m home now. You already got me the mower, which was more than enough “ I said as I inspected the new mower, and it looked very good. This couldn’t be in my budget even I knew the make of it to be an expensive one.

“ It was no bother. I was heading to the store anyway and your grass still wasn’t cut, so I assumed you’d not had enough time “ he carried on talking, not knowing the mental break-down I was having the more I looked at it.

“ Adam, how much did this cost ?” I asked tightly. I studied his face, dreading him telling me the price. Smooth as butter, he tells me “ a hundred and sixty, I know it’s ten over budget but trust me, it’s worth it “ he smiles, and then he looks away, not holding my stare.

“ You're Lying ” I snapped out. His green eyes cut back at me. His expression changed in an instant. He looked angry, annoyed and defensive.

“ What ? ” He says, acting affronted, “ You heard me. There is no way a mower like this and that brand was only a hundred and sixty , so how much was it ?” . He stands to face me straight on crossing his bulging arms over his chest, somehow looking bigger.

“ I go and do you a favor, and you return that by calling me a liar. I don’t know about you, Chelsea, but I’d have got my ass whooped for being so ungrateful “ he growls at me. The insult didn’t stop me on my path. I think all the frustration from the day was spewing out of my mouth like word vomit. “ Yea, I’m sure you were raised to be an inconsiderate ass too, who has a revolving door of women and likes to take the micky out of women by calling them pretty and sh*t do you find it funny ? To know you look like some sort of Norse god in the looks department, then try to play with women’s feelings who are nowhere near your league. What is it with men these days? Why are you all such assh*les? Where are all the kind and decent men ? “ I ranted.

His green eyes turn black, his pupils blowing up as his face hardens, it’s weird, but his features even seem to sharpen. But he quickly turns his body, putting his back to me, his shoulders tense and moving up and down as if he’s heaving breath.

“ I guess that would mean I’d be making my dad proud huh, seeing as we are all alike ? “ He sounded like he was gritting it out. Talking more to himself than me, he turns his head to the side and talks over his shoulder at me. His face seems normal again even though I can’t see it properly.

“ Your welcome for the mower, next time I won’t bother “. He walks to the fence and hops over it in the cat like way he does. “ I’ll find out how much it was, and I’ll post you the money “ I shouted at his retreating back. But he doesn’t acknowledge me, he just walks off up his garden and his porch into his house. It’s not until his door slams that I release my breath. That I was holding realization of what a sh*t to him, I'd just been hitting me hard. Seconds later loud rock music blasts and I cringed, closing my eyes. “ Sh*t have I just got myself another sleepless night ? “ I whined to myself.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone laughed behind me swinging around. I saw Kyle leaning over the fence with amusement all over his face. “Well, girl that was tense, you sure don’t mince your words do you ?” He was laughing and sounding amused. It makes me cringe. I haven’t officially met my other neighbors yet. Jeez what impression did he have of me now. “ Hi ermm sorry that’s not how I usually am, it’s just I don’t know he has this way of “ my words die in my mouth. Of what ? He wasn’t actually being horrid then or smirky , he was mowing my lawn with the mower he had picked up for me.

So why had I flipped? I knew why I was thinking he was trying to give me a hand out there was no way he was telling the truth about the price. I didn’t want handouts or pity. I would and could do things on my own, I didn’t want to be reliant on anyone. I’m not even sure where the fear of that came from. Maybe watching auntie struggle and the guilt I felt that her having to look after me became a financial burden to her. She never went on to have her own children or a long-term partner. She was responsible for providing for us both, and I saw how much she struggled.

Maybe I just didn’t want to put me and my child through that if I had a child one day. I mean to do that, I had to at least try a relationship that would mean letting someone in. But what if they ever left, like the one and only guy I’d known auntie to be with did. Not long after she took full guardianship of me, it happened. I’d asked her if it was because of me he left. Maybe he wasn’t ready for kids, but she would always shut me down. Tell me not to be silly. Anyway, if that happened, I’d have a house for us and hopefully a decent amount of money, no struggle.

“ He what ? “ Kyle asks, tilting his head, his face knowing like he already knew, “ He just gets to me and I don’t know why. I don’t even know him. He’s just so “ my words die off again. This time Kyle finishes, for me, “ intense “he says.

Laughing, I nod “Yes, maybe I haven’t quite worked it out. I just feel he’s taking the micky out of me and I don’t like it “. He scowls and looks at Adams house“ how ?” He says, sounding a little angry.

I didn’t want to say it was embarrassing but Kyle didn’t make me feel embarrassed, the opposite actually, he made me feel relaxed like I could tell him anything. How was that possible for someone I just met ? “ He calls me pretty “ I find myself telling him the truth. His scowl turns to disbelief, and it almost makes me hurl like he’s about to agree it is a joke. But he elaborates, and it makes me feel like I’m being scolded like a big brother or sister would “ Why would that be him taking the micky as you call it, you are pretty. He’s stating facts “ he scowls at me.

I swept my hand at Adams' house, which was still blasting heavy rock. “ Have you seen him ?” I asked like it should answer his question, like it should tell him all he needed to know. “ Yes I have, and I also see you. Maybe Chelsea, you should go look in the mirror longer and maybe accept he’s actually meaning it”.

I’m about to argue more, but he holds up his hand. “Nope I won’t hear you pulling yourself down more. What I will do is see you here Saturday for the bbq and you, my dear, are now going to have to put up with a sulky Adam and however he decides to lash out, he has a heart of gold but also a temper. You poked the beast. That was all your doing " he pauses and pointed to his house and, most likley meaning the music, then he carries on "If I don’t see you over this fence on Saturday I’ll come and get you myself. I need a new wing woman around all these alpha males and with the tongue lashing I just witnessed you give believe you’ll do just fine “ he winks and saunters off up to his house.

Once again, I’m left feeling railroaded and confused, but I also believe I’ll like Kyle. Sighing, I look back at the bloody lawnmower and my half-cut grass and go get changed. When I came back out, the music was still hammering away and the mower was now unplugged from what must have been his extension, so I went back into the house and grabbed mine.

When I went back down the garden, I noticed the box for the mower was over the fence too and wondered when he’d been outside. I was only in the house two minutes. Looking inside the box, I saw a piece of paper and pulled it out, seeing it was a receipt. When I look closely, guilt swamps me when I see the price one hundred and sixty.

“ F*ck “ I sighed, and now I’ll have to apologize. Stuffing the Receipt in my pocket, I get to work finishing the garden feeling like a first-class cow. By the time I was done, the music had stopped, it was later that night when I was enjoying a glass of wine on my porch reading a book while wrapped in my blanket. That I had to deal with Adams strop as Kyle called it. It felt more like a slap in the face.

He had stumbled out of the house a tall leggy blonde wrapped around his waist, he was holding her up by her bum with her legs wrapped around his waist. With the way he was walking, he was definitely intoxicated, and she was brave trusting him to hold her up. He sits her on the porch rail their lips locked and hands roaming. Her moans were definitely overexaggerated. He wasn’t touching anywhere sexually, yet anyway one hand was in her hair, the other on her neck and, like some sort of creep, I couldn’t look away.