My Neighbor's Secret

Chapter 2- Ashton

Ashton.

I pull Abi off my shoulders, my smile faltering a little. I tell her to go find her older brother Sam so I can be alone with this girl. She has a small plant in her hands, it looks lovely and green. But I'm not paying attention to the plant.

The girl in front of me has chocolate colored hair, it's shade rich and supple. Her eyes are a glowing grey color. The girl has features of a doll, with soft shapely lips and high set cheek bones. Her skin is slightly flushed too.

She looks down nervously at her bright red shoes. I grin at the color of them.

" I'm- um- your neighbor I guess. My names Rose," she smiles. Her teeth are white and perfect.

I'm too surprised for a second to reply. Why do I feel so drawn to her, she's obviously not like me. If she was, I would know.

"My name's Ashton," I say as confidently as I can.

Before anything else, Rose extends the plant towards me and I take it. She smiles at the weight lifted from her hands.

Rose claps her hands, trying to let out the awkward tension in the air," well, if you ever need anything Ashton, feel free to come by."

For some reason, I don't want her to leave," wait," I say without thinking.

She turns towards me, curious.

"It was-uh- really nice to meet you," I say it sincerely.

I don't know what she's doing to me.

Rose smiles, her left dimple making its appearance," it was nice to meet you too."
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"Who was that?" Sam asks, obviously amused.

I close the door," Rose. She's our neighbor I guess. "

Sam raises a blonde eyebrow,"human?"

I sigh," yes, human."

Sam falls backwards into the couch," crap. She sounded cute I was hoping she would be a wolf like us. I'd love to have a great mate."

Abi comes running into the room,"Ashey!"

I crouch next to her, still feeling a little bewildered from my encounter with the gorgeous Rose.

"Yeah Abi?" She tugs on my hand with all her five year old might.

"Can we go outside and play?" She asks loudly.

Sam stands," I'll go get the rest of the boys, we can actually do something."

I shrug," I guess we're going outside."

Abi all but screams in triumph. Abi has no relation to me at all, but to me she's like a daughter. Her father was killed by a rouge when she was 3, now she looks up to Sam, her brother, and the rest of the boys but she sees me as a father.

Sam comes back with Matt and Kayden behind him. We're all around the same age, Sam being the oldest, but I'm next in line for alpha. Together, we all go outside, Matt balancing a football in his hands.

Abi tugs on the leg of my jeans," look!"

I follow her finger to where she's pointing and see Rose sprinting off her porch into a boy's arms. Out of instinct, I listen in on their conversation.

"Oliver!" Rose exclaims," oh my god! I missed you."

Jealousy bubbles in my chest without my permission but quickly goes away when I hear," well Rosemary, why wouldn't I see my favorite sister?"

I don't know if they are related biologically, but if he says that then it must mean they don't have a relationship. Why am I even worrying about it?

"Hey Ash! Eyes on the ball!" I turn my head to see a brown flash of the football.

I use my accelerated speed to catch it before it hits my eye.

"Thanks," I call out to Kayden," but I think I'm good."

Abi giggles," throw it to me!"

I underhand toss it to her and she flinches away from the ball.

"Oh come on Abi, you can do this," Sam calls out.

Kaye and Matt make noises of encouragement and I toss the ball to her again. The big grin on her face is priceless as she catches it. I think this is why we moved here, not to escape the rouges, but to finally be more human.

I grin and lift Abi into my arms, spinning her around.

"See, you can too do it!" I laugh before setting her on her feet.

Abi wobbles a little, dizzy.

"Who are they?" I hear Rose's brother ask.

"I only know one of them. He one with the really hot muscles and beautiful dark hair," Rose replies with a wistful tone.

I my grin brightens. Well that's always a confidence booster.

I look over quickly to see Rose pointing at me, I flash a smile at her. Even from this distance I see her cheeks flush.

Once they go inside its so much easier to focus.
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"We should invite them to dinner sometime!" My mother says that night, it's about 7.

Her, Sam and I are all sitting in a cozy little booth in a small, sailor themed diner. It's a cute diner, with about 3 people working. It's smells like unsweetened coffee and bread. After about a minuet, our waitress comes to our table.

I'm studying the small menu when she comes, but I'd recognize the voice in a second.

"Hi, I'm Rose and I'll be your," I look up and we meet eyes," uh I'll be you waitress." She stumbles on her words a little.

Sam's voice is so quiet only I can hear it," is she the neighbor girl?" He asks.

I only nod. Her uniform fits her perfectly, the white jeans hugging her legs amazingly. The dark color of her hair only showing past her ears because of the ridiculous hat she has to wear. The ends stopping at her elbow.

"Do you know what you would like to have or should I give you a second?" Rose has her work voice back, recovering quickly from her surprise.

My mom looks at Sam and I," no I think we're good. Just some grilled cheese for all three of us?" My mom smiles at Rose.

"Of course," Rose smiles back before walking away.

I watch her lean over the window the window to the kitchen, her right foot in the air and on her tiptoes almost gleefully. The way she looks at the woman who's name tag says Big Betty makes me think Rose is close with these people.

"Ash," my mom snaps.

I snap out of my daze," huh?"

"I asked if that's the girl Abi was talking about." My mom straightens the collar of her shirt.

"Yeah," I say distractedly," that's her."