The Men Next Door

Ch 17 - Campbell

Peace felt like a pipe dream after we all struck that deal.

Things may have seemed smooth on the surface, but deeper down, we were all scared to make the wrong move. A lunch rendezvous here, a sneaky late night visit there. Longing glances and restrained touches. That was all anyone dared to do. And with every passing day, the fifth floor hallway felt a little more like a haunted house, with new fears waiting around every booby-trapped corner.

Which was fitting, because Halloween had arrived.

I'd recruited Brooks for Addy's party that weekend, partly because I wanted to see if he could let loose for a night, and partly because I wanted her opinion on him. She took to Luca right away, and if she couldn't say the same for Brooks, it would have made my decision much easier. But by the time my neighbor and I arrived dressed in halfhearted devil outfits with black jeans, mismatched red shirts, and the only red tinted glasses I could find on short notice, it was clear that she wasn't going to be much help.

"Oh my God, look at you two!" Addy proclaimed proudly as she ushered us into her apartment. "Coordinating outfits already. So cute I almost can't believe it."

"Addy, I'm guessing?" Brooks asked, taking in the short gray wig she was wearing, paired with a nightgown that would've been fit for a nursing home if it weren't so skimpy.

"Grandma Adelaide," she corrected, looking over her shoulder at Walker, who was making his way over to us with no costume in sight. "Get it? A grandma and a walker. The jokes write themselves." She held her hand up to her mouth like she was telling a secret, even though she was still practically shouting over the din of the party. "It's not our best showing, but after so many years, you run out of couple's costumes, you know?"

Brooks chuckled, reaching out to shake Addy's hand, then Walker's. "Nice to meet you both."

"Welcome, welcome," Walker said with bravado, clearly already a few drinks deep. Then, turning to me, he added, "About damn time I met one of the famed neighbors, Campground."

"What he means is," Addy jumped in, "We've heard a lot about you, Brooks." I wanted to thank her for the rescue, except then she decided to tack on, "Like, a lot," while raising her eyebrows suggestively, and instead, I wanted to punch her in the face.

Brooks remained calm and confident as ever while hugging me into his side. "Is that so?" he asked, looking down at me with a playful smile.

"No," I tried to deny at the same time that Addy and Walker said, "Yes."

"How does he know?" I asked incredulously, pointing at Walker but looking directly at Addy.

She shrugged. "He's nosy, my left eye twitches when I lie, and secrets don't exist when you share a seven hundred square-foot apartment."

"All true," Walker confirmed with a nod. "And you just so happen to be my favorite form of reality TV. The only thing that could've made this night better is if the other guy followed you here." He laughed with a wheeze, wobbling as he reached for Addy's shoulder. "Can you imagine, babe?"

"Walker..." Addy warned.

"Anyway," he said, drawing out the first half of the word before turning to Brooks, "the guys are about to play some games if you want to join. Beer die and pong and shit. You in?"

My date took the chaos in stride, wordlessly searching my eyes before he answered. "Will you be okay without me?"

We hadn't talked about my mom's addiction yet, but because of Luca's big mouth, Brooks already knew that I didn't drink. That detail—like most things, with him—hadn't gone unnoticed, and his other, unspoken question came through loud and clear.