The Men Next Door

Ch 7 - Campbell

"I think you met most of these people at the park," Addy started, "but just in case, the single guys are Ryan, Dimitri, and Gabriel, who goes by Gabe, mostly, but I have that thing about nicknames"—she pointed across her living room to a group of six huddled together—"and then the couples are Lydia and Shane, Heather and Caleb, and Kylie and Aaron."

"And Noah, right?" I asked, looking at the guy in the kitchen with the adorable dog, whose name was definitely River.

"And Noah," she confirmed. She held a hand in front of her mouth and whispered, "Who is by far my favorite of Walker's friends."

I laughed, but she widened her eyes dramatically, letting me know she wasn't kidding. "What's wrong with the others?" I whispered back.

Addy glanced around the apartment, making sure everyone was occupied with their own conversations before admitting that both the singles and the couples felt like their own little cliques. "Walker met all the guys first, and I just can't break into the girl group, no matter how hard I try. It feels like when I tried out for cheerleading in high school and the captain told me I only made it because Walker was the quarterback and it was good for optics." She winced at her own story. "Sorry, I probably should've warned you about all of this before you came. But I was excited to have backup for once, you know? I'm glad you're here."

"It's okay," I told her, still speaking low. The truth was, I was just happy to be included. Kind of like Noah was, it seemed—and Addy, too. "Why don't you invite more of your friends?"

She gave me a smile that felt more exhausted than happy. "I feel like I'm always at work, and if I'm not...this is a typical Friday night for us. Saturday is errands, or the park, or maybe more work, if there's an event going on. Then Sunday is chores, or another event, or downtime with Walker. I don't really have anyone else nearby. It was a miracle I met you."

I could relate to that. Not because I was always working, but because in Florida, my friends were Vera's friends. And when Vera wasn't around anymore, I was left with me, myself, and I. Making good connections was hard, even when you were as welcoming as Addy, or trying as hard as I was before I moved to New York, and for the first time in a long time, I was starting to feel like it wasn't my fault for ending up alone.

Maybe I just hadn't made it to where I was supposed to be yet. And maybe that place was here, with Addy and Brooks and Luca and whoever else I was still waiting to meet.

Or maybe Vera was right, and...

River suddenly darted over, standing between me and Addy like a noble guard dog instead of the ESA he was trained to be. Noah followed a few seconds later with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Hey, Campbell," he greeted quietly.

"Campground!" Walker called out ten times louder, apparently noticing my presence for the first time. "You made it!"

"I did," I said with a small laugh as everyone else looked my way. Walker wasn't really my type, but I had to admit, there was something charming about him. He had an easy smile and a deep, raspy voice that felt like it belonged on the set of a western movie instead of inside a cramped Manhattan apartment. And with the fun, boyish energy he gave off even as a twenty-eight-year-old, I could imagine why a teenaged, cheerleader Addy would've fallen for him in their high school days. He basically had 'prom king' written all over him.

"Nice to see you again," he acknowledged, slapping Noah on the back as he joined our pocket of the hangout. "Surprised Addy hasn't scared you off by now."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Me? That's your job."

"My job is to teach people about the great outdoors," he said, shimmying his hands in the shape of a rainbow like he was selling something magical. "Speaking of," he said, looping an arm over Noah's shoulder and crossing one ankle over the other. "You got any interest in starting fires, Campground?"