The Neighbor

Chapter 4

You'd avoided Negan for 4 days, and like the gent he seemed to be, he'd kept his distance. But you missed him. And he was right, this had been a wake up call. If everything was rosy in your marriage, you'd never feel this way about another man. That had to mean something. Eugene had left that morning for a work trip, and would be gone until Friday, so you planned to spend some time alone, making some decisions about your life.

———

It only took two days for you to come to the conclusion that you needed to end your marriage. The couple of conversations you'd had with your husband, had been almost cringeworthy. What kind of husband asks how many minutes you took in the shower so he can calculate the water usage? You hadn't told him that you'd probably been in there about a half hour. Your fantasies about Negan had made for some particularly pleasurable showers.

Being honest with yourself, you could see that you'd been unhappy for a long time. This was no way to live. Even without Negan being around, the fact was, that you weren't in love with Eugene any more. You loved him, but not the way you're meant to love your husband.

You wanted to tell Negan, so he knew where he stood, and also to let him know that he was in no way responsible, so you wrote him a text.

You: Can I come over? X

You knew he was home, because you'd watched him pull his Harley into his garage a half hour or so ago, so you hoped he'd reply to you quickly. Fortunately, you waited less than a minute.

Negan: Sure. Coffee?

You: Please x

Negan pulled the door open as you walked up his driveway. Once again, your body had an intense physical reaction to him, and you had to pause a second to catch your breath. He looked a little unsure how to behave, so you grasped the opportunity to lean in and kiss his cheek. The stubble on his face made your skin tingle, and his manly scent invaded your nostrils. "Thank you for being such a gentleman the other day. I didn't deserve it."

"'Course you fucking did. Your head was obviously in a mess, what else would I have done?!"

"Well anyway. Thank you."

"Come on in, the coffee is ready."

"Great... So. I want to be completely honest with you, and I don't want you to think this means I'm expecting anything from you. I.... I know that kiss the other day was in the heat of the moment, and I'm sure you haven't even given it a second thought."

Negan opened his mouth to interrupt, but you lifted a finger to his mouth and shook your head.

"Please. Let me finish. I know I'm rambling, but I have to just get this out." Taking a deep breath, you continued, "I'm going to ask Eugene for a divorce. I think it's clear that I have an attraction towards you, but that's not why I'm doing this. We haven't been happy for years. We just exist together. And that's no way to live.

"I promise you though, that I don't expect anything from you. I'd love us to be friends, but if that's weird for you after the other day, I totally understand and I'll stay away."

"You need to open your eyes, girl! You gotta be able to see the way I look at you. You're beautiful! And I've thought of almost nothing BUT that kiss since the other day! I don't want you to rush into anything, it takes time to deal with the end of a relationship. But know this, beautiful girl, I am here. Whenever you're ready. For whatever you want. Just say the word."

Oh my.

"You always know the right words to say don't you?!" Smiling, you took your coffee from Negan's hand, and wandered through to his living room.

Settling on to his huge sofa, the reality of divorcing Eugene hit you, having now said the words out loud, and tears filled your eyes. Oh god, don't cry. Please don't cry.

"Hey." Negan was beside you before you even realised he'd noticed your tears, "Don't cry, baby. I know it's hard, it's a huge deal making a decision like this." As he knelt before you, he placed one hand on your thigh, and the other reached up to tilt your chin up. Looking deep into your soul, he carried on, "But I think you know that this is the right thing to do. And I promise you, I'm here for you. Please remember that. Whatever you need, I'm there. You don't need to go through this alone."

His words, as always, made you feel more balanced, and you were suddenly desperate to touch him. Reaching up, you grasped his face in your hands, his stubble tickling your palms, and you kissed him. Long and hard. His arms wrapped around your back and pulled you against his body as he stood, then he pulled back from the kiss and leant your head against his chest, holding you in such a comforting embrace that your heart could barely handle it. His chin rested on top of your head, while one hand gently stroked your hair. The other held you tight against him, and you felt safer than you'd felt in a long time.

———

"Hello. I'm afraid I will not be returning to our abode until next Tuesday. There have been some, circumstances of the unforeseen variety and my presence is still required here."

"Oh. That's a shame."

"It is. I was hoping to continue building my model battleship this weekend."

"Right, well..."

"Duty calls, Mrs Porter. I must get back to it. Goodbye."

———

Your stomach had been churning since your conversation with Eugene earlier, your brain flitting between being annoyed at his tone with you, happy you didn't have to see him again yet, relieved you didn't have to have 'the conversation' yet, and disappointed that you'd have to wait even longer to move things forward with Negan. He'd been so great about it. You'd had coffee a few times, and talked some more about decorating, and each time, you'd found your attraction to him grow. Aside from your obvious physical connection, you were realising that you were making a friend. A true friend. His presence seemed to make you feel alive, and you craved it more and more. You sent him a text.

You: Dinner & a movie tonight at mine? x

You didn't want to spend another evening alone with your thoughts, and you were sure Negan would remain the perfect gentlemen he'd shown you he was, so you were confident you could keep things on a level. I just want to be close to him. I can keep a lid on my lust. Yeah, definitely.

Negan: Mr Porter not coming home tonight?

You: No, next week now. I just want some company, I've had enough of my own thoughts!

Negan: Okay, sure. Shall I bring dinner?

You: No, I've got it. I was gonna make chilli. That okay?

Negan: Great. 7ish?

You: Perfect x