Page 2 of Honey, I'm Home

As soon as I look again, it's dark over there, so maybe I imagined it. I turn off my lights just to be safe, allowing me to look out the window like a creeper without anybody knowing. A light on the lower-level flicks on, a silhouette passing by the window.

I immediately duck down, even though I know there's no way they could see me, but what the hell? I thought the house was empty.

That was part of the reason for me coming home, after all. I’ve known the family that lived there my whole life. Their son Arbor, alongside two other boys, Hawthorne and Dev, are my brother Anderson's best friends, and they were the star of every single teenage fantasy I ever had. Some of my adult ones too, if we’re oversharing.

I know I was nothing but an annoying younger sister to them, but the number of times I envisioned kissing one of them, or even all of them, is ridiculous. I can’t count the number ofdaydreams I've had where I'm walking down the aisle towards one of them, or all of them. Quite frankly, the level of obsession is embarrassing.

Arbor’s parents recently passed away, within a few months of each other. Pretty common for the supes. Their mate bonds are strong, so when one passes away, it doesn't usually take long for the other one to go as well. Tragic, but so romantic.

I sent flowers, but I couldn't be at the funeral because I let my ex control way too much. When my mom called to tell me that Arbor wanted to know if I'd be interested in selling their house, because I was the only one they trusted to do it, I hardly even thought about it.

It's not like life was going great in the city. I had a failed engagement and an apartment I could hardly afford, all of which was pretty damn easy to walk away from. Especially since my ex basically blacklisted me from the real estate market over there.

When I exposed what an asshole he was for cheating on me with somebody at the office, I knew we were done, but I didn't think he’d be vindictive enough to try and ruin my life.

That’s in the past though. I should have come home sooner, but there was a stubborn part of me that wanted to see if I could still make it in the city; even if I had to take other part time jobs to try and make ends meet. Coming home to Trash Haven felt like a failure. But coming home to do an old family friend a favor? That's just me being neighborly.

By the time I sink into my bed, I consider trying to read for a few minutes, but my eyes are heavy from focusing on the road so long. I always sleep so damn good in this bed; I don't know what it is about it. I've always suspected my mom bought a good sleeping charm or something from the shop in town, butknowing this bed was waiting for me upon arrival was definitely something I've been looking forward to all day, even if it is small.

I've been sleeping on a futon for the past few months since I moved out of the place I had with Ben, one of the only pieces of furniture I brought into his condo when I moved in. So, it was the only thing I walked away with.

Well, that and his microwave plates, the racks in his oven, the batteries in all of his remotes, and the password for all of his streaming services. I'm petty, not mature.

Chapter 2

Aster

Selling real estate in a new city is tricky. There are forms to fill out and licenses to transfer, and then there’s the whole trouble with finding clients as well. A town this size doesn’t really need more than one or two real estate agents, but me moving here was kismet.

Upon inquiry, I learned that one of the two in town was permanently retiring, and the other was going on maternity leave and wasn’t sure if or when she’d be back. I hear she’s having like six babies; pretty sure we can write that position off indefinitely. Also, pretty sure we can avoid mating with species that are known for producing an entire fucking litter of kids in one go. That sounds fuckingawful.

So maybe it wasn’t just because Arbor wanted me specifically to sell the house; maybe it was that and a combination of the fact that there was nobody else in town qualified.

I’m going to take the wins where I can and lie to myself though, because sometimes I really enjoy feeding my own grandeurs.

The retiring agent, Melissa, was so happy to see me when I walked in her office that she literally threw the keys at my face, tossing a stack of paperwork down as she ran out of there like her ass was on fire.

So much for a smooth transition; how the hell am I supposed to figure out how they operate without anyone else here to help train me?

When I gather the papers, I firstly see that they’re notarized by the town’s lawyer, and secondly, that she has written, ‘This shithole now belongs solely to’and there’s a blank space where she scribbled my name in pink glitter pen. She literally didn’t even take the time to type it up.

This feels like a warning; is this a hard market to work in?

Oh look at that, there’s a sticky note at the bottom that says, “Suck it, I’m leaving for the Bahamas and never coming back. You’re a peach for taking over, tell my clients to go to hell and give them two middle fingers for me. Don’t call.”

I sink into the nearest chair, which collapses under my weight, sending me sprawling on the ground.

I end up screaming at the ceiling and throwing the papers because it just feels like the right move.

Of course, that’s when Arbor fucking Cade walks in.

He’s peering over the reception desk at me when I get my shit back together enough to stop screaming, and his eyebrows areso damn high on his forehead that I think they’re considering jumping ship entirely.

“Hey.” I sit up and talk all nonchalantly, totally trying to pull off the cool girl routine. I can’t help it; he’s so fucking cute and every time I’m around him, I immediately revert to my stupid, bubbly-head teenage self.

“Uh, you doing okay?”

I look at the absolute mess around me. “What, this? Pfft. This was actually…staged for your entertainment. I totally knew you were coming by this morning.”