The Wrong Side of Heaven

Chapter 5

Jay has been gone for five days now and I haven't heard from him, or felt the need to text him. According to Anthony, he'll be home in the morning. Over the past few days I've managed to avoid Hailey while spending time with Jade and Anthony. At this point, I would consider them both my friends. They're both fun to be around, have big personalities and can always make me laugh. I'm thankful for their friendship. I'm not sure I would've made it here long if I didn't have them.

Rolling over, I see that it's already one o'clock in the morning and I'm still wide awake. I need to burn of some energy. I quickly change into some leggings, a sports bra and a tank top. I slip my feet into my shoes before quietly leaving my room. The house is silent with the exception of the back patio where there's six men playing cards while smoking. I sneak out the side door and jog to the detached garage that doubles as the gym. Thankfully nobody seems to come here at this time of night so this is the third night I've had the place to myself. Taking off my shirt, I tie my hair back into a ponytail before starting my routine.

About halfway through, I'm covered in sweat and thinking about giving up. It's already past two and I'm exhausted. Dropping down on a mat, I lean back against my elbows and catch my breath. The sound of the door closing causes me to jump. I watch as a muscular guy who appears to be in his thirties walks in. He pulls off his shirt and I take a moment to admire his perfectly chiseled body. Damn. There are definitely a lot of fine ass men here but I think this one has the best body. He grabs some weights and walks to the bench, finally noticing me. "You just gonna stare?"

His words catch me by surprise. "Maybe."

He smirks, going back for more weights. "Just clean up your drool when you're done."

"What's your name?"

"Carter. What's yours?" he asks as he lays on the bench.

"Isabel."

He grips the bar above his head and lifts it. I watch as he does his set effortlessly. Standing, I walk over to the mini fridge and grab two bottles of water. I wait for him to set the bar down before walking over to him and offering him a bottle. "Thanks. I've never seen you here before."

"I just moved here Thursday."

"Ah. Who brought you in?" He asks, looking up at me.

"Jay."

He raises an eyebrow, looking a bit surprised. "Really? And you live here now?"

"Yes."

He nods a little, deep in thought. "How are you liking it so far?"

I shrug, looking around. "It's okay. I haven't done much of anything yet."

He glances at the clock on the wall. "Hey, let's sneak into the kitchen for a snack. No one's in there this late."

I laugh. "I think that will defeat the purpose of my workout."

"Noted, only veggies for you."

Standing, he grabs his shirt and heads for the door. I grab my tank top but decide against putting it on since I'm still slightly sweating. What I really need right now is a shower. The men that were playing cards on the patio are no longer there. The light breeze cools me but also causes a shiver to run down my spine. We enter the quiet house and make our way to the kitchen. Carter begins rummaging through the cabinets while I sit on the counter. Sighing, he closes a cupboard and just as he's about to give up, he sees a plate wrapped in tinfoil on the counter. Raising an eyebrow, he attempts to quietly unwrap the plate and discovers colorful cupcakes. "Aha. I knew I'd find something good in here."

He offers me one but I shake my head. I watch as he takes a few bites, leaving frosting on the corner of his mouth. Chuckling softly, I point at it. "You have some frosting-"