a breathless grunt escapes my lips as i heave another box through the doorway. my aching arms are screaming for a break, but i only have two boxes left to bring up so i decide against it. sighing loudly, i make my way back down the hallway and into the elevator which takes me straight down the the ground floor.
droplets of sweats are starting to form at my hairline, and i subconsciously wipe them away before they get the chance to fall.
i awkwardly smile at the guy whose watched me carry boxes back and forth from my car to my new apartment, and i can tell he's getting annoyed. his eyes are trained on his phone but each time i walk past, he looks up.
perhaps he's waiting for someone, and expects to see them each time he looks up, however, he's struck with disappointment when he sees me instead. i feel almost apologetic, guilty for drawing his attention to me with my sluggish footsteps, yet my guilt fades each time he fails to reciprocate the smile i flash him.
what happened to strangers who smiled back?
as i pass him, i notice his brows are drawn into a frown, as the dim lighting of his phone make his green eyes stand out like i've never seen before, but i try not to stare at the silent stranger.
i grab the last big box out of the backseat and prop it on the ground while i reach for the smaller one. balancing the boxes atop of one another, i manage to pick up both boxes and lock the car successfully which leaves me with a proud smile on my face.
as i make it back into the elevator, i almost bump into that same guy again. i freeze as his eyes lock onto my brown ones and for the first time, i fully take in his appearance.
light freckles scatter his tinted cheeks i assume to be from the sun. dirty blonde hair sits messily on top of his head and he's pretty tall, i'd say. he doesn't say a word but he presses a button on the wall.
we stand side by side, the gentle whir of the elevator fills the silence and i stare at the glass door as we ascend. i notice how thick the air has become in the elevator, the little fan above us is no match for the floridian heat, which i'm still becoming accustomed to. i cringe feeling heat travel down my spine.
for a second, i take my eyes off the floor to peek at the man beside me. he's leaning ever so casually against the wall, with his foot propped in such a way to support him. the delicate breeze barely moves the messy, stray hairs on his head and for some reason i feel a pang of jealousy hit my chest. he looks good.
for the first time, i pay attention to the numbers above the elevator doors, and realise he's headed to my floor.
for a moment, my mind wanders to where his apartment is and i feel the sudden urge to slap myself as my mind delves into the absurd thoughts of what it could look like inside. i debate whether he might prefer bright coloured walls to dull ones, but i shake my head feeling bewildered.
we step out simultaneously as the elevator dings and i start in the direction of my new apartment and as i get to my door, i feel his eyes trained on me as i struggle with the keys.
his attentive eyes force my cheeks to redden when i almost drop the keys, but once i make it inside, i drop the boxes down with a sigh of temporary relief. i glance behind me, watching the stranger step into the apartment opposite mine.
he lives here too?
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word count: 664
*in editing*
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first chapter, still editing. but it will get better! <3
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coffee stains || dreamnotfound
Romancedipping my head to his level, i whisper, "do you want me in the ways i want you?" when george moves to florida, the last thing he expects is his life to collide with the tall stranger living opposite. lowercase intended.
