The Couple Next Door

Chapter Six

Oh my god I hit 1k reads! I never thought a number could ever make me so happy but I literally screamed for, like, 5 minutes after seeing it. I love you guys so much, thank you for ever even looking at this story! Also, this is where the story is going to get a little...not too good so I hope you didn't get used to the warm and fuzzy. In addition, I am sorry if you saw this earlier updated, my cat is really fat and sat on my keyboard and published it before it was done. Reed above!

I groaned as something soft smacked me in the face, several times relentlessly. I moved away from it, but then something wet pushed against my face. I felt my soul leave my body as my eyes shot open and I screeched.

I tried to move but there was something blocking me. I screamed again and heard scratching that faded almost instantly, it sounded like claws. I finally looked around and recognized where I was. I was in Tanner's living room, on his couch, but Tanner was nowhere in sight. What the fuck just touched me then.

I frantically looked around for the culprit, but came up with nothing. No one was here, and it was the middle of the night. Holy fuck did Tanner get kidnapped? Did the kidnapper go after me but I scared him by screaming?!

"TANNER?" I screamed, panicking. I was here to protect him, how could I let him be kidnapped?!

"In here!" he screamed back.

What? Isn't he dead in the back of someone's truck? I shake my head and slowly lift myself off of the couch. As I walk towards where I heard his voice, the sound of whatever movie we were watching fades.

Suddenly, I head the familiar scratching noise from earlier, and something warm pummels into my stomach.

Surprised, I go down, and my face starts being assaulted with something wet. I scream again, all I can see is black and I am almost certain that this is how I die.

"Kal, he is like 5 pounds how did you even fall?" Tanner's voice pops up.

HE?! The squirming ball of black is pulled off of me and I can finally see what it is. A tiny black puppy is trying to get at Tanner's face, and he is halfway successful, as Tanner's chin and cheeks are now shining with slobber.

I look at Tanner in question, but he is too focused on the dog. When did he get a dog?

"When did you get a dog? I was literally with you all night?" I ask, really confusing myself with possible theories going through my tiny brain.

"Uh, he just showed up, at my door," he replied, not looking me in the eyes.

I shook my head, ignoring his lack of eye contact. He was so weird. I looked at the dog. He was pretty cute, I guess. I was more of a cat person, but that dog's eyes are adorable.

After me and Tanner finished fawning over the puppy, who he decided to name Reed, we headed back to bed. We still had work tomorrow.

_____

When I wake up, I am less happy about the dog. Yes, he is cute, but his chewing problem? It has got to go. Why, you may ask? Well, that tiny ball of anger chewed up my phone. He literally chewed it up. So much for Iphones being the best. How is Tanner more concerned about the puppy? My phone is literally dead, and he is worried for the dog.

I am still not talking to him by the time we are at work. He is trying to annoy me out of my silence, but it's not working. He has already offered to replace my phone, buy me dinner, and clean the toilets all month, but I'm still not budging.

"Please Kally, it's not my fault he chewed up your phone! I didn't even know dogs could do that!" He begs. I don't care if it wasn't his fault, he defended the little furball.

"Uh, Kalem, I know you're mad, but-" He was interrupted by a deep voice that I never expected to hear again, in this library.

"Kalem, why haven't you been home or answering your calls?"

I slowly looked up and into the flaming eyes of Antonio. He looked livid, and I am starting to rethink me deciding he wasn't dangerous. His face was set into a frown and his fists were clenched. I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing keeping him from murdering me right now was the desk I was behind.

"Um, Antonio, what are you doing here?" I stuttered out, my face going red.

"You promised Benton that you would try to stop by last night, you didn't even come home."

"Well I-" He cut me off before I got the chance to defend myself.

"He called you many times. 54 to be exact. You did not pick up a single call," his tone got louder, and my eyes shifted to my manager's office. If he heard this, I would be fired.

"Why don't you talk about this in the break room," Tanner suggested before I replied. He was probably worrying about the same thing as me.

I nodded in agreement and got up from my desk, leading me and Antonio to the break room. I'm surprised we even have one, seeing how we don't even use it.

I entered the room first, with Antonio following behind me. It was bare of anything but a tiny mini fridge and some cabinets. No furniture even, which is why no one wanted to take breaks here.

I heard the door close and turned around, towards Antonio.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't answer Benton's calls, I was out with Tanner and then we just got caught up-" I blushed at that, remembering us crying while watching Where The Red Ferns Grow," things. I fell asleep before checking my phone, that was on silent, and-"

Antonio slammed his hand angrily on the wall, making the drywall let out a huge groan. I think he left a dent, what the fuck?

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Kalem! You should tell us exactly where you are at, at all times!" This made me get almost as angry as him. My face turned red for a completely different reason and I stepped closer to the fuming man.

"Excuse me?! I have no obligation to tell you where I am! I am your neighbor and I understand that we are friends but you have no right-"

Again, I am cut off but this time I am the one hitting the drywall. Antonio slammed me against the wall, which hurt like hell, and pressed his body into mine.

Any other time I would find this hot, or maybe I would get angry, but the way his eyes looked, made me go silent in fear. I could feel my heart beating in my chest as his narrowed eyes stared into my soul.

"You are mine Kalem, and I keep track of what's mine," he says, before smashing his lips into mine, making my brain stop working.

He seemed to get angry at me not responding, and he started to probe my lips with his tongue. I granted him access. I could feel my body heating up, I couldn't even begin to think why this was wrong. The only thing that mattered was his tongue getting as far into my mouth as it could go.

My knees went weak as he started exploring my body with his hands. His hands were so huge and rough, and they mapped my body like it was a long lost island. The only thing that kept me from falling were those damn hands.

"Kalem?!" Tanner's voice interrupted, filled with surprise and horror. That was all it took for me to realize, I was making out with Benton's husband. God I am such a whore. I frantically try to push Antonio off of me, and he actually moves back and glares into my eyes.

"I meant what I said, come home tonight," and then he is gone, the place where his huge frame used to occupy was empty. I met stares with Tanner, who was looking at me with concern, and I could feel my eyes watering.

How could I face Benton after this?