Page 13 of The Blessing

“It’s no problem,” she says with a wave of her hand. “Let me just go across the hall and get it.”

“You live across the hall?” I ask in shock. She lives across the hall?! I’ve been rubbing one out in the shower while thinking of her and she lives across the motherfucking hall? How embarrassing is that?

She gives me a confused look before nodding. “Is that a problem?” she asks with a laugh.

“No, no,” I say, sounding like a complete moron. “I don’t know why I said that.”

She laughs at my comment and says, “I’ll be right back,” before going across the way to her apartment.

“What’s my problem?” I ask Grey, who looks up at me with his big eyes filled with tears. “It’s going to be okay, buddy,” I assure him. “That nice girl’s going to bring something that’ll hopefully make you feel all better.” He puts his hands on my chest and headbutts me before his cries become louder. I reach down to rub his back and hope my neighbor hurries her hot ass back here.

She comes back a moment later with a small tube of what I assume is Baby Orajelin her hand. Her tits bounce with every quick step she takes and I can’t help but be mesmerized by them as she moves toward us. I appreciate the little bounce they give as she sits down next to me and bends over to get a better look inside Grey’s mouth. Fuck, I hope this works. I’m going to be a complete mess if he isn’t okay. In the brief time I’ve had him, he’s become my world, and if anything ever happened to him I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Just seeing him this way makes me feel hopeless.

My beautiful neighbor squeezes out some of the ointment on her finger and says, “Can you get him to open his mouth? I have to rub this on his gums.”

I lightly squeeze Grey’s cheeks and he opens up for her.

“Aw, he must be so uncomfortable,” she comments as she applies the ointment. By the time she’s finished, Grey’s cries have turned to little whimpers.

“Thank you so much! I thought he’d never stop crying. I was getting so worried.”

“What’s the little guy’s name?”

“Greyson, but I call him Grey.”

“That’s a great name,” she compliments, before reaching down to tickle his belly. An excited laugh escapes his lips and my entire body relaxes at the sound.

“How do you know so much about kids? You were so great with him just now.”

“My older sister has a daughter,” she informs me with another beautiful smile. “She’s a toddler now and I babysit her all of the time.”

I can’t help the relief I feel when I hear this. It’ll be nice to have someone close by who knows a thing or two about babies. Of course, her being insanely attractive in my eyes is only an added bonus. I stare at her for a moment, appreciating all she has to offer, before I realize that I haven’t even introduced myself. This girl must think I’m a total recluse without a single social skill.

“Since we’re neighbors I suppose I should introduce myself,” I say with an uncomfortable laugh. “I’m Trevor Warren. I just moved in a few days ago.”

“I know,” she says with a slight blush, “I watched you move in.”

She watched me move in? I like the sound of that. “And you are?” I prompt her, trying to give her one of my cocky smiles that has always worked well for me in the past. I’m sure it looks more like an awkward grimace.

“Sorry,” she says, her blush deepening. “I’m Ronnie Clark.”

Ronnie? I’ve never heard that name before. “Ronnie? Is that short for something?”

“Veronica,” she informs me with a shy smile.

“Well, Ronnie,” I say, smiling as I use her nickname. “I’m glad you live close by. I’d never be able to figure this stuff out on my own.”

Her gaze drops to Grey and she smiles at him before looking back at me. “He looks so much like you.”

“He looks a lot more like my brother, actually,” I comment awkwardly. “Greyson’s my nephew.”

Hopefully she doesn’t ask any follow-up questions. She looks at me for a moment, as if she’s considering it, but once she sees the pain in my eyes she closes her mouth. Her eyes roam over my body, staring at the intricate tattoos on my arms and neck before her beautiful, green eyes meet mine again. “So, is it just the two of you?” she asks, somewhat shyly.

It seems like it’s her way of asking if a woman lives with me or not. It could be wishful thinking on my part, but I can’t help but notice the sliver of hope in her pretty doe-eyes. Although, I’m sure a polished, beautiful girl like her could do a hell of a lot better than a man like me. I don’t seem like her type at all, and I’ve got too much baggage for most women to handle. I have so much shit on my plate, I can’t consider adding a girl to the mix. I don’t want to drag someone into my mess. Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m contemplating this at all. My mind just can’t help jumping to these sorts of an ideas with a beautiful woman like her in front of me.

“It’s just the two of us,” I confirm with a grin. I can’t offer her much, but I could at least be her friend. We’re not in the same league. Hell, I doubt we’re even playing the same game.