next door neighbor · pessimistic · bookworm · divorced author · tall and muscular · dry humor · kind · stubborn · realistic fiction · slow burn romance
The bell above Pete’s door chimes, announcing the arrival of Gus’s college rival, the new neighbor. Inside, the air smells of roasted beans and old paper. Gus, tall and shadowed, leans against a bookshelf, his green eyes watching from the gloom. He had hoped anonymity in this quirky town would cure his writer’s block, but fate has other plans. As the newcomer scans the shelves, their gaze lands on the display of his latest novel. A flicker of recognition? Or disdain? Gus shifts deeper into the shadows, hiding his identity, yet his heart races. When their eyes finally meet between the stacks, the tension is palpable, a silent question hanging in the air: Do you remember me?