The Boy Next Door: Falling for You book 1

By Danielle Lee Zwissler

When Keri Richards comes home from college to mourn her father's death, Payton, her fun-loving, next door neighbor is there, as usual, ready to share his tree fort. It isn't until she is back in school again that she realizes that there may be more to their friendship. Who knows...it may even be love!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Firefly & Wisp Publishing
• Release date: Jan 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311419736

Danielle Lee Zwissler

Danielle Lee Zwissler was born in Dover, Ohio. A small town in North East Ohio. Her love of romance and cowboys took over in this novella. She is a big fan of William Shatner, Harry Potter, and all things Harlequin.

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The Boy Next Door

Danielle Lee Zwissler

A Young Adult Love Story

©2015 Danielle Lee Zwissler

Firefly & Wisp Books

ISBN-13: 978-0692480816

Copyright © 2015 by: Danielle L. Zwissler

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or use of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of Firefly and Wisp Books.

www.fireflyandwispbooks.com

Also published by Smashwords

First Firefly & Wisp Publishing Printing 2015

All the characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to

actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. All work is from the imagination of the author.

Cover by ZombieStudios

Dear Reader,

I didn’t have a Boy-Next-Door growing up as I lived out in the country. My nearest neighbor was two miles away, and my best friend, Claire. Hiya, Claire! She and I would talk about boys and love and marriage and all of that coming-of-age type stuff, though. She even had a guy she used to spy on with binoculars! (I wasn’t lucky enough to be within sight of him) Yet, I always dreamed… What would it be like to fall in love with the boy next door? What would it be like to marry someone that you knew since childhood? This is what The Boy Next Door is all about. Love, friendship and a whole lot of ‘what ifs’…

I hope you enjoy the book, and if you do, I’d appreciate a review!

As always, thank you!

Much love and happiness,

Danielle Lee Zwissler

With Thanks,

A huge thank you to my fans and friends that have purchased my books! I’m indebted to you, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To my kids, Ariana and Logan, thank you so much for letting your old mom work on her books while listening to you watching Netflix. I can imagine some of the scenes may be a little influenced… Please bear with me.

A big thanks to my husband, Earl, for being the best example of a hero in my books. I love you. Now, please, hurry and finish our downstairs bathroom!

This book is dedicated to my best friends in childhood. Roni Renicker, Claire Allison, and Amy Fowler. All three of you have influenced certain parts of this book, and many parts of my life.

Chapter One

*Heart Attack*

I wasn’t all that concerned about what I looked like this morning. It wasn’t as if I had anything pressing to do. My roommate, Alexis Marcs, was entertaining her boyfriend for the third night in a row, I had a show pre-recorded on the DVR all set up to watch, and my mom had sent me a box of cookies earlier in the week that I was just now getting in to. So, needless to say, makeup wasn’t on the agenda, and neither were jeans. It was a sweatpants and Minion tee all the way.

You look like shit, Alexis said as she finally came up for air. Todd, the boyfriend, took a deep breath, as I’m sure he needed one since he was underneath Alexis for nearly twenty minutes.

Thanks, I replied as I put a cookie in my mouth, the soft morsels of chocolate melting on my tongue. Mmm, so good, I breathed. Want one? I asked. I held up a cookie as I finished chewing the one that was already in my mouth.

That’s gross, Alexis said, giggling. She looked at Todd. What about you? Do you want one?

Hell yeah, those look great. Hiya, Keri.

Hi, I mumbled, reaching my hand toward Todd. He grabbed the cookie quickly and shoved it into his mouth.

You are both disgusting, Alexis remarked. She smiled as she playfully swatted Todd on the shoulder. I refrained from comment, even though all night and into this morning I heard slurping sounds coming from Alexis’s bed. They had been dating for three months now. She called Todd her Love Muffin … I called him Todd. Just Todd.

I shook my head as I thought of the two and how they started dating. Todd was into intramural sports, mostly stick ball, and Alexis was the onsite student reporter for the team. It wasn’t a paid position, and her writing wasn’t all that good.

Todd played forward, and sucked something fierce, but as fate would have it, one night after one of his games, Todd’s car didn’t start, and Alexis was his Knight-in-Versace Armor… She was more glam than any college student I knew, and as she reminded me daily, I was very lucky to have her.

So, I said as I looked over to the TV, "do you guys like Under the Dome?"

"I’m so over it. It’s a dome, I mean really, all they did last season was murder each other. I’m watching Big Brother again," Alexis replied. Todd shrugged his shoulders, not really caring one way or the other.

I don’t know how you can watch reality TV. It’s horrible.

"No it’s not. It’s amazing. 16 and Pregnant is probably the best show since Gilligan’s Island."

I took a deep breath and mentally counted to three before replying. Alexis, I think you’ve lost some brain cells from all that slurping from last night.

Todd laughed, but Alexis’s face was a bright red. Not funny!

I don’t know what you expect, I’m right here. Anyway, I’m watching this show, so…if you don’t like it, I’ll just put my headphones on.

Alexis gestured toward the headphones. Go ahead. We’re not interested.

I didn’t think that you were, I mumbled, as I grabbed another cookie. I looked over to the clock and noticed that it was already past 10 am. You going to breakfast?

No, and you should probably stop with the cookies. You have heard of the freshman fifteen, right?

I rolled my eyes and looked over at Alexis. Yes, and I really don’t give a rat’s ass.

Suit yourself, Alexis replied with a yawn, then looked over at Todd. We’re going shopping anyways…

Oh, really? I looked at Todd and he grinned.

Yep, I’m taking him home to meet my parents on Thanksgiving break. He can’t wear his usual attire.

I looked at Todd, what I could see of him, and shrugged. He looked fine to me. "Where are you taking him, The Gap?"

Alexis scrunched her nose at the mention. Um, no. My parents would think he was trying too hard if I outfitted him in khackis and polos… I was thinking of Hollister, but who knows.

"How about Pac Sun?" I asked, laughing to myself. Todd put his head back and guffawed. Everything he owned had Pac Sun on it, that or some weird saying like, Trust me, I’m a Dr., or his green shirt with a yellow arch that said Do you have fries with that shake? and his other that was my personal favorite, two things I never lie about, big butts and me liking them."

Very funny.

"Good