THICK(3)

“Yeah, it was on top of one of the boxes,” I say, handing it to him. He glances at my forehead and fights a laugh.

“Thanks.” He walks away and I hear him laugh as he goes.

I look back at the door across from mine and something pulls my attention to it. I stand there for a long moment with the urge to knock.

So I do.





Chapter Two





Bull





I watch through the peephole as the girl across the hall gets moved in. I caught a few glimpses of her while they were bringing in boxes. But now all the movers are gone and there she stands in the hallway looking at my door.

I moved here about six years ago and don’t get out much. With the internet and delivery services, I don’t really need to. My place is really two apartments combined. It’s part of the reason I got the place so quickly. I could live anywhere, but I didn’t want to live in the city and this was close enough to all the things I needed.

Some people might think it’s hard to be inside all the time, but I like it. When you look like I do, going outside sucks, so staying in my home and being alone is better than getting stared at like a freak.

My mom named me Bull the first time she laid eyes on me. She said the whole time she was pregnant I was kicking up a storm, and then when I came out I was twice the size of all the other babies in the nursery. I set a record in the state for the largest baby delivered that year, and then I kept on setting records until I quit going to the doctor. I didn’t like how everyone watched me like I was about to Hulk smash the building or something.

Sure, I have to duck to go through doors and bend my knees to get under the shower spray, but I’m not a monster. The problem is that I’m not just tall, I really am built like a bull. I’ve got a wide body with thick arms and legs and I’m probably the strongest man in the world. I lift weights but nothing too crazy. My body just wants to be big, so I could pick up a bag of flour and gain muscle.

It’s the reason I stay indoors and the reason I don’t have any sort of relationships. It’s not worth all the questions and looks, and my life is easier when it’s just me. My mom died when I was young and I never knew my dad. As I stare at the pretty girl I wonder if she’s got any family looking out for her. Is she alone, too?

When I first saw her I thought she was someone’s kid sister they brought along for the move. But then I realized she was telling people where to put stuff, so it must be her place. She’s so small that I bet she gets asked about it all the time. I know me being so big gets attention, but I’m sure her being so small does too.

Her dark hair is piled up in a messy bun and some hair has escaped down her neck. Her eyes are dark, but her features are so soft that she looks like a cherub. I can tell even from here that she’d smell sweet and feel delicate all over. How can something so innocent be real?

To my utter shock she takes a step towards my door and raises her hand. I jerk back as her knuckles make contact and then I put my hand over my mouth.

I stare in stunned silence at the door and I can hear the beating of my heart in my ears. How long do I have to stand here before she goes away? I don’t dare look through the peephole again just in case she can see a shadow. If I move from this spot she might hear the floor creak, so I stand there hoping she’ll just go away.

“Hi there,” she says in a sing-song voice. “I’m your new neighbor Teeny.”

I hold my breath as she knocks again and curse myself for being so fucking nosy to begin with. Why did I stand there for so long watching her? I try to reason that it’s because she’s new and lives across from me, but really it was one glimpse and I couldn’t look away.

“Well, my real name is Louise, but everybody just calls me Teeny because of my size.”

I’m dying to see her, so I take a chance and move just a bit closer to the door. The floor creaks and I curse under my breath.

“I think I heard you on the other side of the door,” she says, and I see her squint as she looks into the peephole. “Sorry, I’ve been called nosy more than a few times. I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello.”

I open my mouth to say something, but I lose my nerve and clamp my mouth shut.

“Okay, sorry to bother you. Have you a good night.”

For just a second I can see her look crestfallen as she turns to walk away.

“Wait,” I call out in my deep and unused voice. I clear my throat and watch her stop and look at my door once more. “Sorry, I’m, um—” I look around for an excuse and glance down at my bare chest. “I’m not dressed.”

Her cheeks pinken and she brings her hand to her mouth to smother her smile. “I’m so sorry.”

It’s not unusual that I’m not wearing clothes. Being as big as I am, it’s hard to find things that fit and most of the time I’m more comfortable in boxer briefs.

“It’s okay,” I hear myself saying, because I want to make her feel better. “You moved in?”

Why am I talking through the door like an idiot? I rest my forehead on the wood and close my eyes. I wish I could open the door and get a good look at her, but I know the second she sees me she’ll probably ask to get a new place. She won’t want to live across the hall from Frankenstein’s monster.

“Yeah, I’ve got lots of boxes and unpacking to do, but I’m kind of excited about it.” She gets a dreamy look in her eyes for a second as she smiles to herself. “Anyway, I should probably go do that.”