Like a Good Neighbor
Copyright© 2026 by Rhiannon57
Chapter 23
Drama Sex Story: Chapter 23 - After losing his entire family in a devastating accident, a young man with money, strength, and no direction starts over in a new neighborhood. When he discovers the woman next door is trapped in an abusive marriage, he steps in to protect her and her daughter. What follows is a hard-won story of rescue, healing, chosen family, and building a future from ruin.
Caution: This Drama Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Consensual
We talked for about thirty minutes before Alexis’ phone messenger alerted her again. She picked it up and read it quickly, then turned the phone in my direction. It simply said:
Why doesn’t he love me like I love him?
It was a very simple question that had been ripping me apart for quite a while. I had no viable explanation other than out of respect for Shelby and how I would feel like I betrayed her memory. I love Jen with every fiber in my body, but could I really do what she wanted? Sometimes people did strange things that they had no explanation for. I was at a turning point in my life at this very moment. If I went through with this, two things would happen whether I liked it or not. First, I would betray everything that Shelby and I had together. If Shelby were alive, there would be no way in hell; she would ask me to sleep with her daughter.
Second, if I do this now, what does it say to Alexis? Yes, Alexis is saying right now she is okay with it, but what happens when it becomes reality? Then how does Jennifer and Alexis handle both relationships? If I am with one of them, is the other jealous? In my mind, this was a no-win situation for me, and I had grown to care for Alexis deeply. I was not going to go down this road.
“Alexis, I simply cannot sleep with Jen. It will never happen. I do appreciate you possibly opening that door, but I can’t. I love Jennifer in a different way than I care for you. If you want me to talk to her, I will, but I can’t give her what she wants.” I said calmly.
“You know, Jace, deep down I was almost positive that you would not give in, but I wanted you to know that I did not want to hold you back. You just told me something that a woman goes a lifetime without hearing. That you are a good man that will not cross the line no matter what. Let me talk to her if it’s okay with you.” Alexis requested.
“Sure, no problem.” I answered, as Alexis got up and headed to Jennifer’s bedroom.
I laid back down and waited for the outcome of the conversation between the two of them. After an hour, I began to get a bit worried, and sometime around that time, I fell asleep. I woke up early the next morning around five thirty and looked at Alexis, who was sleeping soundly. I got up as gently as I could and made my way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. I was on my second cup when Jen walked into the kitchen with a strange look on her face. She poured a cup of coffee, then sat down at the small dining table across from the room from me. It was obvious that she had a lot of things on her mind. It took several minutes before she finally spoke up, breaking the tension that was in the air.
“Jace, I just want to say how sorry I am for what I have been putting you through. I never once considered the way you felt. I was only thinking of what I wanted. I’m never going to bring this up again, and I hope we can go back to how things were before all of this.” she said, tears running down her cheeks.
“Jen, things never changed between you and me. You know how I feel about you, and that will never change. You’re welcome to live here as long as you want.” I offered.
I was hoping that I had finally closed the door on any romantic relationship occurring between Jennifer and me. But life has a funny way of solving one problem but immediately creating another. Several weeks later, Alexis was informed that she was a finalist for a new drama television series called “The Men and Women of LAPD”. She flew out immediately to meet with the director and producer.
A month later, Alexis had left and moved back to Los Angeles, where the show would be shot. It was scheduled to run for two years, but depending on ratings, it could go past that. Alexis and I talked about the situation often, but in the end, this was her career. I never wanted her to blame me for making her stay.
In the beginning, we talked almost every day, but then filming started, and her day became hectic. Our conversations grew shorter and more infrequent, but I did understand. The show had received rave reviews and was the most viewed show in its time slot.
One Thursday afternoon, Jennifer and I had just arrived home from the gym when Jennifer turned on the television. I had taken a shower and dressed in my shorts and T-shirt to lounge in when Jennifer called me to the living room. As I walked in, I saw a picture of Alexis on the screen. The show was all about what was going on in the life of movie stars and the gossip about them.
The narrator was telling the audience that Alexis and one of her co-stars had been seen out and about in the Los Angeles nightlife. It was rumored that they were a couple, and more information would be forthcoming.
“You think it’s true?” Jennifer asked.
“I have no idea, Jen, but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it, so I’m not going to let it worry me.” I answered, turning and walking out.
That night, as I lay in bed, I must admit that it did bother me very much. I was in love with Alexis, and for her to possibly be in a relationship without letting me know at first did hurt. But we were thousands of miles apart, and there was not much I could do about it.
For the next week or so, I did not hear at all from Alexis, which I found to be very strange. Perhaps the news story was correct, and she had started a relationship with someone else. Two days later, I found out for sure.
Alexis called me, and I could immediately sense that the rumors were true. She seemed very awkward and nervous on the phone. It took several minutes, but she finally summoned the nerve to bring it up.
“Jace, I have been meaning to call you for a while now, but I didn’t know how to tell you. Um..., have you seen anything on television about me?” she asked.
“Yes and no. Jennifer saw and called me to the television so I could see it.” I replied.
“I’m sorry you had to see that... It was something that just happened. We were together all the time, both on screen and off, and one night... you know.” she sighed.
“It’s okay, Alexis... I understand. You live in a much different world than I do. I can’t ask you to give all of that up for someone as simple as me.” I replied.
“Jace, please don’t say that. You’re the nicest guy I have ever been with.” she replied.
“Seems like that wasn’t enough though. Keep in touch, Alexis, and good luck with the new series. I hope it does well.” I stated.
I did what I always had when things go wrong... I stayed at the gym. I pushed myself as hard as ever, and my workouts were probably the hardest of my life. I was pushing weights that I had never attempted before, and after a few months, I was in the best shape of my life.
I had reached two hundred and thirty-eight pounds of muscle with little body fat. I was working out twice a day and working from six in the morning to close to eight o’clock at night. Even though Jennifer was living with me, I tried my best to keep it low-key. Since Alexis was gone, I did not want Jennifer to possibly bring up starting a relationship between the two of us.
Everyone at the gym who knew me felt that something was wrong, but no one brought it up. I was beginning to think that the odds were stacked against me when it came to women. I had lost Shelby tragically, and I would probably never get over it. Then things were going well with Kate, and it fell apart, and now Alexis.
Two weeks later, Jennifer decided to go back to school and resume playing softball. Clemson had graciously taken her back, although she would be evaluated again before reinstating her scholarship. She left right away to try and get back into shape as soon as possible. In a way, I think she left to get away from me and ease the tension. Either way, I was glad she was going back to school to further her education and play ball.
So now, I found myself alone with just work to keep me busy. Those were always the times I drove myself so hard. One day led into another with the same routine day in and day out. I had not spoken to Alexis in months, and I would speak to Jen once or twice a week. She had adjusted well to school again, and the time off had seemed to renew Jen’s arm because she was throwing harder than ever.
I decided to run an ad trying to replace Jennifer in the gym. We were as busy as ever, and I wanted to make sure that our customers were always well taken care of. In fact, that was the basis of our success. Clients always raved about the customer support they were given.
Several people answered the ad, but I did not care for any of the applicants. Someone who did nothing but talk about themselves was not the type of person I wanted to be around, much less deal with my clients. I was about to leave on a Wednesday evening when a young woman came in inquiring about the job.
She was extremely attractive with short blonde hair cut in a razor pixie cut. She had a great body, which was important for our customer perception, although a little on the thin side. She filled out the standard application, and Therese showed her to my office. She walked in and took the seat across from my desk.
“Hello, I’m Jace Johnson, the owner here, and you are?” I asked.
“Hey, my name is Ryleigh Dugas. It’s nice to meet you.” she said, in a simply adorable voice.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ryleigh. Are you here about the job?” I asked.
“Yes, I am. I wanted to come earlier but got tied up. Am I too late?” she asked, her blue eyes twinkling.
“No, actually, I still have not filled the position.” I answered.
“Well, that’s good ... I suppose.” she stated.
“The focus of the job would be to exclusively work with our clients but also help with the day-to-day operations. We are quite busy here, and there is always something to do. One minute you might be assisting a client on a machine, the next loading towels in a washing machine. We all pitch in and help each other out. I have a great staff and want someone who will fit in.” I stated.
“Well, right now I’m living at home with my parents, not far from here. I’m separated from my husband, and we are in the final stages of divorce. I have a little girl who is three years old, and I need to start saving money to get out on my own. My mother is home and does not work, so watching my child is not a problem. Although, I do understand if you do not want the drama of a divorce under your roof. My ex is a certifiable idiot who likes to impose his will on everyone and anyone, especially me.” she sighed.
“No, Ryleigh, that does not bother me. Let me show you around, then we can talk a little more.” I offered.
I took Ryleigh around the bottom floor, then up to the top, and showed her the entire facility. After just being around her for thirty minutes or so, it was easy to see Ryleigh Dugas was genuine. What you saw was what you got. On the way across the floor, she picked up a towel left on a machine and tossed it into the hamper by the stairs. That small action sealed the deal for me. We went back to my office, and we finished the paperwork immediately. She agreed to start Monday morning at seven o’clock but looked over at the counter with a concerned look on her face.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, of course, only ... I uh don’t have any clothes like the female employees here have on.” she said nervously.
“That’s quite alright ... we sell everything here by Gym Rat from the tops, leggings, shorts, socks, and coverups. One of the girls can set you up, and Sandy can take a few bucks a week out of your check until you pay it back. No problem at all.” I replied.
“Thank you so much, Jace. I’m sure I am going to enjoy working here.” she replied, slipping her extremely soft hand into mine.
I finished off the week early on Friday and went home, ending the day by cleaning the pool well. I ran errands on Saturday and stocked up on groceries as well. Sunday, I just laid around the house and relaxed, watching a few movies. My body needed the rest from the gym and the intense workouts I had been putting myself through. I was at the gym early on Monday morning and was finishing up my workout when Therese walked up and told me that Ryleigh was here for her first day. I told Therese to let her come up, and I would be finished in a few minutes.