Page 29 of My Ruthless Neighbor

Her shoulders sag, and a genuine smile blooms on her face. “Thank you.” Then, “I would like to apologize once again for earlier—”

“And I told you, it’s okay.” When she begins to argue, I reach up and rest a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t.” I shake my head.

She nods.

“Remember what I said. Nothing is permanent. Not even bad days.”

She listens in silence, her lids closing briefly. Her hand immediately latches on to her ring finger. Then she snatches her hand away from the barren finger. “I hope that’s true.”

“It is.” Then I remember, I have to go back to my apartment and get my things out of there. “Are you going to be all right, River?”

She nods.

“Good. You are stronger than you think. Keep chanting that until you believe it.” I shrug. “Affirmations always work.”

“I’ll try it.”

“You do that.” I encourage her. Then, “I have to go.”

I wave at her before turning. “Summer, wait!”

I halt, then face her again.

She pushes a dark curl behind her ear. “Can we be friends?”

Before I could reply she quickly adds, “If you don’t mind.” Her pale face goes red.

“I’d love to,” I say softly.

“Can we grab a bite?” She suggests. “I really don’t want to go home.”

At the mention of food, my stomach grumbles. Pretty loud for her to hear it. I cough to cover it. My face heats up.

She is polite not to tease me about it and says, “I know a great Italian place not far from here.”

“Actually… the thing is…”

River glances at me in question. “You don’t like Italian? There’s an Indian restaurant right across from it. We can go there.”

“I can’t.” I look away.

“Why? Do you have plans?”

I don’t like the disappointment in her voice. Thinking of going with honesty, I decide to come clean. “I don’t have enough money to dine out let alone at a fancy restaurant.”

I study her then, searching for any signs of pity or something much worse. Disgust. River is rich. It’s painfully obvious. She comes from money. Her elegant dress, the expensive bag. The diamond studs.

We may have bonded in a short time but it doesn’t guarantee that she would like my company once she learns I am broke.

I talk from experience. I have been looked down on countless times by rich snobs my whole life. I work in a luxurious resort for heaven’s sake. Spending my weekends around elites has taught me just enough to make me steer clear of their group.

River and I come from different worlds. Different class.

But instead of fleeing or regarding me with a judgy look, she just says, “It’s on me.”

“I don’t know…”

She holds up her palm. “We are friends now, aren’t we?”

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