Page 53 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

“Oh. Hi.”

Her voice might be flat, but there’s something different in the way she’s looking at me. I can’t quite put my finger on what I’m seeing.

“How was your day?” I ask.

She scrunches her face up. “Can you not?”

“Can I not what? Be civil?”

“Be domestic. It’s weird.”

“Right.” I nod. “My bad. I’ll skip the pleasantries next time and just rip ass as soon as you walk through the door.”

Her eyes widen. “You’ve been farting on my couch?”

I don’t even dignify that with a response.

Instead, I push up from my spot of comfort and set my guitar to the side. I pick up my water glass and make my way into the kitchen to deposit it in the sink.

She sighs. “Sorry. That probably wasn’t an appropriate response.”

Now I’m the one with wide eyes as I turn to her. “Did you just…apologize? Tome?”

She wants to roll her eyes. It’s all over her face. Somehow, she refrains, settling for a poorly repressed sigh as she sets Morris down on the floor. He meows at her, then prances off, heading to his bed beside the TV stand.

River slides her shoes off, then pads farther into the apartment. “Don’t get too excited. I also apologized to the potted plant I ran into in the hallway. You’re not special.” She slips onto the stool at the counter. “Might want to pay attention.”

I pinch my brows together. “Huh?”

She nods toward the glass that’s under the water spigot on the fridge just as it begins to overflow onto my hand.

“Shit!” I yank it away, and it’s a foolish thing to do. Water sloshes everywhere.

I take one step, and my least favorite thing in the world happens: I step in water…with my socks on.

“Son of a bitch!”

River giggles.

Actuallygiggles.

I whip my head toward her. I’ve never heard a sound like that come out of her before.

If she’s laughing when I’m around, it’s at me, and it can mostly be classified as more of a sarcastic snort than anything else.

“You sounded like Dean.”

“I am Dean.”

This time she does roll her eyes. “NotyouDean. Winchester. The one I actually like.”

“You know, me and that Dean have a lot in common. It’s weird you don’t like me too.”

“I’m sorry, have youseenJensen Ackles without a shirt on?”

“Have you seenmewithout a shirt on?”

She purses her lips. “You know I have.”