Page 56 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

“And I hope Michael B. Jordan did propose—it’d be nice for someone to finally take you off my hands.”

“That implies you have some sort of hold on me, and I can assure you that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Couldn’t it though?” I smirk as we wait for the elevator. “You seem pretty obsessed with me.”

“You wish.”

The elevator arrives and the doors open to show another building resident tucked inside, standing at the back corner.

I don’t remember the woman’s name—something with a T—but she smiles at us warmly as we step into the car and stand opposite her.

The ride is quiet as we make our way down ten floors.

When the car hits the lobby, she grins at us brightly as she steps out of the elevator. “I always knew you two would get together eventually.”

“What the fuck…” I whisper once she’s out of earshot.

“For once, I agree with you,” River says. She wrinkles her nose as we make our way off the elevator. “Do people, like, think we’re…dating?” She shivers, pushing through the building’s main doors. “Ew.”

I prickle at her reaction.

She hates me, I get it, but to imply that dating me would be gross grates on me for some reason.

“Ouch.”

“Don’t act like that hurt your feelings. You know us dating would be awful.”

“Eh.”

“I’m sorry, are you implying us datingwouldn’tbe a disaster?”

“It could be good. Especially for your reputation.”

She chortles. “Please. If anything, it would be quite the opposite.”

“What was it you said to me before?” I scratch my chin. “Ah, that’s right—whatever you need to tell yourself to help you sleep in the room across from me at night.”

She lifts her eyes skyward.

“Careful,” I tell her. “You keep rolling your eyes like that and they’ll get stuck that way.”

She does it again, with extra flair this time.

I chuckle, grabbing hold of the door to The Gravy Train and pulling it open for her. She doesn’t move away as my fingers brush against the small of her back to guide her into the restaurant.

We file into the line, and there are at least five people ahead of us. River isn’t happy about it.

“I swear, if someone takes the last piece of cherry pie, I’m going to bebig mad.” She’s standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot against the old, worn black and white checkered tile. She looks ticked off, and it’s adorable how bothered she’s getting. “Like the biggest kind of mad a person can get. Flipping tables and everything.”

“You take your pie seriously when you’re hungry.”

“I take my pie seriously all the time.” She side-eyes me as we step forward. “Something you should remember the next time you want to try to steal it.”

“Is it stealing if it’s given to me?”

“Considering you trick a poor, unsuspectingchildinto ‘giving’ it to you, yes—that’s stealing.”

I laugh. “Man, that kid is gullible. Maya should work on that.”

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