Page 105 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

“You know, as much as I’m a little wary of yourlaissez-faireattitude about this thing you two are doing, I love seeing you smile so much. It’s been a long time since you’ve been happy.”

“I’ve always been happy.”

She shakes her head. “Notthiskind of happy. It’s…different.”

Itfeelsdifferent.

Ifeel different.

“I’ve just been getting more sleep,” I tell her, which isn’t a lie.

Ihavebeen sleeping well. My insomnia isn’t gone, because that’s not how insomnia works, but having Dean there at night helps calm my worries and ease my mind. He gives me something to focus on other than my racing thoughts.

More than that, for the first time in a long time, I don’twantto focus just on work and hide behind it.

I want to live in the moment…with him.

“Even with your sex schedule?” she teases. “Lucky bitch.”

We laugh, giggling like fools, drawing the attention of a few other customers, including Dean.

When he lifts a brow, I wave him off, and he shrugs, turning back to Sam. They’re talking and carrying on like old friends, and I love how he’s able to draw Sam out of his shell. How he talks to him and relates to him on a level nobody else seems to.

“It’s Dean, you know,” Maya says.

I know it is.

She doesn’t have to tell me that.

He makes me laugh as much as he drives me crazy. Makes my body vibrate in all the right ways just as much as he does the wrong ones.

How can you loathe someone so much and still feel this good because of them?

Maybe you don’t loathe him at all…

I silence that voice that keeps popping up in my head.

Ihaveto hate him.

If I don’t, I just might have to admit that maybe…just maybe…I never hated him at all.

And we promised no pressure, no plans for the future. This isjustto relieve the tension.

“Good news.” Dean sets two plates on the table. “I was able to score some pie.”

“Bad news,” Sam adds. “It’s not cherry.”

“Did you seriously enlist my child to deliver the bad news to take the heat off you?” Maya glares at Dean accusingly.

“Yes.”

I snicker at his answer as he slides into the seat next to me, his arm brushing against mine.

“Sorry about that cherry pie, River.”

Heat creeps up my cheeks, and I dare a peek over at him.

He gives me a wolfish grin, bouncing his brows up and down.

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