Page 24 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

“I tried! Why don’t you know that?”

“Stop arguing and go call nine-one-one!”

She races from the apartment, and I head for the couch, jerking a blanket from the back, throwing it over the fire.

It seems to work…for a moment.

Then the flames burst through the material. We need to get out of here immediately.

“We need to gonow!” River shrieks as she comes barreling back in, echoing my thoughts. She yanks on me, trying to pull me out of the apartment. “Come on! Move it!”

“Wait! I need to grab Leo.”

“Oh my gosh!HURRY UP!”

I move like lightning, scooping Leo out of his terrarium and back into his on-the-go hut. “Sorry you’re back in here, buddy. Just trying to save your life.”

“Will you quit talking to your turtle and move it already? Ireallydon’t want to die in here withyou.”

“Why are you still here?” I fire back at her. “That concerned about my safety?”

“Because I’m a good person.”

“Doubt that.” I fasten the lid. “Done. Let’s go.” I hold my hand out to her, and she scoffs at it.

“Please. I amnotholding your hand, Dean.”

I ignore her and grab her hand anyway, pulling her from the apartment and away from the still growing fire.

“Wait!”

We stop, and River reaches for the fire alarm, yanking it down.

She grins up at me. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

She tightens her grip on me, and I can already hear the sirens outside as I try to ignore the way I like how her hand feels in mine.

5

River

“The good newsis whoever threw the blanket on the flames helped contain the fire and it didn’t spread past the apartment.”

I let out a heavy breath. Seeing as I’m his next-door neighbor and the most likely to sustain damage, I’m relieved by the firefighter’s words.

“Ha!” Dean points to me like he’s the smartest man alive, feeling extra proud of himself for helping contain the firehestarted.

“But whoever threw water on the grease wasn’t too bright and could have burned the entire building down.”

I don’t even bother trying to hide my smirk as Dean cowers into himself, full of embarrassment.

Good. Moron.

Who doesn’t know that the one thing you definitelydo notdo is throw water on a grease fire?

And to think he’s teaching our youths…

Though, if I am being one hundred percent fair…I didn’t know this until Ialsothrew water on a grease fire and almost burned my own house down.

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