Page 2 of Love Thy Neighbor

I quirk a brow. “I’m sorry…are you the one paying the electric bill?”

She grumbles under her breath. I can’t fully make it out, but I’m almost certain the wordassholeis in there somewhere.

“That’s what I thought.” I wiggle my fingers. “Phone.”

“Just tell me.”

“No, because I’m going tosaveit into your phone for a change so you’re not bothering me for it tomorrow night, or yelling through our apartment about how much you need my dick when we’re both painfully aware of how thin these walls are. You’re already the talk of the morning mail run.”

“Then change the Wi-Fi name.”

“And ruin the fun for later? No way.”

“Ugh. Fine.”

She darts her hand out and settles the two-generation-old brick into my hand, then quickly wraps the blanket back around her, chattering her teeth to try to make me feel bad.

Nice try.

I am waytoo cheap to fall for that shit.

I punch in her passcode, then enter the Wi-Fi password, making sure to hitsave.

“There. Now you won’t have to ask again for another month until I change it again.”

“I don’t understand why you change the password so often.”

“Because I’m a paranoid computer nerd.”

“You got the nerd part right.”

I hold her phone up, shaking it. “Just for that, I’m keeping this.”

“You are not. Give it back.”

“Come get it from me.”

She wrinkles her nose. “On second thought, keep it.” She pulls her blanket tighter, if that’s even possible. “It’s too cold out there. Now move, you’re blocking my view ofThe Vampire Diaries.”

I glance behind me to the TV. “Again, Caroline?”

“Yes. They use my name in this show,andfake Caroline and I look alike. I’m required to watch it to support my long-lost twin.”

I distinctly remember when the show first came out and Caroline called me over under the guise of studying when I knew she just wanted someone there to hold on to in case she got scared of the vampires.

In the end, she was more freaked out by the fact that the character who shares her name could easily be her older sister. She switched the TV off immediately and refused to ever watch it…until articles came out about all the shirtless scenes. Putting on a brave face, she overcame her fear of her small-screen doppelgänger.

The damn show has been on repeat since.

“Multiple times?”

“Yes.”

“And it has nothing at all to do with the hot vampire douche-bros?”

“Douche-bros?” She narrows her eyes at me. “Don’t act like you hate it. There have beenplentyof nights you’ve watched it with me.”

“Only because I’m a good best friend. And because you take the batteries out of the remote.”

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