Page 13 of Tempt Thy Neighbor

I should have known that when Dean said we were going out to dinner to celebrate my first day, we’d end up at The Gravy Train. It’s his and River’s favorite place in the whole city, and that’s one hundred percent because they have the best pie I’ve ever had.

River tosses her long, deep red hair over her shoulder. “Don’t forget lunch too.”

Dean cocks a brow her way, leaning back in his chair. “Does that mean you came over here for lunch today?”

“Sure did. Had the cherry.”

“Soyou’rethe reason there was no cherry left.”

“Yep.” She doesn’t look the least bit apologetic. “And it was worth the look you’re giving me right now.”

Looking in, I bet most would see an angry boyfriend.

But not me.

I see the love shining in his eyes.

It’s so funny to me how River and Dean finally ended up together. Dean talked about her nearly every day and I could tell he was into her, but he’d deny it all day long. Then he was an idiot and set his apartment on fire, and River took him in while it was being worked on. Their feelings came straight to the forefront with them having to live together and face them.

They’re so in love now that I’m betting Dean proposes by Christmas.

“So, Holland,” River says, resting her chin on her hand and looking over at me, “have you talked to your old roommate at all?”

Ugh. I’ve done such a good job today, not thinking about that whole debacle once until now.

“She texted again.”

“Again? Geez. That has to be text 100 since you left.”

“I’m betting more like 200.”

“More of the same?”

I nod. “Yep. Just how sorry she is, or pictures of her watching a show we binged together with little notes likeThinking of you. Stuff like that. The worst part is, I don’t even care. It’s not like I was in love with Lance or anything.” I laugh, but there’s zero humor to it. “That has to mean there’s something wrong with me, right? Like I’m completely broken. My boyfriend cheats on me and I don’t even care about it?”

I mean, I care about it.

But not as much as I probably should.

I’m honestly more upset with myself for even giving him a chance and wasting my time than I am over what he did.

“This is all your mom’s fault,” I say to Dean.

He sits up straight, joining the conversation. “How?”

“If she’d just kept her nose out of my love life and left me be, I wouldn’t have felt so obligated to go out with him.”

“Bullshit. You’re the one who kept it going. You could have just cut him off after the first date. Like you did that one guy who is clearly in love with his stepmother.”

“Bret Johnson? Oh, he is definitely in love with her. She’s pregnant and we both know Mr. Johnson can’t get it up long enough to knock her up.”

His brows shoot up. “No shit?”

“I know.”

“You two come from a strange, strange world.” River looks back and forth between us as we discuss it like it’s nothing.

We shrug.

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