Hate Thy Neighbor

by S. M. Soto

  I’m trying to stay calm as I process.

  I’m trying to be logical.

  “You didn’t think to tell me that sooner? You’ve been at your house alone. Anything could’ve happened to you.”

  “If he even has an inkling that I know, he’s not going to show up at my house, Roman. He’s not going to risk it.”

  “You don’t know that!” I snap.

  “You’re mad.”

  “Of course, I’m mad. You put yourself in danger.”

  “What do you want me to do? Do you want me to be afraid of my own house?”

  “No, but I’m not leaving you home alone.”

  She groans. “You can’t baby me. The whole reason I moved here is to survive on my own.”

  “Who are you trying to prove that to?”

  She glances away, avoiding my gaze. “I don’t know.”

  Rolling over, I settle my arms on each side of her head and hover above her, staring down at her expressive eyes. I didn’t see it earlier, but she does look tired. There are slight shadows under her eyes.

  Her hands settle on my hips and slide around, rubbing up and down my back. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until now. Until this. Just being this close to her. Having her beneath me, those mercurial eyes staring up at me so openly, with so much trust.

  “I missed you.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  She frowns, pinching my back. “Don’t be a dick.”

  Dipping my head, I take her lips with mine, soaking in her taste. The soft feel of her lips, the velvet perfection of her tongue stroking mine.

  “I missed you, too.”

  She smiles up at me, and the effects of it hit me square in the chest. Her smiles always have an odd effect on me, but this one? It’s different. This whole night is different. What I feel for Olivia is new. I can admit it’s something I’ve never felt before. It’s something I’ve been good at brushing under the rug, not wanting to face head-on, but, after today, there’s no running from it. What I feel for this woman isn’t something simple. This isn’t just a fling. This is more. So much more. Seeing the bruise on her arm brought me to a place I haven’t been in a very long time. It made me realize how dangerous she really is, because I’d do anything for her.

  I am in love with Oliva Hales. I don’t know when it happened. Maybe it was the moment she was standing on my doorstep, looking all sweet, holding out that fucking cake for me. Maybe it was the moment she helped me get my brother back, but, whenever it was, I can’t remember a time when this woman wasn’t invading my thoughts.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispers, searching my gaze.

  “Like what?”

  Her breathing accelerates, and she licks her lips. “Like…like you’re…”

  “Like I’m what?”

  It’s on the tip of her tongue—I can see it—but she chickens out in the end. “Never mind.” Smiling, she slides her hands around the back of my neck, tugging my lips down to hers.

  I know exactly what she saw on my face.

  The fact that it doesn’t scare me, not one bit, tells me everything I already know about the girl next door.

  She’s the one.

  I park the car at the curb, outside of my house, my gaze immediately fixing on my buddy Victor from the garage. He shoots me a look, clearly thinking I’m insane for what I’ve just done.

  “If it was your girl, you’d do the same,” I tell him, as I climb out of his car.

  He raises his hands in defense, crossing my lawn. “I didn’t say a damn thing. Maybe next time you go out to beat the shit out of someone, rethink your choice in vehicles, if you want to be sneaky.”

  I roll my eyes. He’s not wrong. I knew if I took the bike or the Chevelle, Olivia would spring awake and immediately know what I was up to. Instead, I asked Vic if I could borrow his car. It’s a sensible vehicle that doesn’t make a lot of noise. It’s something I need right now.

  After Olivia fell asleep last night, I texted Victor and asked him if he’d lend his car to me for a few hours, while I took care of something—that something being Travis. Victor came over early this morning and has been waiting out on the porch, holding down the fort for me, while I take care of Travis.

  I didn’t expect to find Travis at the clinic, but with no other leads on where he lives or where he could be, I figured starting there was my best option. It turns out, it was. As I was pulling into the lot, I spotted the bastard yelling outside of the clinic doors. For whatever reason, he wasn’t allowed inside, and I got a thrill of satisfaction from that.

  Travis got into his car, and I did what any sane person would do. I followed the bastard who put his hands on my woman. It didn’t take long to get to his place. It also didn’t take long for me to get out of the car and ram my fist in his face. The first hit was for being a dick to Olivia. The second hit was for breaking into her house. And the rest of those hits? That was for pushing himself on her and marking her.

  Victor glances down at my swollen hands and whistles. “Good luck in there, man.”

  A grimace pulls across my face, and I respond in a dry tone, “thanks.”

  When I slip inside the house, I pause in the living room, half-expecting Olivia to be there with her arms crossed over her perfect chest, glaring daggers at me. I expel a relieved breath when I realize she’s still asleep, just like Ryder.

  Heading into the kitchen, I glance at the time above the stove and begin pulling out ingredients to make pancakes. I wash my hands in the sink, only wincing slightly at the sting of soap on the scrape along my knuckles. Travis put up a good fight, I’ll give him that—too bad it wasn’t good enough.

  I’m sliding the first pancake onto the plate, when I hear Olivia’s sleepy voice.

  “Hey, what are you doing up so early?” She yawns, as she walks into the kitchen. Her light brown hair is in disarray, as it frames her face. Rays from the sun catch in the strands, bringing out the honey hue. My gaze rakes up and down her delectable little body. She’s wearing one of my T-shirts and her sleep shorts, and though it may not be much, she’s never looked better. She’s fucking beautiful.

  “Making you breakfast,” I finally answer, once I’m done eye-fucking her. A soft smile lights her features, and she pads into the kitchen. Her hands slide around my waist from behind, and she peeks at the stove.

  “Smells good,” she comments, her grip tightening around me. “You didn’t have to do this, Rome.”

  I shrug, pouring some more mix into the pan, for the next pancake. As I do so, I feel Olivia stiffen behind me. Once I set the bowl down, she grabs me by the arm, urging me to face her. When I do, her eyes fly to my hands. I don’t even try to hide them. She would’ve found out eventually, and hell, even though she won’t like it, it won’t change what I’ve done. I told her I wasn’t going to let him get away with it, and I meant it.

  “Roman,” she grits out, a warning clear in her tone. “What happened to your hands?”

  I look down at them, my brows furrowing, as I feign innocence. “No idea.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest and juts her hip out sassily. “Start talking, right now.”

  I pop a handful of blueberries into my mouth in response. Fuming, she opens her mouth, and I’m sure she’s going to rip me a new one, until Ryder walks into the kitchen. He pauses when he sees us, his gaze narrowing on Olivia.

  “Are you in the middle of a fight?”

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  Olivia and I respond in unison. Ryder’s gaze darts, back and forth, between the two of us. He glances at the stack of pancakes, takes the whole plate, and slips out of the kitchen.

  “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

  As soon as she hears the click of his bedroom door, Olivia whirls on me, with fire in her eyes. I shouldn’t find it as sexy as I do, but fuck me, her anger makes me hard as a fucking rock.

  “Last time, Roman. What happened to your hands?”

  I
swallow my mouthful of berries and shrug noncommittally. “While you were sleeping soundly this morning, I made a call to a friend, and he was able to pull some strings, so I could handle some things.”

  Her chest turns a bright shade of red, and I watch as it slowly climbs up her neck in her rage. “What kind of things, and what the hell does it have to do with your hands?”

  “Paid a visit to Travis early this morning. He won’t be a problem anytime soon.”

  Olivia’s mouth drops open. The color leaves her face, and I see the moment she loses her composure. Hell, I swear I see steam billow from her ears. “You did what?” she shouts, her angered voice, bouncing off the walls.

  Pushing away from the counter, I close the distance between us, which is risky. She’s liable to punch me right in the nuts for going against her wishes. “He touched what was mine, Olivia. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.”

  “So, you kicked his ass for it? How could you be so…so…ugh, so stupid, Rome! You have Ryder to think about.”

  I grit my teeth together. “What’s done is done. You can sit here all day and be angry, or you can get over it. Either way, Travis has been dealt with.”

  “What’s done is not done, Rome! You can’t just come in here and fight all my battles for me. I’m not some damsel in distress. I told you I was handling things the way I wanted to.”

  Within seconds, I have a hand wrapped around the back of her neck, and I tug her into me. Her eyes widen, and she lets out a puff of surprise. “This is one battle I refuse to let you fight on your own, Olivia. So, be angry. Fucking hit me, kick, or scream. It’s not going to change the fact that I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you—whether you want me to or not.”

  Slowly, the tension eases from her body. A softness enters her eyes, in the midst of the anger she’s still holding. “I’m still mad at you. I hope you know that.”

  I drag my lips across hers, reveling in her sweet taste. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, babe.”

  Loving and protecting this woman is my purpose, and I’ll be damned if I fail at that.

  “Little Lies”—Fleetwood Mac

  At my request, my parents and brother head up to my place for Thanksgiving, instead of me having to fly out. This will be the first time I’m able to host a holiday dinner. Back at my old apartment with Reid, we always did what he wanted to do. Dinner at his parents’, then dinner with my family. I hated driving to two separate places. It just always felt like a lot of work, but I never complained.

  A thrill courses through my body, as I take a step back, surveying the guest room we just finished. My house will be a little crowded with three extra bodies, but I’m not complaining. A part of the reason I did this was so Rome and Ryder would be able to have Thanksgiving with us. Sure, Roman could’ve given his little brother something amazing on his own, but I wanted them a part of this, a part of my family.

  I also wanted my parents to know we’re dating. The last thing we need is another awkward sex conversation spearheaded by my mother. Maybe now that she knows I’m with him, she’ll back off.

  “It looks really good, Ry. Thanks.” I pat Ryder on his back, and he grins at me, enjoying the praise. Over the past two months, we’ve grown closer. I can see why Roman spent years trying to get this kid back. He deserves it. You’d think after the life Ryder has had, he’d end up being a bad kid, but he’s the opposite. Always open to learning new things. He’s a little quiet, but when he comes out of his shell, it’s the most beautiful thing. Because when he laughs, he’s the spitting image of his brother. And when he doesn’t think anyone is looking, the way he looks at Rome brings tears to my eyes. I’m certain Ryder loves Roman like he’s his father.

  Those two aren’t just half-brothers; they’re so much more.

  I’ve grown attached to these two, more so than I ever thought I would. I can’t imagine being away from them now. Hell, the thought makes me sick. I know I’m in way too deep when the mere idea of losing, not just one, but both of them becomes impossible to stomach. I’ve grown close with Ryder; so close, in fact, he’s even given me a nickname. That has to be a good sign, right?

  “No problem, Olive. I’m gonna head home and shower, before your parents get in.”

  “All right, bud,” I call after his retreating back. Ryder has taken to calling me Olive instead of Olivia, as a nickname of sorts, and I find that I love it.

  He helped me put together the guest room for my parents. It’s not great, but it’ll do. And my parents won’t complain. They’ll just be glad I’m alive. Now my brother? That’s a different story. My brother will find something to complain about, no matter how perfect everything is. Tales of being the baby of the family, I’m sure. With only four years between them, I hope my brother will get along with Ryder. I don’t want Ry feeling weird around him.

  Flicking off the light in the guest room, I shut the door and am just walking down the hall, when I hear a car rolling into the driveway. I cross my living room to look out the window and smile. Sure enough, it’s my parents pulling into the space next to my car.

  I pad down the front porch steps, tugging the sweater around my shoulders, to ward off the November chill. Also hearing my parents pull in, Roman comes out of his own house, crossing our lawns, heading straight toward my parents. My mom’s squeal of pleasure can be heard down the street. I roll my eyes, slightly annoyed, but I’m unable to keep the smile off my face. My dad and Roman shake hands, while Brandon unfolds his abnormally long body from the car. It’s been about six months since I’ve seen my little brother, and I swear, the asshole has grown a wondrous eight inches.

  “Looking a little hub there, Brandon. Might want to think about cooling it on the supplements.”

  My brother shakes his head dismissively, but I can see the smile tugging across his face. He pulls me into a hug. “You look like shit, Liv.”

  My hands fly to my chest. “Aww. You have such a way with words.”

  “Son, come check this out!” my dad calls after Brandon, as he crosses our lawns, heading into Roman’s garage. I’m sure they’ll be in there for a while, fawning over guy stuff.

  “There’s my favorite daughter.” My mom holds her arms out for me.

  I snort. “I’m your only daughter.”

  She quirks a single brow. “That you know of.”

  I roll my eyes but oblige, no less. My mom squeezes me. When she pulls back, she rests her hands on my arms, looking me up and down, then her gaze stills on my face.

  “You look happy.”

  I grin. “That’s because I am happy.”

  “And flushed. How many orgasms have you had today?”

  “Oh, Jesus Christ, Mother.” Turning on my heels, I walk into the house, away from her and her shenanigans.

  “It’s a valid question!”

  While we wait on the guys, I give my mom another tour of the house, letting her absorb in all the new additions. I’ve finally finished painting the interior of the house, and Roman and Ry helped me do some moving around to change the overall layout inside. She takes it all in, oohing and aahing obnoxiously, like proud mothers do. Every now and then, she’ll bring the topic back to sex or something that makes me uncomfortable, and I have to bend over backward just to change the subject.

  She finally finds a safe topic of discussion. “How are things with Rome?” It’s comical how she gets all giddy whenever she says his name. “I’m so happy you took my advice with him, sweetie. I knew he would be perfect of you. You have to tell me, though. Was I right about a certain appendage?” She waggles her brows.

  Yes, yes, you were, Mother.

  I make a show of gagging. “I’m not discussing the size of my boyfriend’s penis with you, Mom.”

  She sighs, as if I’ve just told her she has to sleep out in the rain during a storm. “Fine. How are things going with you guys? How is the little brother adjusting?”

  “Things are great. Ryder seems to be adjusting well. Roman is so good with him. I never had a
ny doubt, but seeing them together, these past few months? He’s amazing.”

  My mom pauses in her quest for a glass of water, quirking a brow at me. “You sound smitten.”

  I glance away, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. I busy myself at the counter, pulling out food supplies for tomorrow morning. We both glance toward the front door, at the sound of laughter and trailing voices. The guys pass through, not even a few seconds later, and my gaze immediately seeks out Rome’s. As if he’s doing the same, our eyes clash, and warmth surges through my body. He’s wearing a huge grin, the one that showcases the dimple in his cheek. He’s laughing at something my dad and brother are saying. Ryder is standing next to my brother, deep in conversation with him. The sight alone, taking in both my family and Roman’s, warms my heart.

  “Are you doing okay since the incident with your boss?”

  I tense at the mention of Travis. Even though I didn’t want to, I finally broke down and told my parents everything that happened with my former boss. I worried that he’d do something to retaliate against Rome for the ass beating, but surprisingly, it didn’t happen. Not only was he fired from the clinic, by his own father no less, but Lucy and Kassandra also talked me into pressing charges.

  I’ll admit I can sleep easier, knowing Travis isn’t somewhere lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack me.

  “I am. I feel like things are finally falling back into place. It helps that he’s not allowed to come within fifty feet of me, so that’s a relief.”

  My mom pulls me into a brief hug that’s filled with motherly warmth. “I’m glad you’re okay, sweet girl.”

  We spend the rest of the evening in my living room, catching up like any normal family would. When my parents head into the guest room for bed, Roman pats Ryder on the shoulder, jerking his head back toward the house.