the driveway. The idiot I am, I watched him hop off his bike through the window, and even though I knew I shouldn’t have, I found myself walking out the front door and crossing our lawns.
“Hey!” I holler, just as he’s disappearing into his garage. There’s a beeping sound, and then the sound of a door opening. Just as I step into the garage, I see Max barrel through the open door, barking excitedly at his owner, then fixing his excitement on me.
My brows tug down, and, for a second, I forget what I came here for when I look down at Max. Did he keep him inside the entire time he was gone? The animal lover in me can’t help but scowl at the idea.
“Did you leave him here all day? That’s kind of cruel.”
I watch as Roman’s body grows stiff. He turns away from the door, fully facing me, with a cold expression on his face.
“Some of us have lives and things to do.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I retort, my nostrils flaring. He chuckles darkly, brushing past me, toward the wall of his garage, to hang his helmet. “Why are you always such an asshole, Roman? What the hell have I done that gives you the right to treat me like I’m shit stuck to the bottom of your shoe?”
“Because I don’t like you!” he barks, whirling on me. Unexpected pain splinters through my chest. “You’re a nuisance. Always in the way, always asking questions. Want to know why I’m such an asshole, Olivia? Because I don’t pussyfoot around people I don’t like.”
Shocked silence descends.
The air is charged with static electricity. It’s a tension that percolates.
“Fuck you.” The venom in my voice shocks us both.
I whirl around, heading back inside, and promise myself that I’m done playing nice with the asshole next door.
If I wasn’t sure before, I am now. I hate my neighbor. With a bone-deep rage that fills my body to the brim with anger.
I am so angry with Roman that I find myself doing something completely out of the ordinary. I go inside, bust out the primer, and start painting the hallway in preparation for the new color that’ll eventually go there. Just to really piss off my dick of a neighbor, I turn on my music, open my windows, and keep my Bluetooth speaker aimed toward his house. I purposely play songs I know will piss him the hell off, starting with Janet Jackson’s “All for You.”
I spend the duration of the song painting, singing, and dancing with a wide, spiteful grin on my face.
Oh, yeah. It’s all for you, asshole.
The victory only grows when I spot him glaring at me through his living room window that mirrors mine. I don’t know where the sass comes from, but I shoot my neighbor a wink and then give him the finger, letting my playlist choose song after song that I know will drive him nuts. By the time we get through a few Danity Kane hits to “Afrodisiac” by Brandy, Roman has shut all his windows and all the lights are off. With a self-satisfied smirk, I watch his house go still, as he likely lies in bed, listening to my music, while glaring up at his ceiling.
The next morning, I wake to my alarm with a contentment on my face I haven’t had before today. I get ready with an extra pep in my step, just thinking about how much I likely pissed off Roman last night. I walk out of the house, my yogurt and granola bar clasped in my hand, my purse slung over my shoulder, and my car keys in my other hand. After locking up, I bound down the porch steps, crossing through the grass toward the car. I suddenly pause, the chipper grin on my face falling, when I glance down. The smell is what hits me first. My stomach heaves when I lift my shoe that is now covered in dog shit.
“Oh, Max.” I groan, looking down at the mess.
My grip suddenly tightens around my breakfast, and my gaze narrows, when I hear the garage next door roll open. I aim a glare in that direction, and my gaze clashes with Roman who is unsurprisingly wearing a crooked grin.
With his black helmet in hand, he tosses a meaty leg over his bike, and before he slips the helmet on, his devious grin deepens, and just before flipping the visor down, he winks.