Neighbors

Chapter Eight

The next morning, earlier than I would have liked, the dogs were an echoing cacophony of barking. Laying in my bed, I wondered if Damien was bold enough to have his company still in the apartment when his ex showed up to drop the dogs off. With a groan, I decided he was exactly that bold, and rolled out of my bed.

Through the baby monitor on the nightstand, I heard my mother talking with my babbling child in the other room just under the sound of Dudley and Drewfus barking wildly. As I rolled out of the bed my foot swung before touching the floor and slammed directly into the night stand. Whining, I cursed under my breath and ended up hopping off the bed, wobbling toward the bathroom. My toothbrush had taken only a few strokes around my mouth when I heard knocking on my door. Rinsing out my mouth, I waved my mother away from the door as she headed down the hall and kissed my child as I passed.

I pulled the door open, my curls piled on my head in a lopsided, sleep disheveled mass, my shorts and tank top slightly rumpled, to find Damien a shimmering reflection of my own sleepless night. His head was tilted slightly, elongating his corded neck and his hair was a mused mess. He seemed as though it had taken all the energy he had left to cross the ten feet across the hall to get here and he was holding himself up against my doorframe now.

He managed a smile. "Hi."

I knew my face read confusion and slight annoyance. The dogs were barking like mad behind his door. "Hi."

"Can I come in?"

I glanced over my shoulder. My mother was humming as she plodded around my kitchen to get breakfast started. Looking back at Damien, I could see what he wanted to say was of a somber mood so I shook my head and stepped into the hall closing my door. "Maybe we should talk at your place."

Damien rolled lazily along the wall to let me out into the hall and nodded before making his way across the hall. I followed him. Inside his apartment, Dudley and Drewfus immediately crowded my space demanding attention. Unable to resist I dropped to my knees an allowed the large beasts to toggle me between them and wash my face in their tongues. Their unbridled happiness served to change my mood, leaving me giggling and flustered. But, looking up at Damien, I was reminded that this was not a social call. Rubbing my face, I stood up. Damien ordered the dogs to bed and they went happily to cushions in the living room.

Not making a move deeper into the room, Damien shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back against the door. Something had softened in him but he still looked tense and slightly uncomfortable. "What exactly happened last night?"

"What do you mean?"

With a sigh, Damien pushed off the door and came closer. "Um, you shoving muffins in my hands and running off last night? Ring a bell?"

"Not really," I said casually, reaching up and pulling my long curls free of the oversized purple scrunchie I used to sleep in.

"I'm being serious, O."

"You're always serious."

Damien half scoffed, half laughed.

"Alright. Alright. I thought you'd be alone, okay? It just caught me off guard."

"That was more than just a 'caught me off guard reaction'."

"What would you know about my reactions?" My hands fell to my hips under the curtain of my hair.

Damien stared at me. I felt his eyes starting to roam before he grunted and looked away. He was thoughtful for a moment before he turned back to me. "You're not wrong."

"I rarely am."

He tried to stifle a laugh.

"Tell me what I'm not wrong about this time. You know, so we're on the same page."