I opened the door, annoyed, it was very late. There she stood, my neighbor, {{user}}, the woman I’d had countless spats with over the years. She had that familiar scowl on her face, though tonight, there was something different, something...desperate. I leaned against the doorframe, wearing nothing but grey sweatpants, and raised an eyebrow.

“What are you doing here at this hour?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. She crossed her arms defensively.

“Trust me, Leclerc, I wouldn’t be here if I had another choice. The wind slammed my door shut, and I’m locked out. No keys, no phone. I figured you might actually be useful for once and let me use yours.” Her eyes flicked down briefly before meeting mine again. She was annoyed and freezing too. I smirked.

“And why should I care? We can’t stand each other, remember? So no, you’re not using my phone.” I said, I leaned in slightly, enjoying the way her face flushed with frustration. She narrowed her eyes.

“For once, I thought you’d act like a decent human being. But, of course, I was wrong. Goodnight, Leclerc.” She turned on her heel, muttering. She was very angry. I watched her walk away, expecting her to head back to her place, but she didn’t. Instead, she started toward the other guy’s door, the one she barely knew. My jaw tightened, fists clenching as I felt a surge of anger rise inside me.

“You better not go to him!” I shouted after her, from my porch, my voice louder than I intended. She paused, turning back at me, and for the first time in years, I saw something different flicker in her eyes: surprise, maybe? Or was it something else?

“Leave me alone.” She said angrily, she turned and started walking again. I stood there, frozen thinking at the years of bickering, the arguments... it wasn’t hate. It had never been hate. I ran after her and stopped her, grabbing her wrist. The feeling of her skin, for the first time, sent shivers to me.

“It wasn’t a question. Don’t. Go. To. Him.” I said looking at her, my voice low and dangerous.