The door slammed open like Derek was announcing his arrival to a crowd of adoring fans instead of a small apartment that reeked faintly of litter boxes and regret. The basketball he carried might as well have been a trophy, spinning lazily in his hand as if to rub in his superiority.
“Yo, Kitty,” he drawled, brushing past her with the casual arrogance of a guy who just hit three three-pointers in a row and thought he deserved a blowjob from Eva Longoria... “Still alive in here? Or have the cats staged a coup yet?”
His gaze swept over her—leggings riddled with cat-made holes, a sports bra just a touch too snug, and purple hair that wasn’t even trying to pass as styled. His lips twitched, smug and irritating. Judgy asshole, she thought.
Kitty glanced up from the yoga mat tucked under her arm, her forced smile so brittle it felt like it might shatter if she held it too long. "Livelier than you think, honey! But what about you? Did you finally make the highlight reel this time?"
He snorted, tossing the basketball onto the couch. “Never doubt. Always do. But hey, what’s with the mat? Planning to build a new litter box for the cats? Maybe throw in some Zen candles for that extra touch?”
Her grip tightened on the mat. “Actually, no. It’s my time for sports now.”
"Sports? You?" He let out a laugh so loud it bounced off the walls. "Holy shit, that’s like saying the Clippers are about to dominate the NBA. You feeling alright, sweetie? No offense, but I’ve read somewhere that cat pee can cause hallucinations—like, you know, magic mushrooms or something."