“Alright, alright. Don’t have a damn stroke.”
We race down the steps, and by we, I mean me because Liam complains his legs hurt like a baby. He tells me not to call him that and goes on about his baseball game or practice or something else I don’t listen to because all I can think of are those baby cats.
I posted the flyer I saw earlier this week, and most of the animals got adopted, but these three kittens are somehow left. I’ve been calling everyone I know, but no one can take them.
I jump out of the car the minute Liam slows down, and he yells for me to watch where I’m going when I cross the street withoutlooking. The light isn’t for me, but I think the cars slow down as they see me.
I make it to the front desk of the shelter and ring the bell a few times.
“Are you a fuckingmaniac?”
I turn at the anger in Liam’s voice, and when I realize it’s pointed at me, I feel my brows furrow. He makes it to me in a few long strides, and when I take a step back, I hit the desk behind me.
“Do not run across the street like that ever again. That road is–”
“Okay.”
“Do not cut me off.”
“Okay.”
He lets out a breath, and I turn back around. “Jeez, don’t have a stroke.”
“Sage, I swear-”
“Excuse me!” I wave down one of the workers just as I see them passing behind the doors. I ring the bell a few more times, and he comes out almost immediately.
“Hi! I saw you guys still have three kittens that need to be adopted. Are they still…” I can’t find the right words, but thankfully, he knows what I mean.
“Yes, we still have them. Were you thinking of adopting one of them?”
“Oh, well,Ican’t, but-” I turn to Liam with a smile, and he’s staring at me like he wasn’t listening to a word I just said. “-would you-”
“No.”
“Oh, okay. How about you let me-”
“No.”
“Okay, thank you so much for that!” I give him a tight smile, and if he picks up on my sarcasm, he doesn’t let on. “I think you should recons-”
“No.”
“Alrighty then!” I turn back to the worker with a smile. “Can you bring them out for us?”
He glances at Liam for no more than a second before he rushes off. When the door closes, I turn on my heels towards Liam, and he’s already watching me.
I cross my arms across my chest as I wipe my smile clean. “Why are you being so rude?”
“It stinks in here, and you just ran across that street as if a truck wasn’t making its way down the fucking road.”
“I—”
“It’s still my turn.”
My mouth falls shut.
“If you want to run across main roads and play with your life for nasty cats, do so when you're not with me. Police reports take long.”
