A high-pitched beeping cuts through the air.
Motherfucker.
Holly jerks suddenly, snapping out of it. Her goddamn pager. She pulls away.
She steps to a side, her face flushed like a tomato, and I make it my personal mission to break every single electronic device she owns.
She reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out the wretched device, her fingers fumbling as she pretends to read those three little words on the screen for a good six seconds. “It’s the ER. I have to go.” She grips the doorknob, ready to bolt, when something makes her pause. She glances over her shoulder, her gaze sharp and cutting despite the flush still high on her cheeks. “You’re wrong, you know.”
“Unlikely, but go on.”
“About the two of us. We are not the same. I might have lied to Camille today. Even yesterday. Hell, I’ve done things way worse than just lie to keep the people I care about safe, but that doesn’t mean the two of us are anything alike. Because deep down, I’m still a good person. You are not. So, I suggest you keep your hands off me and Camille’s name out of your mouth.”
I chuckle softly.Funny Holly. With one hand in my pocket, I take a step forward and tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering at a spot below her ear for a second too long. “I never said I was a good person, Holly. Just yours.”
Chapter 18
Theo
Now
Theo’s flat
By the time I get home it’s half-past-five and Parker is busy giving his cat a tour of my flat.
“So, this is the bathroom. And that right there,” Parker points to the blue box on the floor, “— is your new litter box.” He crouches down, scooping Dog up with one hand, and holds him up in front of his face so that their noses almost touch. “You better not pee anywhere else, understand, buddy boy? Please don’t embarrass me in front of Uncle Theo.”
Dog blinks at him slowly, then lets out a soft meow which, I’m assuming, either means “yes, Dad”or “fuck you, puny human.” I’m hoping it’s the former.
Parker scratches him behind the ears, earning a rumbling purr.
He and April are leaving for Cooperstown tonight after their combined bachelorette or Halloween party or whatever the hell it is at this point. April wanted to get there a few days early to make sure everything was perfect for their wedding and Parkerthought it’d be nice if they could have some “kid-free” time to themselves before all the wedding chaos.
He asked if I could watch Dog before bringing him to the venue with me and I agreed. I adore the little guy. It’s seventy percent of the reason why I’m even friends with him. The remaining thirty percent is to be near Holly.
The thought of her hits me hard and fast. I can still feel her pulse under my fingertips. I can still see her eyes — the way they darkened, locking onto mine when I pushed her against the shelf. The way her breath hitched, sharp and shaky, as though she couldn’t decide if she wanted to shove me off or pull me closer. Either one would’ve done it for me — her anger or her surrender. I wouldn’t have cared. To be honest, I don’t know what the hell came over me. It’s not like me to provoke Holly for no reason.
I am a good man. I respect her boundaries, I do her dishes every time I hop over for a visit, I never break into her flat more than twice in one week — and to be fair, she is more than welcome to break into my flat whenever she pleases. More than welcome to climb into my bed and slide her scalpel between my ribs. I’d probably wake up before she does, but I won’t stop her. Not a chance. Because I am agoodman.Herman. But fuck, that was before I knew how much she likes it when I’m a bit assertive, a bit domineering. A bit rough. Now I don’t want to be good. I just want to push her up against every metal shelf in this fucking world and have her wrap her legs around me.
“All right, so I’ve kept his food in your kitchen,” Parker says, snapping me back to reality. “Wet and dry. Feed him twice a day spaced twelve hours apart. I’ve left a few of his toys on the mat in your room. The squeaky blue ball is his favorite. Other than that, it should be fine. Oh, and he needs to be cuddled at night or else he won’t sleep.”
Parker sets his baby down, who then pads over to me, the bells on his collar jingling as he weaves between my legs, purring and leaving a trail of white fur on my black pants.
I pick him up and scratch under his chin, kissing his tiny head. He arches his back and nuzzles his head against my face.
I look at the clock on my wall. “We should get dressed. April’s gonna kill us if we’re late.”
Dog purrs in my arms, as if to agree.
Parker nods solemnly, his eyes still fixed on Dog as if this is the last time he’s going to see him. “I just wanna make sure everything’s fine. We’ve never been apart for more than a day.”
Jesus Christ. “Go change. I’ve got this covered.”
Right that second, Dog snaps his head up, his eyes wide with a sudden burst of insanity. He leaps out of my arms, his tiny paws barely touching the ground as he darts towards my room.
I look at Parker, confused.
“Zoomies,” he says. “You’ll learn to love it.”
