Jake would be the obvious choice, but I can't call Jake. He'd want to know why I suddenly have six puppies, and then laugh his fucking head off.
My party friends would be useless. Most of them can barely take care of themselves, let alone helpless animals.
That leaves Avery.
The thought stops me cold. I kissed her this morning. Crossed every professional boundary she's trying to maintain. She probably wants nothing to do with me right now.
But she's also the only person I trust who might actually help without making me feel like more of a failure than I already do. She's competent, organized, and smart. If anyone can figure this out, it's her.
One of the puppies starts making choking sounds, and my heart nearly stops. I grab him. He seems okay after a moment. But what if next time he's not okay? What if I don't notice in time?
Fuck it. I'm calling her.
She picks up on the third ring. “Liam? Is everything okay?” Her voice is cautious.
“Have you ever owned a dog?” The words burst out of me.
She pauses for a moment before speaking. “Yes, we had a family dog growing up. Why?”
Relief floods through me. “I'll send Hudson to pick you up. Please.”
“Liam, what's going on? It's eight o'clock at night.”
“I'll explain when you get here. Please, Avery. I need your help.”
Another pause, longer this time. “Fine. But this better be good.”
“I genuinely need your help. Hudson will be there in twenty minutes. Pin me your address.”
I hang up before she can change her mind, then immediately call Hudson to direct him. While I wait, I try to do damage control on my apartment. The puppies have found my kitchen and are investigating everything at nose level.
One is licking up crumbs. Another is chewing on a cabinet door. And of course, one is pissing on the floor.
I manage to scoop them all into the living room and use couch cushions to create a barrier, but they immediately start crying again. The sound is heartbreaking. These tiny voices are calling for their mother, who isn't coming back.
“I know,” I tell them, sitting cross-legged on the floor. “I know you're scared. But you're safe now, okay? I promise you're safe.”
The little female with the white chest patch climbs into my lap, still whimpering. I stroke her soft fur as gently as I can, and eventually she stops crying and just curls up against me. One by one, her brothers join us, until I'm surrounded by warm puppy bodies.
For the first time all day, the chaos in my head goes quiet.
Twenty-five minutes later, my door buzzer sounds. I carefully extract myself from the puppy pile and buzz Avery up, then spend the next few minutes frantically trying to make my apartment look less like a disaster zone.
When I open the door, she's standing there in jeans and a sweater, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looks so pretty, but her expression is all business.
“So what's the emergency that requires—” She stops mid-sentence, staring past me into my living room. “Liam. What the hell?”
I turn to look at what she's seeing. Six puppies have escaped my cushion barricade and are now exploring the entryway.
“You said dog,” she says slowly. “Singular. These are puppies. Six puppies.”
“I know. I can explain.”
“How do you accidentally end up with six puppies?”
The judgment in her voice makes me defensive. “They were going to be euthanized. The shelter was closing. I couldn't just let them die.”
Her expression softens, but she's still staring at the chaos. “Okay, but Liam, this is a lot. Do you have any idea how to take care of puppies?”
