Page 83 of Blacklist

When we reach the top, we both move to exit at the same time. I stop, reaching an arm across the threshold to prevent the doors from shutting. “After you.”

She looks as though she doesn’t quite buy this gentlemanly act, but she does a good job pretending not to care as she saunters out. As soon as we reach my door, there’s a scuffle of claws on the other side. It seems my new roommate has heard me come home.

“Zeus,” Adair coos, tapping the wood as I slide my key into the lock. “He’s not in a kennel?”

“He doesn’t need it,” I say.

“You’re taking your apartment into your own hands,” she warns.

“Oh, I know that. He already chewed up one of my slippers. We had a long talk about being a good boy.”

“Did he give you any pointers?” she asks dryly.

Zeus greets us by bounding onto his hind legs and licking each of us in turn. He bounces happily between us, looking overwhelmed with joy to get both of his favorite people in the same place.

“Did you miss me?” She scratches his ears and earns another kiss. “I missed you.”

“I see where his loyalty lies. Sit Zeus.”

He immediately drops to the floor, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. His head tilts back and forth like a metronome as he looks between the two of us.

“So you’re getting through to him,” she says with approval.

“We worked on it. It’s all about mutual respect.”

“Is it?” She laughs at the idea as she kneels down to him. “Well, whatever you’re doing he seems happy. I can’t believe he doesn’t need a kennel.”

“I couldn’t bear the thought of putting him in a cage,” I say quietly. I know too well what it’s like to be locked away because no one can bother to teach you better.

“Thank you for adopting him.” She lifts her face from the top of his head, eyes shining before she shakes off the emotion she’s accidentally shown. “I’ll hang with him while you change.”

“You could have adopted him,” I point out.

“Ginny wouldn’t allow it,” she murmurs. “She didn’t want him around Ellie. She said his breed couldn’t be trusted.”

“A dog is only as good as he’s allowed to be,” I say softly. She opens her mouth to respond but I’m already turning away. So that’s why Zeus was homeless. He wasn’t good enough for the MacLaines. Another thing we have in common.

In the closet, I pull out a pair of faded Levi’s and a black T-shirt. Slipping into the clothes is like slipping into an old version of myself. I slap some cologne on in the bathroom and brush my teeth. Staring back at my reflection, I see someone I barely remember.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, are you going to start writing poetry next?” I ask myself. “She hasn’t changed. Remember that.”

Now that the pep talk is over, I head out to find Adair and Zeus hanging out on the sofa.

“He’s not allowed on the furniture.” I tell her.

“Does he know that?” she asks, but she pushes him off to the floor. “Sterling says no.”

Zeus slides down and gives me a pitiful whimper.

I cross my arms. Unbelievable. I adopted the dog, but somehow he still seems to belong to her. “Now you’re going to make me the bad guy?”

“I think you can do that all by yourself.”

We stare at each other for a minute without blinking before I walk toward her. Adair’s body goes rigid with expectation, but I stop and call Zeus. “Be a good boy while I’m gone?”

I never break eye contact with Adair as I stand up and head toward the door.

“Do you need to walk him?” she asks.