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I continue assessing the cage. We did our best to pick the best bed with the thickest cushion. The blanket goes over the top only halfway so King Madden can slide under it easily. But even though it's the best, I'm still leery.
Riggs takes the puppy from me and holds him in front of my face. He commands, "King Madden, say goodnight to your mommy."
King Madden gives me more kisses, then Riggs whisks him away. He sets him inside the cage and orders in a firm tone, "Lie down and go to sleep."
King Madden barks. Riggs gently pushes him down under the blanket. He holds his palm on his back for a moment, saying, "Stay down."
King Madden curls into the bed and Riggs shuts the cage door. He rises and says, "See, I told you. Look how comfortable he is."
King Madden rises, escapes the blanket, and begins to whine.
"He's scared," I fret.
"He just needs to get used to it. He'll quiet in a little bit. You'll see," Riggs disagrees.
It's a hard statement for me to accept, especially when King Madden's whines get louder. I crouch in front of the cage, put my fingers through the bars, and pet him. He licks my fingers, then tilts his head and continues whining.
More guilt fills me.
Riggs holds his hand toward me and states, "Come on, let him get settled."
I pout some more but cave, saying, "Goodnight, King Madden."
I take Riggs's hand and let him pull me up. He leads me through the family room, turns off the light, then guides me to the bedroom. I freeze outside the door.
Riggs's face hardens. He asserts, "Let's not move backward."
My nerves escalate. I told him I forgave him, and I did. I had to. I had no other choice. I love Riggs. And no matter what, I can't deny how much. And I had to admit that it hurt to be away from him more than what he did to me. So I can't keep going around and around about it and holding it over his head.
Yet something about staying in our room again makes me hesitate. Things are better after our day together, but they still aren't a hundred percent, and I don't want to move too fast based on everything that happened.
King Madden's whine fills the air. I glance back, and Riggs tugs me into the bedroom, stating, "He'll be fine." He shuts the door and spins me against it, tilting my head and pinning his blues on me.
Electricity bursts between us, sizzling over my skin. His familiar scent flares in the air, stirring my core to the point I feel weak in the knees.
The dark expression Riggs always gets begins to form. I squeeze my thighs together, and he twirls a lock of my hair around his finger, declaring, "We have a lot of lost time to make up for, don't you think, pet?"
King Madden's whine turns into a loud bark, pulling me out of my trance. Guilt replaces all the tingles in my body. I declare again, "He's scared. He's too young to be in a cage by himself."
Riggs clenches his jaw.
King Madden's barks become louder, mixing with his whine, and it sounds like he's in pain.
It makes me freak out more. I cringe. "Please, we have to do something. I can't handle it."
Riggs releases my hair and puts his forearms on the door around my head. He claims, "I'll turn on some music so you won't hear him. Eventually, he'll stop and go to sleep. You have to trust the process."
A sharp bark fills the air.
Trust the process, my ass.
I duck and slip under Riggs's arms and reach for the doorknob. I admit, "I can't leave him like that. It's just not in me."
"He has to get used to it," Riggs claims again.
"I'm not mean like you."
Riggs sighs.
