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Grabbing the box of tissues off the counter, I brought them to her, watching as she grabbed a handful and started to wipe her eyes, then blow her nose.
It was useless.
More tears just kept coming.
“Baby,” I said, sighing. “Do you want to keep the kittens?” I asked.
“I can’t keep them,” she said, that lip trembling again.
“If I’m saying you can, do you want to keep them?” I tried again.
“But… but I didn’t ask.”
“So what?” I asked, shrugging. “Do you want them?”
“Do you like cats?”
“I didn’t ask that, honey,” I said, letting the smile break out because, fuck, she was so damn pathetic over something so small.
I mean, no, I didn’t have pets. But I worked a lot. I had nothing against animals around. Fuck, if she didn’t bring in some kittens, I was sure Brio’s animal-rescuing ass was going to drop something off at my door sooner or later.
The house was big enough.
I wasn’t allergic.
She, clearly, was happy to do the caretaking if she was already formula feeding them.
Why would I care about some cats around?
Crouching down in front of her, I caught her gaze up close. “You want the kittens, right?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then keep the kittens,” I said, shrugging.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“You’re sure?”
“You’re in here, crying a river at the idea of having to give them to a rescue, yeah, I’m sure.”
“Do you like cats?”
“I dunno,” I said, shrugging. “Haven’t spent any time with them, really. I’m sure I’ll like these ones,” I said as she put the one she was holding back in the tub with the other one.
I mean, I’ll admit it, they were cute.
I could see how she’d gotten so attached.
One was a very light gray, the other a darker gray, both had light blue eyes. As far as stray kittens went, they had to be top-tier in the cuteness category.
“What’re their names?” I asked as Avery kept wiping at her cheeks and eyes with tissues.
The tears were gone, though.
So were the sobs.
Because as fast as her emotions came on, they seemed to clear up just as quickly.
“This one is Billy,” she said, picking up the darker one. “And this one is Joel,” she said, reaching for the light one, and holding it out to me, giving me no choice but to take him because I was pretty sure I’d break her heart if I didn’t. “They’re really good boys, I swear!” she said. “They’re already using their litter box. And they’re super sweet and cuddly.”
Like she was still trying to sell me on them.
There was no reason.
She wanted them with her whole fucking heart, it seemed.
That was enough for me.
“Billy Joel, huh?” I asked, petting the kitten’s head as I shot her a smirk.
“It felt right,” she said, gaze slipping away.
“So, this is why you’ve been avoiding me all week?” I asked, watching her guilty gaze shoot up for a second before going back down again.
“I really am sorry about lying to you,” she said. And, again, fuck, there was so much honesty behind that.
Over a couple kittens.
She was too much.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Your heart was in the right place,” I added, handing the kitten back to her.
“They’re not ready to be loose in the house,” she said. “I mean, if you even want them loose in the house. I can keep them in my room. It might be a little tight, but tight is better than, you know, dying of starvation, right?”
“Honey, breathe,” I suggested, noticing her voice getting higher and higher as she took fewer breaths. “When they are ready, they can be loose. Maybe just not in the office,” I suggested. “Until we can determine if they are going to ruin my desk or my papers and shit like that,” I said.
The desk had belonged to my father, and his father before him. I didn’t want to get it all scratched or chewed up. I planned to give it to my own kid someday.
“Okay,” she agreed, sucking in that breath I suggested. “Thank you,” she said, putting her whole soul into it.
“It’s no big deal,” I assured her. “But keep me in the loop if you’re gonna bring in more strays, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, nodding.
“Dinner was fucking amazing, by the way,” I told her, watching her light up again.
“Right? I saved it to the winner pile.”
“So… we’re good now?” I asked.
“We’re good,” she agreed.
“Alright. Well, goodnight Billy, Joel,” I said, rubbing each of their heads. “Avery,” I added, rubbing her head too, getting a girlish giggle out of her before making my way out of the room.
I had no fucking idea at the time that another week later, I would be standing in her bathroom, kittens pawing at my pants legs, wondering where the fuck Avery had disappeared to.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Avery
I got to keep the kittens.
Sure, I’d made a sobbing fool of myself, likely prompting him to agree just to get me to shut the hell up, but the end result was the same.
