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Chase sets down the dishes and I gently set the cat down on all fours. She dashes over to the dishes and starts to eat.
“I’ll bring her to the vet when they open,” Chase says.
“I’ll come with you,” I say, already feeling bonded to the cat. “You aren’t going to get rid of her, are you?”
Chase hesitates. “I don’t know anything about taking care of cats. And if she’s having kittens soon…”
“She needs a safe place to have them,” I point out. “Is it okay ifIkeep her? I don’t mean forever—just until the kittens are old enough to be adopted.”
“If that’s really something you want to do.”
“It is.”
“Okay. That’s fine.” He looks at me a second longer, then clears his throat. “After the vet tomorrow, we’ll get whatever kind of supplies you need.”
I break into a smile. “Sounds perfect. Thanks, Chase.”
He nods and looks down at the cat, who’s drinking milk now. “What should we call her?”
“Hmm.” I chew on my lip as I think. “Twinkle?”
When he smiles, my heart patters. If only he wasn’t so handsome.
“All right,” he says. “Twinkle it is.”
3
CHASE
After the vet gives Twinkle a full health exam and confirms that she doesn’t have a microchip, we pick up some things from the pet store and then get Twinkle set up at home. I haven’t been inside of Lolly’s half of the house since before she moved in, and it’s like walking into an entirely different home. She has a bunch of different art prints hanging on the walls, and all of her furniture is charmingly mismatched.
In her living room, Lolly has a small tabletop Christmas tree. It’s cute, and she’s decorated it with lights and some miniature ornaments, but seeing it makes me wish that I could get her a full-size one. There’s not a whole lot of room for one in her living room, but if we shifted her furniture around a little…
…or if we knocked down the wall and joined our living rooms together…
I shake my head, silently chiding myself for such a ridiculous thought.
“What’s wrong?” Lolly asks, looking at me with worried eyes.
“Nothing. Everything’s good.” I look around at everything we’ve gotten set up for the cat. “What do you think, Twinkle? Do you need anything else?”
Twinkle looks at me from her new cat bed, which she’s currently kneading. The happy look on her face tells me all I need to know. I glance over at Lolly, who looks like she’s holding back a big smile.
“What?” I ask.
“I just love how you talk to her,” she says. “It’s sweet.”
“She’s growing on me.”
“You can come see her anytime you like.” Lolly’s expression turns a little shy. “Would you like to stay for lunch? I made a pot roast last night.”
Her invitation catches me off guard. While I’m trying to decide if it’s a good idea to accept, my stomach growls in response.
Lolly laughs. “I’ll take that as a yes. Make yourself comfortable, Chase. I’ll heat up the food.”
Fuck, I love it when she says my name. I need to stop loving it so much.
I hang out in the living room with Twinkle while Lolly gets things ready in the kitchen. While I wait, I look at the framed photos on Lolly’s built-in shelves. There are photos of what I’m assuming are her family and friends. Despite myself, I feel a tug of longing to meet all the important people in her life.
