Chapter 14

Lara had been living mostly full-time in the city for a good six years, and during this time, her life had been too hectic to consider adding a pet to the mix.

Now, sitting on her comfy couch with the sweetest little pug in the world, cuddled up under a fuzzy blanket and surrounded by throw pillows, she was thinking maybe she could make the time.

Her parents had always had animals around when she was growing up. Their dog had lived until Lara was eleven. Their outdoor cats had always wandered in and out as they had seen fit. And her parents had kept a chicken coop.

Also, her father had helped out at the stables of the ranch next door often enough that the owner had always welcomed them to ride the horses whenever they pleased.

For a while, Lara had considered going the veterinary route. It had seemed like a good option until she had temped in the town’s animal hospital for her high school’s work-study program and realized that she simply didn’t want to stay put.

It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate her parents’ life or their home—Lord knew they had worked hard enough to get it; she just always felt too sheltered, too closed in. Leaving was the only way to know if she could truly make it on her own.

But it wasn’t until now, talking to a sleepy pug about the on-screen shenanigans of her favorite reality stars, that she realized she had been missing some of that steady, slow life and companionship she had grown up with.

“You are such a good boy,” Lara said with a wistful sigh. “It’s a wonder, considering who your owner is. He must have gotten you all trained up already.”

The dog blinked up at her before returning its head to her knee.

“And he leaves you alone all the time.” She tsk-tsked.

The pug stood in her lap and stared at her as if ready to defend its owner.

“I mean, sure, he left you water and food, but that’s the bare minimum. He’s clearly wildly irresponsible.” When the dog didn’t retreat, she resorted to bribing him to curl back down with tushy and belly scratches.

As hard as it was to admit—even to herself—aside from the broken-door business, Zavien seemed to be a pretty good dog owner.

Granted, the dog in question was living in the building illegally, and Lara wasn’t entirely sure how Zavien managed to take him out on walks without raising suspicion. But besides that, the dog seemed well cared for.

It wore a leather collar with a bone-shaped gold tag that had Zavien’s phone number on it. Lara also recalled that this little guy’s bed was probably the nicest piece of furniture in Zavien’s apartment.

“I know you probably think the best of him, but your dad is a gigantic thorn in my side.” Lara shifted slowly until she was lying down, with the dog balled up at her side rather than on her lap.

“And I was serious about him leaving me alone. He can’t keep interrupting my life,” she continued, all while scratching the dog’s ears. “Even if he is almost as cute as you are. And his voice sounds nice. And he’s kind of funny when he isn’t pissing me off.”

The dog snorted, which Lara took to mean, “Shut up, you big ol’ windbag.”

So, she did just that.

***

Lara woke from her nap so startled that she rolled off the couch and hit the floor flat on her stomach. She groaned into the plush rug in pain, but the sound that had shocked her awake continued unrelentingly.

She huffed before slowly shifting to her feet to see who the hell thought it was a good idea to play a speed metal concert at her door. After pulling it open, she stared blankly at Zavien, who looked so furious that she could practically see steam rising from his head.

Up until this point, Lara hadn’t been able to get under Zavien’s skin, and now that it seemed she finally had, she was ready to serve him a taste of his own medicine.

Gathering all her composure, she set her face to neutral and asked as blandly as she could, “Can I help you?”

His brow knotted tightly as he closed his eyes; it seemed he was trying to calm himself before speaking, and she applauded his self-control. “You let yourself into my apartment?” he accused more than asked, brandishing the envelope she had left on his island.

She sighed, ready to tell him what exactly had happened, but he wasn’t finished.

“My door was open.” His words came out slowly and through gritted teeth.

Raising an eyebrow, she said, “I guess that means you didn’t fix it.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is this a joke to you? Pablo is gone. I came back, and he wasn’t home.”

Lara could see him straining with the effort to remain calm and decided now was not the time to comment on the fact that he had named his pug Pablo. “I told you to get the door fixed,” she said with a shrug. “I tried to fix it but—”

“So you knew?” he snarled. “You just left him in there knowing he could get out?” His restraint faltered, and his voice grew louder.

She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t see how this is my responsibility.”

“You are a fucking bitch, you know that?” His words cut her, and she stepped back before he continued, “He’s just a dog. He never once bothered you or anyone. You have a problem—a lot of problems, actually—but that has nothing to do with him.”

Feeling her own composure slipping, she glared at him. He was trying to blame her when she had tried to help him? He was fast approaching crossing a line, and if he thought he was going to berate her in front of her own home, he was sorely mistaken.

As anger rose in her chest, she reminded herself that he was a concerned dog owner, so maybe she should overlook the rudeness. “Look, I didn’t—”

“No, you look,” he snapped. “I don’t know what the fuck you think you’re doing, or who you think you are—”

With that, Lara walked away from him. If he wanted to continue his reprimanding, he could do it to dead space; she wasn’t going to stand there and take it.

“Hey, where are you going?”

He continued to talk in the doorway, but she tuned him out and walked to her quaint kitchen, where Pablo was staring up at her with his tongue out, panting happily. She scooped him up and carried him to the door.

Zavien’s words died on his tongue as she handed him the pug. He stared at her, dumbfounded, while she puffed up with pride at having effectively bested him.

She gave him one last wry smile before slamming the door in his face.