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My hand reached for the emerald, diamond pendant, and I realized that I needed to reciprocate that same understanding and patience to Co
But I wasn’t there, and I wasn’t his partner-in-crime.
Instead, I was something he had to worry about and care for. I was home, living in this extravagant house that his hard work had paid for, being upset with him because a work crisis had interfered with our di
Just then, the scampering of tiny paws against the hardwood floor caught my attention. The next thing I knew, Scooter jumped up against my leg, demanding my undivided attention.
“Hi Scooter.”
He barked at me as if asking why Co
“Co
Scooter moved around me with excitement, somehow sensing that something special was in store for him. I took the steak out of the box and put it on a plate. I laughed as Scooter barked impatiently as he circled around me.
“Here you go buddy.” I crouched down and placed the plate on the floor in front of him and watched him devour the steak. “You’re so spoiled, Scooter. Do you know that?” He ignored me as all of his attention was directed on the meat in between his teeth.
It took Scooter less than two minutes to polish the plate clean, leaving no trace of what had been there moments ago.
“That was good, huh?” I scratched Scooter’s forehead as he panted with excitement. I giggled as he licked my nose, as if to thank me for the treat he had just enjoyed. “Eww, slobber, Scooter.” I laughed as I wiped my face with the back of my hand.
“Good evening, Ms. Stuart,” came Debra’s voice. I looked up to find her walking into the kitchen.
“Hi, Debra. Remember what we agreed on?” I flashed her a friendly smile.
“Good evening, Liv.” Her voice was soft and uncertain as her eyes sca
“Actually, I’d love to take him for a walk.” I reached out my hand for the leash. “I know how much Co
“Are you sure?”
I offered her a reassuring smile. “Yes, of course. Why don’t you take the rest of the evening off?”
“I can come with you to walk him,” she offered.
“No, don’t be silly. You’ve been working so hard lately with me around the house. Why don’t you relax a bit tonight?”
A warm smile lit up her face. “Thank you, Liv. That is so kind of you. If you need anything else tonight, please just call me.”
“I’ll be fine. Good night, Debra.”
“Good night.”
I secured the leash on Scooter’s collar and rubbed his face. “Wa
Scooter wagged his tail and ran to the front door in excitement. When we stepped outside into the darkness, a shiver ran down my body as a gust of wind assaulted us. The threatening clouds that were once looming in the distant horizon had now moved overhead.
“Come on, Scooter. Let’s take a quick walk so we can get back before it starts raining.”
Scooter led me down the street, searching for his favorite spots around the neighborhood. I hugged my body against the chill of the night and inhaled deeply. The damp smell of dust and pavement saturated the air as I felt light rain drops begin to fall on my face. I looked over at Scooter, who was busy sniffing a patch of grass, and could tell he wasn’t ready to head back.
“It’s just a little rain,” I assured myself.
Then Scooter’s head perked up and he saw a cat ru
“Scooter, stop!” I yelled as I stepped off the sidewalk and onto the street.
But before I could run across the street, the blinding glare of headlights from an approaching car that had just turned the corner paralyzed me in place, sending me crashing into another flashback.
Suddenly, I was ru
But this didn’t slow me down. I wanted to get out of here. It was the last place I wanted to be.
“Liv!” I heard a familiar male voice call after me.
The sound of his voice pushed me to move faster. I pulled up the jewel-encrusted blush-pink evening gown that weighed down on my body and restricted my movement. The air was bitter cold and cutting, but the adrenaline that coursed inside me seemed to shelter me from the cold like a blanket. All my senses went into overdrive as I continued to move.
Suddenly, I saw two bright, blinding headlights coming toward me at high speed. The sharp screeching of car tires filled the air, drowning out all other noise. I felt the impact of cold metal against my body as I was lifelessly flung sideways against the solid pavement.
“Miss?” came an urgent female voice. I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder as it gently shook me. I opened my eyes to see a startled middle-aged woman leaning over me.
“What happened?” I looked around and realized I was sitting in the middle of the street. “Who was it that called out my name?” I looked at the woman, searching her face for an answer.
The woman scrunched her face as she looked around and then back at me in confusion. “Um…I’m not sure what you mean. There’s no one here but us, and I don’t know your name. I turned the corner and you were ru
“Scooter!” Her mention of him brought me back to life and I turned to the direction of where I had last seen him.
But he wasn’t there.
I stood up quickly and sca
“Are you okay, miss?” The woman looked worried.
“Yeah, I’m fine, but did you see a dog just now?”
“I saw him for a split second when I first saw you ru
“Crap, I need to find him.”
I turned to go, but the woman stopped me.
“Miss! Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
I met her concerned gaze. “Yes. I really am. I’m sorry I scared you, but I have to go. Thank you for your help.”
Before she could respond, I started to run down the street, sca
Fifteen minutes later, and no Scooter in sight, I felt the waves of panic begin to paralyze me. I grabbed my phone and pulled up Co
“This is Co
“Co
“Oh. Liv.” His tone softened and he sounded surprised to hear from me. “Sorry, babe. I didn’t check the caller ID when I picked up.” He sounded distracted and I could hear people talking frantically in the background. “Is everything okay?”