Page 126 of Puppy Love

My stomach twists, then drops.

I’m happy for Adrian, I really am. This is their dream come true. But this isn’t thanks to me. Not at all. This is all because of Violet.

I hug them back, chewing on the inside of my lip.

“You’re welcome,” I swallow, a dry lump forming in my throat.

“Does this mean you’re going to be able to open Rise?” Hayden asks, his brows shooting to the crown of his head. Adrian bites their lip and nods excitedly. Hayden runs up to them, scooping them up and throwing them over his shoulder. He parades them around the apartment, cheering loudly. “Whoo-hoo!”

My stomach sinks lower.

“This calls for some Zabinki’s!” he declares, Adrian still draped over his shoulder. He turns to Avery and me, who are still sitting on the couch.

“You guys coming? Or do you want to text me your orders?”

I don’t have a real reason not to go, other than the fact that if I get into a moving vehicle with Adrian, I might vomit. I’ve been lying to them this whole time, about Anassia. About Violet. And now, Rise, it’s going to be built on that lie.

“I’ll stay with all these guys,” I say, gesturing to the pups. Dawson and Major, as usual, are tussling in the middle of the floor. Pumpkin is curled up on Avery’s lap, and Eloise is planted on mine. “Plus,” I gesture to her, “Ellie paralysis.”

Zabinski’s is just long enough of a drive that I think I could have a mental breakdown and clean myself up from it before they get back. But my head snaps over to Avery when he opens his mouth.

“Yeah. Me too. I’ll Venmo you?”

Hayden shakes his head.

“On me, bro. Just text me what you want.”

Adrian blows me a kiss as they walk out the door, and Hayden shoots me a wink. I swallow, staring at the television in front of me even though nothing is playing. Avery sighs.

“So, you still haven’t told them?”

My head snaps over to him, my brows furrowing.

“What?”

He shakes his head.

“Don’t play dumb Cam. I might not know the full story, but I know enough.”

My heart twists, but I try to play it cool. There’s no telling what Avery thinks he knows.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say. Avery shakes his head and turns back to the black screen.

“Are you pretending you aren’t fucking Violet, or are you pretending you haven’t been lying to Adrian about it?”

“How did you—”

He clears his throat.

“I’m observant, Cam. More than you might think. I know you have your feelings about it, about me. But you’re the same, you and me. We’re observers. We see things others don’t.”

I scoff.

“We are nothing alike.”

Avery nods his head silently, letting out a soft sigh.

“We are, in some ways. In others,” he gestures to me, “not so much.”

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