Page 10 of These Pucking Boys: Part Two

I give him an incredulous glance. “Okay, I’m not letting you watch Netflix anymore.”

“Bad boy!”

Oh my God. Mrs. Carpenter will kill me when she returns.

Eros mewls again, but I can’t see him. However, his bloody footprints lead underneath the kitchen counter. The poor thing must be terrified and in pain.

I drop to my knees and lean down until my cheek meets the floor. Eros is curled into a corner and shaking. Guilt makes my heart shrivel inside my chest. I shouldn’t have put the vase on the counter. I reach out with my hand, but don’t touch him yet.

“Come here, Eros. It’ll be okay.”

He answers with another cat whimper but remains frozen. It’s clear he won’t come to me on his own. Risking gettingscratched or bitten, I grasp him by the neck and pull him out. Mercifully, he doesn’t go feral on me.

I hold him tight against my chest and inspect his paws. As I suspected, one of his front paws is cut, but at least there isn’t a shard embedded in it.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. We’ll have to go see a vet and get your paw all better.”

A sudden knock on the door makes my heart leap into my throat and get stuck there. It must be the boys, and here I am, wrapped in a now bloodied towel and with a hurt cat in my arms. At least they already know I’m a disaster magnet. I get back on my feet and walk to the door.

Before I can look through the peephole, Lachy calls my name. In an instant, my heart goes from being squeezed tight with worry to beating at breakneck speed.

“One second. Before I open the door, you have to promise me you won’t freak out.”

“What happened?” Ryan’s voice rises in pitch.

Okay, June. Asking them to not freak only served to do just that. You’re a dumbass.

Instead of answering him, I open the door wide and step back.

Lachy is the first one to walk in, and almost immediately, his eyes bug out. “Lass, are you hurt?”

“No. I’m fine. Eros broke a vase and cut himself on a piece of glass. It’s his blood on the towel.”

Jake and Ryan are already inside the apartment, and now they’re all staring at me. This is not how I wanted our reunion to go. My hair is wet and tangled, I’m wearing only a towel, and there isn’t a smidge of makeup on my face. My cheeks burn, which means they must be redder than a tomato.

Ryan steps forward. “Can I check on Eros?”

“Yeah, sure.” I hand him over to Ryan, who takes the cat to the kitchen counter.

Suddenly, I find myself super vulnerable and awkward, standing in front of Lachy and Jake. I don’t know what to do. My heart is beating so fast now that I’m afraid it’ll burst from my chest.

“Hi,” I say.

“Lass...” Lachy pulls me into his arms and hugs me tight as if he wants to fuse my body to his.

I inhale his heady, lemony scent and let out a shaky breath. I can’t believe I almost lost him. My eyes prickle with tears.

“Don’t be greedy, Lachy. It’s my turn now,” Jake pipes up, already tugging my arm.

Lachy steps back, and Jake takes his place. He hugs me just as fiercely and kisses the top of my head. “I missed you, Junebug.”

I laugh. “Junebug?”

He leans back but keeps his arms wrapped around me. “I owed you a nickname.”

There’s moisture in his eyes, making the green brighter. He’s holding back tears, and that makes it even harder for me to hold back my own.

“Eros will need stitches,” Ryan announces, and the guilt returns.

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