Page 63 of Mending Scars

“Oh, Ryker, look!” I cooed. Tugging his arm, I walked in the direction of the adorable clothes set.

The outfit consisted of a dark brown onesie with turquoise trim. A puppy playing with a red ball was centered in the middle and teal and brown plaid shorts with the same puppy on them complimented the shirt.

“It’s so cute.” I ran my fingers over the shorts. “Oh, look at the shoes!”

A matching pair of slip-on shoes, socks, and a beanie that looked like the top of a puppy head accompanied the set of clothes.

“This is it.” I grabbed the hanger. “Can you get the shoes and socks?”

We headed back to the customer service desk to turn in our registry before purchasing the items we had chosen. Ryker carried our bags to the truck before helping me in—it was beginning to get awkward to step up into his lifted Chevy due to my size.

“Happy, Warrior?” Ryker asked as he started the truck.

The smile that had been on my face since we entered the store curved higher. “I’ve never been happier.”

Kaiya’s birthday was in a few days, and I had finally decided what I was going to get her. Now I was standing in a pet store full of yapping puppies, meowing kittens, and screeching birds. Great fucking idea.

“Is there something I can help you with today, sir?” A blonde, teenage girl with braces asked. She smiled politely as she waited for me to answer.

I looked around the store before meeting her eyes. “Um, yeah, I’m trying to find my girlfriend a pet for her birthday.”

The girl’s smile shifted from professional to genuine. “Aw, that’s so sweet. My name is Becca, and I can help you find the perfect pet for your girlfriend,” she said before pursing her lips to the side in thought. “I, for one, love kittens. Most girls do.”

I thought about having to deal with cat litter and claws scratching me, then furrowed my brows. I didn’t think Kaiya would like that shit either. “I was thinking a puppy. My girlfriend is pregnant, and I think a litter box would be too much maintenance.”

“Well, cats are very independent, but pregnant women aren’t supposed to be around cat urine, so I think a puppy is a great idea.” She walked and talked over her shoulder. “Let me show you the puppies we have available.”

I followed her to the center of the huge store, which had a big sign in the shape of a dog over it. The barking got louder the further we walked into that section. Dog food, leashes, collars, chew toys, and every other kind of dog essential lined the shelves in that, and a glass wall with puppies was in the very back.

“Are you looking for a small or large dog?” Becca asked as I scanned over my options. I loved big dogs, but I knew Kaiya would think a little dog was cute and would probably dress them up and all that prissy shit. “Small,” I answered.

The girl nodded with a smile. “Our smaller dogs are on this side.” She guided me to the far left side of the transparent wall of puppies. Some were sleeping, others were playing around, and a few wagged their tails and barked at us.

“Ryker?”

I froze in my tracks. That voice was like nails on a chalkboard for me.

“Ryker, is that you?”

Fuck me sideways.

I turned to face someone I hadn’t seen in years; someone I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing.

Molly.

“It is you! Fancy meeting you here,” she commented as she approached me. “How have you been?”

Great until now.

I forced myself to respond. “Fine. How about you?”

“Good, thanks.” She placed a hand on her small baby bump as her eyes ran up and down my body. “You look amazing.”

Pushing the thought of her being pregnant and all the bad memories it caused to resurface, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want, Molly?”

She shifted uncomfortably and a look of hurt flashed across her face. “I can’t ask an old friend about how they’ve been?”

I scoffed. “Old friend? If you treat your friends like you treated me, I’d hate to be your enemy.”

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