Page 160 of Mountain Daddy

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And my heart fucking hurts.

Why does this hurt so much? I did the right thing.

I keep telling myself that.

I did the right thing.

By letting her go, I’m letting her choose whatever future she wants.

By letting her go, I’m not holding her back.

Letting her go was the most chivalrous act I’ve ever done.

So why does it feel like I just made the worst decision of my life?

Chapter 97

Kendra

A crunch soundsto my right.

I open my eyes.

Another crunch.

I don’t know how long I’ve been lying here, but it’s long enough that my tears have dried on my cheeks and my breathing has evened out.

The sun filters through the branches above me, and my body aches as I sit up.

There’s another crunch right before a cute pointy face appears.

“Hey, Buddy,” I whisper through my still-tight throat.

The fox takes a few steps closer.

I cross my legs and set my hands on my knees.

I want to reach out for him. I’m dying to pet him. But I also know he’s a wild animal, and I probably shouldn’t let him this close to me.

But I’m not exactly in the best headspace right now, so I continue to talk to the furry guy.

“It’s okay.” I keep my voice gentle. “I’d love to be your friend. If that’s okay with you.”

He inches closer, and that’s when I notice his limp.

My exhausted heart squeezes inside my chest. “Are you hurt too?”

He comes another step closer, then another, keeping his front foot off the ground.

I thought I was done crying, but I’ve been wrong about a lot of things recently.

More tears fall as I see the string wrapped around his perfect little furry foot.

“You poor thing.” My crying turns to sobbing.

This is too much.

He hobbles closer and lets out a noise that’s more like a scratchy shout than a bark.

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