Page 60 of Fox
“What the fuck!” I get to my knees just as she comes out. Looking at her small hands, I see the charcoal-gray ball of fur. It’s the size of Janie’s tiny hand and meowing repeatedly.
“Fuck.” I groan, already seeing it written on her face.
“We can’t leave it!” She cries out, and I scratch my neck.
“Alright, fine, but we’re taking it to a shelter tomorrow. I don’t do pets.” I watch as she glares at me before standing andgetting into the truck, clutching the kitten tightly to her chest. I follow suit and we take off down the road again.
There is the briefest moment of silence before Janie opens her mouth to speak. “Can you take me to the pet store?”
“Why would I do that if it’s going to the shelter tomorrow?” I ask as I drive toward my house, not the pet store.
Janie huffs and sits back in her seat. “First off, you aren’t the boss of me. If I decide to keep Winston, that’s my decision.”
I whip my truck onto the shoulder and throw it into park for the second time before turning to glare at her in disbelief. “Winston?” I ask.
She juts her chin out defiantly as she nods. “Yes, he looks like a dapper little gentleman. Winston suits him.”
“You don’t know if it’s a male.”
I watch her roll her eyes. “It’s the energy he gives off, Fox.”
Did the chlorine in the pool fuck with her brain? What’s happening?
“Either way,” I say slowly. “Winston and his energy are going to the shelter tomorrow.”
“No,” Janie matches my slow tone. “I don’t think he is. I think I’m going to keep him.”
“Torch, you can’t just decide to keep a cat. You won’t even pick out curtains because it’s too much of a commitment.” I watch her wince slightly as her shaky hands hold the fur ball close to her chest. The cat’s eating up the affection, nuzzling into her warmth. The scene is fucking adorable, and it pisses me the fuck off because I’m not going to fucking win this.
“I don’t care,” Janie says firmly. “I’m keeping Winston. He needs me, he wants me.” Her tone sounds almost broken at the end. She shakes her head and stares back at me, eyes determined. “I understand I’m a guest at your place, and you don’t like animals. So don’t worry, I’ll find a new place for him and me to live. I was going to have to start looking forapartments anyway. My landlord has, not so nicely, asked me to move out due to the complaints with the people outside his complex.”
A new place to live?
“No,” I state as I put the truck back into drive and merge back into the lane, heading for the pet store. “You two will stay with me.”
“Fox,” she huffs in disbelief. “I can’t just move in with you indefinitely.”
“Don’t see why not. I have the space, it’s not being used, and you already have most of your shit there.” Plus, if she moves to another place, I may never be able to step into my house again. Fuck, what if it stops smelling like her? I would have to sell it.
“Uh-huh, and how will that look when you bring your girlfriend over?” I give her a shrug.
“I don’t have girlfriends, and even if I did, she would have to realize her place, which is below you.”
“Fox!” Janie’s surprised laugh makes me smirk and relax slightly, at least until she opens that dangerous mouth again.
“What about if I bring a guy back for a night? You know, create the beast with two backs?” She smirks and raises her brows, challenging me. Rage is all I feel as I think about how I can hear her when she pleasures herself in that room, the way she moans and says my name. If she were to say another man’s name…
“That won’t be a problem,” I state through gritted teeth.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“I’ll kill any man that comes into my house to fuck you.”
I stareat the tiny fur ball as it sleeps in the crook of Janie’s neck. It’s purring so loudly I can’t believe she is napping through it. Though she’s snoring twice as loud, and he is completely content, so maybe they’re made for each other. I took Janie to the pet store that had a vet’s office attached to it. We went ahead and got Winston checked out, and then Janie loaded the entire cart with kitten food, toys, beds, dishes, a scratching post, and some monstrosity called a “cat tree.” When I saw the total, I just about shit, but… Jesus, she was so happy. Like I’ve never seen her smile so big or her eyes sparkle so much. And the whole time we were in the store, she touched my back, or wrapped an arm around mine while I pushed the cart, and it was so intimate. She fought me on payment, telling me that Winston was her son and she could afford him. But before I could stop myself, I was swiping my credit card and carrying the six-foot-tall, heavy as fuck, blue and gray cat tree to my truck while Janie practically bounced the entire way out.
The two of them spent all afternoon together, playing and getting better acquainted. Winston loves Janie’s wild hair, which, same little dude, he burrows into it every chance he gets and then tries to bounce out, and each time, Janie squeals with delight.
Janie’s earlier words run through my head for what feels like the millionth time.You don’t like animals.
