Page 141 of Pack Scratch Fever
“Because I fucked up. Piper, I was an asshole to you since the first day we met,” I say. The truth pours out of me, and she watches with wide eyes as I continue. “I was rude to you. I was cold, and yet you helped us without a second thought when we had the cat colony. You make me happy—you makeusso unbelievably fucking happy, but I hurt you, all because I was miserable at my job. I am so incredibly sorry for how I’ve been and how I treated you.”
The room is silent except for the beeping of the monitors she’s attached to.
“You…bought…the building,” she repeats, breathless.
“Your new landlord was a selfish prick, and I’m tired of helping those types of people,” I snarl. “There’s no reason your rent should have increased that much. It was greed, plain and simple.”
Piper continues to stare at me in shock. “So, you bought an abandoned strip mall?” she repeats.
I shrug. “It’s not abandoned. It has Furs and Purrs.”
She shakes her head slowly. “You’re insane. That was aninsanething to do.”
“Maybe,” I admit.
“It’s also stupid,” she chastises, and I shrug.
“It was the right thing to do, after everything. It’s the least I can do, Piper.”
“Honestly, he owed you anyway,” Maddox adds, grinning.
Yet Piper appears uncomfortable. “What happens now? Does that mean I rent from you?”
I scoff. “No, not at all. I’d like to sign over at least a part of it to you and Blair, if not all of it. There are a million different ways to do this. But with the empty spaces, you could expand the rescue into the whole place, if you want.”
Her breath catches. “Why would youdothat?”
Does she really not know?
“Because it’s the right thing to do,” I tell her.
Because I love you.
But I know dropping all that on her while she’s in the hospital would be too much.
“Does Blair know?” she asks.
“As of this morning. We can figure out all the logistics later, but I wanted to let you know that the rescue is safe.”
“Mister Whiskers, Alvin, they’re all going to be okay, Piper,” Avery says softly.
“Mari is going to want to kick our asses for a while,” Maddox adds, grinning. “But I’ll win her over again.”
“I…” she chokes out. “Are you sure?” she turns to me. “What do I owe you in return?”
“Nothing,” I state. “Again, I am sorry I signed those papers. I never want to see you like that again, Piper, if I can help it.”
I want to say more.
I never want to see my scent match in this state ever again.
Even if she doesn’t want me, I’ll always make sure she’s taken care of.
“You can’t buy my forgiveness back,” she whispers.
“I don’t expect your forgiveness,” I say.
Her forgiveness would never be given easily, and that’s not why I did this.
