Page 116 of So Wild

“Oh, whatever,” Tabby said comfortably. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you need to lighten the fuck up. You’re a sexy young tattooist with a posh boyfriend and a business that only slightly got burned down. You should be getting hyped for Fadeout tomorrow, not sitting around weeping and trying to call dad.”

“How do you know I was trying to call dad?”

Tabby picked up the address book. “Ta-dah. Stop stalking the old man, he’s fine. Probably loling and splashing around in the ocean. Why stress him out about nothing?”

“Are you kidding? Everything around here’s fucked.”

“No, it isn’t. Well parts of it are, but me and Nix and Noah and Scott and the puppies are here to help. Face it, you’re making life hard for yourself by holding onto all this stuff for no reason.”

Sam flushed a little, wondering if this was how Nix felt whenever she accused her of being a pedantic busybody. “You can’t lecture me, you’ve never committed to a pizza long enough to finish it.”

“Maybe so, but at least I’m not in mad denial about my love for Scott Sanderson and trying to take it out on dad for going on a holiday instead of just being happy.”

Sam could hardly talk. She couldn’t remember being so pissed off, even at Greg Sanderson. That had been shocking, but this, this waspersonal. “I am not taking my feelings out on dad! And for your information, I tried to call Scott and he didn’t pick up, so I’m not in denial. Iwantto talk to him and sort everything out.”

Tabby didn’t say anything. She urged a third puppy onto her belly, gently squishing their bodies together. Sam watched her, anger pulsing through her veins. Her youngest sister didn’t know anything, she was reckless and clinically underemployed and as soon as she was done helping out with the shop, she’d be running off to Bondi or Johannesburg.

“You know life is serious,” she told her. “You can’t just feel good all the time.”

Tabby grinned, her pale blue eyes sparkling. “Says who?”

Sam opened her mouth to say something like ‘Copernicus’ but found she didn’t have the words. Something in the composition of her sister’s face and the things she was saying was all too reminiscent of their dad. Without warning, she burst into tears, pressing her face into her hands.

“Oh shit,” Tabby said. “Oh fuck, sorry, sorry for being so edgy. This day has been such a fruit salad of fuckery, I should have just put the puppies on you and left.”

“It’s fine,” Sam sobbed into her hands. “I just miss Scott and I’m scared about tomorrow and about you and Nix leaving and Dad never coming back…”

“But you don’t need to worry about that, we’re family. We’re always going to be together—see?” Tabby tapped on her cheek and when Sam opened her eyes, she showed her the daisy-chain tattoo on her wrist. The sight of it made Sam cry even harder.

“Oh God, I’m making it worse. Wait, I know how to fix this.”

Sam felt a warm weight settle on her lap and she automatically began petting the velvet puppy.

“That’s it, everything’s gonna be okay.” Tabby rubbed circles on her back using a puppy.

Sam snorted. “You’re so ridiculous.”

“I am. You’re going to get through this, Sammy. Things come together, they fall apart. They work out and then they don’t, but you and Scott were meant to be together. Give him some space and I promise he’ll come back.”

Sam smiled, leaning against her sister’s side. “You’re dad, aren’t you? Foul-mouthed dad.”

“Yeah. Hey, do you think we can make a puppy pyramid?”

So they lay there, playing with the paws of the half-Rottweiler, half-Spaniel mutts. As they did, Sam looked down at the spray of cherry blossoms she’d had inked into her forearms. If you’d asked her when she’d gotten them done, she would have denied all association with Scott, but the day she’d met him, the cherry tree had been in bloom. Maybe Tabby was right, maybe they were meant to be together. She could give him some space and hope that what they shared was strong enough to endure his poshness and her temper and what had happened today. Maybe Scott would show up in his suit, his face all taut with worry and—

“About keeping the puppies,” Tabby said, interrupting Sam’s romantic musings. “We could possibly just keep them, you know?”

“Don’t. Not tonight.”

“I’m not saying anything concrete but you might consider…” Tabby sat up. “Can you hear that?”

They froze, holding as many of the puppies as they could. The front door slammed shut and someone was walking along the hallway.

“Shit, what if Scott’s dad is back to take another crack at killing us?” Tabby stage whispered.

“He doesn’t have a key. It must be—”

“Hello?” Nicole called. “Are you guys in?”

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