Page 99 of Jump

“I’m gonna hang up.” I turn away from Matt’s room and move into mine instead. Setting my water on the bedside table and patting my bed, giving Rocky the permission he wants so badly, I place my hand beneath his backside when he jumps, but the move hurts and the support is needed. “Up you go, buddy. You get a comfy bed from now on.”

“I can’t believe you adopted him,” Hannah mumbles. “He’s just so…”

“Heroic?” I supply and pat his ears once he circles and finds a spot to lie down. “Brave.”

“Large,” she inserts. “Smelly.”

“He does not smell.” I sit on the edge of my bed, and grin when his nose touches the back of my elbow. It’s wet, cold, and so very healthy after days of care by the best vet this town offers. “He had a shower tonight and everything. Which was pretty complicated, considering his stitches.”

“You could have adopted a teacup dog,” she huffs. “Or an axolotl.”

I snicker in the back of my throat, thankful for the distraction a conversation with my best friend provides, when I know the second I hang up, I’ll go back to thinking about Matt. And ground-shaking explosions felt from across town, and the orange glow of fire on the horizon.

“Rocky saved my life,” I remind her. “If not for him, I would have died a twenty-four-year-old.”

“See! That makes twenty-five pretty freakin’ special! You sure you don’t wanna celebrate it?”

“I’m celebrating with an early night.” Turning on my bed and shuffling back until I rest against the headboard, I stretch my legs along the mattress and exhale. “I’m going to read a book. Have some cake. Get a good sleep.”

“Lame.”

I don’t have to see her to know she rolls her eyes.

“This is my idea of a good time,” I murmur. “Waking up tomorrow with a fuzzy tongue and an aching head is your thing.”

“Ha,” she drawls. “Tomorrow, then? I want to celebrate my best friend’s birthday, Viv. If you’ll deny me dinner, then I demand breakfast.”

“Sure. But I gave you breakfast today, and lunch, and a doggy adoption.” I pause for a beat and grin. “That’s a packed day already.”

“We lived together last year,” she grumbles. “That was breakfast, lunch, dinner, a movie in bed, and champagne in fancy glasses. This year was not the same.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the one who moved out. You insisted on having twenty-four-seven access to the D.”

“And as payment, I lost twenty-four-seven access to the V,” she sniggers. “Fine. I can tell you want a night of introversion, so I’ll allow it.”

“Generous of you,” I drawl. “I wonder, when did you pick up on my hints?”

“Har-har. You get tonight, because I know books make you happy, and the giant fluffball is there with you. But I’m just gonna be here, watching a movie all on my lonesome. I won’t drink, so I can come to you the second you change your mind.”

“I won’t.” I reach down and scratch Rocky’s neck when he stretches closer. “I intend to be asleep in about thirty minutes. I’ll still be twenty-five tomorrow. We can hang out then.”

“Party pooper. You know where I am, just in case. You’re independent, Viv. You’re happy with your own company. But if you want to hang out—”

“I know where to find you,” I finish for her. “I know.”

“I love you,” she murmurs softly. “Best friends forever, okay? No matter what we’re doing with the guys, it’s you and me against the world.”

“I love you too.” Exhaling a soft sigh, I cross my ankles and look through my doorway and into the dark hall. “I’ll catch you tomorrow.”

“Hey, Viv,” she cuts in before I end our call. “You still there?”

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“Happy birthday, beautiful. You’re worth celebrating every single day. I’m sorry Matt messed up.”

A soft, pain-filled, verging-on-desperate laugh rolls along my throat. “He kinda predicted this from the start.” I sniffle back the emotion in my throat and wipe my free hand across my cheek. “It’s not even his fault, really. He said he forgets these things.”

Rocky’s head snaps up, startling me, as he points his nose straight toward my doorway. His ears pop tall, and his fur stands on end.

---