"Cheddar!"
The sound of cat nails ripping into the couch didn't stop. I groaned, took out the bag of treats and shook it. The sound of our couch's torture stopped immediately, and my cat's familiar trilling meow echoed in the house before he trotted into the kitchen, his orange tail raised high.
"You little trouble maker," I said, crouching to give him a treat. It crunched between his sharp little teeth.
It was a Saturday, and I'd woken up uncharacteristically early for a weekend morning. Rain pelted the window outside, and the sky was depressingly gray. The boys were still asleep. Scott's snores shook the wall.
I put the treat bag in its place and went back to making breakfast. Cheddar rubbed himself against my leg for a couple of minutes, hoping for another treat. I turned off the stove and poured the scrambled eggs next to the sausages in the plate. Cheddar lost hope and jumped on one of the island stools, licking his paws.
I sat down in the next stool and dug in. Lia was sleeping soundly in my room upstairs. She'd spent the night and we'd stayed up past midnight watching a drama.
Usually, I would sleep in. But my brain was too loud. I was still worried about Hunter and his issue with his father. He and I were going on a date this morning before heading to the gym.
Cheddar put his front paws on the island and sniffed at my plate.
"What?" I mumbled through a mouthful of eggs. "You want sausages?"
He put his paw on my hand and gave a low meow. My heart melted. Little con artist.
"Fine." I gave him a piece of sausage. He gobbled it up in a second and was looking at me through those big, golden eyes again.
"This is too fatty for you," I said even as I gave him another piece. He chewed on it, his little sharp teeth gleaming. Surprisingly, he jumped off the stool and left the kitchen without asking for more. I finished my breakfast and was rinsing my plate when I heard it.
My eyes widened and I dropped the plate and rushed to the living room. "Cheddar!"
But it was too late. Cheddar was at the top of the stairs, looking at me with a haughty expression as I took in the glob of regurgitated sausages and cat hair on the living room the carpet. I glared at my cat. "You just had to vomit on the carpet?"
He blinked slowly and cocked his head, as if to say: well I couldn't possibly throw up on the floor.
"You're lucky you're cute," I grumbled and set out to clean the mess. I shook my head. Cats.
When I returned to the kitchen to finish the dishes, my phone was vibrating on the island. Unknown number. I frowned. Who could it possibly be?
Whatever. I'd just not answer. But the thought that someone could be calling because something was wrong with Sam or Hunter or one of my friends made me pick up.
It was the last person I expected to hear that morning.
"Sapphire Milton? Let's meet."
*** ***** ***
It was one of the more upscale cafés in town.
I felt like an interloper in my oversized hoodie, jeans and scuffed sneakers. I put my hands in my hoodie's pockets, the wrapper of the chocolate bar I devoured on the way crunching under my fingers, and took a seat. The person who invited me wasn't here yet. I ordered a cup of coffee to keep me company.
The café's soft green and golden decor failed to put me at ease. My knee bounced under the white table. The only other patrons were a middle-aged couple in the corner and a white-haired man in a beret sitting in front of the accent wall; an abstract mural of bluish green waves and golden sand.
I wrapped my hands around the coffee mug. The heat should've burned. It did nothing faced with the anxiety pinching my guts.
Wait, should I have waited for the other party to get here before ordering? I had no idea what the etiquette for things like these was.
The door bell jingled. My head snapped up. Hunter's father strolled in like he owned the place. Finally.
Dressed in a crisp gray shirt under a casual blazer and tan slacks, his eyes covered by shades and his hair brushed back in an effortless hairstyle, he looked handsome for a man his age. Hunter inherited his perfect bone structure. But not the way the man looked at everything down his nose as if he did the world a favor by deigning to grace us with his presence.
I really didn't like him.
He beelined toward me and took the seat across. He removed his shades. His brows raised at my mug. I guess I shouldn't have ordered before he got here. I raised the mug to my lips and took a long sip. Mhm.
The waiter came, but Hunter's father waved him away. Rude bastard. The waiter threw us an odd look. Ugh. I really hoped she didn't think I was hooking up with a sugar daddy.
Mr. Jamison dropped his shades on the table and took me in.
"So you're my son's girlfriend."
It wasn't a question, so I just took another sip of my coffee.
"Aren't you curious why I called you here?"
"I'm sure you'll enlighten me," I said with a too sweet smile.
He chuckled. "I see why he likes you," he said, his eyes doing an appraisal of my features. The coffee threatened to rise in my throat. Creep. I gave him what I hoped was a disgusted look.
He steepled his hands and leaned forward. "I want you to convince Hunter to go to college."
I raised my brows. Well, then. That wasn't what I expected. Then again, this entire morning wasn't what I expected my Saturday morning to be like.
"I'm afraid I don't follow," I said.
Mr. Jamison sighed. "Hunter has been spending a lot of time with you. He seems smitten with you. I'm sure you know about the little college argument we're having right now."
Little college argument? "And?"
"Yyou can convince him to go for a business degree."
"He doesn't want a business degree," I said. "He doesn't want anything to do with you."
"He's barely eighteen," Mr. Jamison said, impatience tightening his features. "He doesn't know what he wants."
I scoffed. I didn't even dignify that with an answer. What an arrogant prick. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "This is for his best interest. If you care for him, you'll help him see that this is the right thing."
What an ass Did he think I was still sucking my thumb? "No, I won't. Precisely because I care for him."
"You'll be generously compensated," Mr. Jamison said. He reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and pulled out a checkbook and a thin pen. He opened the checkbook and slid it toward me with the pen.
"Put in any number you want," he said. "It's yours. You can pay your house's mortgage that you inherited from your parents, and save your big brother the money. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."
This... this... this arrogant asshole!
How did he even know about the mortgage? I wanted to throw the coffee at his face. I was so, so tempted. Instead, I took a deep breath and stood up.
"I can see why Hunter doesn't want anything to do with you," I said, throwing a twenty dollar bill on the table.
"Sapphire," he said, his face snapping into an unpleasant expression. "Think again. This is for your best interest, both yours and his."
I shook my head. "Good day, Mr. Jamison."
I walked out of the café before I succumbed to the urge to punch my boyfriend's father.
The sky outside matched my mood. The wind picked up as I stalked towards the car. That asswipe. I couldn't believe he was trying to bribe me. The nerve!
I stayed in the driver's seat for a few minutes until I calmed down before driving away. Hunter's father was a piece of work, alright.
There was still an hour before Hunter and I were supposed to meet. Feeling all out of sorts, I just drove around town until it was time and went back home.
Hunter was sitting in his car in front of our house. I pulled up the driveway. Hunter stepped out of his car.
I got out of the car and held up the keys. "I'll put these inside and be right back."
He nodded, his brows tugged low over his eyes.
Should I tell him about his father? I didn't know. It would just make him pissed off and worry him. He was dealing with enough as it was.
I put the car keys on the key holder- my brothers were still asleep- and went back out.
Hunter was already in the passenger seat. I got in the driver's seat and started the car.
"I didn't know you had a plan this morning." His gaze burned my cheek.
"I didn't," I said. The car rolled smoothly onto the empty street. We drove past a woman jogging with her dog. A couple holding a little girl's hands between them. A young guy mowing a lawn. Nothing made it past my thoughts. Fortunately, Hunter didn't say anything. Not until we were in our usual diner for breakfast.
"Alright, are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked as soon as we made our order.
"What happened?" I asked. He threw an arm over the seat behind me. We were sitting side by side in our usual corner booth.
Hunter gave me a long look. Right. No playing dumb. I sighed and fiddled with the napkin. "I got a call this morning... from your father."
Hunter froze. Then he closed his eyes and cursed. "What the hell did he want?"
"He wanted to meet," I said.
"What- please don't tell me that's where you went this morning."
I huffed. "It's not a big deal. We met at a café, had a chat, and I left."
Hunter ran a rough hand through his hair, his features tightening. "Damn it, Sapph. You shouldn't have gone to meet him."
I scowled. "It's my decision, not yours. Besides, I wanted to know what he wanted. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help."
His expression softened. "Baby, my father is hopeless. And I'm figuring things out. In a couple of months, I'll be eighteen and I'll be free of him. I'll go my own way. Steve and Brandon will help me get my footing as a beginner in boxing. I'll just have to give up college for the next few years. It's not a big deal."
"I hate that you have to give up anything, in the first place," I said, throwing the napkin on the table. "Why should you do that?"
Hunter released a heavy breath and put his hand on the back of my neck, his fingers threading through my hair. "It's okay. Everything will work out, yeah?"
"I know," I mumbled. But I didn't.
"What did he want anyway?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes. "He wanted me to convince you to comply. Your father is delirious."
Hunter smiled a little. "If anyone could do it, it'd be you."
I shook my head. He was just saying that. "Anyway, it's over and done with. So, what are you planning for our next date? I'm kind of getting tired of diners."
Hunter chuckled, his shoulders relaxing against the red booth. "You're the one who shot down the hiking date I'd suggested."
"Hmm, I guess I did."
"And the movies' date."
I grinned. "Hey, if we're going on a date, we should be eating."
He shook his head with a fond smile. "Right."
Our breakfast arrived shortly after. The stack of pancakes drizzled with maple syrup made my mouth water. It was exactly what I needed after this morning's unpleasant meeting.
"Okay, next date, we'll go hiking," I said, cutting through the sugary trap.
"Are you sure?" Hunter asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Mhm." I swallowed the sweet treat. "And the next one will be to the movies. I guess it's a must for couples to go on at least one movies' date."
"The next one, we can go to that café you're raving about," he said.
I perked up. Batting my lashes, I leaned my head to catch his gaze with my puppy-eyed look. "Can we make it the next date instead of hiking?"
Hunter laughed. "Alright, we'll go there next weekend."
I grinned and continued my breakfast. The day might have started bad, but Hunter's company made everything better. He was right. He had everything under control. True, he had to give up college, for now, but at least he would be free of his Dad and his entire God forsaken family.
We went to the gym after breakfast. Our bellies were too full, and we dragged our feet during our cardio. It was more of a stroll than a jog, really. When we got into the gym from the back tracks, Steve gave us a look.
"You'll pay for that half-assed cardio," he said, ushering us closer.
"How did he even know?" I mumbled to myself. Hunter smiled.
He looked more... carefree. I guess he was coming to terms with his future plans, no matter how unexpected they were. It was such a shame he had to give up his photography degree. But that didn't mean he had to give up his passion for it. Nowadays, you could learn pretty much everything without college.
I slipped my hands into mitts and slapped them together. "Alright, big boy, let's see what you got."
Hunter grinned and nudged my forehead with his gloved hand. "Try to keep up, shorty."
"Stop flirting and get to work, for God's sake!" Steve called from where he was working with Kit. A blush rose to my cheeks. Hunter only chuckled. And life was good.
Except I should've known it wouldn't give me a break.
*** **** ***
It was three in the morning the following Monday when my phone rang. It was Chester.
It took a moment for my sleep-addled brain to know that something was wrong. Chester never called, he only texted. If it was Chester, then it must be the shelter.
"Hello?"
"Sapph? The shelter..." he said, sounding out of breath. There was a commotion in the background.
"What's wrong?" I sat up. Cheddar raised his head from where he curled at my feet, his eyes glowing as they caught a beam of light slipping through the blinds from the street lampost next to my window.
"It's burning."
Fifteen minutes later, I got out of the car and approached the burning building. My breath caught. It was like a dream. A nightmare.
Angry flames licked the night sky, coloring everything in shades of orange. The firemen were trying to put out the stubborn fire and save the animals inside.
But it was too little, too late. The fire had already ravaged half the building by the time I got there. I took a cat from one of the firemen and put it with the others in the back of a truck one of the volunteers lent for that purpose.
Anushka, the shelter's manager, was sobbing while trying to negotiate with one of the firemen to let her help. They wouldn't let anyone else inside. The fire was too strong. The small crowd around stood shell shocked, helpless to do anything but watch.
We could hear the meows and the barks of the animals still stuck inside. My throat tightened, and the fiery night blurred. I couldn't take it. My heart was breaking into little pieces.
I got my phone out without thinking and pressed it to my ear. After a couple of minutes, Hunter picked up.
"Sapphire?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep.
"I-" I sobbed. Tears were streaming down my face. Words got caught in my throat.
"Sapphire? Is everything alright? What happened?" Hunter's panicked voice only made me cry harder.
"The-the shelter," I managed. "The shelter is... the fire..."
"Are you at the shelter?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"I'll be right there."
He hung up. My hand dropped to my side, limp. Chester approached, his cheeks stained with tears as well.
"They can't get to the back of the shelter," he told me, his voice thick. "The hallway collapsed."
I put my hand over my mouth. Oh my God. The sounds of the trapped animals tore my heart apart.
Minutes later, a car screeched to a halt somewhere nearby. Someone pushed through the small crowd behind us.
"Sapphire?"
I turned. Hunter's wide eyes caught mine, then I was wrapped in his smell. The stench of smoke and the glowing particles floating through the air took a backseat.
Hunter held me, as helpless as I was, and we waited for the fire to be put out. As time went on, the sounds of the animals grew fainter. Until they stopped all together.
The rain came later. But it was too late.
Twenty one cats and twelve dogs were lost. The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction, apparently.
After the fire was put out, volunteers gathered to get the animals. We separated them across different shelters in our town and in the neighboring towns.
We also had to look for the cats and the dogs that strayed away. The firefighters who got inside had to open all the cages they could get; freeing the animals was the fastest way to get them to safety. And many of them had strayed away.
Hunter stayed. Lia, Jason and my brothers joined us later to help. The sun was firmly up in the sky and we were still working. It wasn't until close to noon that Anushka told us there was nothing more we could do.
We all drove home. We'd missed our Monday morning classes, but I just couldn't care less. My heart was still heavy from the shock of the fire and the loss.
My friends went ahead of us. I lingered near the shelter. People were scattering around. Under the light of the day, the building looked as gray as the clouded sky overhead. Gone was the shelter I knew and loved since I was a kid. In its place stood a reck of ashes, blackened walls and lost souls.
Hunter walked over from where he'd been speaking with Anushka. He'd been a great help.
Silently, he walked to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around me. His cheek against my head. The rock on my chest got heavier the more I looked at the shelter, until I could no longer hold back. I turned around and buried my face in his chest, letting my sobs free.
*** **** ***
I drove Hunter's car back home. He sat in the passenger seat. His presence made things better, somehow. He was so immovable and just... there. It made me feel less alone, and it made me brave the pain easier.
As we turned the street of our house, a car in our driveway made me furrow my brows. "That's Sam's car," I mumbled. "What is he doing here? He's supposed to be at work."
"Maybe he took the day off," Hunter mumbled.
I parked the car and got out. "Come in," I told Hunter. "We can have lunch before we go to school."
He gave a nod and followed me inside the house.
"Sam?" I called, hanging my keys. Sam, Scott and Stefan were in the kitchen, standing around the island. I knew something was wrong from the smile Sam gave me.
"Hey, Sapph," Sam said.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Sam twisted his lips. "I'm taking a couple of weeks off."
"He resigned," Stefan said.
"What? Why?" I asked. "You like your job."
Sam's eyes flickered behind me at Hunter. "Hey, Hunter."
"Hey," Hunter rumbled behind me.
"Well." Sam clapped his hands once. "Who wants pizza? My treat."
Obviously, he wasn't going to speak about it. Worry niggled at my stomach as Scott placed the order. Then Hunter's phone rang. He frowned at the screen. "I gotta take this."
He went to the living room and spoke in a hushed voice. I turned to my brother. Sam was looking over the menu in Scott's phone. Stefan took a seat at the island and frowned at our older brother.
"What's going on?" I whispered to Stefan.
"I don't know. He just said he was quitting and looking for another job," Stefan mumbled. "But something must've happened. He liked his job, and he never said anything about changing it until now."
Cheddar walked into the kitchen and rubbed against my legs, trilling. I picked him up and hugged him. Hugging my cat would always make me feel better, and today was no exception.
"My little fur ball," I mumbled, kissing his orange head. He didn't like being held for a long time, but today seemed an exception. Maybe he felt that I needed his comfort.
"Sapphire?" Hunter called from the living room. I joined him. He was stiff, his shoulders bunched. "Hey, I gotta drop by home. I'll see you later, yeah?"
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
He nodded and gave me a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Everything is fine."
--- ---- ---
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P.S: Me while writing this chapter:
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M.B.