Page 264 of Labor of Love

"I don't love you the way I should. You're a great guy, and you deserve to have someone love you the way you love them. That's just not me."

I swallow hard, sitting on the edge of the bed, no longer able to stand. "When did this start? How long have you known?"

"For a while. I met someone a few months ago, he's a guy I work with. He's married and has been trying to leave his wife for a while but said he didn't really have a reason to do it until he met me."

I stare back at the man I love, getting lost in his empathetic eyes that also carry a hint of hope in them. I know the hope isn't for me, even though I wish it was. It's hard to be mad at someone who is going down the same path I did. The one where he will end up sitting in a similar spot, wondering how he could have been so stupid. How he could fall in love with the wrong person. I've heard this story before and it always ends the same way. That man will never leave his wife, the same way Eric will neverlove me. I don't say anything. There isn't anything left to be said. He made his choice long before he started packing all his stuff.

"I'm going to go now. I'll come back for the rest of my things later. I'm really sorry, Parker." He walks closer, setting his hand on my shoulder and I flinch away from it. Normally touch would offer comfort, making me feel safe, but everything about his presence poisons the air I breathe.

"If you leave, you can't come back. If you realize you made a mistake, it will be yours to bear for the rest of your life."

"The only mistake I would be making is if I chose to stay in this house, playing a fake role. I really didn't mean to hurt you. It's the last thing I'd ever want to do."

"What was the first thing?" I ask, getting to my feet. "Claim my heart so you could stomp on it later?"

He opens his mouth to speak again, and I hold my hand in the air. "Don't bother. And you don't have to worry about coming back for your things. Message me where you're staying, and I'll have them sent over."

He nods, zipping the suitcase closed and lifting it off the bed. "I really do hope you find happiness, Parker. I'm sorry I couldn't be the one to give it to you."

But he did until he decided he didn't want me to have it anymore. I was the one who failed him, pushing him to search somewhere else for what he couldn't get from me. If only he told me what that was, maybe I could have tried harder to do everything in my power to make it happen. Just maybe.

3

HAZEL

This is bad.

This is really bad and there is not a damn thing I can do about it trapped in this box. I don't have enough room to shift into human form and there is no way I can remain someone's pet.

I move around in the box until I wear myself out and as I'm about to shut my eyes, a rush of footsteps move past me. I'm not left alone for long before someone else comes storming through the kitchen, slamming drawers and cabinets.

The top of the box opens, and the man with dark green eyes and dirty blond hair from before is staring down at me with a frown on his face. I can't stop looking at him and my heart beats faster the longer he stares back.

"Great, what am I supposed to do with you now? I don't have time to take care of a bunny." He sighs loudly, running a hand through his mussed hair. The closer he gets the more I notice his red-rimmed eyes. So much sadness there and it tugs at my chest. I want to fix it and I don't understand why. He speaks again, "I don't know why I'm asking you as if you're supposed to answer me."

After lifting me out of the box, he settles me in his arms and brushes his fingers through my fur. The touch feels so good, I close my eyes, enjoying the way his hand feels pressing to my back. "I guess we better get your new home set up, huh? You can't stay in a box forever."

He carries me to a beige couch, setting me down on the soft cushions. A smile plays on his lips, it's more forced than it is genuine. "Don't wander too far now." He hurries out the front door, and I run back and forth along the long couch, enjoying the small amount of freedom.

I should make my escape now. It would be the perfect opportunity, but then I remember the sad look in his eyes. Based on everything I'd overheard, I'm no longer his boyfriend's gift. I can't help but sympathize with the man. He had his heart broken the same way I did, and I’m not ready to take away his last bit of joy. I know the presence of animals can be comforting, and for whatever reason, I can't move toward the door. Something inside weighs me down where I am like an anchor, dread filling me as I think about leaving again.

What's happening to me? I don't know this man. He's a stranger and I'm still not a hundred percent sure that he's not one of the dangerous humans my family has warned me about. So far, he's shown me no reason to believe he is but that could all change once he realizes what I really am.

Where would I go anyway, and what harm would a few days here do? I'll just stay in animal form and keep pretending to be the perfect pet. Easy peasy. The door opens and slams again. He hurries my way with a large box in his arms, and I stand up on my hind legs, trying to get a better look at what it is.

"You hardly even moved. I was more than sure you would be long gone by now." He sets the box down and lifts me up, petting me one last time before setting me on the soft white rug. I wiggle my nose, getting familiar with my surroundings and crawl intothe man's lap after he settles on the floor. He pets me a few more times and his lips turning upward warms my heart. He has a really nice smile and it's a shame someone tried to rob him of it today.

He sets me down on the ground again, and reaches for the large box, tearing the top open with a few tugs of his hands. "As much as I'd love to keep petting you, little guy, I have to put this cage together. Eric was always better at this kind of stuff."

I run around, exploring the living room as my new owner fiddles with my temporary sleeping grounds, constantly releasing sighs of frustration. Every now and then he pauses to tug at his hair. I nearly wear myself out, giving myself a tour of the living room and kitchen by the time he is done setting up the large cage and filling it with soft wood chips.

When he calls to me, my body is way ahead of my brain, feet moving quickly toward him before I have time to fully think about what I'm doing. A strong force travels between us, yanking me his way, and I do my best to fight against it by hopping inside the cage instead of back in his lap. Feeling as exhausted as he appears, I settle myself into a corner, and close my eyes to the soft sounds of his breathing.

"Goodnight, little guy. Things will be better tomorrow. It's time we both sleep this awful day away."

Sure, maybe both of us had our hearts broken this week, but at least he isn't the one forced to sleep in a cage. Although, escaping my responsibilities for a while hasn't been a bad thing. As soon as I return home, I'll be trapped behind a worse set of bars.

4

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