Page 12 of The Big Catch

“Yes, I’m Belle.” I walked out of the gate. “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

I wanted to say something snippy to Tink, but it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t feel like the aggravation of it all. She was a bitch, I was a bitch, so all it would be was two bitches bitchin’. Tink stood there looking, well, stupid.

“Gunner is in the house with the other dogs. He sent us out here to bring them in,” Nadine let me know. “I don’t think he knew you were here.”

I looked back at the dogs in the gate. “Yeah, I just got here. I wanted to spend time with My Boy and Stitch. I can bring them in.”

“Yeah, you do that, pack leader. Be a good doggy bitch,” Tink asserted.This bitch was a problem.

Nadine smacked Tink’s arm. “Tink, shut the hell up. I told you to stop being mean to that damn girl.”

“There’s no need to tell her to stop. Her attitude is like her face… ugly as fuck. To think, she called me the dog bitch. Woof, woof, sis.” That bitch could kiss my ass. I reached behind me to open the gate. “Come on, babies. Let’s go in.”

The dogs ran out of the gate toward their house. When I walked past Tink and Nadine, I felt the heat that came from Tink and the shock that came from Nadine. I wasn’t a fan of letting insignificant people knock me off my square.

“I didn’t know you were here,” Gunner said when I walked into the doghouse.

Why the fuck did he have to look so good? “Yeah, I just got here not too long ago. I wanted to spend time with My Boy and Stitch.”

His brow rose as a smirk showcased on his face. “My Boy and Stitch, huh? You like my boy Stitch too?”

With a shrug, I responded. “I mean, yeah. He’s my baby’s best friend.” I shuffled a little before I took a deep breath. “I was wondering if My Boy and Stitch can come home with me tonight?”

His head bucked back a little. Before he could respond, a loud banshee came into the doghouse. “Bitch, I’ma beat…”

Gunner grabbed his cousin Tink. “What the fuck, Tink? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Tink, stop! You said fuck shit to her too,” Nadine fussed at her. “Y’all both need to stop.”

Gunner looked between us. His face was tight with furrowed brows. “Why the fuck y’all don’t like each other?”

I snickered. “So we’re supposed to have an intervention here in the doghouse? I rather not. Why she doesn’t like me is none of my business.”

He pointed toward his house. “Y’all go the hell in there. Now!”

“Why you yelling at me? That’s Tink and Belle. I didn’t do anything,” Nadine whined.

I wanted to laugh at the whole situation. Tink stood there with an ugly, mad face while Nadine stood there with a pout. I was annoyed, so I was sure my face conveyed that. Gunner looked like a fed up father. “Nadine, go in there so I can get these babies together. Make sure those two act like they got some damn sense.”

I took the lead to go into the house and sat on the couch. Tink and Nadine weren’t too far behind. I scrolled on social media until Gunner decided to bring his slow ass inside.

He stood in front of the couches that we sat on with his arms over his broad chest. “Now tell me why y’all don’t like each other again. Neither of you can say shit about high school either. That shit was too long ago.”

“I don’t have shit against that girl. I don’t know that girl,” I confirmed. I barely knew her in high school outside of the snarky comments that we exchanged in passing. I knew she was Gunner’s cousin, but that meant nothing to me.

Tink rolled her eyes. “Bitch, please. You think you’re better than everybody.”

My head shook side to side. “No, I don’t think I’m better than everyone. I just know I’m better than you.”

Gunner tittered. “Yeah, let me stop you there. That’s why she doesn’t like you. You’re a bitch.” His words caught me off guard. He’d never outright called me a bitch. “I’m not sure why you think that you’re better than her.

“Tink is a successful business owner, with two college degrees. She owns a home that was not given to her. Contrary to her attitude with you, she is the sweetest, most dependable, selfless, and giving person anyone will ever meet.” Gunner spoke with so much pride about his cousin. “Now please tell me how you are better than her when you literally possess none of those things that I just mentioned. You so busy trying to point out bum bitches, but you keep forgetting to point a finger at yourself.”

Something in his words hurt. Gunner and I had been doing well with not being mean and petty with each other. Today felt like one hundred steps back.Yeah, I’m not doing this.I shot up from my seat. “Gunner, fuck you.” I sized him up, then said, “It’s giving lil dick energy.”

Where the hell did that come from?I pushed past him to the doghouse. My Boy and Stitch were in the same room, so all I had to do was open their gate. “Come on, my babies. Let’s go home.”

They ran toward me with excitement and followed me out the back door. When I got to my Wagon, I opened the back door. Both of my babies jumped right in. They knew they belonged to me. Since I’d been spending time with My Boy and Stitch, I’d been busy turning one of my bedrooms into a room for my babies. I was proud of how it turned out. I ordered the furniture from a cute store that I found in a town over.

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