Page 145 of Breaking Point
What truly has me afraid is what my life will look like when she comes back.
Will my mom still be here?
Layla’s soft voice pulls me from my thoughts, and by the slight tone of surprise in her voice, she’s also shocked that I’ve chosen this moment to bring up the departure. “Ugh, I haven’tdecided which ones I’m going to take yet. I’ll have a lot of free time to read so I’m considering buying a Kindle, but I don’t know if I can spare the money. My parents definitely can’t. They’ve given enough.”
Looping her arm through mine, I give her a squeeze. “I’ll come over on Monday and help you pick which books to take.”
Layla’s eyes glaze as she nods furiously. “Can we change the topic and pretend like I’m not leaving Thursday?”
I come to a sudden stop. “Are you not excited? You could be getting answers for everything.”
She bites her bottom lip. “Or I could be using my parents’ retirement fund for nothing.” She shakes her head. “I just want one day, B. One day where I’m not the chronically sick girl. I’m having a good day physically, so I want to pretend like this is how I am every day.”
At the pain evident in her voice, I give her the smile she deserves and pull her along. “Normal, healthy day it is.”
The smile she gives me is so wide I’m surprised it doesn’t hurt.
“Great, now take me to meet the infamous Grayson.”
Chapter 37
Grayson
MOM
Hi honey, I just tried calling and it went to voicemail. I’m guessing you’re a bit busy so please give me a call back when you’re free
please
I miss you, Grayson
I want to hear your voice
I love you
My hands are knuckles deep in Hunter’s fur, the two-year-old husky that’s screaming in my ear.
“Jesus, buddy, you’d think I’m castrating you with how you’re carrying on.”
He stops suddenly, his head tilting as those crystal blue eyes bore into mine. I snort. “You’re too smart for your own good, and yes, you’re being dramatic.”
I’m met with his head thrown back in a pitiful howl and I can’t help but chuckle.
I adore huskies and nothing gets me laughing like a funny husky video, but it takes a special person with a lot of patience to own one. Their personalities arestrong. They get out like they’re professional burglars, they scream like they’rebeing tortured, and they have the attitude of a hormonal teenager.
With all that being said, it breaks my heart that his family surrendered him after two years, and it frustrates me to no end that people don’t research the dog breed they’re buying before they do so. Hunter is loyal, fiercely protective, smart as all hell, and will make someone who deserves his love extremely happy.
If I could, I’d buy a huge block of land and rescue all the animals. Sometimes it feels like I’m not doing enough with Safe Haven Trails. Although, if I said that out loud to anyone here, they’d probably outright scoff in my face.
The pounding of footsteps and heavy panting has me raising my head to Natasha, one of the full-time rescuers, bent over her knees trying to catch her breath.
“I really need to run more,” she wheezes.
Placing the brush down, I step out of the paddock I was brushing Hunter in. I slap the fur off my clothes but give up once nothing budges. “Is everything all right? No animals have escaped, have they?”
Natasha waves me off, her bright red hair cascading over her face. “No, they’re all right. It’s one of the disabled dogs.”
That does nothing to alleviate my worry. I call out to Stan, one of the part-time volunteers to the left of us. “Hey, Stan! Can you come and take Hunter back?”
