Page 83 of Penance
Theo
“No,” I say, placing my hands on my hips and widening my stance to glare down at Lily. She matches my position, adding in a little hair toss as she glares right back.
Her lips purse, and my eyes follow the movement. There’s a challenge in the set of her mouth, and dang it if I don’t want to meet that challenge head-on. I wonder if she knows how much I have to fight to maintain my common sense—to keep my hands to myself and not kiss her.
One taste.
That was all it took to seal my addiction in stone.
“Yes.” She taps her foot against the concrete, and my gaze snaps back to hers.
“I am not adopting a dog.”
Her pout turns into a breezy smile, one that would look agreeable on anyone else, but on Lily, it’s downright scary.
“Oh yes, you are.” Reaching out, she fists my shirt and drags me into the town square where the animal shelter is having an adoption day. “Youneeda dog.”
She doesn’t look back as she talks, dragging me behind her like a lost puppy. And I follow because the moment I kissed her, things shifted. This might have started as something fake—something to help us bothout—but I don’t know if I’ll be able to give it up. I don’twantto give it up.
People throw us curious looks as we walk through the crowd. I assume I’ll hear about this in the chat in five…four… three…two…
As if on cue, my phone pings in my pocket, and I reach in, pulling it out while Lily continues to drag me behind her.
Annoyance #2 (CR):Word around town is that Lily got a new puppy.
Annoyance #2 (CR):Oh, wait. that’s just Theo.
Annoyance #1 HM:=‘D
Theo:First of all, Hayes, even I know how to use emojis, and I’m older than you. Second of all, Campbell, at least I have a girl.
Silas:So it’s confirmed? She’s your girl?
Theo removed himself from the group.
I shove my phone back into my pocket before anyone can add me back to the group—which they will. I can’t escape it.
She’s pulled me to a stop, and we are standing in front of a kennel full of mutts.
“I’m not getting a mutt.”
“You said you weren’t getting a dog, either,” she says with a shrug, “and look, I’ve already changed your mind about that.”
“More like you coerced me into changing my mind,” I grumble.
Lily gives me a flat look before she turns back to the dogs, pure joy in her eyes. Reaching forward, she picks up the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen, cuddling it to her chest.
Its face is smooshed, looking like it ran into something, and now it’s stuck that way. The shaggy hair and legs just long enough to keep its tail from dragging complete the look.
“That is the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen,” I say, reaching out to pet it. It growls, burrowing deeper into Lily’s arm.
“Don’t talk about him like that,” Lily says, aghast. She cuddles thedog closer, whispering something I can’t hear in its ear.
The dog trembles in her arms to the point I worry he might pee on her, but Lily doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, she’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Her face is soft, and I wonder if she realizes she doesn’t have her mask on today.
“He likes you.” I keep my voice soft, afraid that she’ll put it back on if I speak too loudly. “Why don’t you adopt him?”
“Nah. He needs someone who can love him.” She snaps her head up, and her eyes widen as if she hadn’t meant to say that aloud. A storm brews in the depths of her eyes. “You could love him.”
