Page 109 of Make Me Trust Again
The words are spoken so softly, I have to strain to hear them. Kyle nibbles at the inside of his cheek, that earlier vulnerability back in the open.
Motherfucker.
“He’s wrong. Your voice is beautiful and unique, just like you, and if he can’t see that, it’s his loss.”
Kyle’s lip wobbles a little as he watches me, his eyes shiny. My throat feels raw with emotion, but before either of us can say anything, the door slides open, and Maisie peeks her head out, a smile flashing on her face when she spots me.
“Chase.” She tucks a strand of dark hair that slipped from the mess on top of her head behind her ear. “That was fast.”
“Didn’t know how much trouble you got yourself into.”
“Oh, please.” She waves me off, her gaze darting to Kyle. She does a double-take, her eyebrows rising in surprise. “And you brought company.”
“Yeah, Mae, this is Kyle.” I shift my attention to the boy, who’s watching us with interest. “Kyle, this is Maisie, she’s the vet here.”
Kyle glances at her and lifts his hand in a little wave, his voice coming out low.“Hi.”
Maisie moves closer to him and crouches down, extending her hand, which Kyle takes. “Hey, there. I’m Mae. And what are you doing with this grump over there?”
Kyle’s eyes dart to me before they return to Maisie. “I’m Chase’s friend.”
The corner of her mouth twitches in amusement at Kyle’s serious tone. “Are you now? Well, I’m glad to see he has a friend. A real one, too. He’s usually so grumpy, he scares everybody away.”
“He’s still here, you know?” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest, not that she cares one bit now that she’s in her element.
Kyle’s gaze meets mine over her shoulder, the corner of his mouth lifting. “He’s grumpy now.”
“See? I told you so. He gets these lines between his brows when he’s really annoyed.”
Kyle chuckles as he watches Mae trace between her brows, frowning exaggeratedly.
“Are you done? I thought you wanted me to check on that dog.”
Mae rolls her eyes, but she pushes to her feet. “Yes, I put him in a separate room. He…” She glances at Kyle, her face turning serious. “It was the best option for everybody.”
I nod silently. “I’ll go check him out.”
“Thank you.” Mae gives me a grateful smile. “How about I show Kyle around? Introduce him to some of our dogs? You love dogs, right? If not, I’m not sure we can be friends.”
“I love dogs, but…” Kyle shifts his gaze to me, some of that uncertainty rising to the surface. “Where will you be?”
“In a different room. I need to give a look to a new dog, but he’s not really used to people yet, so it’s better if I go alone.”
I watch as Kyle mulls over my words and nods. “Okay.”
“C’mon, Kyle, let’s introduce you around.”
She waves him over, and Kyle follows after her, Shadow by his side.
“Mae?” She turns around, quirking her brow. “Watch after him? And… Kyle’s deaf, so make sure he can see your lips when you speak.”
If she finds that surprising, she doesn’t show it. “Don’t you worry.”
The two of them walk down the hallway and slip into the kennels. Only when they’re out of sight do I let out a long breath and go in the opposite direction.
The room across the clinic is small. Maisie usually puts dogs who are sick in there, so they can recover, but right now, there is only one kennel that’s occupied.
The moment the door opens, the dog jumps to his feet and growls at me, those sharp brown eyes glaring at me in distrust. Every move I make is slow and measured as I close the doorbehind me and make my way to his kennel. With each step I take, the growling becomes louder, and the dog moves back, until he’s pressed against the very back of the kennel, his stance defensive.
