“Do you have any?” It’s an innocent question, so I’m confused as to why she stops dead in the middle of the path and glares at me. “What?”
“Do you think I’d be such a bad dog mom that I’d come here for a walk and not bring my four-legged bestie?”
“Uh…” To be fair, she has a point.
She sets off walking again.
“No, I’ve never had one. My parents wouldn’t allow it. They were both working a lot of hours, and I was at school. Then I went to college, Vegas, and then …”
“And then?” I ask, kicking myself for asking. But I can’t lie; the curiosity to find out more about what she’s been doing these past few years burns through me.
I can predict the basics, but I don’t want to guess. I want to learn more about the woman who arguably is now the most important one in my life.
“And then…I followed a man around the world. There’s no space for a dog on a tour bus,” she says sadly.
“No, I guess not.”
“A dog would have been more loyal, though. He wouldn’t have got bored and sent me home.”
My chin drops.
“Freya—”
“Don’t,” she warns. “Everything happens for a reason, right?”
“Apparently,” I muse, rubbing my jaw.
“You don’t believe that?”
“I…I don’t know. There have been times in my life when I do. Times when I’ve met people I wasn’t expecting who have helped and pushed me forward. But there are other times when life hasbeen downright cruel, and I can’t help wondering what I did in a former life to make me deserve it.”
Freya mumbles an agreement.
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
“Yeah, and at this point, I'm pretty fucking strong,” I mutter absently.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“About as much as you do your ex.”
“Noted,” she says with a laugh.
“So, which breed would you go for?” I ask, circling back to the beginning of this conversation.
Freya sighs, but when I glance over, she’s wearing a huge smile.
“See, this is where my problem lies,” she explains. “How do you choose just one when so many are so cool, loveable, and cuddly?”
“You’re cute.” The words erupt without approval, and my heart lurches.
Have I ever said those words to a girl—a woman—ever?
No, I don’t think I have. But as panicked as I am about her reaction, I can’t deny that they’re true.
“Most people think my indecisiveness is annoying, so I appreciate that.”
“Most people, or your ex?” I counter.
