“Hi!” I chirp loudly.
His eyes shift around, and his nose crinkles like he’s a dogon a trail. It’s not that I’m worried he’d say anything or even care that I have a cat, but the fewer people who know, the better. For now, anyway.
“Hey,” he says, eyeing the tiny lump on my bed that’s currently purring. Dammit, that’s cute, but also really inconvenient right now. “Uh, your blanket is making noise.” He points beside me, and I lean to the side, blocking his view.
“I don’t hear anything.”
He bites back a smile. “Ok then. We’re stopping in a few to grab some food, wanted to let you know.”
Meow.
“Ok.” I cough, trying to mask the meowing. She hasn’t made a peep in two hours, but now all of a sudden, she’s a Chatty Kathy. “Thanks.”
Meow.
Adam stares at me and I smile wide, not blinking.
“Is that, do you have a cat under there?”
“What? Psht, no! I don’t have a—why would you ask such a question?”
Just as I’m about to spill more unconvincing lies, said kitten crawls out from under my blanket.
“Holy shit, I knew it,” he says, reaching for her and scooping her into his arms.
“Oh my God, how did that get there?” I gasp overdramatically, and he chuckles.
“Where’d this cutie come from?”
“I found her. Someone abandoned her and I didn’t know what else to do.”
“She’s sweet.” He strokes her back, then sends me a regretful smile. “Caleb’s allergic to cats.”
My stomach sinks. “Oh.”Damn.
Caleb is Travis’s vocal coach and kind of vital to the tour, I suppose. I don’t know how much help he’d be if his throat swelled shut.
“But maybe it’s not that serious. I mean, you’re all the wayback here, maybe he’ll never know.” Adam tries to soften the blow and hope springs to my chest. But it’s quickly crushed when the sound of rapid-fire sneezing comes from somewhere near the front of the bus.
His eyes resemble saucers as they snap back to mine. “Coincidence?”
Achoo! Achoo!
He winces. “Guess not.” He snuggles the kitten one last time before carefully placing her on the bed. “What are you going to do?”
“I guess she has to go.” My lip wobbles. I had no idea I could get attached to something so quickly.
“I’m sorry, Ellie.”
“Thanks.”
Adam disappears, and I grab my phone.
Ellie:
Liv it’s awful!
Olivia:
