“Piper?” I shout as I walk down the hallway to the living room. On the floor is a panting and groaning Hank. I get down on my knees and stroke his fur. “Hank, what’s wrong, baby?”
His tongue is hanging out of his mouth and when I press my hand against his chest, his heart rate is through the roof.
“Do you need to go outside?” I ask. Usually, the word outside has him up in a flash. But he doesn’t move. I try to move him myself, but he doesn’t budge. I look around the room and don’t see anything, until he hacks up what looks like a fully wrapped Hershey bar. “Oh, fuck. No, no, no.”
I grab my phone and call Piper. It immediately goes to voicemail. “Fuck.” I call the vet next, and the receptionist answers on the third call.
“Sound Veterinary Clinic, this is MaryJane, how can I assist you today?”
“My dog, Hank Hodges. He ate chocolate, and he won’t get up. He’s panting, and his heart rate is super fast.”
“Do you know how much he ate?”
I look over at the wrappers. “Probably a few pieces, including the wrappers.”
“Can you bring him in immediately?” she asks. I can tell she’s trying to stay calm for me. I nod, and she asks me the question again.
“I’ll figure it out. I’ll get him there.”
“Okay, I’ll make sure he gets right in with the doctor as soon as he gets here.”
“Thank you.” I hang up the phone and kneel over Hank, petting his fur and trying to figure out how the fuck I’m going to get him to the vet. It feels like I’m ready to blow. I hold it back. I want to cry so badly, but if I do, I’ll never get Hank out of here, and I’ll never stop crying.
The doorbell rings, and I groan, forgetting about trick-or-treating. But when I open the door, it’s the biggest relief I’ve felt in weeks.
Chapter thirty-three
“Thisisn’tagoodidea,” Anders says.
“What, like she’s going to make a scene in front of a bunch of trick-or-treaters?”
“You didn’t see her face, Eli. I’m not sure she’s ready.”
“If she won’t listen to me, then fine. But I’ve got to try.”
“Alright, but I don’t want to hear you bitch about the fact that she turned you away.”
I roll my eyes. Anders was all team Let’s Win Charlotte Back ASAP, to now being like, let’s give her as much space as she needs. Fuck that. I let Charlotte get away from me once, and I’m ready to make things right. Our Omega, our girl, is fucking hurting, and she needs to stop being so stubborn and let us in.
Her townhouse is right outside of Yale. It’s a nice street, and I’m glad that Piper found them decent living arrangements. She would be much happier at our house though. It’s perfect for her, we made sure of it.
There’s no decoration for Halloween on the property, and I wonder if they just didn’t have time or if neither of them is in the spirit this year. There are a couple of children wandering down the street collecting candy, and I wonder if I should wait until a group goes up to Charlotte’s house. Not wanting to wait a second longer, I unhitch the gate and walk to the front door and ring the doorbell. It doesn’t take long for her to answer.
“Thank fuck you’re here. Do you have a car?” She’s frantic and tugs me by the cuff of my long sleeve shirt.
“Char.” She winces at my nickname but says nothing. “What’s going on?”
She hiccoughs, and she looks like she’s ready to cry, but she shakes her head and brings me into their small living room. It’s then that I see Hank lying on the floor. It’s immediately clear that he’s not okay by the way he is panting and whining.
“He…” Charlotte composes herself again. “He ate some of the Halloween chocolate and the wrappers. I don’t have a car or a way to get him to the vet.”
I can’t help it as my chest purrs, and I touch Charlotte’s shoulder. She doesn’t back away from the touch, and I consider that a win. “My car’s out front. Grab your stuff, and I’ll carry Hank out.” Charlotte hurries to get her belongings while I scoop Hank up bridal style, keeping him close to my chest as Charlotte opens the front door.
“Keys are in my pocket. Can you open the back door?” Charlotte doesn’t even think twice as she digs into my pocket, unlocks the car, and opens the back door. I lay a blanket down for Hank as I put him on the seat and gently shut the door. I open the passenger’s side door for Charlotte, and she gets in as I round the vehicle and get in.
“Which vet?”
“Sound Vet Clinic.” I put it into my phone, and we’re only ten minutes away. The car ride is silent, and I watch as Charlotte eyes Hank in the backseat every few minutes.
