Moose’s ears perk up again.
“He fit here.”
The words come out softer than I meant them to.
“This place,” I continue quietly, glancing around the living room. “The barn. The mornings. All of it.”
I shake my head slightly.
“Stupid, right?”
Daisy nudges my arm again like she disagrees.
“I told him it wasn’t real life,” I mutter, staring toward the dark kitchen. “Told him we were just… what did I say?”
My mouth twists.
“Passing time.”
Cricket shifts slightly between Moose and Daisy, letting out another little sigh.
“Yeah,” I murmur, rubbing Moose’s ears again. “That went over real well.”
The house stays quiet for a moment except for the sound of Moose breathing and Daisy’s tail occasionally thumping against the couch.
“You know what’s really annoying?” I say after a few seconds. “He didn’t even argue.”
Moose blinks up at me.
“Not one word,” I continue. “Just packed his bag and walked out like I made perfect sense.”
I shake my head, letting out a quiet breath.
“Which probably means he knew I was full of it.”
Daisy shifts her weight slightly against me, pressing her nose into my side like she’s trying to burrow closer.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I tell her softly. “You didn’t hear the whole conversation.”
Moose lets out another soft huff.
I glance down at him.
“Oh you would’ve taken his side too, wouldn’t you?” I mutter.
His tail thumps again.
“Unbelievable.”
I lean my head back against the couch again, staring up at the ceiling while my fingers keep drifting through Daisy’s fur automatically.
“You know he was probably already halfway back to Jackson by now,” I say quietly.
The thought lands heavier than I expect.
“Or maybe he stayed in town to deal with Voss first,” I add after a moment.
The memory of the look on Cole’s face when he saw my bruised lip flashes through my mind again.
