“Yes. Listen, Rocket, puppies get them a lot. They don’t do them any harm though, okay?”
“Jesus,” I breathed, noting with shame that my fucking hands were shaking. Over a puppy. Over fucking hiccups.
“I feel like such a fucking prick.”
“Don’t be silly, Rocket. You didn’t know. You’ve not been around a puppy in a long time, if ever at this stage. Trust me, it’s a shock the first time, but you’ll get used to it. She will grow out of it in time, but for now, get used to her getting them a lot.”
Hiccups. I was looking for an emergency vet for fucking hiccups. Could I be a dumber fuck?
“Rocket, take a breath. It’s actually really cute that it panicked you. You care about her, and that’s what we want from people with furbabies, okay? Now, did you notice the puppy pads I packed for you?”
I was blinking sluggishly as I tried to focus on her words. “Puppy pads?”
“Yeah, you need to put a few down on your floor. She’ll most likely gravitate towards those when she needs to, you know, go.”
Fuck. She meant peeing and shitting on my floor. I never even thought that far ahead, did I?
“What am I doing? I have no idea how to care for a fucking animal. I can barely take care of myself.”
Chapter Four
Harley kept frowning atme as I talked on his phone, but if he thought that was intimidating me or something, he could kiss my ass.
“Rocket, just calm down. You’re doing great, honestly. You’ve had her a few hours, and the first thing you did when you thought there was something wrong was to reach out to a vet. One who’ll most likely tell you to get fucked… so that tells me you might not suck at being a puppy dad.”
Harley kept mouthing the word ‘puppy’ at me, but I ignored him, and Caroline’s giggles, because oddly I wanted to soothe Rocket’s panic, and reassure him.
“What if I mess up, and she gets hurt?” He fretted, and I heard movement on the other end of the phone. Was that bedding? Was he in bed? Was he naked while he called me?
Suddenly I was suspicious. He was freaking out over puppy hiccups? Had that just been a ruse, so he could call me while he was naked, and use my voice to get off or something?
“Are you naked?”
Harley cursed and reached for his phone, but I dodged him, as Caroline pressed her hands against his chest and spoke softly to him. His protective nature was cute and all, but I didn’t need his help. I didn’t need any man’s help.
“Am I… are you fucking hitting on me again, V? I rang to ask for help, you sick, crazy bitch.”
That knocked the wind out of my sails, and then it pissed me off again.
“You’re the one phoning me while you’re naked and probably touching yourself, you perv!”
A brief silence followed my words, followed by him roaring at me, “I’m not fucking naked!”
The call cut off abruptly, and I lowered it from my ear, staring at it with sheer bemusement. He was pissed at me after he was being a perv? I should have realised it straight away. Who freaks out over a puppy having hiccups? I’m such an idiot.
“You okay, V?” Harley deftly swiped his phone from my hand, and shoved it in his pocket as he watched me, as Caroline watched me. Thank god my aunt hadn’t followed us into the hallway for this, because I knew my cheeks were red, and I was trembling. Not from fear, or embarrassment. Anger. Or residual anger, at least.
“Was he fucking with you? I’ll punch his lights out,” Harley promised, but I shrugged. I was still replaying the conversation. Was I right? Did I misjudge him? Was it even possible to tell? My go-to these days was to always distrust the man in any situation, so it had to be his fault, right?
“V?”
“I’m… I don’t know. He thought his puppy was ill, but she has hiccups. Only… is he the kind of guy to make something like that up?”
Harley and Caroline exchanged a puzzled look, and he scratched his bristly jaw.
“Uh… I mean, I don’t necessarily think he’s stupid, but he has his moments, so it’s feasible that he didn’t realise what they were. I didn’t even know he had a fucking dog. How the hell did I not know that? I work with the guy!”
“Oh, I’m fine by the way.” I shoved past them both to head back into the kitchen, because this seemed like a moment that required more wine. Always more wine.
