Another irritated meow, but still no Harold.He must’ve been a donkey in a past life.There’s no other way he could be this stubborn.
“Fine.Breakfast in bed, then.But I’m not spoon-feeding you, you little bully.That’s where I draw the line.”
I placed the dish at the end of the bed, out of his reach.He glared at me, his tail flicking in agitation.Then, insultingly slowly, he raised his paw, licked it, and swiped it over his ear, all while maintaining that same placid eye contact, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Come on.You love salmon.It’s all yours.Get your lazy ass off my bag and come get it.”
Harold meowed in that deep, rumbling way of his, but still didn’t get the hell off my bag.And I’d sunk so low that I was pleading with a cat.
“You’re going to sit there and clean yourself instead of eating this delicious salmon?Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
I jumped, startled to find Nana standing in the doorway, the scowl on her face larger than I’d ever seen.Oh.Shit.
“He’s pissed off that you’re sneaking off for no good reason,” she continued, her voice low, dangerous.“And he’s not the only one.”
“Heeey, Nana,” I drawled, aiming for casual and unbothered, but landing somewhere between suspicious and guilty as hell.“Wh-what are you doing here?”
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, foot tapping out a disapproving staccato.The clothes she borrowed from Dr.Madison hung on her thin frame, a grim reminder of how badly I’d screwed up last night.And here I’d thought I couldn’t feel any worse.
I continued my attempts to placate the furious woman standing before me.“Isn’t it too early for you to be awake after all that excitement last night?You should have slept in.”
Liam stepped around Nana to scratch Harold’s head, earning a friendly purr for his trouble.“Good boy, Harold.”
I narrowed my eyes at Liam, gesturing to the furry deadweight still draped across my bag.“You did this?”Liam shot me a smug grin.Nana spared an affectionate glance for Harold.“I can’t make him come to me forfood, yet somehow you convinced him to smother my bag—and ignore his favourite treat—just to stop me from leaving.”I scowled.“What are you, some kind of cat whisperer?”
He fluttered his ridiculously long eyelashes at me, the picture of innocence.“Harold loves you and doesn’t want you to leave.”
“Ha!That cat spends most of his time plotting my death.”
Nana cleared her throat pointedly.“Enough about Harold.What’s this Liam is saying about you leaving?”
I whipped around and pointed an accusing finger at Liam.“You told on me?What are you, five?”
Liam stuck his tongue out, then laughed outright.“If you’re going to act like a child and run away from your problems, I’m going to act like a child and tell on you.So there.”He adjusted his glasses smugly.“You started it.”
I mouthed the wordtraitorat him, which made him laugh harder.“I can’t believe you tattled.”I turned to Nana, jaw tight, teeth clenched.“It’s okay, Nana.It’s time for me to go.I’ve made peace with it.”
“What—and I will only say this once, so listen carefully—theactualfuck, Maya?”
I blinked.“Uh…” I didn’t know what to say.Nana must have really been furious to be dropping F-bombs like that.
“Time for you to go?”Nana stepped into the room, her voice sharp as a knife as she continued.“Go where?You belong here.This is your home.”
Tears pricked my eyes, but I forced them back.I’d have plenty of time to cry later, once I was gone.“No, Nana.I let you down.I was supposed to take care of you, and I got distracted.”
She stared at me blankly for half a second, then barked a laugh.“Oh, sweetheart.”Nana shook her head, stepping closer.“You think this is about you?”Her voice softened as she cupped my cheek.“It’s past time for me to move.But you?”She squeezed my hand.“You belong here.Who else would look after the store?”She smirked.“Besides, why bother to leave now when you’d have to turn around and come back when I kick the bucket?”
forty-six
healing is hell on the appetite
Liam
“Whatdoyoumean?”Maya whispered, her voice barely audible
Nana sighed, rolling her eyes.“When I kick the bucket.When I die.When I shuffle off this mortal coil and go to meet my maker.I’m leaving the store to you, Maya.Why run off now, when you’ll just have to come back once I’m dead?”
