Page 88 of Saving Wyatt

I sucked in a big breath and held his gaze because I didn’t know what to say. This was brand-new territory for me. For anyone. I could make all the promises in the world, and so could Wyatt, but it didn’t guarantee anything. It didn’t guarantee our safety or anyone else’s. And even though putting himself in danger was the last thing I wanted for him, I knew the kind of person he was. He wouldn’t be at peace with himself if he didn’t do something about it.

“Just…promise me one thing,” I said.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You’ll be careful? Because I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you either.”

Wyatt smiled and gave me a gentle nod. “Promise,” he said and offered me his pinky.

I chuckled.

“Oh boy, can Azrael’s mom cook!” Warren declared and entered the room entirely unaware of the moment his brother and I were sharing.

We both turned to look at him as he rubbed his belly and paused to stare back at us.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.” I shook my head.

Wyatt did the same and walked back to the armchair he’d been occupying.

As soon as he sat down, a large dog stormed into the room through the open door and sniffed Warren’s legs before trying to climb on top of Wyatt.

“Whoa!” he said.

But the German shepherd wasn’t deterred. It jumped on his lap and sat on him, wagging its tail as if unaware of its true size and weight.

“Princess, get back! Princess!” Duke called out and appeared at the door before he zeroed in on the dog. “I’m so sorry. He got away from me. Let me get him out of the way.”

He walked toward the dog and tried to grab him by the collar, but he refused to leave Wyatt’s side.

“Go on, big boy. Follow the good doctor,” Wyatt encouraged him and petted him, but it didn’t work.

“Looks like you’ve been chosen,” I said, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Wyatt scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“Seems like to me too,” Duke agreed, and Wyatt made sure to glare at him too. “Do you want him? He’s the bestest boy.”

“Are you kidding?” Wyatt exclaimed. “I’m homeless and almost got someone killed. I don’t have time for a dog.”

Duke shrugged. “Sometimes they choose us at the time when we need them the most,” he said.

Wyatt rolled his eyes and pushed the dog off him, but Princess turned around and begged for some affection from him, and even though Duke tried to drag him away, Wyatt did spend a minute or so stroking his head and apologizing to him. Princess looked at him dead in the eyes like he was in love, and who could blame him?

“Wow. He’s really taken a liking to you. Are you sure you don’t want to adopt him?”

Wyatt pulled his hands away, and Duke apologized again before he dragged the dog out and closed the door behind him.

“That was cute,” Warren said.

“Yeah. He was,” he answered, and I didn’t miss the way he glanced at me, or the glimmer in his eyes that made him look so fucking handsome.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Duke was right. If the dog had found him and chosen him because they were meant to be, and if that was true, was it also the case for us?

Were we meant to be?

THIRTY-ONE