Chapter 138
“Hey.” I smiled softly as I approached him.
“Hey Buttercup.” He smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Whatcha doing…?” I couldn’t help but play with the hem of my sweater. I didn’t want to
over step and make him more upset than he already was.
“Going home.” He slammed the trunk shut. “You need something, Buttercup?”
I answer looking up to meet his eyes. “I was wondering… if you wanted to come somewhere
with me.”
“Right now?”
–
“Yes right now. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
He looked around hesitantly, as if searching for any excuse to say no. Finally, he sighed and
folded his arms over his broad shoulders. “Where to?” He motioned for me to lead the way.
“Actually…” I replied. “Would you mind driving? I’m not feeling too well.”
I probably should have listened to the doctor when he said to take it easy, but then again… I never really do what I’m told. I had a slight headache beginning to form, and the pain in my hip had gotten consistently more annoying as the day went on.
Lucas shot me a concerned look, but I waved him off. “It’s fine. Now let’s go!”
The summer after both Caroline and I got our driver’s license, we had made it a mission to explore the city and discover new places for us to hang out. With my mom being at work most of the time and her mom driving her insane, we spent most of the summer just hanging out. Brooke was away at Volleyball camp in Michigan, so it was just the two of us.
One day we were walking back to her car after getting ice cream, when we saw a sign in front of a book store that read, Read with Puppies! Of course, curiosity got the best of us
and we went inside.
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Chapter 138
We later discovered that every day from 3-5pm, the book store owner had puppies from the
animal shelter across the street come in, so people could play with them while browsing for books. Some people even decided to adopt one on the spot.
Needless to say, Caroline and I ended up coming back to the same book store at least once a
week.
As Lucas parked his car and we got out, I pulled him in the direction of the familiar store
front. “Where are we going?” He asked.
“You’ll see.” I said as I came to a stop in front the green sign that read Roscoe Books. The
place was actually hidden amongst the different commercial businesses on the street. It
was positioned in between a music store and a small Chase Branch. As I pulled open the
door, I was immediately met with the familiar smell of sweet, musty paper and ink. Rows
upon rows of white shelves stuffed to the brim with books made up the entire top floor. At
the very back of the room, was a large white desk where the store owner – Mrs. Nelson – was sitting on a stool.
Making our way down the spiral staircase and towards the basement where the children’s
section lies, we were met with the loud squeals of children and soft barking. Even from the
middle of the staircase, I could make out about a dozen or so puppies – all different breeds
running around and wagging their tail. The sight made the corners of my lips twitch in
excitement.
What can I say, I have a soft spot for animals.
“What is this place?” Lucas asked from behind me.
“This is a puppy book store.” I proudly replied. “Well – not really but every day the owner lets the animal shelter from across the street bring in puppies in the hopes of helping them
get adopted faster. You can play with them, read a book… it’s fun.”
As his eyes scanned the scene in front of him, I swear I saw a ghost of a smile on his face. “What would you like to read today?” I asked as I picked up two random books. “Charlotte’s
Webb or… Winnie the Pooh.”
“How about we keep looking, Buttercup?” He gently took the two books I was holding and placed them back on the shelf. His smile didn’t go unnoticed by me.
the
“I’m here if you… ever want to talk about it…” I said as I let my finger tips run through the
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Chapter 138
various titles on the shelf.
He hummed in response but didn’t say anything else. Instead, we continued to browse the children’s section until I picked up a copy of The Hobbit and dragged Lucas with me to where the puppies were running around.
I figured if he wasn’t ready to talk about it, that was fine. However, he could still play with the dogs.
“My mom died… when I was nine.” Lucas finally said as a golden retriever continued to lick
his hand.
My head snapped up in his direction, completely abandoning the hardcover I was reading. “Lucas I – I’m so sorry…”
He shrugged, refusing to meet my eyes. Instead, he focused on the small chew toy at his feet. “It’s fine… it was a long time ago.”
I gently set my book on the floor and scooted closer to him. I didn’t know what to say, so
instead I wrapped my arms around him. He hesitantly patted me on the back as I continued
to hug him.
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