Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
RORI
T he soft Christmas elevator music that is supposed to be soothing, is grating on my last nerve. The elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open, I pop my head out of the elevator and take a quick look.
"Rocky!" I say fairly loudly. I want him to be able to hear me if he has wandered a little ways into the hall, but I also don't want to annoy anyone who is just trying to relax in their room. I don't hear any rustling of running dog feet, so I get back in the elevator, pressing the "close" button repeatedly. The elevator begins to move again, and I try to breathe, but I can't lose Rocky. I have had him for six years. The second I moved into my first apartment, I adopted him. I still cannot believe someone dumped a litter of puppies in a cardboard box on the side of the highway. My eyes begin to water as the idea of never finding him starts peeking its way into my thoughts.
The doors barely start moving as I start yelling his name louder this time. My fear of disturbing other guests no longer outweighs my concern for finding my best friend.
Eli
I open the stairwell door and peek into the hallway.
"Is this where you came from? " The dog is still circling my feet and not even looking into the hall. I take a step inside to see if he would look, too, but he just sits at my feet, staring up at me with the biggest doggy smile. He looks so much like Cas. I haven't had a pet since he crossed the rainbow bridge when I was nine. My mom vowed never to have another animal after the loss of him hit everyone in the family so hard. I kept saying I would get a new pet once I moved out, but I was barely keeping myself alive, I was in no way responsible enough to keep an animal alive, too. It may be time to start rethinking that, though. I have a stable job and work from home most days. I have a steady income and would be able to provide food and vet care. I am way more responsible than I was at eighteen, at least I should be now that I'm nearing thirty.
"If your parents aren't on this floor, let's keep going. " I open the door and walk back into the stairwell, and he excitedly follows. "Your mom is probably crying ugly tears right now, and that's your fault." He tilts his head at me before running down the stairs.