Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
I move into the living room, craning my neck into Milo’s bedroom to check if he’s still on the second floor.
I hurry downstairs and make my way to the garage for a pair of sneakers.
I pull my hood over my head and make my way outside.
I rub my hands together, disliking the chilly outdoor temperature.
As the rain tries its best to hit my face, I move over to the tree in the front yard.
From there, I look up at Milo’s bedroom window.
“If I were a cat, what’s my next move after going into the tree?” I look back and forth at the tree and the window. “I’d go back to the window and scratch until I was let back in. But what do I know?”
As I scan the area, my sneakers create sloshing noises against the wet grass.
I move along the side of the house, certain Alfie’s not in the front yard, or he’d be spotted by now.
Plenty of family members have mentioned Alfie turning up at the back door.
Kai said this isn’t the first time the cat went missing outside.
I’m guessing he turned up at the back door on previous occasions.
The sloshing continues as I make my way down the side of the house. The bottom of my pants and my shoes get soaked as I inspect the fence line and the walls of the house. The Nelsons keep a well-maintained home. It’s near impossible to find a crack or hole in or under the fence.
I chew my lip, rest against the wet exterior of the house, and smack my heel against the wall. The back of my sneaker hooks to the bottom of the wall. I lower to free my heel and notice the gap below the house. The Nelsons don’t have a basement, so it’d be concrete or dirt underneath there.
I lower even further to the ground, narrowing my eyes for any signs of life. A faint whimper pricks my ear, but it’s similar to the howls and billows of the wind. As I push myself off the grass, the sound triggers me again. This time it’s much more distinct.
“Alfie?”
The whimper replies. It’s a mixture of whimpering and meowing.
“Oh my gosh, Alfie! Come here, boy!”
I squeeze myself closer to the gap, angling my head for a better look. It’s pitch black. I rummage into the pocket of my sweatpants for my phone. As I fish it out, two glowing eyes get my attention.
“Alfie! Come here. Are you stuck?”
Another muffled whimper cries out, and I’m certain Alfie’s stuck under something.
The gap’s not big enough for me to fit under.
I look around the area, hoping for a long stick or gardening tool nearby.
Without much more thought, I scoop mounds of dirt toward me.
I dig my hands into the grass, ripping it from the earth.
My sleeves turn brown within minutes. As I push my way into the gap, dirt clumps to my face.
With muddy hands, I set my phone under the house, shining the flashlight toward the glowing eyes.
After another meowed whimper, Alfie’s silhouette moves in the light.
“Alfie! You’re okay.”
He still doesn’t stand, but I can’t tell what has him trapped. It makes sense for him to be under the house. For a cat, this probably seemed like the safest option during a thunderstorm.
With grunts that start in my abdomen, I continue to dig my way under the house. As soon as my body can squeeze through the gap, I crawl my way along the flashlight beam.
“Alfie?”
Three high-pitched meows reply.
I scuttle forward and soon the low hum of purrs vibrate toward me.
I reach out and feel his wet, muddy fur. Relieved laughter sputters out of me as my body drapes over the shivering cat. His head nuzzles against my neck and I could just lie down and sob.
Gathering my resolve, I press my hands around the area surrounding the cat. It feels like a mess of pipes and wood have entrapped him. I push them backward, careful of my pressure as Alfie whimpers underneath. I continue to whisper that he’s okay, pulling pieces of pipe apart.
Alfie stands when I push the last pipe backwards. His back arches in a much needed stretch, and I scoop him into my arms. On the crawl back to the yard, he cries in my arms.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re almost out.”
I snatch my phone and squirm against the gap to pull us out. I flop on the drenched grass and pant like I’ve run five miles. Alfie is a muddy mess, curled in my arms, but his belly expands and contracts, purring against me.
I giggle, cuddling him closer. “Oh my gosh, you little adventurer. You scared us all to death.” I smile so hard my face hurts. “Milo will be so happy.”
I force myself to my feet and carry Alfie into the house. “Umm, hi,” I say, standing by the downstairs living room as water and mud drips off me. Now that I’m inside, I really feel the dirt caked on my face.
“Oh my gosh, you did it!” Grandma cheers, rising from her armchair.
“How in the world?” Grandpa says in awe, walking my way.
“You found him?” Mrs. Nelson says, hurrying from the kitchen. “Milo! It’s Alfie!”
“What?” Milo's voice cracks as leaves the dining room. When he enters the main living space, he halts, jaw hitting the floor. “What… What did you do?”
I grin, lifting the wet and shivering cat. “I found your baby.”
Milo rushes toward me, scooping Alfie into his arms. His mouth hangs open as Alfie nestles against his hoodie, purring. His gaze lifts with glassy eyes. “Where did you find him?”
I giggle, wiping mud off my face with my dirty sleeve. “Under the house. He was trapped under some stuff stored underneath there.”
“What stuff?” Mrs. Nelson asks.
I shrug. “Like pipes and wood beams.”
“I’ll have Steven move them to the garden shed,” she says. “I don’t want this happening again.”
“Or I could not open the window again,” I joke. “Then this mess won’t happen again.”
Milo sighs, scratching behind Alfie’s ear. “I can’t believe you crawled under the house.” He looks me up and down, grinning. “You’re a mess, but you saved him.”
“I wanted to make it right.” I pat Alfie’s back. “And I missed him.”
“Jamie,” Milo says softly. “Thank you so much.”
I smile at him, feeling tingles bringing warmth back to my body. “You’re very welcome.”
Mrs. Nelson tugs at the bottom of my hoodie.
“I want you to carefully take this off without dropping mud. Of course, I’m grateful you rescued Alfie, but I don’t want you tracking more dirt into the house.
” She pulls the hoodie over my head and I feel like a child.
“Slip out of your shoes and move it to the guest bathroom. You know where the towels are, and I’ll bring you a robe. ”
Looking down at my mud-stained hands, I can only imagine the state of my face and hair. Before Mrs. Nelson tells me twice, I move to the back of the house. She follows me the entire way, complaining about her floor.
It all blends into white noise. Milo has his cat back. I put a smile back on his face.
Mission accomplished.
After scrubbing my hair and skin clean, I dry off and slip into the fluffiest robe ever. Seriously, I feel like a giant marshmallow in this thing. I pull it tight and open the bathroom door, entering the guest bedroom, which is filled with Grandma and Grandpa’s stuff.
I move to the bedroom door, and Milo comes into view from the hall, holding a wadded-up blanket. I smile on my approach, assuming Alfie is inside.
“Is he nice and toasty now?” I ask.
Milo smiles, entering the bedroom while cuddling the blanketed cat. He’s changed into a fresh sweatshirt. I guess holding a wet, muddy cat messed up his hoodie. “I gave him a bath in the laundry sink. He didn’t love it, but he’s clean and warm now.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
Milo sighs, shaking his head in awe. “I still can’t believe what you went through to save him. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you properly.”
“I was already behind, considering how much you’ve helped me with school,” I reply. “Let’s call it even.”
Milo's expression grows serious. “I am so sorry for ignoring you. It was really uncool.”
I look away to hide the hurt. “It’s fine. You were upset. I get it.”
Milo hooks a finger under my chin, swinging my face back to him. “I’m really sorry. I never should’ve done it. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
“You have him back now. That’s all that matters.”
Milo sets Alfie on the bed. “I was just thinking about him and took it out on you. I’m so mad at myself for putting a wedge between us. I never wanted to do that.”
“Neither did I,” I say, pulling the robe tighter as I shiver within. “I felt like the stupid one for letting Alfie out. I made the rift between us, and I wanted to fix it.”
Milo chuckles. “Well, you sure did. You’re such a fighter, Jamie. That’s why I know you’ll get through everything. You’re really strong.”
I hook my pinky around his. “I don’t want to do anything that causes us to stop talking. It broke my heart to know I’d hurt you.”
His hand smooths over my hair, and he tucks a loose piece behind my ear. “It was the situation, not you.”
I can’t help frowning. “You couldn’t even look at me.”
“Well, I guess…” Milo pulls away, turning a slight shade of green.
“What?”
He blows out a breath, rubbing behind his neck. “It was right after I saw you with Kai.”
My stomach somersaults. After the high of finding Alfie, all the ugliness of my connection with Coach had disappeared from my mind. Now, all the hurt and confusion come tumbling back down.
“What were you two talking about?”
I look away, fighting the urge to heave. I scrunch my eyes closed, willing the icky feeling away.
“You can’t tell me?” he asks.
I place a hand over my mouth, swallowing hard.
“And then you two were together this afternoon,” he says cautiously. “Wrapped up in his bed.”
“Milo,” I say in a defeated tone. “Please don’t. I can’t talk about it.”
I turn back around as Milo chews his lip and fidgets with his glasses.
“Is it private?” he asks, frowning.
I shrug. “I guess.”
Sadness droops on his face, and he shifts his weight between his feet.
I look him up and down. “Are you jealous?”
His hands plant on his hips. “I want to be the one who’s that close to you.”
“Awe.” I pull my arms around his middle and plant my forehead against his chest. “Don’t be jealous. I was just talking with Kai.”
“And I can’t know what about?”
An exhausted sigh pours out of me. “It’s a lot of backstory. Believe me, it’s painful to get into.”
“Oh. Kai’s just easier to talk to?”
I lift my head and lock onto his eyes. “Don’t be jealous. It’s just that, if I talk about it with you, I think I’ll throw up.”
He grimaces. “Eww.”
I giggle. “See. I’m saving you from more hurt.”
“Maybe you’ll tell me another time?”
I nod. “I’m hoping it gets easier to deal with. Right now, I want to forget about it and just bask in the wonderful news of Alfie being home.”
Milo grins and we move over to the bed to pat the sleeping cat.
“Oh my gosh,” Milo whispers. “I’m so happy he’s home.”
I brush my fingers over Milo’s hand. “Me too.”