Chapter 7 #2
“Makes me feel a little better, but yeah, it doesn’t fix the issue.
” I bury my face in my hands. “Okay, just talk this out with me, please. In reality, there’s not much I can do about what happened.
A call to the police most likely would result in a warning to Charlie at best. And he still has a right to implement a ‘no dogs’ rule, so as long as I want to keep Dottie, I have to leave.
At the end of the day, that apartment sucks, I need to move anyway, but my lease isn’t up until the end of January. ”
Lucie claps her hands. “Okay, let Dex buy you out of the lease agreement, please. I’m begging you.”
“Luce, no, I can’t let you do that. Not to mention, where would I live?”
“You can live with us.” Lucie gestures toward their penthouse as if the solution was that simple.
I look to Callie. “Has she forgotten she’s about to get married, having a baby, and is raising a five-year-old?”
Callie folds her lips together to stop her laugh. “She has a point, Luce. Let’s call your place a last resort. Jen, you know our place is always open, but we run into the same problem, our apartment has a legit no pet policy that isn’t complete and utter blackmail.”
I lean back in my chair with a sigh. “I know, but…I won’t give up Dottie, and frankly, I don’t want to go back there.”
Lucie sits back down in her chair with a huff. “You’re not going back there. End of discussion.”
“Okay, Mom, so what do you suggest I do?”
Lucie chews on her lip for a bit, but then Callie speaks up.
“You might not like it, but it’s a temporary solution for now.”
“We’re listening,” Lucie says, sitting up. I should have known she’d go full mother hen, but there wasn’t exactly any way around it. I’m officially ankle deep in the shit now.
Callie shrugs. “Beck owns his place and dogs are welcomed in that area. They have a dog park right across the street. He’s gone for the next week, so it’d be just you and Dottie. Maybe you could stay there for a bit until we figure out a plan.”
Beck’s place? No, absolutely not.
I don’t even get a chance to say no before Lucie’s on board. “Perfect, problem solved.”
“No, problem not solved. I can’t just crash at his place. Especially not without his permission, and then…just no, the answer is no.”
“Jensen,” Lucie uses her stern, but freakishly calm mom voice. “I know things are complicated—”
“Pah-ha, Lucie, no.”
“Just hear me out.” She holds her hand up. “Callie can talk to Beck about it. We all know, without question, that he’d be okay with it, especially given the situation.”
“He really would,” Callie adds. “But I can talk to him and still leave the details to a minimum. The house is empty, you could just stay there for a day or two until we get a new plan. Will and Dex can also go with us to move you out whenever you need.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and run through every single option I can think of, but dammit, I’m running on fumes. “Fine. But only if Beck’s okay with it, and we work out a better solution before he comes back.”
Callie stands up, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Deal, I’ll go call him now. Do you need one of the guys to help you get some stuff from your place?”
I shake my head. Even the thought of going back there today makes my body feel this weird tingling mixture of rage and exhaustion.
“I have my gym-to-work bag in my car. It’s got enough to hold me over until tomorrow, and I’ll pick up a small thing of dog food for Dottie on my way.
I don’t think I can handle any more drama today. ”
Callie nods. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”
I sit soaking up the silence from Lucie until Callie closes the sliding door. With the barely contained giddy look on her face, I already know what she’s about to say. “I know this sucks, but it could have some bright sides.”
“Lucieeee,” I groan. “No, I’m agreeing to this, just be happy with this solution for now.”
Her mouth opens then shuts. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I’ll stop, I promise.”
“Thank you,” I huff out, then dial back the attitude.
“I know you want me to be happy and want to help. I just can’t right now.
I love you and I love the idea that we could have the dream of being with guys who are best friends…
but I just don’t know if it’s in the cards for me and Beck.
Now, especially, is not the time I want to be thinking about that. ”
Lucie reaches for my hand. “I know. I promise I’ll tone it down.”
“Thank you.” Holding her hand for a moment, I let another small bit of the weight today has added go. “Let’s go back inside. I’d hate to get on Daddy Dex’s bad side if I have Dottie overstay her welcome.”
Lucie stands from her chair with a smile. “I got Dex to let me move my turtles in before we were together. I think I can handle getting him on board with Dottie.”
I snort a laugh. “Does the man ever tell you no?”
“Yes,” Lucie states very matter of fact. “Sometimes…when it’s needed, at least.”
After Callie got Beck’s stamp of approval and a few hours of decompressing at Lucie’s place, I now stand at the door to Beck’s townhouse.
Dottie fidgets in excitement as I stare at the spare key Dex gave me. “Hate to burst your bubble, girl, but Beck’s not here.”
I swear, she lets out a whine. When she sits and all her wiggles are gone, I take a little offense. “Hey, a little appreciation for me today would be nice.”
I shake my head when she decides to lay down on the porch with a huff.
“Thanks, that’s perfect.”
Turning the key in the deadbolt, Dottie perks back up again. I almost want to laugh at the irony of today’s events feeling like my rock-bottom, they’ve been Dottie’s dream come true.
The moment the door opens, Dottie races in, but I freeze in the entryway. Between the amazing smell, the design of this place—I nearly forget to turn the lock before walking in farther.
I honestly can’t say I expected Beck’s place to be this put together, but somehow couldn’t imagine anything different from him. There’s exposed brick in the kitchen with a butcher block island. Walking slowly around, I do a double-take, baseball cards are sealed on the wall for his backsplash tile.
I shake my head when I get to the living room; there’s one leather couch that Dottie has seemed to claim and then there’s a pool table. The whole living room really sells the bar feeling but in a classic Beckham Daines fashion.
The walls have varying sized posters all with pool-related puns like less talk, more chalk, a little league baseball jersey in a shadow box, and other framed small details, like baseball tickets and a map of what looks to be Virginia.
“Of course, it’s the perfect balance of his humor and damn sentimental side,” I mumble to myself—and, I suppose, Dottie.
At the windows, Beck has so many plants that I can’t even begin to think of how to keep them alive. I couldn’t have more of a brown thumb if I tried.
Turning back, I speak more to Dottie this time.
“I sure hope someone else knows what to do with those, I don’t have the first clue.
” I give her small pets on the head. “You probably shouldn’t be up here either, Dot.
Can’t say Beck would appreciate any accidental scratches on his leather couch. Come on, hop down.”
I pat my leg with the command, moving back around the living room and stopping at the foot of the stairs.
I can’t seem to bring myself to take the first step up them.
In the past five minutes, I’ve felt like Beck and I’ve done an UNO reverse and now I’m the stalker. Being here feels both right and wrong.
Pulling out my phone, there’re no messages from him about making myself at home or inappropriate jokes that really shouldn’t be funny but are because they come from him.
I click on his contact and hover over the Call button. It feels a little weird to be here and not say anything to him. Callie did say he was okay with this, maybe he just assumed she’d give me the rundown or something.
I know I should probably call and say thank you, but then again, that’ll probably be a tomorrow thing. I can’t risk any endearing comments or worse, pity from him—not tonight.
Dottie moves around my side to prance her way up the stairs with zero hesitations.
Sliding my phone back in my pocket, I let out a deep breath and follow her lead.
I really shouldn’t be that surprised that when we reach the top she ducks into a room that I know, without even looking, has to be Beck’s.
Walking in, I nearly laugh at her already turning circles on his bed and plopping down with a humph, as if to say she’s not budging. “Dottie, this is getting a little out of hand. So the man goes running with us…what about me? Your owner who’s about to be homeless?”
Dottie lets out a little grumbled growl and paws at her face.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it, but we should probably find a guest room.”
Dottie repeats her little growled whine before standing up, turning another circle and coiling her body up as she lays down.
“Really?” I huff. How wrong would it be for me to actually sleep in his bed?
I could lie to myself and say it’s a guest room…
I take another look around, and this laugh bubbles out of me.
There are more plants in here, and it’s filled with warm greens and soft browns.
The comforter looks so cozy I could cry.
Not to mention, his whole place smells like a crisp fall day.
I’m sure all it would take is my head hitting the pillow for me to pass out.
“Fuck it,” I mutter to myself, because Dottie’s practically snoring.
Going into the bathroom, I freshen up the best I can with my gym bag essentials, and manage to find a pack of spare toothbrushes under the sink.
I don’t slow or stop to snoop further, even though I’m damn tempted to. Marching back in his room, I slide drawers open and close until I land on his T-shirts folded up. Taking the first one I see, I peel off the last reminders of this day and pull his shirt right over my head.
Not smelling it is next to fucking impossible, and with each passing second of being in this perfect house I just find myself getting more pissed…
Pissed because Beck’s not here. Pissed from the day and I could use his jokes.
I could use his “come-ons” that send vibrations down my spine and causes my stomach to flip.
But I also know, good and well, I shouldn’t. If he were here…even if he called and wanted to talk about what happened…I’d fold.
Pulling back the comforter, I climb in his bed and curse him. “Alright, Dottie, one night. We cannot stay here again and me keep my sanity.”
Dottie doesn’t move or even grumble, and it takes me all but a minute to join her in that deep sleep.