Chapter 17 Rosie
ROSIE
“Those things will kill you, you know,” I teased, looking at Lake as he leaned across my entryway.
He blew it in my face as I coughed. Lionel must have recognized that someone new was there, because I heard the scraping of him moving.
And it sounded like he was moving fast. Lake shot me a confused look because he also heard it, and I just stood there, grinning at him like an idiot, waiting for him to see Lionel in all his glory.
I knew the exact moment the tortoise had come into view without having to turn around because Lake’s jaw dropped, a stunned look on his face.
I was living for it, and I was pretty sure Lionel was as well, because he stopped right next to me, extended his neck, and seemed to give me a what’s his problem? look.
“Uh…What…What?” Lake rubbed his eyes. I bent down to give Lionel a pat on his head, but Lake grabbed me and pulled me into his chest. “Rosie, I don’t mean to alarm you, but there is a dinosaur in your house.
” I batted him away so he could let me go, but I wasn’t as fast as the tortoise, who decided to chomp on his jeans.
“What the fuck?” he shouted, and tried to shake Lionel off his pant leg. I started to laugh so hard that I couldn’t speak, reaching out to try to pull my 200-pound tortoise from Lake’s leg while trying not to pee my pants.
“Rosie, jesus, what is happening? I’ve entered some weird version of Jurassic Park.
” Lake was fighting for his life and his pants, I was just a ball of laughter on the floor, and finally, Lionel must have decided to have mercy on Lake.
He let him go, shot him one last withering glare, and bumped his head against mine.
Lionel made his way toward his turtle door that Mr. Hansen helped me install, and went outside, leaving me cackling on the floor while Lake was standing there in a state of bewilderment.
“What just happened?” he asked. I heard a rumble in his chest, and he joined me, laughing until we were crying.
In our delirium, he somehow made it to the floor next to me.
Once we had somewhat composed ourselves, he turned to face me.
“You owe me an explanation, but in the car, because we are so late.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” I questioned, but he just stood up and held his hand to me to help me up off the floor.
“I’ll explain in the car. Megan will never forgive us if we are any later than we are.
” I placed my hand in his, knowing he was right.
Thankfully, my outfit appeared to be intact—a long skirt with a slit up the side.
It was red and silky, and I loved it, but I never had a reason to wear it.
It was an impulse buy. My shirt was a silk black tank top I had tucked in, with a lacy red bralette underneath it. Cute and maybe even a little bit sexy.
“One second.” I shot off toward the kitchen and grabbed one of my premade treat bowls for Lionel, filled with healthy greens he probably wouldn’t eat, some frozen ice cubes filled with fruit, and opened the sliding glass door, hollering out to him.
“Lionel, I’m leaving. Behave.” While he didn’t make a move toward me from where he laid half sprawled out on the lawn, he did eye the bowl of goodies in my hand.
I rolled my eyes and gave him the I’m watching you look.
And I was. I had installed cameras in the backyard, officially taking my pet parenthood to the next level, but I couldn’t have cared less.
Closing the sliding door and making my way back toward Lake, who was waiting for me with a smirk on his face, I briefly debated just driving myself so I could leave whenever.
“Let’s go, Rosie. I can hear you thinking from here.” I stuck my tongue out at him, but did what he said and slid into the passenger’s seat.
“Why the ambush?”
“Why the dinosaur?” he shot back at me, and before I knew it, we were erupting into laughter again at the scene that had taken place only a few minutes before.
“Lionel, he’s…Well, he’s my new houseguest.”
“You got a pet turtle?”
“First of all, he’s an African spurred tortoise. He is not just a turtle, nor a pet,” I shot at Lake, feeling oddly defensive.
He raised his hands at me, taking them off the wheel, even though we were sitting stationary, waiting for the light to change. I smacked him upside the head.
“Hands on the wheel, you buffoon!” I screeched, only causing him to chuckle at my disarray.
“Okay, so you got a tortoise. Care to explain that?”
“I wanted a companion, and he was it. That’s really all there is to it.”
I felt the way Lake’s eyes roamed over me, even though I kept my gaze straight and on the road since he clearly couldn’t be trusted. I made out his half-nod in my peripherals, knowing that he somehow understood what I was saying.
“So, care to explain why you showed up to pick me up?” I questioned him.
“Megan was worried you’d bail, and she wouldn’t stop blabbering about it. Wes offered, but I figured I would save you from the awkward drive with him and Caitlin, so I all but ran out before he could finish his sentence.”
I nodded at his words, but couldn’t find it in me to form any myself. The lightheartedness from before was being washed away with his words as they fully sank in. I did know Wesley and Caitlin would be there. Obviously.
I’d spent the past week mapping out conversation after possible conversation that could happen, preparing myself.
Preparing myself for the fake air of everything’s fine that I was going for.
Preparing myself for what might come. And the one that seemed to bring me to my knees was the scene of cold indifference I might be walking into.
I found myself gripping the underside of my seat.
“He’s been miserable, you know. We all know you guys aren’t talking, even though he won’t talk about it,” Lake said softly, and I debated not answering him at all. I didn’t want to have that conversation.
I’m sure Caitlin helps.
I’m sure he’s really broken up about it.
I didn’t mutter my thoughts aloud, not wanting to become a bitter version of myself. I let myself think about them, but as soon as I did, I let them go, refusing to let my heartbreak make me become someone full of hate. Someone I wasn’t.
“It’s complicated,” I said instead.
“Isn’t love always?” Lake asked me, and I whipped my head toward him in shock. What does he mean by that? Before I could ask, I realized we were in the parking lot, and the new lit-up sign looked amazing. Bread and Bloom Bistro.
“Wow,” I whispered as I took it in. All the work that my friend had been putting in. And I’d been wallowing. I mentally scolded myself. Enough now.
“Are you ready?” Lake asked.
Enough now, I told myself again, and turned to look at him.
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
He shot me a wink, opened his door while motioning for me to stay put as he came over, pulled my door open, and offered me his arm so we could make our way inside.