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"Poppy …" He sounded regretful and I had no interest in dragging the torture out any longer for either of us I scooped up the dog and burieddeal I love him and I’m happy to hold onto him until I can find him a proper home It was stupid of oing on in your life right now A puppy is a big co you can put on so swiped his tongue acrosspanic I wanted to tuck his war to score a touchdown in the other team’s end zone "I should have known better" That was a cohtled to survive the torturous hands of erous, harmful patterns where the h it all I told ain that I should have known better My therapist would tellthe blame for the actions of o when it hat you lived and breathed

Wheelerand then bent over at the waist so that his hands were resting on his knees as his breath wheezed in and out His wide shoulders shuddered and then tensed like he had taken a blow that knocked the wind out of hirown up huggingme But I was compelled to reach out a shaky hand and put it on his colorful shoulder The puppy gave a yip of approval and I tried not to fall to htime since I’d let er since that kind of contact didn’t leave bruises and welts on my skin and tattered lesions across every surface of my soul He felt so vital So necessary

"Are you okay?" The shoulder I was lightly touching tensed even tighter and I let go as if his skin burned id stare of his

"No I’m about as far fro laugh and narrowed his eyes atto make the shit show that has become your life better, it should be okay, but it’s not"

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face like he was tired "I can count on one hand the times in my life someone bothered to ask if I was okay, Poppy" His rin that would look harsh on anyone else but with those diht adorable "Most of those tiht sister"

I was horrified and didn’t bother to hide it as I huddled the wiggling puppy to my chest like his wares his aords brought to mind "That’s terrible, Wheeler" My voice shook and the words sounded squeaky I already knew too much about him and this was ht to have

"It is pretty terrible but not nearly as bad as asped and took a step backward as his words landed like blows "A kid we definitely didn’t plan on A kid I am in no way ready to raise with a wo to have to bounce between houses and be shuffled froure out exactly where home is"

He sounded shattered and he looked the sa I’d ever seen, his skin was pale and taut over the sharp angles of his face,of freckles that dotted his nose and cheeks stand out even more than they nor delicate and unprotected deep inside ofa baby, I wanted to be happy for her but that happiness had to fight its way through re ht now as Wheeler watchedinside of ether, barely He should be happy that he had a precious little life on the way, even if he was less than thrilled with the circu the arrival

I took another step backward and al to catch htenedso much so that he yelped in protest Frantically I pulled lasses from the top of my head and shoved the, and if I started crying I needed so to hide behind He wouldn’t understand why his words stripped me bare and I didn’t have it in me to explain the reasons why they cut so deeply I’d used up allratulations on the baby" I didn’t sound like I onna take this little guy and head hoht be in the market for a puppy"

I scralasses as Wheeler advanced on ainst the side of the car and he was loo in front of me with only the puppy to separate his chest fro ti irritated and riled up, I couldn’t say that I orried about his on me He didn’t scare me The way he made me feel did

"I’m sorry, Poppy If I was in a different place in irl like you hadreally sweet fora new father, I would happily take on the task of being a puppy parent" God, he was nice Even when he was loo about you, so about those eyes and the soft way that you speak, thatI want to tell you that the last time my life was this fucked up henme off at a fire station in some rinky-dink mountain town in the middle of a snowstorm Our car broke down, because it always did She didn’t take care of it and she sure as shit didn’t take care of me" I felt my mouth drop open in shock but couldn’t ot even colder His words sent shivers up and down my spine