Winning Her Back

Chapter Twenty Six

Tatum POV

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I said, scratching behind Dusty's ears. 

"You really are a terrible sister! Forgetting about your own dog." Kyle said, shaking his head and clicking his tongue in mock disappointment. 

"I know, I know." I bowed my head in shame before picking it up and offering Dusty to lick my face in kisses. With a wagging tail, he did.

I was crouched down at the front door of my brothers apartment in the city. I had enough of my parents and also needed to get away from Ryan. Although it seems like it was the other way around. He hand't picked up any of my phone calls or returned any of my messages. And if he didn't want to make it obvious that he was ignoring me, he should turn off his read recipts because I got one for the twenty that I've sent to him. 

"Babe," A sweet voice said, walking down the hall. As I stood up a petite girl, looking about the same age as Kyle (22), with long light brown hair came gliding in. "Oh hi! You must be Tatum. God, you guys look a like." 

Both Kyle and I looked at each other before grimacing. Typical brother-sister relationship right there. Who wants to look like their ugly ass sibling? Not me! 

"I'm Tiffany. Kyle's girlfriend!" She chirped, reaching out her hand. 

"Oh, I don't need any of that formal BS. Give me a hug, girlfriend." I joked, pulling the girl in for a hug. She nervously giggled as her arms wrapped around my waist lightly. "So, you keeping him in tip top shape?" I asked Tiffany as Kyle wound an arm around her waist, making her lean into his side. 

"Of course." She snickered, looking up at Kyle. Just as they were about to kiss, Dusty barked. I knew I loved that dog; I'm so terrible for forgetting about him, really.

"What's up, boy?" I asked, going down to pet him. "Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked, making him go crazy, like usual. 

"Have fun with that. We'll make dinner." Kyle said, walking off before I gave him the chore. Tiffany turned around, waving goodbye while Kyle just kept pushing her along. I heard her giggle as they turned the corner and then squeal. Gag! 

"Come on, Dusty." I encouraged, leashing him up and pulling him along. 

The city was second nature to me. It was where my friends and I basically spent our summers when we were in high school. Therefore walking all the way to Union Square was a no brainer. I passed Max Brenners, the chocolaty smell filling up my senses, and Steve Madden, but with Dust in my hand, it would be a little hard to enter either one. With my wandering eyes that looked everywhere but in front of me, I ended up bumping into something, falling to the ground. Of course this would happen to me. My tight grip on Dusty's leash loosened only slightly, so my dog wasn't able to run away, but my head was throbbing. 

I groaned in pain, barely making out the people stepping over me, not even looking at the woman on the floor. Great, I would die from being trampled on.

"Tatum, I'm so sorry!" I stopped breathing the second I heard that angelic voice. The one I've been dying to hear for the past week. I nearly forgot about the pounding in my head and butt and back and... well everywhere. I looked down at the person's feet, smiling slightly at the brown Sperries that covered his feet. He was always so fashionable. 

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't looking." I said as I got up with the help of Ryan. "Sorry." I sheepishly muttered. He smirked, only slightly. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked, just now realising I was with a furry friend and bending down to pet Dusty. Sure, we were still in the middle of the sidewalk, but us New Yorker's, we're known for being rude.