I sniffle barging out the door as I take off my gloves throwing them in the bin as tears blur my vision.
I walk to Astryd's desk at the front, "Can you give the Millers—"
"I got you, babes." She rises from her revolving chair and over to the family.
I sigh rearranging the sunflowers in the vase on her desks
Not long I hear the main door open followed by footsteps and small patters.
"Dr. Taylor."
"Carver?" I sniffle, turning around seeing the man dressed in his usual professional attire, hair neatly combed back as always, holding onto Bumblebee's leach.
His eyes met mine before scanning my face wave his lips subtly flinch downwards for a single second.
"Why are crying? Fucking stop it." His brows furrowed as his jaw clenches.
"No. I'll cry if I damn want to." I let more tears fall out of spite.
He watched tears run down my cheeks with a look of distaste as his movements falter before he wipes my tears with the back of his curled finger, "Hell you crying for?"
An odd feeling coursed through my stomach at his delicate touch though it differs from his harsh phrasing.
"Just got out of surgery. Benji, a Labrador, didn't make it. He was twelve and suffered from blood loss, and we couldn't pinpoint where the puncture was in time, and maybe if I—"
Sometimes I think I have too much sympathy or love for animals.
In high school, during history, they would talk about wars and millions of people that died, but all I could think was: What about the horses?
I just always had more respect for animals than I do for humans. I don't think it'll change.
"Alright." He interrupts me, his hazel irises looking into my brown ones, "I'm sorry about Benji."
"Thank you." I nod wiping my cheek.
"And I'm tired of hearing you talk." He mutters and I roll my eyes ignoring his rudeness taking Bumblebee's leach from his hands.
Odd feeling gone.
She wags her tail excitedly as she stands on her hind legs her front paws on my upper thighs, "Your dad's an asshole. Yes he is, yes he is." I coo scratching behind her ears.
"Don't use that language around her." He glares at me.
"Don't be a hypocrite. I'm pretty sure every time she barks she's cursing by the amount times I heard profanity come from your mouth." I glance up at him from Bumblebee.
"You bring out the worst in me." He accuses stuffing his hand inside his pockets.
"Let's see improvement not excuses." I taunt.
He raises his eyebrows, unimpressed, "Hard to improve with you being annoying. It puts a stump in my personal growth."
I sigh massaging my forehead, "It's like you don't listen to me. Stop self projecting, it's bad for your self-awareness."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Don't give me a headache." I rebuttal.
"I can't control how you effect yourself." He shrugs.
"Are saying I giving myself a headache?"
"I'm not not saying it." He said glancing around carelessly.
"You're annoying you know that?"
"You must be rubbing off on me." He saids disgusted.
I glare at him, "Leave before I strangle you."
"Don't tell me what to do." He glares at me before glancing to Bumblebee one time before walking out the door.
I lean down, "Your dad's being a butthole make sure to chew his shoes when you get home, okay girl?" I coo kissing Bumblebee's forehead.
She barks and I stand back to my full height as she tries to lick my face.
"What was all that?" Astryd ask standing a few feet away from us.
"What was what?"
"Don't act stupid, Ives. I heard you and Carter's flirty banter, 'You must be rubbin' off on me' looking ass." She teases poking my arm.
"He was calling me annoying. Yeah, I'm weak in the knees." I deadpan, fanning myself.
"You play dumb now but just wait see." She promises nodding her head.
•••••••
"His tongue, girl, his tongue." Astryd gushes as she sits in a chair while I'm giving Bumblebee her checkup, she reminisces on the that night with Sorren and Leo... again.
"Im glad y'all weren't getting with each other while I stuck in the elevator with a child. Shows restraint." I murmur checking the golden retriever's ears.
She perks up, "Oh! You never told me what happened in there."
"Nothing really," I shrug, "We played Uno, he got made because he lost and thrown a tantrum, and then tripped me because he was all pouty I didn't want to do rematch."
She pours sympathetically, "Aww you broke his man pride."
I roll my eyes checking Bumblebee's other ear, "If I did it wasn't broken for long cause he still somehow talking shit."
"What he say?"
"That I was annoying and I bring out the worst in him." I shrug casually.
"Sounds like he has crush on you." He teases.
"We must not be hearing the same thing." I say side eyeing her way before turning towards her, "You know what, let's talk about your situation." I said changing the subject.
"What do you mean my situation?" She ask raising her neatly shaped eyebrows.
"Your little triangle." I hum.
"Oh...that." She sucks in a harsh breath, "Man, I don't know what I'm going to do. They both feel so...right, and made me feel good— if you know what I mean. I just don't think I can choose." She leans her head back against the wall closing her eyes.
"Who saids you have to choose?" I question.
"I—" Before she could reply a familiar red head walks in the check-up room.
M brows furrow in confusion, "How'd you get back here?"
Sorren shrugs making his way to Astryd, "Just walked through." He sits in the chair next to her's.
"What're you here for?" She ask lightly licking the pad of her thumb and wiping off the smear of paint on his neck.
"I missed you." He shrugs casually.
"Oh really? You missed me?" She enunciated teasingly poking his arm as a blush crawled to his cheeks.
He lets out a small chuckle shaking his head, and I watch the interaction in amusement.
"Nah, I'm just teasing you." She laughs throwing her legs over his lap.
"Anyways, back to what I was saying about Carter." She continues.
I raise my brows, "Oh? You don't wanna talk about what we were talking about just few seconds ago?" I tease as she sends me a dirty look.
"We were talking about how Carter has a crush on Ivy." Astryd saids and Sorren's eyes spark with amusement.
"He talked about you." Sorren voices.
"Oh?" I said intrigued.
He nods, "Said you were annoying, a cheater, couldn't stand you, would stitch your mouth shut to cure his headaches he gets when you're talking, if you were drowning he'd wait a few seconds before saving you, and he doesn't like your hair." He list off.
"He's clearly obsessed."
"Well fuck him too."
Me and Astryd speak at the same time, her as if she was stating the obvious and I was spiritually flipping off Carter as I feed Bumblebee a treat.
"You're all done girl." I scratch behind her ears, "Now we gotta get you to the groomers down the hall."
The sound of the door opening catches my attention and Bumblebee starts barking excitedly as Carter and Leo walks through the door.
"So they just letting any and everybody back here?" I exasperated.
"Witch." Leo greets me as he walks through the door, and his gaze drifts off towards the duo in the chairs. He clears his throat taking the empty seat next to Sorren.
Suddenly the atmosphere in the room became tense. Sorren's shoulders where locked as he had Astryd's legs over his lap, and Leo's jaw was clenched as he glanced between the two.
Astryd, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide her enjoyment as she makes eye contact with both the men with a small, alluring smile before slowly looking away.
We make eye contact and I smile shaking my head at her.
"Hey, girl." I hear a voice coo behind me where Carter was kissing Bumblebee's forehead.
She barks her tail thumping against the table ecstatically.
I groan quietly letting my head fall forward, "I forgot you were here."
"Lucky. I wish I could forget you were here."
"Clearly."
"What's that suppose to mean?" He inquires.
I shrug a smirk etching on my lips, "I just heard you were talking a lot about me."
Carter shoots a glare towards Sorren who wasn't even paying attention glancing a Leo every now and then.
Carter scoffs, "Don't let it go to your head. They were all insults."
"You think about me so much you can't stop talking about me. I'll take it as a victory" I smirk.
"Don't let it go to your head." He repeats, bored.
"Seems like I'm in yours."
He closes his eyes for a moment before his hazel irises meet my brown ones, and I caught myself admiring how pretty they were before he spoke, "Just imagined pushing you out of a car."
Never mind.
"A fancy car?"
"I got it from the junk yard, only had to two working doors."
"Glad you threw me out. Don't like you or that raggedy ass car anyways."
"Y'all do know the car isn't real right?" Astryd voices.
I turn my head towards three pairs of eyes watching us, I had forget we had an audience.
Sighing I take my curls out of its loose ponytail before redoing the style, "Yeah, we know." I quickly dust off the conversation taking's Bumblebee's leach.
"Come on, girl. Let's get you to the groomers then you get to go home." I say sweetly walking pass Carter, and I miss the foot he subtly moved in front of my foot tripping me.
I gasp when I lose my footing, but caught myself, I throw a glare towards Carter who acts oblivious with a bored look on his face.
"Carver if you trip me one more time I'mma key your raggedy ass car, and not the imaginary one." I said annoyance dripping off my tongue.
"That car cost more than your apartment. Touch it and you'll be homeless." He states, his eyes burning into mine, daring me.
"I'm setting your house on fire." Was all I said before walking towards the door.
"You don't know where I live." He notes.
"I'll find out."
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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