I just can't help myself.
Whenever I see an animal I have to help it, so when I saw a baby raccoon waddling down an alleyway with a small piece of rope wrapped around its neck, digging into it's skin, and it's tail almost covered in glitter glue I had to help it.
That was about a two and a half weeks ago and Trash is feeling much better, her neck has healed, and bath got rid of that glitter glue.
I temporarily named her Trash because I did find her next to a pile of trash, but I am planning on changing her name.
When I rescued her I instantly brought her to the hospital clinic, and unfortunately I can't keep her here and I don't think my apartment allows raccoons, so I have to let her loose.
I place her in a crate made for a small dog before I walk out of the back room and to the front desk.
"I think I'm going move." Astryd voices as she sits in her revolving chair, her prescribed glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, as she nervously chews on the end of pen.
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked setting the crate on the floor.
"I think I'm going to move out of the penthouse." She elaborates.
"Why?" I ask, my brows furrowed.
"Leo and Sorren are avoiding me, for like almost a month, and its lonely. I use to remind Sorren to eat because he gets so caught in painting, but now he locks the door and whenever I knock he doesn't answer, and I know he's in there; especially when he's playing music." She stresses.
"Maybe he needs some time to himself." I shrug.
She sits straighter in her chair, "I thought that too, but then with Leo he would flat out just ignore me. I would try to talk to him, but he walks away like he didn't hear anything." She sighs pushing a box braid out of her face and over her shoulder.
"I already been through that once Ivy I can't do it again." She looks up at me and it was rare times when I see such vulnerability in her deep, brown eyes.
I know Astryd holds these two men to her heart, and when being the only child of neglectful parents being ignored or avoided hits too close to home.
Everything Astryd has she worked for she had to, because her parents weren't doing it. Before she was a veterinarian assistant she worked as a waitress since she was sixteen, and stripper since she was eighteen.
The guys just thought she was really dedicated and needed the money from waitressing, because they didn't know. Astryd had a habit that anything she feels will be a burden she keeps to herself, she broke out of that, but was always scared Leo and Sorren would leave.
"Have you tried telling them?" I asked softly.
"Yes." She nods, "Multiple times, but it's hard. We all have our boundaries about things we don't talk about. My parents, Why Sorren rarely talks, and Leo's anger issues."
"Just because you don't talk about something doesn't mean it'll go away." I said before continuing, "But you could always stay with me until you three solve things." I smile softly.
"I love you." She sends me air kisses.
I catch them pretending to put them in my pocket, "Love you too, babes." I said sending her my own air kisses, which she catches and puts in her bra.
I laugh, "I'm off work, so I'm taking this cutie to go visit a certain someone." I gesture towards the small raccoon.
"Carter, you mean?" She raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"No." I scoff, paying the bill for Trash as she laughs.
•••••••
"How's my least favorite person?" I ask barging into Carter's office.
He glances up at me through the roof of his reading glasses as he types on his laptop, "Least favorite? That's a bit of a stretch."
I walk in front of his desk gently setting down my bag and the crate on the floor, "I said what I said Carver."
His jawline ticks as he clenched his jaw, "It's Carter."
I smile shrugging my shoulders, "Same thing. On a different note I brought you a present." I reach into the crate gently grabbing the baby raccoon.
He sighs like he needs to prepare himself, "And what did I do to deserve— What the hell is that?" He cuts himself off mid sentence scooting back in his chair as he sees me place the small animal on his desk.
"She's a raccoon. Obviously." I tried to hide my amusement as Carter looks at the animal in disgust and pure confusion.
"Yes, but why is it here?" He stares at the critter as it chitters chewing on a pencil.
I sigh in disappointment, "For someone who runs a company you're very clueless." I take the pencil away from the baby, "She is your present. From me to you. No need to thank me." I smile.
He looks at me incredulously, "Trust me I wasn't."
I bit back a smile trying to stop myself from laughing, "Don't you want to know her name?"
He sighs once again, "Sure Ivy. What's it's name?"
I glare at him, "Her name is Trash."
"That's kinda rude for you say." He deadpans.
I shake my head, "I'm not saying her name is trash. I'm telling you that her name is Trash."
He looks at me dubiously, "I'm not hearing the difference."
I sigh, "Trash. Her name is Trash."
Carter awkwardly pets the raccoon, "I'm sorry she keeps insulting your name, even you don't deserve this."
By the smirk on his face I realize he was messing with me. I pick up my tote bag walking towards his office door "You know what? I'm leaving have fun with your new friend."
"Wait, Ivy!"
"What?" I ask holding onto the door handle.
"Did you bring apple juice?" He asked, and it was almost adorable how his brows furrowed and he glances from me to my tote bag.
I sigh begrudgingly pulling a juice box from my bag and seating it on his desk before walking out of his office.
I wasn't actually going I leave her and never come back. I probably come back in about an hour or so to come get her.
Carter's POV
For ten minutes I've sat here just staring at the raccoon that is now drinking my apple juice out of my coffee mug in total shock. I pull my phone out of my pocket and I dial Alessandro's number.
"Fratello! Great to see you called." He answers the phone.
"A raccoon."
"Excuse me?" He asked confused.
"She left a damn raccoon in my office." I state trying to sound angry.
"She being the Latina you complain about?" Alessandro asked.
I sigh in annoyance, "Yes, her. She left a damn creature on my desk and left, and she name the dumpster diver Trash." I complain.
Alessandro chuckles at my misery, "I'm guessing this isn't the first time something like this have happened?"
I huff, "No, one time she left a cactus in my office, which I didn't care for, but it wasn't a live animal." I glanced to the cactus sitting next to the framed picture of me and my family.
"Do you still have the cactus?" He asked, and I scoff.
"No, I threw it away." I answer poking my bendy straw through the hole in the juice box.
"Wait, I'm confused. Why don't you like her?" He asked and I glare at the phone because he asked me a question I didn't know the answer to.
Why didn't I like her?
I didn't like her because there was nothing to not like about her anymore. At some point of time my dislike for her faded, not that I would ever admit it aloud, but as it faded I caught the butterflies that simmered in my stomach at her presence or the mention of her.
That I didn't like.
Or the way I always have to stop myself from smiling whenever I'm with her or talking to her, it is exhausting, and I don't have it in me to cut off all contact with her. I tried.
I stopped taking Bumblebee to her appointments, but then Ivy shows up on my office floor, and I could've easily snuck inside my office without her knowing, but I just had to call her name.
Her brown eyes met mine, and they were so pretty, like they held the richest elements of nature.
She also had apple juice, so what was I suppose to do?
She irks me in all the right ways that absolutely gets on my nerves.
"She's annoying." I answer my brother's question.
He chuckles, "That's it? You're annoying too, it's a perfect match."
"Sei un idiota." I insult taking a sip of apple juice, "You're still coming for the charity event this week?"
[You're an idiot]
"Sì, I just have to finish some things at work." He answers, "Who else is coming?"
"Leo, Sorren, Astryd, Marco and Rosa." I said drinking my apple juice.
"Carter you have to stop calling her that before Marco shoots you. You're lucky he didn't do years ago." He advises.
"Marco wouldn't shoot me." I shake my head.
Out of the corner of my eye the black, grey, and white critter jumps from my desk to on my lap, and I go still.
The raccoon presses it's paws on my chest as she stands on her hind legs, sniffing me, before nudging my hand with its head.
I awkwardly pat her head and she curls into my lap, and I didn't stop her because I didn't know what to do.
But she is adorable.
"Yes, he would. You slept with her." He exasperates and I roll my eyes.
"That was when he ghosted her for four years when he flew to Spain, and there was nothing between us." I sigh petting the grey fur of the dumpster lover in my lap.
Marco worked in the same line of business as Alessandro, they do illegal shit, but I don't know much about because I don't involve myself in their business.
All I know is Marco runs a 'company' in Spain, and Alessandro owns one in Italy, and it has nothing to do with me.
"But—"
I interrupt him, "Ales, I no longer care for this conversation." I said.
"I hope Ivy leaves more weird ass animals in your office." He said as if he met her
"You're talking like you know her." I voice.
Alessandro scoffs, "I practically do given how much you talk about her."
My brows furrow as I look at the phone, "I do not talk about her a lot." I deny.
I do not, sometimes she just appears in the back of my head unwillingly as if she was a ghost haunting me. Hell I even picked animals as the cause of the charity because I knew she would appreciate it.
"Remember that time she made that strawberry cheesecake over at Astryd's?" He asked, and I was confused on why he was bringing this up
"Yes, why?"
"Why do I know that? Because you can't stop talking about her, Carter, or should I say Carver?" He jokes.
"No." I abruptly end the call, and running a hand through my hair.
I look down to the large ferret in my lap, "I do not talk about her that much." I assure.
•••••••
Ivy's POV
I knock on the door waiting until I hear a faint 'come in' before entering Carter's office.
"I'm back." I announced setting my bag on one of the cushioned chairs in front of his desk.
"Get out." He said instantly looking at me in disgust.
I roll my eyes at his negative attitude looking around the room, "I'm just here to pick up Trash." I said.
His posture straightens and his eyes connect with mine as his brows furrow, "Why?"
"So I can take her back. I wasn't actually going to leave her here." I explain.
"But you said I could have her." He states.
I shake my head, "No, I said I brought you a present as a joke." I recall.
He clears his throat looking back down at his computer, "I told Lahey to take her in the alleyway beside the building, so I'm pretty sure she's gone."
I was going to believe him, but when I heard a chitter from his direction I had finally notice the grey and black tail peeking out from inside his suit jacket.
"Carter?"
He looks up at me annoyed, "What, Ivy?"
"If you wanted to keep her you should've just said that." I fight the smile threatening my lips.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He continues to act clueless, typing on his keyboard.
I chuckle walking further into the room and leaning on his desk, "I'm going to pretend Trash isn't under your jacket, and if you had kept the raccoon would you know how to take care of her?"
"I would look it up and ask the annoying vet, you, any questions that I have." He said before adding, "And I named her Prime and she likes crackers."
A smile blooms on my face at his adorableness, "Why can't you be this cute all the time?" I ask teasingly tilting my head.
His shoulders kind of go tense and his typing comes to a stop as a faint redness reaches his cheeks, and I mentally awe.
"I am not cute." He mutters before he resumes typing.
"I guess adorable is the right word."
"No." He refuses to make eye contact with me, keeping his eyes trained on his laptop screen.
"Would sweetheart suffice?" I tease, watching as the blush grew in his cheeks and his fingers faltered against the keys of the keyboard.
"Ivy?" He calls.
"Yes, Carver?"
"Get out." He demands, and I tried so hard to bite back my smile as I grabbed my bag leaving his office.
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