He hardly slept. Sophie called a cab shortly after one in the morning and he’d spent the next few hours glancing at the empty spot beside him, wishing she were there to fill it. Eventually, he gave up on the idea of sleeping at all and ended up on his computer, mixing audio. He must have stayed awake until around five in the morning when his body gave in to the exhaustion. It felt like he’d just closed his eyes when the apartment buzzer sounded in his ears.
He tossed back his blankets, swinging his legs to the side and standing. He padded down the hallway to answer the door but a bleary eyed, pajama clad Wes was already swinging it open. Keaton blinked, peeking from behind.
A gigantic man with a full white beard stood behind the door in coveralls, holding a clipboard in one hand and a travelling kennel in the other. Beside him, pushed up against the hallway wall was the large wire cage, packed to the brim with all the stuff Keaton had purchased.
Wes rubbed his chin, still half asleep. “I think you have the wrong house, bro.”
“Are you Keaton Stromberg?” the guy asked.
Wes turned and pointed to Keaton, a look of disapproval flashing across his face. “No, but that guy is.”
“Your rabbit,” the guy said to Keaton.
Wes’s eyes darted to the side, sharp as lasers. “Your what?”
“A bunny,” the delivery guy said to Wes. “A small rodent with floppy ears. Like the white rabbit that Alice follows down the hole into Wonderland.” He held the clipboard out to Wes who ignored it, turning to face Keaton.
“Keaton?”
“Yeah?”
“Why the hell do we have a bunny?”
The delivery guy waved his clipboard. “Can someone sign for it? I’ve got other deliveries.”
“Deliver that thing back to wherever he bought it from,” Wes said. “How about that?”
Keaton stepped forward, grabbing the board and the pen, scrolling his signature for the second time for Thumper. “Thanks,” he said. He traded the clipboard for the kennel and set it down on the floor just inside the entryway before dragging in the crate inside.
Wes stood in front of him, arms across his chest, his eyebrows arching upward.
“Meet Thumper,” Keaton said. “He’s moving in.”
“What about Zuni and Sampson?”
“What about them? They’ll be fine, besides, he’s almost as big as Sampson. He can hold his own.”
Wes sleepily went toward the kitchen and started making a coffee. “What possessed you to buy a rabbit, Keaton?”
“A girl,” Keaton said honestly.
“Sophie?”
“No, some other girl,” Keaton said. “Of course, Sophie.”
“Why? Isn’t it a bit soon to be adopting pets together?”
“She doesn’t know. She loves the bunny and can’t have it at her place. Look, I should have said something but you were busy with Rowyn and I forgot. You won’t even notice it’s here.”
Wes removed his coffee from the brewer and sat at the kitchen table. “Whatever, bro. I’ve got other things to worry about right now.”
“Like?”
“Like I need to pull off a miracle in a week. I might need help from you and Drew.”
“Yeah,” Keaton said. “Sure. What kind of miracle are we talking about?”
“The kind that brings Rowyn’s dad home and makes a prom for her.”
“You’re worried about me adopting a pet and you’re going this over the top. Where’s her dad?”
“Right,” Wes said. “I didn’t tell you. Her dad is Jeff Riley.”
Keaton smiled. “As in…”
Wes didn’t let him finish before saying, “Yes. That one. He’s in Japan and is Rowyn’s sole reason for not wanting to date me because she thinks I’ll leave.”
“We go on tour again in a few months,” Keaton pointed out, “you will leave.”
“Yeah but I’m not going to ditch her like her father does.”
Keaton made his own coffee, and leaned against the counter. Zuni was checking out the small travel kennel so he kept a close eye on them, but he could spare a few minutes to talk to his brother.
“And the prom?”
“Long story. She missed her prom. I want to give her one.” He rubbed his temples. “This is giving me a headache. Tell me about Sophie, she must have been here pretty late last night.”
Keaton smirked. “She was.”
“Make sure she knows you’re a musician, or she might drop you and make you follow a manifesto of all the ways you can’t touch her.”
Memories of the night before saturated his mind. “She lets me touch her.”
Wes perked up, wide awake. “You didn’t?”
“No,” Keaton said trying not to look disgusted, “she’s not that kind of girl.”
Wes held his hands up, palms forward in defense. “Just asking.”
Keaton downed his coffee. “I should go get this all set up.”
“In your room, I hope.”
“Spare room?” Keaton asked hopefully. “The one we never use.”
“You’re gonna give the rabbit his own room?”
“Why not? You’re giving a prom to one girl.”
“Touche,” Wes said, gesturing toward the spare bedroom. “Have at it.”
When Sophie was a little girl and she scowled at her father, he used to warn her not to look so sour because her face might get stuck that way. Was it possible to have ones face stuck in a permanent, mile-wide grin? When she woke up the morning after spending that much time with Keaton, she sure thought so.
She’d come home at nearly half past one in the morning to her parent’s car in the driveway. Apparently the park and ride at the airport was still open when their flight landed. Sophie thought they might stay at the hotel across the street from the airport but they must have been eager to get home.
As she showered, she knew she was probably in line for a round of questioning from her parents regarding her whereabouts the night before. They weren’t necessarily opposed to late hours but Taylor was the one with the ever evolving social life…not Sophie, so for her to be out so late would no doubt tweak their parental antennae.
Downstairs her mother stood over a frying pan and Sophie could smell bacon. A definite plus side to having her parents home—no more pop tarts for breakfast. She went and hugged her mom, stealing a piece of bacon from the plate beside the frying pan and sat next to her dad. Contrary to Taylor’s dire warning, he didn’t seem pissed at all, giving her a warm smile that showed the crowsfeet next to his eyes.
“Good morning,” he said.
“It’s a great morning,” she replied. “How was Paris?”
Her mother didn’t give her dad a chance to answer. “Romantic.”
Sophie waved the bacon. “Mom, if it’s alright with you, I’m eating.”
“Sorry,” her mom said. She finished fixing a plate for Sophie’s dad and kissed his forehead before setting it in front of him.
He smiled, grazing his fingers lovingly on her arm. “Thanks.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “You two are like determined to make sure I have no appetite left so you can keep all the bacon to yourself.”
Her father chuckled. “So, want to tell us about your sister’s phone?”
“You pose that question as if it is an option,” Sophie said. “Do you want to would indicate that I have a choice in the matter if I wish to share the details of the day in question. Care to rephrase?”
“Tell me why your sister’s phone is sitting at the bottom of the tropical fish display.”
“I fished it out with a net,” Sophie said. “Told her to put it in rice. Not my fault she doesn’t listen.”
“Sophia.”
Oh. The full first name. He meant business. “Fine. She was being awful, Dad. There was a celebrity in the store and Taylor was trying to exploit him by splashing his image all over social media like a paparazzi. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was going to try and sell it.”
“I wasn’t going to sell anything,” Taylor said from the doorway. “A celebrity sighting is some of the best free advertising there is, and you can’t even deny it.”
Her father nodded. “Taylor honey, I appreciate the thought but you grew up here and should know that they’re normal people who sometimes want to be left alone.”
Sophie tipped her chin up, offering Taylor a smug look.
Her sister retaliated. “Oh get off your high horse, Sophia. You’ve spent every day since you met him with him. If he wants to be left alone explain to me why you were at his house until almost two in the morning.”
Her dad sputtered the orange juice he’d been drinking. “Is that true?”
Apparently their parental antennae were malfunctioning. “What if it is?” Sophie asked. “Taylor spends time with boys.”
“I suppose so. It’s just so out of character for you,” her dad said.
“So naturally because it’s me and not her, it’s a surprise. Is it really that shocking that a guy could like me?”
“Sweetheart,” her dad said, “That’s not what I meant.”
“Yes it is,” Taylor said.
“Taylor,” her mother scolded. “That’s enough.” She set a plate in front of Sophie, who shoved it in front of her sister.
“I’m not hungry,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’ve got to get to the store.”
“Sophie,” her father said. “Please sit back down.”
She ignored him, slipping her feet into her Converse and pushing through the door. She’d gone from cloud nine to angry in no time. “Could this day get any worse?”
***
She shouldn’t have uttered those words into the universe. It was as if she were issuing a challenge. She’d made it to the store and was disarming the alarm when an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. Something wasn’t right. She looked at the displays; everything was in its place until her eyes settled on Thumper’s cage.
She dropped her keys and brought her hands up to her mouth. He was gone. Tears prickled at her eyes and a knot lodged in her throat, she was afraid to blink for fear they’d fall.
With shaky hands she dialed Isabelle, trying to steady her breathing.
“Hello?”
“Izzy? There was a white rabbit at the front with a funny ear. What happened to him?”
“He got adopted,” Isabelle said brightly, “why?”
“Adopted?”
“Yeah,” Isabelle said. “He was scheduled for delivery this morning. We had a lot of adoptions yesterday. That bunny, two tabby cats, three budgies and a few guinea pigs.”
“Who adopted the bunny?” Sophie demanded. “Where’s the paperwork?”
“I can’t remember the name. Eugene should have the paperwork.”
“Eugene isn’t here!”
“Well I’m sure you could check when he gets back.”
“What did they look like?”
“Eugene?”
She wanted to rip her hair out. “No! The person who adopted Thumper?”
“I think it was a young couple,” Isabelle paused, “Or maybe they took the cat. Could have been a super cute young guy or that goth girl. I’m just not sure. Sorry, love.”
Sophie swallowed hard and said, “it’s fine, thanks,” before hanging up the phone.
She didn’t even get to say goodbye. Taylor marched through the door just in time to see her cry.
Keaton finished setting up the room. Maybe Wes was right, maybe giving the rabbit his own bedroom was a bit ridiculous but he couldn’t wait to see Sophie’s face when he told her. She’d said she was working that day and couldn’t get out of it again, so when he was finished his shower, he headed directly to the pet store, eager to tell her about Thumper’s new living arrangements.
It was so confusing to determine who manned the till and what day they did it on. Gone was the chipper brunette with the warm smile who’d helped him adopt to bunny to be replaced by Taylor. It was like a raincloud came and stole the sun.
Keaton found himself annoyed that he even had to speak with her. She was an emotional vampire, one of those super negative people that drained the positive energy from the space around them.
She had receipts spread out across the counter and her features were pinched in determination.
The door chimed that when he’d opened it and her head snapped up, outwardly irritated.
“Is Sophie here?”
She gave a cool smirk. “She’s here, somewhere. Sulking. Woe is her, life is awful, that type of thing.”
Keaton’s knitted his brows. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Ask her yourself,” Taylor said. “I don’t have time to care. Isabelle is an idiot,” she waved a stack of receipts. “I have to reconcile these now thanks to the fact that she doesn’t have a clue.”
“Where is Sophie?”
“Probably locked in the bathroom.”
“Why is she locked in the bathroom?”
Taylor popped her gum and started punching numbers onto the keypad of a calculator. “Ask. Her. Yourself. I’m busy.”
Busy and also useless. “Thanks for nothing,” he muttered, heading to the back of the store where the restrooms were. He knocked on the door.
Sophie’s voice was barely audible from behind the barrier. “It’s occupied.”
“Soph,” he said. “It’s me.”
“Go away.”
What? “Open the door.”
“No.”
What had her so upset? Disturbed, he rested his forehead to the door. “Please?”
“Keaton, I can’t see you right now.”
Her voice shook. He could tell she’d been crying and it took every ounce of willpower he had to not try and bust through the door to get to her.
“Did Taylor do something?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know, it’s,” she paused, “it’s not Taylor for once, unless she enlisted the help of some of her friends but I’m not sure she’s even that diabolical.”
“I have something important to talk to you about,” he said, “please open the door.”
“I can’t.”
“Soph—”
“Go away!” She snapped. “I don’t want to see you like this.”
Keaton sighed. He didn’t want to push her. “Can you promise to call me later?”
Silence.
“Please?”
“Yes,” she finally said. “I’ll call you later. Just go away, please.”
Keaton turned and headed to the front.
Taylor looked up from her piles of paper. “No luck?”
Like she cared. “No,” he said. “Tell her to call me please, it’s important.”
After Sophie managed to get it together, she was angry with herself for being so nasty to Keaton. He didn’t deserve any of that. He had stood outside the door, determined to be there for her and she’d sent him away like it didn’t matter.
It did matter.
She worked her shift sullenly, hardly shooting a sideways glance to Taylor. In fairness, Taylor wasn’t there yesterday either, and as far as Sophie knew she had no part in Thumper’s abduction but it was easier to blame her for all the times she was such a bitch.
What the hell was wrong with her? She should be happy that Thumper was gone. It meant someone wanted him. With Keaton’s sudden interest in her, of all things, she should be able to relate, but she had hoped to be the one to send him off. To judge whoever was going to take him and make sure they were good enough.
Eugene wasn’t back by the time her day was done and she’d moved from her pity party about the bunny to another pity party all together.
She should have opened the stupid door. After work, she planned to go to Keaton’s place and see if she could salvage herself but not before an important stop.
Has Bean was far busier than it was the day they were there with two baristas behind the bar and a man that looked like Landon. Her eyes darted to the photo on the wall of Atari Blue. He had more wrinkles and salt and pepper hair but she was almost sure. Perfect. Exactly the person she wanted to talk to.
“Can I help you?” he asked. His voice was deep and raspy with a drawl that would make a Texan jealous. Not at all what she’d expected.
“Landon?”
He stopped wiping the counter with his facecloth. “You here to tell me you’re some illegitimate child of a groupie and that I’m your father?”
She wanted to giggle. “No. I’m here first for two peppermint mochas to go and secondly to ask you a question.”
“Tammy,” he said. “Two peppermint mochas.”
A girl who was obviously Tammy went to work making the drinks when Landon returned his attention to her. “What can I do for you?”
Sophie cleared her throat. “Do you still have live bands and stuff on Friday nights?”
“Yeah,” he said. “But not this Friday. No one signed up to play.”
Sophie smiled. “I think I know someone who might be interested.”
He leaned forward, elbows on the counter spot he’d wiped clean. “I’m listening.”
The elevator ride up to Keaton and Wes’s loft took forever. Each floor that ticked by set another fire alight in her belly. She hoped Keaton would open the door like she’d failed to do.
She set one of the mochas on top of the other, freeing her hand to knock on the door. He must have been standing practically behind it because it swung open and without saying a word, he took the drinks from her hand and set them on the table before turning back to her and wrapping her up in a hug.
“You okay, Sparrow?”
Jesus. She wanted to cry again from his gesture.
“I’m so sorry, Keaton.”
He pulled back. “Don’t be sorry. Be happy.”
He made her happy. Every single sorrow she’d felt that day melted away, leaving a dull ache where the heaviness was. “My day started off kind of bad cause of Taylor and I got to the pet store and Thumper was gone and…”
His face fell. “That’s why you were crying?”
She nodded. “It’s so dumb I know.”
He slid his hand through hers, and led her down a hallway to a room she knew wasn’t his. Pushing the door open and pulling her through, he made a face. “I might have been responsible for that. I’m the one who should be sorry. I should have told you.”
There Thumper sat in a rabbit condo, happily chewing away on a carrot. Her heart pressed against her ribcage, thrumming fast. “It was you?”
Keaton nodded. “Guilty. I wanted to surprise you. Guess I should have thought that through first.”
“You adopted him?”
“For you.”
“For me?”
“Yes,” he said. “You should smile more. Thought it might help.”
She smiled.
“See,” he said. “My plan may have been filled with more holes than swiss cheese but you’re smiling now and therefore I have to assume I’m a genius.”
Sophie stood on the tips of her toes to reach him, placing a kiss on his mouth. “You’re right,” she said. “Sometimes life can be like a fairytale.”
“I told you I would prove it.”
He had. So many times already. “Keaton?”
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing on Friday night?”
“I’m certainly not reading War and Peace.”
“Say you’ll spend it with me.”
The corner of his mouth curled toward the sky. “I’ll spend it with you,” he said. “Gladly.”