Just Pretend

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jason

A week after giving Gwen the collar for a potential future dog, I head to Alyssa's house for Clarissa's birthday party, hoping that Gwen will finally be there.

Yes. I know.

I've fallen so hard for this girl that I haven't so much as looked at another woman since the first day she and I slept together.

I look out of the window as I pass her house and almost stall my truck when I see the pile of furniture and boxes packed in the driveway. I reverse with a squeal of tires and stop in Gwen's driveway, the front of my truck an inch away from the couch that once stood in her living room.

If she's moving without telling me a thing, I will fucking murder the woman.

I jump out of the truck and slam the door behind me, stalking towards Gwen's front door. I hear Clarissa's voice float over from Alyssa's front door and I ignore the words that Alyssa responds with.

Just as I go to push the key Gwen had given me into the door, it swings open to reveal an amused-looking Gwen.

'Don't panic,' she says and I pause for a moment, looking down at her.

'And just why the fuck shouldn't I panic? Half your furniture is in your driveway!' I say, trying to keep myself calm and rational, and failing as I point behind me.

'It's Mark's furniture and clothes,' she says and it takes a moment for me to register her words.

'You're getting rid of his stuff?' I ask, knowing she kept it for in case he wants it back and she nods slowly.

'He called and said that I can get rid of it. He's staying with his new, better girlfriend,' she says with an eyeroll and I step forward, crowding her until she moves back enough for me to stand in the foyer and close the door behind me.

My eyes instantly find the living room, finding it completely bare of furniture.

'So you're not moving?' I ask slowly and she shakes her head, her expression still amused. I reach forward, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into my arms, leaning down to bury my nose in her hair, pushing away the remaining fingers of panic.

'You'd be the first person I tell if I were to move, Jace,' she says into my chest, her hands in the middle of my back and I can't help but tighten my arms around her, closing my eyes and fighting back the urge to kiss her.

'Promise?' I whisper into her hair and her arms tighten around me and I feel her lips on my sternum.

'Promise,' she whispers back and we stay standing like that for a while until I hear a soft moaning coming from the kitchen. I frown as I lift my head from hers to see a black and russet puppy staring at me with big brown eyes.

'You got a dog?' I ask softly and she nods as she pulls away, her arms unwinding from my waist, and steps out of mine towards the puppy. Its tail wags as she nears and she crouches next to it, running a hand soothingly over its fur before picking it up and tucking it against her body.

'Meet Carrie,' she says in a tone of voice I'd only ever hear her use around Clarissa when she wants to annoy her, and I smile as she stands in front of me, the puppy looking up at me curiously.

Gwen hands her off to me gently and I see the tender look in her eyes as she watches the puppy reach toward me, leading with a curling, pink tongue.

I laugh as she licks my nose and I tuck her under my arm, looking down at the squirming Rottweiler.

I rub her head gently and feel her press her head against my hand with a small growl and Gwen smiles gently before asking me if I was going to Clarissa's party. I scoff and tell her I was on my way to it before I saw the mess outside and had to stop here.