Sit, Stay, Roll Over ✓

(16) Lies

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IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS since the incident with Timothy, as well as the secret code gimmick that Hunter did with me at the motel. I tried to open it up with him several times, but Hunter was just way too good at dodging it. I wanted to talk about the time when the woman recognized him too, but Hunter would also brush it off.

    I'm not stupid, with just one look I could tell that they knew each other from the Companion's Association. She probably had that card too and met Hunter at the pet shop. I know that at least, but after thinking about it, I realized one thing.

     Was she Hunter's previous owner? If so, why are they no longer together? Did she break the contract? Did something happen? Will Hunter be taken away from me too if I ask too many questions?

     All this time I've lived in this fantasy with no worry. I pretended like Hunter was this perfect man who came to my life unexpectedly, but the truth is, this wasn't entirely unexpected at all.

     Hunter, as painful of a fact it may seem, is supposed to be my pet. He's here to protect me, like what he always says. It never occurred to me that all this will eventually end, that Hunter will one day leave my side. For a moment I thought he'd be with me forever. I thought we'd live happily, maybe get married, and even adopt a kid, but no, this is the reality of things. How could I have been so stupid?

     Hunter never told me he liked me. He never talked about what we really were. He always showered me with sweet words and touched me in places that made me feel like I'm on cloud nine. He was too good to be true.

     "You should watch over your master better and do your job well because I might get confused as to who's really wearing the leash," these were the exact words that he said to that man we met at the bus stop. I don't know why, but when I heard him say that, I felt something ache in my chest.

     How could I forget that I signed a fucking contract, and Hunter's probably just doing all this for me because of that same reason.

     This isn't about love at all. This was his job.

     All this time, he was just doing all this as a member of the Companion's Association, an association that strives on the motto, "Make the lonely feel wanted."

     "Mr. McCartney?" a voice calls out, making me remove my eyes from the screen of my laptop. I looked up and saw Jane standing in front of my desk, handing me a folder.

     "You okay team leader? You seem tired," she asks, and I faked a smile and grab the folder in her hand instead before saying, "What's this?"

     "That's the final cover for next week's issue. What do you think?" Jane asks, and I opened the folder and was instantly welcomed by a picture of Hunter's intense eyes staring back at me.

     I reached out and touched the picture, staring back at it as if I was staring at the real thing. Jane had to clear her throat so I could look away from him. I almost lost in a trance there.