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I glanced outside the window. It was raining so hard I couldn’t see the sky outside.

My teeth ground together.Dammit.

I pushed back my chair and went to my room. I tossed a black hoodie over my shirt, grabbed an umbrella, and stalked outside. I was instantly hit with a spray of icy water and strong gusts of wind.

I really hated myself sometimes.

I retraced my steps to where I’d seen the cat. It’d disappeared from the top of the recycling bin. A quick search of the area didn’t turn up anything besides a promotional flyer for a women’s clothing boutique.

I was ready to call it quits when a tuft of gray caught my eye. The cat was huddled deep within a bush, shivering. I would’ve never seen it if it weren’t for its tail sticking out.

It let out a half-hearted hiss when I reached for it, but it didn’t make another sound of protest after I picked it up.

Not so tough now, are you?I silently said.

It curled up tight against my chest and continued to shiver.

Thankfully, it was a short walk home. I’d hoped to sneak in without anyone noticing, but as luck would have it, I ran into Jeremiah in the foyer. His eyebrows shot up at the sight of me with a cat in my arms.

“Would you like me to take care of your guest, sir?” He wisely refrained from additional commentary.

I shook my head. It was bad enough that I’d brought the mangy thing home. I wasn’t going to foist it off on my staff.

I headed to the kitchen, wrapped the cat in a towel, and placed it on the floor. From what I could glimpse, I guessed it was a male.

You’re not a guest. I don’t want you here.I only brought you in because you remind me of Ayana.

If he heard my unwelcoming thoughts, he didn’t show it. His face peeked out from the makeshift blanket, his eyes narrowing at his new surroundings.

He was probably hungry, but I didn’t have cat food. What the hell else did cats eat anyway?

After a quick Google search, I set out a bowl of water and some canned tuna. The ungrateful thing didn’t even spare me a thank-you meow before he dove in.

An annoyed grumble worked its way up my throat.

Someone giggled behind me. I whirled around to find one of the maids grinning at me and the cat.

I scowled. Her smile immediately fell, and she squeaked out a “Sorry” before hurrying off.

I stayed and glared at the feline intruder again, unsure what to do after he finished eating. Toss him back out on the street once the rain stopped? Bring it to a shelter for adoption?

This entire situation was so out of character, I was at a loss.

I was saved from stewing in my indecision when my phone buzzed. A cool shock of surprise filled my lungs, followed by a streak of heat.

It was Ayana.

Ayana

Hi

Three chat bubbles popped up, disappeared, then popped up again.

Ayana

Are you busy right now?

I stared at the texts. They were our first written messages to each other. We’d talked in person, but conversations were consigned to the vaults of memory. These were concrete. Definable.