Page 192 of Pucking Sweet

She tries to pull away from me. “Let me go—”

“I was with Cole,” I say again, and she stops struggling.

Panting, she searches my face, tears in her eyes. “You and Cole?”

I nod. “Me and Cole. We fucked yesterday. We figured you wouldn’t mind, seeing as you want us all to be together anyway. Cole isn’t cheating, he’sours.” My voice breaks with the depth of my emotion. I cup her face, stepping in. “Poppy, I wouldnevercheat on you. I got this stupid tattoo as a reminder that I’d have to be a dick to ever think there would be a woman who comes after you. It’s only ever gonna be you, me, and Cole.”

“And the baby,” she says, her tone quiet, distant. “Which you’ve made clear you don’t want.”

I let her go, taking a deep breath. “Okay, listen—”

Before I can get another word in, she’s going stiff and pulling away from me. I turn to see Shelby and Sully wandering up, arms around each other.

“Hey, guys,” Shelby chimes. “You two coming to the party tonight?”

I groan. Shelby has a birthday party tonight, and we all said we’d go.

Poppy takes a step back, trying to wipe under her eyes. Shelby notices. “Everything okay here?” she asks, glancing between us.

“We’re fine,” I say.

We’re not fine. This was a disaster, and Cole’s officially gonna kill me. Forget me running this time. He’s gonna shove me head-first into a cannon, and light the fuse. Maybe I should’ve tried sarcasm. That always tends to work better for me with her. I bait her a little, sherises to it, then I swoop in with the charm. Why the hell did I go for sincere?

“Party starts at seven,” says Sully, also glancing between us.

“I don’t think I’ll make it,” says Poppy. “Sorry, Shelbs. I’m just not feeling very well.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” says Shelby, reading through the lie. She looks suspiciously over at me.

Fuck me.What does a guy have to do to get a little privacy in the workplace to confess his undying love to his pregnant secret ex-girlfriend?

“Excuse me,” says Poppy, using the O’Sullivans as human shields to escape me.

I have no choice but to watch her walk the fuck away.

“What the hell was that about?” Sully says, glaring at me.

Feeling desperate, I turn to them. “I need your help.”

Shelby still looks wary. “What do you need?”

“I want to adopt a cat for Poppy, but I don’t know how. Will you help me?”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Why would you adopt a cat for Poppy?”

“Aren’t you allergic to cats?” Sully adds.

Taking a deep breath, I finally say those three little words ... I just say them to the wrong fucking person. “Because I love her. I am so in love with her that it’s physically hurting me. And she wants that cat, but she can’t have that cat, so I’m gonna get her that fucking cat, or die trying. Do you understand me? I will die to get her that cat, Shelby. Now, I ask again. Will you help me?”

71

To their credit, the O’Sullivans only ask a few pointed questions before they take pity on me. Shelby helps me adopt the cat, while Sully runs interference. He makes my excuses to the rest of the guys. Apparently, they’re all hanging out at the beach before Shelby’s party. But I don’t have time to hang out. I need a plan…and a litter box.

With the kitten in a carrier, I drive over to the nearest pet store. Pathetic mewing sounds squeak from the carrier as I walk up to the first person I see. She’s a tiny redhead who looks like she’s fifteen. But she’s wearing a badge, which makes her more competent than me.

“Yeah, hi. I just adopted this cat for my girlfriend, and I need help.”

She eagerly helps me collect the basics.