The housekeeper cinto the den with a message that set Fitch's teeth on edge. “Sir, Ms. Bennitt is at the front gate. Should I let

her in?”

Fitch felt an immediate distaste at the thought of seeing her. He had pegged her as a stable sort, never imagining she could stir up

such scandal.

“No,” he replied, his voice sharp with finality. After his brief response, he grabbed his coat from the rack and exited through the

back door.

It wasn’t until he pulled up to the pet store that he realized why he had driven there.

Ozzy was gone, and in a way, it was on his conscience. It only seemed right to get a new puppy for Zoey as a gesture of

atonement.

But as he walked among the rare breeds, his gaze kept being drawn to a memory of a scrappy little gray mongrel that somehow

seemed more sincere, more beautiful than the ones before him.

Hesitating only a moment, he chose a pristine white pup and, carrying it in a crate, inquired about Zoey’s whereabouts.

Learning that she was in the hospital, he immediately set off in that direction.

Halfway there, he realized that he wouldn't normally do such a thing for anyone else. His brow furrowed as he pondered whether it

was his involvement that had dragged Zoey into this mess to begin with.

Pressing the accelerator, he continued toward the hospital.

Zoey's fever had broken, and she was awake, though her lips were cracked and bloody. She said nothing, staring blankly at the

ceiling, haunted by dreams of Ozzy wagging his little tail, and then of Wendy heartlessly dropping him from a height. Pain throbbed

her—there wasn't a

cruel pattern in her life: everything she tried to hold onto

with a steaming bowl of broth and placed it

and tried to sit up, her stomach churning at the sight and

her stomach, “Cornelia, could

Cornelia nodded. “I'll leave for now and check on you later. The nurses will bring your

you've lost too much

Zoey had lost a

but found it impossible to

zoned out, wearing a hospital gown

threaten to break her.

back to reality, followed by its opening. She assumed

look up.

a familiar presence made her turn. Standing by

this had been yesterday, Zoey wouldn't have been able to stay

truly liked Fitch? Liking him was exhausting, painful, and she never seemed to

crate with a tiny white dog inside. “To make it up to you,” he said, his voice as detached as ever, even in this Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters

moment of supposed amends.

Zoey blinked, uncomprehending.

it was the first the'd cto see her of his own accord.

and

to deliver the word he had hurled at her

“Get out.”

eyelashes quivered, his brow

laughed, reaching for a cup and throwing it at his forehead with all the strength she had

she repeated, her

to react, to rage, but then he saw something in her eyes—a lifelessness

noticed how much she had withered, the standard-size hospital gown hanging loosely on her frame. Her eyes

looked at him, the light that used to

unable to comprehend this

best he could muster was,

in response to

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