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I tilt my head. The curls falling out of my messy bun spill over my shoulder. I play puppy dumb. Blink obliviously.
What? Who? Me? Hate you? Insanity. I’m a bumblebee. I’ve never hated a single thing in my life. Hating means stinging, and stinging means dying, don’t you know? Spite simply isn’t worth the collateral damage. I still have school in the morning, you silly man. Some people aren’t worth stinging.
Unless they are deadly allergic.
His chest provides the tiniest, feeblest meow. Which, to be certain, throws my innocent act off for a moment in favor of sincere confusion.
Clearing his throat, he readjusts his jacket, peeks inside, and murmurs a soft curse. “Kassandra, I’m not great with…subtext. I’m…less than eloquent most of the time. I’ve had very limited experiences with…this sort of thing. If I’ve done something to upset you, I apologize. I would, however, also like to be blunt with an understanding I am not trying to offend you.”
I do not know what’s going on.
Did he just…apologize to me?
Is he drunk? I saw all the alcohol in his house, and there is a disturbing amount here as well. Given the fact he’s not even wearing a costume, he’s probably just popping from party to party and drinking until someone kicks him out.
It wouldn’t surprise me.
Not in the least.
What does manage to surprise me…is when he removes a tiny white kitten with a tiny brown spot in the center of its tiny face from his coat.
My mouth falls open.
The fuzzy little thing yawns, mews. Its little brown-tipped ears flick. It’s brilliant blue eyes peek at me. Sleepy. And angelic.
It might just be the most beautiful kitten I have ever seen.
“I’d like you to have this,” he says.
I close my mouth before I ask where he got it with a curse word tucked into the question. Wetting my lips, I compose myself well enough to come up with a graceful, “What?”
“I understand it’s sudden.” He clears his throat, rolls his shoulders back. “I just want to make my intentions clear. If you’re unwilling to accept it right now, then I’ll take care of i—”
“No, no.” I reach for the itty bitty kitten—who I am already picturing jumping under a carrot guillotine if I let this man take care of it. It purrs the second it’s in my hands, and I forget what I was saying. Surely not I don’t want you to take care of anything else small and helpless, you rotten, horrible, no good, disaster of a man.
He stares at me.
I shove my droves of hatred deeper under the rug. “Where did you get him?”
He blinks off some of his surprise. “I…didn’t. I found the litter, but a friend had to go to the breeder on my behalf. Even though I’m fine around animals, he’s a better judge of character, and… I…I’m sorry if I’m misunderstanding. You…”
It’s like his brain is shutting down. Just, marvelously frying to bits. Right in front of me.
“You want him?” he asks.
“Yes. Absolutely.”
Pollux’s mouth opens and remains slack.
I take another tiny step back. “Are you all right?”
“I did not imagine things would go like this. I don’t know what to say. The script I prepared is failing me. I don’t even know how to segue into the most important parts. Maybe they’re already obvious? That must be it. Meda didn’t mention where she told you anything about this, but perhaps she only neglected to inform me. Please, give me a moment to…something.”
“To…something?” Is he on drugs, too? Maybe he’s hallucinating. Should I call the cops? Find Zahra and make sure she can see how ill-equipped this man is to raise my Meda?
Pollux’s eyes close.
A breeze cuts right through my adorable clothes, and I shudder.
