Grace's POV

I looked down at Frost, standing in front of the familiar dog shelter.

I hadn't seen Fraser at all. I hadn't known what to do with Frost either. Like I had said, I didn't know if I could've taken care of him. I was barely at home and taking Frost along with me everywhere I went seemed like a really bad option.

In the end, I had decided to go over to the shelter. There was an hour left before school started. I was hoping to find Fraser there. And even if he wasn't there, I'm sure somebody would be there to take Frost back.

Frost barked at me, looking up at me with his large, blue eyes. As if telling me how cruel I really was.

I had no choice.

"I'm sorry, Frost." I stroked his fur before pushing open the tall metal gates and going inside. "I'll come visit you. I promise."

There wasn't anyone out in the garden area. Which was reasonable since it was quite early right now. I made my way towards the office and stopped in front of the glass doors.

Frost barked again, this time trying to wriggle out of my hands. Before I could've pushed open the glass doors, someone from the inside pulled it open.

I looked up at the brunette girl standing in front of me, a huge carton box in her hands. I didn't fail to notice the dark blue T-shirt that she was wearing, which said Paw Shelter For Pups.

"Hey!" She spoke up with a polite smile. "We aren't exactly open yet, but–"

"No. I just came here to give him back." I cut her off, holding Frost a little higher in my hands so that she'd get the clue.

Her eyebrows rose up a little when she looked at Frost. Frost, however, just barked at her, which sounded more like a growl.

"Oh." She nodded before looking back at me. "Can you be kind enough to place him where the other pups are? I've got this carton to take somewhere."

"Yeah. Sure." I nodded before walking over towards the garden. Frost once again, started struggling in my grasp. I really tried not to let go of him but when he bit my hand, I couldn't have stopped him.

"Ouch–hey!" I spoke up as he started running away. Literally. "Frost, come back."

Going after him, I realized that he was practically taking me away from the shed where the other pups were. If I got lost, he'd be the one to blame.

"Frost!" I stopped abruptly when he stopped too.

Looking around, I realized that we were behind the small shelter building now. I slowly went ahead and picked him up, back in my arms. Thankfully, he didn't try being aggressive this time.

"I'd be late for my classes, Frost." I muttered, glaring down at him. "Look, I know you'll hate me for this, but I have no choice."

He gave a short bark at that. I didn't even know if that was a bark of approval.

Or refusal.

"All right. Enough of this–" I stopped almost immediately when I heard voices. Frost perked up at that too, as if sensing something.

"No, that dog was supposed to keep an eye on her." The voice wasn't familiar. Almost aggressive.

"I know that. Do you think I'm dumb?" I froze at this voice. "Frost is trained to do things like these. But he freaking ran away when he sensed that fire."

My eyes widened a little as I gripped Frost.

"You were told to do just one thing. Just one godforsaken thing!" It was once again the angry, unfamiliar voice.

I heard a snort of disgust. "Don't act like I haven't done enough for you all. She's scared. She's freaked out. I'm sure of that." I felt my heart thudding against my chest at the sudden familiarity of that voice. "And as for Frost, I'll find him. We'll somehow keep tabs on her."

I backed away then. Clutching Frost in my arms, I practically ran back for the garden. I couldn't have stayed there. I couldn't have listened more to that conversation.

When I was once again in front of the small shed, I opened it up. Frost started struggling in my grasp once again.

Maybe they weren't talking about this Frost.

Who else did I know whose name was Frost? They were freaking training a puppy for such stuff?

But why?

I blinked and pulled Frost away from me. As much as it clenched my heart to leave him here, I didn't want him anywhere near me.

Even if he was just a puppy.

Because there was something going on behind me that I didn't know of. Something related to that conversation I had just heard. And that familiar voice.

God, I knew that voice.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

Fraser.

•••••

I placed my elbows on the smooth wooden table, covering my face with my hands.

It was my free period and staying in the library had seemed like the best option, especially when my head was filled with thoughts that needed to be let out somehow.

I rubbed my face, my hair framing either side of it. I could hear the school librarian typing on her computer, which she often did a lot. Apart from me, there was barely anyone in here.

People in my highschool were almost never found in the library here. Especially since it wasn't much of a big library with the tall brown shelves taking up most of the space.

But it was quiet here and sometimes you just needed a place like this.

I pulled my hands away and looked over at the empty wooden chairs around the table I was sitting at. Alice didn't have a free period right now. The mere reason why she wasn't here with me.

And for once, I was glad she wasn't here. Because she clearly reminded me of her cousin—someone who I wasn't willing to think about right now.

I looked down at my Biology textbook spread out in front of me. I had a night shift today at the Welsh's Bar, which meant that I needed to study for the biology test right now.

I'd barely have time back at home.

My head snapped up towards the librarian when I heard sudden hushed voices. I was surprised to see Luca standing over towards the librarian's desk as she said something to him. He nodded almost slightly before turning around.

Pushing the surprise away, I looked down abruptly. I hadn't seen him since that day; the day my house had practically burned up. The day I told him everything.

I wasn't expecting to see him anytime soon.

That's why I was surprised when I saw him coming towards the table I was sitting at, before he pulled out the chair in front of me and sat down.

I really didn't want any company right now, especially his. Instinctively, I made a move to get up. But before I could've even stood up, he hooked his shoe under my chair and jerked it forward. Making me fall back down on the chair.

I looked up and glared at him. "What the hell?"

He leaned back against his chair, his shoe still hooked under my chair. "You were going away."

I was still glaring at him. "I will go away if I want to."

He rolled his eyes and looked away from me. "I know that, Rose. But I didn't come here to watch you walk away."

"I don't want to talk to you." I spoke up, closing my textbook shut. Even the librarian passed me a glance at that. "Besides, we don't have anything left to talk about, do we?"

He eyed me with his narrowed gaze. "We do have a lot to talk about. I just don't want to freak you out."

I looked at him in disbelief. "Freak me out?"

"Yeah." He nodded, leaning back.

"You were never this irritating, Lucius." I spoke up. "You know what? I did expect for you to act a little different after whatever I told you that night."

He just looked at me silently.

"But you weren't even there the next morning." I could hear the exasperation in my voice. And for once, I didn't care. I wanted him to know that I was done doing this with him. I was done acting like we both were strangers to each other.

He wasn't a stranger to me. And I wanted him to stop acting like he was!

He was still silent at that. "I had something come up in the morning. I wouldn't have left otherwise."

I closed my eyes shut.

Of course.

I placed my elbows back on the table and covered my face with my hands again.

"Why did you leave for Manhattan?" He asked all of a sudden.

I pushed my hands away and looked at him with a frown. "What?"

"Why did you leave for Manhattan?" He repeated patiently.

"I have a class to attend, Lucius."

"I thought you were done hiding stuff after that night?" He asked, tilting his head a bit. And something about the way he said it reminded me of the old Lucius. Luca.

"I'm not hiding anything." I looked over at him. His brown eyes were already gazing back at me.

"Tell me then." He urged.

Even if I tried to, I couldn't break my gaze away from his, something refrained me from doing so.

"Because...something came up." I looked away, down at my hands. "Dad needed us there."

There was just silence after that, until I heard him blowing out a deep sigh before running his hands through his hair and pushing them back. He closed his eyes and I found myself looking at him.

"When was the last time you saw Jack?" He asked. A small curl fell over his forehead and something itched inside me to push it back. To touch him.

I looked away then, feeling my face heating up involuntarily.

"The last time I saw my parents." I spoke out in a rush.

I found myself looking back at him then. And his eyes were still closed. "I didn't tell anyone that I was leaving."

I saw the corner of his lips tugging upwards. "I know that, Rose. I spent weeks searching around for you. You think I don't know that?"

My gut clenched at that, guilt creeping in my stomach.

"I thought...I must've told you that night." I whispered. "The night before I left for...Manhattan."

He opened his eyes then, catching me off guard. "Do you even remember what happened that night?"

I couldn't look away from his eyes, something didn't let me.

"No." I said. "I don't."

Something passed over his eyes before he looked away from me.

"I don't remember." I added, a strange feeling settling at the pit of my stomach. "I was drunk, wasn't I?"

Even if I tried remembering, I just saw a blurry night. Almost as if it was one of those dreams that I tried so hard but could never remember.

His eyes found mine again and I knew that he wanted to say something. Tell me something. But at the same time, there was this sadness—something that made my heart skip a few beats.

I wanted to say something. I wanted to ask him. But my insides froze when I saw his gaze trailing down towards my lips, and lingering there.

My eyes widened a little and I backed away against my chair.

His eyes found mine again and a small, sad smile etched on his lips. "I don't remember either, Rose."

Before I could've opened my mouth, I saw someone else approaching our table. I looked up abruptly and saw Fraser.

"Grace, there you are!" He spoke up with a grin before his gaze traveled over to Luca. "And Lucius. This reminds me of old times."

He went ahead and sat down. I had to force a smile on my face which may have wavered a bit. Luca, however, looked like he'd do anything to just leave. Thankfully, he stuck with leaning back against his chair and looking up at the ceiling.

"Where were you?" I asked Fraser. "I didn't see you with Alice this morning."

He nodded. "Yeah. I had been stuck at the dog shelter."

So it was him that I heard this morning.

That just made my stomach clench even more. I was more than grateful that Luca was here. I didn't think I could've stayed near Fraser after what I had heard him talking about in that shelter.

"Did you see Frost anywhere?" Fraser asked me, his brows furrowing up.

I gulped in response, inhaling deeply. "No, why?"

Luca passed me a look at that. Thankfully, Fraser didn't notice.

"He went missing from the shelter few days ago. I don't know how that happened, but he's literally gone." Fraser replied.

I remembered back to that day when Frost had somehow appeared in my front yard. The deep gash on his paw.

Had Fraser done that? Or the other voice I had heard back at the shelter?

I had left him back there. What if that place wasn't safe for Frost?

"Really?" I spoke up. "I didn't actually see him."

I was completely aware of Luca staring at me. He knew I was lying. He always knew. Sometimes, that really annoyed me.

"Well, we'll search for him. Hopefully he gets back." Fraser shrugged. "Alice told me about the fire at your house."

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him.

"How did it happen?" And he looked so genuinely concerned that it really made me think I must've probably just imagined the whole creepy conversation back at that dog shelter.

"I don't know." I shook my head. "I came back home and it was there. Someone had broken in probably."

Fraser frowned at that. Meanwhile, Luca took out his phone, getting busy with it. Even if he looked like he wanted to leave, he didn't. I promised myself to thank him later for this.

"Well, you're safe. That's what matters." He said. I nodded at that, passing him a small smile. Luca smirked at that, still looking at his phone.

The exact second, the bell rang abruptly. Fraser stood up, glancing at the both of us. "All right. I'll catch up with you later."

I waved at him as he walked away. I knew that I had a class too, but I couldn't have stood up when my head was still going through the words Fraser had just said.

"That guy really is something." Luca spoke up.

I looked up at him in confusion. He stuffed his phone in his pocket, looking at me. "Didn't you catch it?"

"Catch what?" I asked.

He smirked again. "The lies, Rose."

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Crystal 🌿