Chapter 14 So You’re the Crybaby
Chapter 14 So You’re the Crybaby
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“Meatloaf! Come back!” Anneliese cried out and immediately looked away, not daring to watch
what came next.
Meatloaf had always been well–behaved. It never jumped on strangers, let alone barked at them. She had no idea what had gotten into it that day, but one thing she did know—if it actually bit the Fullbuster family’s golden heir, the consequences would be dire.
For all she knew, Meatloaf would be served as the main course on the Prince of Halden’s lunch
table.
Panicking, she dashed after her dog, trying to grab it before it couldunch itself at the most elite man in the city. But Meatloaf barreled forward with so much momentum that not only did she fail to stop him–she ended up crashing into the man with him.
<i>Bang</i><i>! </i>
The sound echoed through the parking lot as both the dog and the woman mmed into the man, pinning him against the car door.
Meatloaf stood on its hind legs, both front paws propped against Jonathan’s chest, while Anneliese, still wrapped around the dog’s belly, had her head buried squarely into Jonathan’s abdomen in a verypromising position.
The world froze in an awkward silence.
Then came the man’s low, gravelly voice above her. “Move!”
Anneliese scrambled <i>to </i>pull Meatloaf off him, gripping the dog with both arms–but she failed, and with another <i>thud</i><i>, </i>she knocked into Jonathan all over again.
Jonathan, exasperated, looked down to see the top of her head ramming into a rather sensitive area,pletely unaware of what she was doing. Finally losing patience, he grabbed her by the back of her cor and yanked her off him.
“I meant you<i>.” </i>
Yanked back, Anneliese looked up at him and finally realized what had just happened. Her face instantly flushed crimson. “I–uh… I thought you were talking to Meatloaf. I was just trying to pull it off, I swear–I had no other intentions.”
Jonathan pointed to the golden retriever still happily glued to him. “So, you assumed I speak fluent canine and skipped talking to you?”
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Chapter 14 So You’re the Crybaby
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Anneliese fell silent. <i>Oh </i><i>god</i><i>. </i><i>He </i><i>doesn’t </i><i>think </i><i>I </i><i>was </i><i>calling </i><i>him </i><i>a </i><i>dog</i>… <i>does </i><i>he</i><i>? </i><b><i>I </i></b><i>swear</i><i>, </i><i>that </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>my </i><i>intention</i>!
“I’m really, really sorry,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead.
<i>Why is </i><i>this </i>man <i>built </i><i>like </i><i>reinforced </i><i>concrete</i><i>? </i><i>First</i><i>, </i><i>he </i><i>bruised </i><i>my </i><i>chest </i><i>yesterday</i><i>, </i><i>and </i>now <i>I’ve </i><i>probably </i>got <i>a </i>bump <i>the </i><i>size </i><i>of </i><i>a </i><i>golf </i><i>ball </i><i>on </i><i>my </i><i>forehead</i>. <i>What </i><i>is </i><i>this</i><i>? </i><i>Bad </i><i>karma</i><i>? </i><i>Or </i><i>should I </i><i>have </i><i>checked </i><i>the </i><i>daily </i><i>horoscope </i><i>before </i><i>leaving </i><i>the </i><i>house</i><i>? </i>
Still, one thing was at least mildlyforting–Meatloaf hadn’t attacked.
At the moment, the big golden retriever was fully embodying the role of a clingypdog. It was licking Jonathan like crazy, its tongue slobbering all over the man’s expensive suit jacket until it waspletely ruined.
Anneliese felt cold sweat sliding down her back. Any second now, she swore, Jonathan was going to pull out a knife and slit Meatloaf’s throat.
“He’s not usually like this,” she exined quickly. “He normally ignores strangers. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Maybe it’s just that you’re overflowing with charisma, Mr. Fullbuster. Too much love and light, you know?”
“Woof!”
Right on cue, Meatloaf barked at Jonathan as if to second that opinion.
Good <i>boy</i><i>, </i>Anneliese thought, then snuck a nce at Jonathan’s face. His expression was unreadable, cool andposed as always. It was impossible to tell if he was angry.
But her nerves were frayed to the breaking point, and his silence only made it worse. Her mouth ran before she could stop it. “I mean… yes, we knocked into you, but I got hurt too, okay? You’re really hard. Let’s just call it even, yeah?”
Jonathan finally lifted hisshes and looked straight at her. “I’m hard?”
Anneliese blinked. She pointed to her forehead. “Yeah, see? You can check if you don’t believe me-”
But when her eyes met his–dark, deep, andced with something she couldn’t quite read— her voice faltered. She suddenly felt like some delusional fan trying to cop a feel. She waved her hands quickly,
“I meant your belt buckle! That’s what I hit! I wasn’t talking about anything else-”
“You really don’t have to exin.” Jonathan cut her off calmly.
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Chapter 14 So You’re the Crybaby
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<i>Please</i><i>. </i><i>Someone </i><i>save </i><i>me</i><i>! </i>Anneliese wailed inside. <i>I </i><i>never </i><i>want </i><i>to </i><i>see </i><i>this </i><i>man </i><i>again </i><i>for </i><i>the </i><i>rest </i><i>of </i><i>my </i><i>life</i>.
There was no greater torment than this level of awkwardness.
Finally, Jonathan lowered himself enough—dignity be d*mned–to give Meatloaf a quick pat along the spine.
Meatloaf nearly exploded with joy, its big head nuzzling eagerly into the man’s palm.
Seeing his gesture, Anneliese finally let out a quiet breath of relief. At least he didn’t seem disgusted by Meatloaf. Though… his suit was clearly ruined.
“Meatloaf, stop licking!” she called, trying to salvage the situation.
“Licking helps dogs calm down, especially when they’re anxious or stressed,” Jonathan said suddenly, then nced at her. “So, little kids need constant supervision, but it’s okay to leave a dog locked in a car?”
Anneliese fell silent. The words stabbed her like a boomerang.
She had said something simr to him not long ago–now he was throwing it right back at her. Is he <i>really </i><i>the </i><i>type </i><i>to </i><i>hold </i><i>a </i><i>grudge</i>?
Still… he wasn’t wrong.
Even in mild weather, a car’s interior could reach dangerous temperatures in just ten minutes. A dog could easily be oxygen–deprived.
She had thought she’d only be gone five or six minutes to pick up the divorce agreement. She’d even cracked the driver’s side window just slightly for airflow.
But she hadn’t anticipated running into Jackie–or being forced to follow him upstairs, which cost her precious time.
She had only said a couple of lines before bolting back down, but that didn’t excuse it. It had been careless. So, she didn’t make excuses and nodded.
“That was my fault. You’re right to call me out, Mr. Fullbuster. I promise it won’t happen again. Thank you–truly. If something had happened to Meatloaf, I’d never have forgiven myself.”
Standing before him with her head slightly lowered, she looked like a schoolgirl getting scolded. Too obedient. Too well–behaved.
Jonathan replied coolly, “If you were one minuteter, I would’ve smashed the window.”
Chapter 14 So You’re the Crybaby
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Anneliese couldn’t help ncing at him again. <i>Who </i><i>would’ve </i><i>thought</i><i>–</i><i>cold</i><i>, </i><i>icy </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Fullbuster </i><i>is </i><i>actually</i>… <i>a </i><i>dog </i><i>lover</i>? <i>That’s </i><i>kind </i><i>of</i><i>… </i><i>weirdly </i><i>cute</i>.
With hisshes lowered and long, elegant fingers gently stroking Meatloaf’s big golden head, the man looked like a king… and Meatloaf was clearly over the moon. Its tail was wagging so fast it was basically a turbine.
She had never seen Meatloaf act like this around anyone before. Could he actually smell the scent of wealth?
“Why’d you name him Meatloaf?”
“Huh?” She blinked, pulled out of her thoughts.
But the moment she remembered how she’d found him, a warm smile tugged at her lips. “He was a stray. I tricked him intoing home with me using a chunk of meatloaf. So… Meatloaf.”
That was twelve years ago. Back then, she had just lost her adoptive parents.
She’d been vulnerable, grieving, totally lost.
Then one day, she found a filthy little golden pup in the neighborhood. He looked maybe five or six months old. Onerge chunk of meatloaf was all it took–he started following her around and never left.
She’d wanted to keep him. Her grandmother had objected at first, but eventually relented when she saw how much joy and life the dog brought into their quiet home.
Meatloaf was family. And yet she’d almost abandoned him… all because of Zacharias.
Her smile faded, eyes stinging faintly.
Jonathan nced at her, then raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Miraculously, Meatloaf–who had been stuck to him like glue–actually obeyed. He jumped down and trotted straight to Anneliese’s side, pawing at her leg.
She crouched down. Meatloaf rolled onto his back, belly up, and she rubbed it, looking up in surprise. He actually listens to you?!”
Wait… is Meatloaf a sucker for a pretty face too? Since when did it have that trait?
Jonathan merely quirked a brow, offering no exnation. His eyes were deep, unreadable,
Sensing he wasn’t in the mood for small talk, Anneliese stood and pulled out her phone. “Mr.
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Chapter 14 So You’re the Crybaby
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Fullbuster, let me at least get your contact. Meatloaf ruined your suit. I really should pay you back–otherwise, I won’t feel right about it.”
This time, Jonathan didn’t refuse. He reached out to take her phone, but just then, a call popped up on her screen.
The caller ID? Trash No. 1.
Anneliese felt her scalp tingle. She quickly rejected the call and forced an awkward smile.
Jonathan didn’tment. He simply recited a string of digits.
She hastily typed it in, and as she was about to save the contact, he suddenly spoke. “So… which number simp am I?”