19. Lark

Chapter nineteen

Lark

Saturday, March 8, 2025

A fter blow-drying my hair and getting changed, I get Tiny leashed up for his class at Rocket Dog.

An unfamiliar heat sears through me as I think about the cagey blue-eyed man I’m actually looking forward to seeing this morning.

As I make my way outside, the cool breeze whips my red strands around my face, and I catch a glimpse of a familiar pair. As if summoned by my thoughts alone, Gianni and Pickles trot ahead of me in the same direction Tiny and I are headed.

On a whim, I start to jog ahead, trying to catch up with them. “Hey! Gianni, wait up!”

His hulking frame nearly shrieks to a stop with Pickles at his side, quickly dropping to her butt at his silent command. Gianni turns slowly to face me. Those same dark circles surround his beautiful blue eyes, making them appear even more strikingly pale .

“Dr. Hughes.” He nods, his lips pressed in a thin line as I sidle up beside him. Pickles stands quickly at our approach, she and Tiny taking turns sniffing one another.

“You know, you can call me Lark,” I tease, giving him a wide smile.

His dark brow lifts, but he says nothing for a long moment. “We should, uh, we should probably get going if we don’t want to be late,” he says, clearing his throat. It’s possible that I’m imagining things, but I swear I see a pink hue creeping up his neck as he averts his gaze.

“Yeah, we should,” I answer, starting to walk ahead. I can’t help myself, though, as questions nag at the periphery of my mind with each step we take. “Do you live near The Groves?”

He stops in his tracks again, those piercing eyes sweeping across my face. “I live at The Groves,” he responds.

My eyes go wide at that. “Oh,” is all I manage, but the unfamiliar feeling of butterflies fluttering in my stomach takes hold of me, and now I’m the one dislodging the frog in my throat. “I do too, well, now I do anyway. We just moved in yesterday, actually.”

He continues walking again, this time not facing me, as he asks, “You and your boyfriend?”

My lips tilt in a grin. Something about the way he asks this makes me think that Kat might’ve spilled the beans about my breakup. “No, we actually broke up, but something tells me you already knew that,” I challenge, intrigued by his line of questioning.

“I did,” he says with a nod, refusing to meet my eyes. “But you said ‘we,’ so I just wanted to be sure,” he responds as we approach the building we’re headed to.

“I meant myself and the dogs,” I explain with a chuckle .

“Oh, you have another dog?” His voice is filled with genuine interest, and our conversation flows better than I had anticipated for a man of such few words.

“I do. His name is Rex; he’s a really pissy Chihuahua-shih tzu mix,” I say, peering up at him with a grin. “Worst attitude ever.” I shake my head with a laugh. “But he loves me dearly, and he’s eventually warmed up to my friends and my dad, at least.”

That makes him chuckle, a sound I’m not used to hearing from such a surly man. Those butterflies from moments ago flap around violently in my gut, and my head spins as my pulse begins to speed up.

“Well, I look forward to meeting Rex, assuming he doesn’t try to bite my balls off.”

I guffaw at that, eyes wide with shock. I hadn’t told anyone about that, but then laughter bubbles out of me so abruptly it’s a surprise, even to me. Gianni stares wide-eyed as the laughter turns to borderline hysteria. The memory of Rex’s little jaws latched onto Tyler’s nether region will be fully ingrained in my brain till the end of time. I hope he can’t have children after that. Men like him don’t deserve to procreate.

Something like a smile, but not quite, twists Gianni’s lips. “What’s so funny?” he finally asks, amusement lilting his voice.

I snort, and he rewards me with an even brighter version of his almost smile. “I actually caught Tyler in the act ,” I say with a giggle.

But his expression doesn't match my own. His face goes hard, almost feral at my words, and it sends a tendril of something unfamiliar through me, so I rush to continue. “Rex ran in the room, latched onto his testicles, and I’m pretty sure he won’t be able to reproduce.” I explain the reason for my sudden outburst of laughter.

“Jesus Christ,” Gianni mutters, gripping the back of his neck. “Well, I can’t say he didn’t deserve worse for what he did, but I’ll be sure to keep my balls far away from Rex.”

I smile at that. “Believe me, Rex isn’t really violent. He’s usually all bark and no bite, but not this time.” I snort again, an unattractive sound that I haven’t been able to stop from happening despite my repeated efforts over the years.

His eyes turn soft, one side of his lip curving up a fraction. “Are you okay, Lark?” he asks me seriously, concern lacing his melodic voice.

That’s the first time he’s called me by my first name. It sounds so pretty when he says it. Almost like a poem.

I give him a broad, reassuring smile. “I promise, I’m really okay. Better than okay, actually. I feel like the weight of never being good enough for him has lifted off my shoulders, and I’m just so damn excited to not have to be around his negativity anymore.”

“Good,” is all he says in reply before holding the door to Rocket Dog open for me to pass through with Tiny.