This Thing Called Love: A Novella ✔️

Seven - Molly

When an early-morning sunbeam drills into my eyelid, I sprawl out beneath my covers and yawn.

Something stops me mid-stretch.

A dead weight anchors me in place, with long, furry-like extremities extending across my body.

My eyes shoot open to find Sonny's fuzzy blonde head squished next to mine on the pillow. He's watching me with enormous brown eyes, his nose nearly touching mine.

I let out a shriek.

Sonny jumps up on all fours and crouches like he wants to pounce.

"Don't you dare!" I bolt up to a sitting position and yank the covers to my chest. "What are you doing in my bed? I thought we had a deal!"

He stares at me like I'm talking crazy.

"Oh, for the love!" I cry out. "Get down!"

The maniacal grin returns to his face. I fold my legs close to me as he lunges for his tail, the comforter twisting beneath his feet.

What kind of monster wakes up in a good mood? "Did you somehow get your paws on a triple shot of espresso, or are you always this ambitious in the morning?"

His grin widens like he's laughing at me. Then he pauses in the middle of the bed, looks me in the eye, and emits a long, gurgling belch.

I cringe as his humid breath hits me square in the face. "Is that some kind of pit bull battle cry before an attack? Because it's disgusting."

Keeping one eye on the dog, I lean toward the bedside table and glance at my phone. My jaw drops. "Seriously? It's not even seven-thirty! Weekends are meant for sleeping in. Remember that for tomorrow because there is no way we're getting out of this bed before nine." And then I stop. "Let me rephrase that. There's no way I'm getting out of this bed before nine. You'll be sleeping in the dog bed over there." I point toward his fluffy mat on the floor.

His gaze follows my finger and then he shakes his head, the entire mattress quivering beneath him.

I pluck a piece of fur from my tongue and flick it off the bed. "Don't tell me Valentino lets you sleep with him? Because he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who'd want dog hair on his sheets. I bet they're luxurious, like silk or Egyptian cotton. Am I right?"

Sonny doesn't answer, he just stares at me with wild eyes.

"What?" I ask uneasily. "I suppose you want to go outside or something?"

He does a little hop, his tail whipping back and forth.

"Great." I slide off the mattress, throw a robe over my pajamas, and ease into my slippers, while Sonny jumps from the bed and races out of the room. Leo left the dog leash next to the empty pizza box. The moment I grab it, Sonny bounces around like a kangaroo on crack.

I try to reason with him. "I'm going to hook this up to your collar. But in order for me to do that, you need to stop jumping."

He runs around me in a circle.

Like a fool, I try to keep up, my hands stubbornly reaching for his neck. But he continues to circle me, and before long, the room is spinning.

I come to an abrupt halt. "Sonny, stop!"

It doesn't work.

Once my vision stabilizes, my eyes land on his package of treats and a new plan unfolds in my head. "Who wants a yummy?" I say in my most tempting voice.

Sonny pauses.

"What do we have here?" I reach for the treats and read from the bag. "Premium Cuts of Jerky. Soy and Gluten Free." My stomach curdles. "Gross."