Ryder

thirty two

"Would you look at that?" Nico exclaimed in the middle of the mall we were in, startling a few passersby and making me stiffen at his sudden, erratic behavior.

"Look at what?" I whispered.

"Look at that!" He exclaimed again and a startled laugh bubbled out of me when he went forward and plastered his face against a shop window. A pet shop window that showcased plenty of cats lounging around in their fluffy little beds with beady little eyes.

Nico looked so animatedly excited. I found it extremely hard right then to see him as the Grumpy Nico I was so used to being around. Who also loves cats, I realized in stunned awe.

"You love cats." I neared him until our shoulders knocked together. Nico was practically vibrating with excitement. "Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

All of a sudden, a menacing, pretty frightening glare was turned on me and I pressed the palm of my hand against my lips to stifle the laughter.

"You make fun of me, Rhodes, and I'll make you regret it."

"I wasn't making fun of you!" I complained although I was still laughing somewhat.

He scowled at me. "Stop. Laughing. At. Me."

"I'm sorry!" I sobered up, grinned, and nudged my head towards the three cats that had turned their heads towards us. "But look at them, they're so cute!"

Like I expected, Nico's scowl instantly dissolved and he kneeled down to the cats before him, cooing at them from the other side of the window. It was a pretty adorable and totally un-Nico-like sight.

"I've already got three back at home." He told me conversationally. "My father hates them, but if it ever came down to choosing between him or my cats, I would rather kill my father and replace him with another cat."

"Nico."

"What?" He gave me a mock innocent look. "Cats always, and I mean always, come first, Alice."

I shook my head at him as he got up begrudgingly and we started walking again. I don't even know how we'd found ourselves here. All I remembered was Nico grabbing me by the arm just as our last class for the day ended, muttering something incoherent under his breath, and then he'd dragged me out of campus and into the busy, bustling city streets. I hadn't complained and gone along since going back to my dorm was the last thing I wanted to do right then. I still couldn't wipe off the image of Brooke leaving for good from my head.

"I think I should've told you this before," I started, nudging his arm gently with my own. "But...look at this."

I switched open my phone and showed him a picture of Gem that I'd taken earlier at Ryder's house and saved as my wallpaper.

Nico stopped abruptly. "Whose kitten is this!"

"Mine." I smiled at him.

"You told me you've never had a pet before." He narrowed his eyes at me. A lady walked around us, giving us a nasty look for standing right in the middle of everyone's way. "You said you were never allowed to keep a pet at your house because your mother hates you."

I felt my cheeks flaming up. "I never said that."

"What, that your mother hates you?"

"She doesn't." I switched off my phone and pocketed it. "Also, that's Gem. She was a...gift from someone."

"From whom?" He raised a brow, crossing his arms in an almost knowing gesture.

"Um."

"Yeah? The same someone who was there with you at the hospital? The one who gave me those impeccable murder-eyes just for embracing you?" Nico looked like he was trying hard not to look so smug.