Accidentally Yours Chapter 1 Part 2
Chapter 1 · Part Two
Accidentally Yours
After almost four hours on the road, I finally pulled into the driveway. The moment I stepped through the door, Max came charging at me, his tail wagging furiously.
He leaped up, spreading his little body over me like he couldn’t wait another second to be held.
“Hey, buddy,” I murmured, scooping him up and threading my fingers through the soft fur on his chest.
This was our thing. Our routine.
No matter what kind of day I’d had, Max always greeted me with his version of a hug, and I gave it right back.
At this point, Liam and Justin didn’t stand a chance against him. They’d joked plenty about it, calling me a hermit or saying I needed to socialize with humans for once.
But they didn’t get it.
Max wasn’t just a dog. He was my closest buddy.
I didn’t need a wife or whatever perfect life they had. Max was more than enough.
“Come on, buddy. Let’s go inside and binge-watch Squid Game or something,” I said, nudging the door closed behind me.
Inside, we hit the couch like clockwork.
Max curled up beside me while I threw on the first episode and grabbed some leftover popcorn from the counter.
For the first time all day, peace settled over me.
The kind of quiet that felt almost suspicious.
Like a calm before the storm.
It didn’t feel normal—not even with Max beside me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wouldn’t last long.
I wasn’t wrong.
The doorbell rang, sharp and invasive, cutting through the scene on the TV.
Max barked once but stayed glued to my side, and I forced myself to get up.
When I swung open the door, there she was.
Tessa.
“What do you want?” I asked, making no effort to hide the edge in my voice.
I planted myself in the doorway, blocking her from pulling her usual trick of sliding past me uninvited.
“You mean you won’t even let me in before you start interrogating me like some fucking CIA agent?” she shot back, batting her eyes and crossing her arms like she was the one who’d been inconvenienced.
I sighed.
She had a point.
Breaking things off with her on my doorstep would’ve made me look like a complete ass.
“Fine. Come in.”
I stepped aside, watching her saunter past me and make her way to the couch like she owned the place.
She reached down to scratch Max’s head, her movements overly enthusiastic.
He didn’t even flinch.
Smart dog.
Max had been sending me warnings about her for weeks, and I hadn’t listened. Too distracted by her looks to notice she was like everyone else.
She crossed her legs and sat with her back rigid, staring at me like she had something to prove.
“Why did you leave without even sending a text to give me a heads-up?”
“Are you seriously asking me that question?”
“Yes, Patrick. Why did you turn and leave?”
I leaned back against the armrest, stretching my legs out onto the coffee table between us.
My expression was as disinterested as I could muster, but my voice came out dry and low.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I clearly remember you telling me it was going to be a very private resort. Just you and me.”