Perfect Love Story (Love 1)

“No.” She tosses her head from right to left. “Stop, fuck.” She tries to push him away, but he thinks it’s a game and continues to lick her face while she squeezes her eyes shut. “Fuck off.”

“Flounder.” I issue the command, and he stops right away. She opens her eyes and rolls to her knees. I take in her cotton pjs as she picks up the blanket and shakes the sand off it. “What the fuck were you doing?” I ask her as she bends to grab her cup. She whips her head up to look at me.

“Me?” she says as she dusts the sand from her back. “Your dog attacked me while I was walking on the beach.”

“He doesn’t like people on his property,” I say as I pet his head, and he lies next to me.

“I’m sorry. Since when is a public beach your property?” she says and then puts up her hand. “You know what? Fuck that. Keep your dog leashed or I’m calling animal control next time.” She turns to walk away.

“For what? Licking your face.” I smirk at her and see her take in my shirtless chest.

“Licking my face?” she shrieks out, then lifts her shirt. I see that she is bleeding and her shirt is torn. “He bit me.”

I want to see if she is okay, but I stop when she turns. “I’d better not need a tetanus shot.” She opens the blanket again and drapes it over her shoulders, then she walks away.

“Flounder, that wasn’t nice,” I tell him as he tilts his head to the side and looks at me. “Not nice.” When I look up, she’s already gone. I go inside just in time for Mila to come into the kitchen. “Poppa, can I have Lucky Charms?” I nod, picking her up and kissing her sleepy face. She wraps her arms around my neck and lays her head on my shoulder, and we sit on the couch lost in our own thoughts.

Chapter Ten

Hailey

I storm up the steps and walk straight into my bedroom, scratching my head because it was itchy from all the sand in my hair. After deciding to take an early morning walk, I was enjoying the sound of the crashing waves and emptying my mind. It was the first time in a long time that I just had a blank thought until I looked up and saw that fucking dog launching himself at me. My first instinct was to cover my face, which is when he snipped at my shirt, tearing it, and I felt the burning right away. I tried to push him away, but he thought it was a fucking game. I toss the blanket in the wash along with my pjs, making my way to the bathroom and the hot shower. When I finally feel like I have no more sand in hair, I put on a pair of leggings and a loose shirt and make my way to the kitchen. This time, Crystal is up and dressed in her scrubs. She looks up from her toast as she takes me in. “What the heck happened to you?” she asks as I shake my head, pouring a cup of coffee.

“Fucking dog attacked me this morning when I was taking a walk.” I raise my hand for her to see my battle wound. She comes closer and takes my wrist to examine the wound.

“He tore the skin. You’d better hope he’s had all his shots,” she says as she walks back to her toast and bites off another piece.

“I don’t think he would put his daughter in danger like that,” I say, not mentioning his name. “Asshole. Blamed me.” I sit down with my cup of coffee and open my laptop. “As if he owns the fucking beach.”

“What time did you go for a walk?” she asks as she looks at the clock. “It’s only seven?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” I tell her as I click open my email. “It’s getting better but …” I shrug as I try to forget what I want to say.

“Okay, I have to go,” she says, picking up her bag. “You have bail money saved up in case, right?” she asks as she takes the keys to my car.

“I have you covered. Now, can you try not to kill him?” I smile at her as my email finally stops pinging. Picking up my laptop, I make my way to my bedroom and outside where I sit in the swing. By the time I look up, it’s three p.m. and my stomach is growling. Time for a break.

I grab an apple and make my way to the beach to sit down and watch the water. The water is calmer today, the wind almost nonexistent. I gaze into the distance at the water that seemingly never ends. I look down the beach and see Mila running with the dog. But her father isn’t trailing her this time. Instead, a woman I’ve never seen watches as Mila runs and the dog knocks into her as she tries to steady herself. She doesn’t get a chance before the dog comes running back and knocks her off her feet. She flies through the air, landing on her side, and her cries echo off the empty beach. I’m sprinting down the beach and make it to her before the woman does, falling to my knees beside her. “Mila, honey, are you okay?” I ask her as I pick her up and place her on my lap, where she’s holding her wrist.