What The End Looks Like | ✓

21: lacey

Quinn was ready to kill me. Actually. The look of anger on her face when she came home to me and Dean playing with Boo in the living room was astonishing. It was pretty much how I expected her to act once she found out about the eighty pound German Shepherd mix I brought home.

"You can't go and get a dog without talking to me first! This is all kinds of wrong when it comes to our rooming agreement."

Boo goes right up to her and tries to lick Quinn's hand. She shrieks in disgust and even Dean has to try and hide his laugh. At least something finally made him laugh.

"It's just for a few weeks. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you first, but look at his cute face. I couldn't leave him there."

Which was true. I couldn't leave him there because he looked so sad that Boo didn't even get up to greet me when I walked past his kennel. "You should have left him there. I'm not living with a dog."

Her ultimatum is a blessing. "Get over it or there's the door. You're hardly here anyway." I say boldly and Quinn's jaw drops before she recovers quickly.

"I want my security deposit back and I'll be out tomorrow night. My friend has been begging me to come live with her anyway."

She disappears into the room that's hers for the next day and slams the door. I don't want Quinn here. Sure, I know I should have asked first before I got Boo, but maybe if she wasn't such a bitch we would understand each other better. Hell, we hardly have a civil conversation with each other.

Dean looks at me hesitantly from where he sits on the rug, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Can you afford to live here by yourself?"

That's actually a really good point. "I'll just find another roommate. It can't be that hard to do in New York and I'm making enough working for Grayson that I can cover Quinn's part for a little bit at least." I can but I also have to put money down for Grayson's retainer. I'll figure it out. I look at him with a nervous smile, "Do you happen to know anyone looking for an apartment?"

"I could ask Cassidy because I know she's not moving back in with Maddox. I don't know how much longer I feel like staying on the couch either so it'd be nice if she moved in here." Dean grimaces before resuming to petting Boo. I knew my plan of getting a dog would help cheer him up, plus we're giving Boo a place to live before he finds his forever home. A win for everyone including Quinn whose friend has apparently been begging her to move in.

I sit on the couch, watching him closely. Boo might be giving him something else to focus on, but I can't make him forget. God I can't even imagine what that would have been like...going to hang out with Paige who was practically his girlfriend and finding his brother there. He deserves better.

"Lace you're staring." He says, breaking my train of thought.

A flush of heat warms my cheeks as I avert my eyes, "Sorry."

"What are you thinking about?"

I chew the inside of my cheek, trying to decide on whether to bring it up or not. "It doesn't matter."

"If you're thinking about it then I'd like to know." Dean persists and I pull my hair back into a ponytail to buy myself more time to think.

"My parents are coming up this weekend. They want to meet my friends and well... you're my best friend here. If you're up for it then will you come?" Definitely wasn't what I was going to say, but I think it's a great distraction.

If my question phases him, he doesn't let it show. Dean acts as if it's something we talk about everyday. "Sure, what kind of food do they like?"