Chapter 3Raising the Wolf

I had forgotten. The only thing in my fridge besides alcohol... was more alcohol.

In the end, we still went out for breakfast, and then drove back to his old house.

I didn't go upstairs. He came down less than half an hour later, carrying only a photo of his mother, some books, and some clothes.

He didn't look well, and his eyes were a bit red.

Those relatives probably hadn't said anything nice, but I didn't comfort him.

It wasn't my obligation to soothe his emotions. Some things you just have to endure on your own.

We drove to Target. I let him pick out what he needed while I waited at the checkout.

Harper called. As soon as I answered, I frowned and held the phone away from my ear.

"Babe! I need comforting!" She was wailing dramatically on the other end.

I sighed helplessly. "My friend, please control your volume, or I'm going to sue you for hearing damage. Tell me, what is it this time?"

"It's my dad again! He tricked me into another blind date! I just had a huge fight with him. Babe, I'm coming to sleep at your place tonight." She pretended to sob.

"I don't have room. Someone's in the guest room."

"What?! Summer, are you hiding a secret lover?"

Her imagination was running wild. With a slight headache, I briefly explained the situation to her.

She sighed in amazement and insisted on treating Liam to hot pot at a local place that afternoon, saying she felt bad for him and he needed a good meal.

When Liam came out, he hadn't bought many personal items, but he had a whole cart full of groceries.

I looked at him in confusion. He explained in a low voice, "I'll cook from now on. Eating out is a waste of money, and it's not as healthy."

How domestic, a highly inappropriate thought popped into my head.

The cashier gave us a very complicated look.

Great, she’s misunderstanding the situation.

I kept a straight face, paid the bill, and once we were in the car, I told Liam about Harper treating him to hot pot.

He didn't have any objections, just said that sounded good.

On the way to the restaurant, I silently prayed: Please, Harper, try to keep a filter on your mouth later.