Jean had spun my minor hip injury into a dramatic fracture, and Mr. Dupont had granted me a week's leave - right before the office holiday party.

On my second day off, I returned from the hospital, clutching a prescription for more pain meds and instructions to rest as much as possible.

As I trudged my way back to the apartment, immediately after I was done basking in the afterglow of some incredible carolers on the street, I thought of Jean and her dingy, cluttered place that almost maimed me for life. Thankfully, she lived there alone, not with Ymani. It turned out Jean had lost custody of Ymani years ago, but they still did some form of co-parenting, in the most unconventional way she knew how.

The wind picked up suddenly, snowflakes swirling around me, almost blurring my vision. I shivered, desperate for the warmth of a cozy mug of hot cocoa.

I reached the front of my apartment building, and that's when I heard it-a distant bark.

Instantly, Brutus came to mind. The last time I'd seen him was that day I followed him to Theodore.

The bark echoed again, that same high-pitched yip that belonged to Brutus. Without hesitation, I spun on my heel, and there he was, standing there, tail wagging like crazy, barking up a storm.

"Brutus! What's up, boy? It's freezing out here. Go home." I shooed.

But Brutus persisted, his barks urgent. He edged forward, as if urging me to follow him. I squinted against the icy wind.

"You want to show me something, huh? Can't it wait till tomorrow when it's not, like, minus two degrees?"

He barked back at me, a clear protest, and then took off. "Brutus!" My instincts kicked in-I followed him, my breath visible in the frosty air.

𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

I hustled past the antique shop and the ATM machine, rounding the corner. It was freezing, and I dashed after Brutus as if I'd lost my own dog in this icy weather. The funny thing was, I didn't even know who owned Brutus.

"Slow down, Brutus! My hip...ow..." I hollered, but that little mutt just kept chugging along with his stubby legs. He trotted across the zebra crossing and darted through the same narrow alley where I'd trailed him before. Finally, I reached the rear of the old building and caught sight of Brutus. He stood next to a dumpster, yapping at someone on the other side.

As I approached, I glanced up at the window where Theodore had sat last time, strumming his guitar. This time, though, the window was shut. Must be snuggled up in his bed by now.

I cautiously approached the dumpster, taking slow, careful steps.

At first, I thought I saw a lump of trash, but then I realized it was a person huddled up, their shoulder visible from behind. I crept closer, my eyes fixed on the figure. They were sitting with their face buried in their chest, their arms wrapped tightly around their body, and their hair cascading down, snowflakes delicately balanced on the brown strands. Standing beside Brutus, I surveyed our surroundings. We were the only ones crazy enough to be out in this biting weather.

"Excuse me?" I called out, but the person didn't lift their head.

Brutus barked at them, and finally, they looked up.

It was Theodore. His well-structured nose had turned a reddish hue. His cheeks glistened, and when he spotted me, he frowned.

"What do you want?" he snapped, sniffling. He rubbed his runny nose with the back of his hand, then looked down at Brutus who barked happily and spun in circles.

"What are you doing here? It's freezing..." I stammered, finally noticing the single suitcase by his side with a guitar case on top. That's when it hit me. His two days were up, and the old man had actually thrown him out.

"You brought her here, didn't you?" His voice was laced with accusation, aimed squarely at Brutus who, oblivious, wagged his tail and spun in happy circles. My mind lurched to a halt, questions bombarding me.

Did he have a place to stay? Crashing on my couch was practically unthinkable - the image sent shivers down my spine, fueled by a combination of the biting wind and the sheer absurdity of the situation. I wasn't heartless, but the idea of him settling in my apartment, not to mention tolerating his sour attitude, filled me with unease.

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭?

"You stupid fleabag!" Theodore launched a snowball. It landed with a wet plop right next to the unsuspecting Brutus, who yelped in surprise.

"Hey!" Anger ignited deep within me, gradually intensifying as I gazed at his helpless, hunched figure. And when he had the audacity to say "Fuck off!" that... THAT was it.

"Maybe I 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 fuck off, you selfish, self-centered jerk!" I paused, taking a breath, as he buried his head in his chest once again. But I didn't hold back. "You're seriously pathetic, you know that? You treat every being like dirt and still act like the whole world owes you something! You're sitting here, crouched next to a fucking dumpster, too darn proud to admit you need help, and yet you have the nerve to try and harm the one creature that brings you assistance?! Maybe if you spent less time playing the victim and more time adulting, you wouldn't be here! Brutus here probably has more sense than you do. 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 he understands loyalty and knows how to seek out someone who might actually give a damn. You, on the other hand, wouldn't recognize a good deed if it tripped you and slapped a rent check in your face! ... You can stay here and... and freeze to death for all I care. It's your damn funeral!"

I stormed off, feeling the anger coursing through my veins, and when I heard Brutus whimper from where I had arrived, I turned around, witnessing the poor pup sit beside the stubborn guy in the freezing snow.

What on earth did that dog see in him anyway? And to think, he had the intelligence to track me down and lead me all the way to this hot-headed ... imbecile.

Glancing at Brutus's eyes, my heart crumbled into a million tiny pieces right where I stood.

Deep down, I knew I couldn't abandon the guy to freeze in the piercing cold, although he had an ego the size of the Mariana Trench. It just didn't align with who I was as a person. The thought of it haunted me. At least a place to stay for the night as a thank you for helping (if you could even call it that) when I broke my hip.

In a sudden burst of determination, Brutus let out a sharp yip and rose to his feet when he saw me approach as I tugged my meds in my coat.

I mustered up the courage to stride past Theodore and made a beeline for his guitar case, snatching it up without a second thought. Theodore hadn't even lifted his head. The wind grew stronger, the temperature dropping by the minute.

"Listen up, buddy," I called out to him, my voice wavering with a mix of frustration and urgency. "You better get your sorry self up from there and, uh, follow me to my apartment, or else... or else..." I paused, searching for a threat that would get through to him. "Or else I'll smash your precious guitar into a million tiny pieces!" 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦!

No surprises there, Theodore's head shot up immediately, his frown deeply etched on his face. "Put it down," he said in a hoarse yet oddly calm voice that cut through the biting cold. It was clear that both of us were trembling from the freezing temperatures.

"If this guitar is leaving my hands, it's gonna end up in pieces," I said hesitantly, my voice shaky but determined.

𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥!

He scoffed and then coughed, the sound echoing in the frigid air.

Brutus whimpered, his body shaking uncontrollably.

I quickly set the guitar down and scooped him up, feeling his fluffy, soft fur chilled to the touch, as cold as the ice itself.

I glanced at Theodore and picked up his guitar. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a shuffle behind me and turned to see that he had finally managed to get to his feet.

"Why do you wanna help me anyway?" I heard his weak voice ask, a hint of confusion in his tone. He had probably been out in the snow for a very long time.

"It's just one human helping out another human being, you know, if you're not too familiar with kindness where you're from," I replied. His coat wasn't thick enough, and his hair was dusted with specks of snow as he shook it off, a sight that I found somewhat mesmerizing to behold. I couldn't deny it, this guy was handsome.

"You can stay at my place for the night, or until the wind dies down, and then you can come crawling back to this dumpster if you still want to." I was being brutally honest because he was still hesitating, and it felt weird for me, since I wasn't usually that harsh. That was why I never liked to be around people like him, always bringing out the side of me I didn't recognize. I kept my eyes down, avoiding his gaze as he stood there, tall and silent, also refusing to meet my eyes. "Look, if not for your own sake, then do it for Brutus," I said, my voice softening slightly as I thought about the mutt's loyalty. "I don't get what he sees in you, but it's clear he's willing to stick by you no matter what, although you say he's not yours. If I take him with me, he'll probably just run back to you anyway, so please, for Brutus' sake, follow me." I started walking with his guitar in one hand and Brutus nestled in the other, the crunch of snow beneath my feet echoing through howling wind, and I could hear the shuffling and scraping of his suitcase as he trailed behind me.

***

Theodore and Casey in one room... this is gonna be fun...

Thank you so much for reading once again. If you're enjoying 'The Rhythm Of Rescue', you can add it to your reading list to get a notification whenever there's a new chapter up.

Catch you in the next chapter♡!