Who’s the Dog Now? novel Chapter 31

College life had always been dull and monotonous for Naomi. Her days used to revolve around Zebulon—making sure he ate properly, stopping him from drinking too much.

Otherwise, she was just his silent shadow, trailing behind him as he hung out with his friends, never saying much, never interfering.

On the rare occasions Zebulon mercifully let her join in, it was usually so she could be the butt of a joke.

And Zebulon would laugh right along with them.

Naomi used to not understand why they loved playing pranks so much. Gradually, she realized it wasn't about the pranks. It was about watching a sincere heart get crushed into dust.

These rich boys, born with silver spoons in their mouths, didn't believe in sincerity.

“Want to check out that shop? I heard they have cats inside!”

Patricia squeezed Naomi’s hand, excitedly pointing at a storefront. The gesture pulled Naomi out of her thoughts, leaving her feeling a little dazed.

“What?”

Patricia didn’t notice Naomi had zoned out. Thinking she just hadn’t heard her over the noise, she repeated herself.

Naomi stared ahead for a moment, then a relieved smile spread across her face.

“Let’s go.”

All the things she couldn't or didn't dare to do before—she was going to experience them all now.

Zebulon was allergic to pet fur, so she had always kept her distance from animals. In reality, she loved cats and dogs, and her parents would have let her get one if she’d asked.

But she had suppressed her own desires for Zebulon's sake. It wasn't convenient to have a pet in college now, but she could at least pet one, right?

The thought made Naomi a little excited.

It felt like her first Christmas dinner as a child.

The festivities were for the adults, but for a child, it was the one day a year they could run wild and do whatever they wanted.

...

Across town, in a five-star restaurant, Zebulon stared at the steak in front of him, finding it utterly tasteless.

Colin and the others had split up to sit with their dates, leaving him with only Tiffany.

She’d never been to a place like this before and seemed a bit stiff.

Her eyes darted around, and she gripped her knife and fork tightly.

A fire called ambition was growing in her eyes.

“Why are you looking around while you’re eating?” Annoyed by her behavior, Zebulon couldn't help but snap.

Tiffany stiffened, a blush creeping from her cheeks all the way to her neck. “I’m sorry...”