CHAPTER 45: COCO 2

Ethan’s boots splashed through puddles as he hurried behind the apartment complex, breath fogging in the cold night air. He kept calling Coco’s name, soft at first, then louder, desperation cracking through every syllable.

"Coco! COCO, boy!"

His voice echoed uselessly between the buildings.

He checked the alley. The parking area. The little patch of grass behind the dumpsters where Coco sometimes sniffed at stray cats. Nothing. Every shadow looked like it might be a small, curled-up dog, until he got close enough to see it was only trash bags or a forgotten box.

After almost an hour of searching, the adrenaline drained out of him. His steps slowed. His throat hurt from calling. His palms were filthy from crouching and checking under cars.

"How could I lose him?" he whispered to the night.

No answer came.

"shit...." he cussed under his breath

Eventually he trudged back home, clothes damp, shoulders slumped, heart pounding with guilt and fear. Inside, he sank into the couch like something heavy was tied to him.

He wiped his face with both hands. "Shit... how could I lose a dog like that... coco wouldn’t have gone this far before , but what happened now"

His chest tightened. He stared at his phone for a long time, he knew deep down that he has to know , he had the right to now , even if his heart told him to wait for a while , just wait a little longer , thumb hovering, hesitating. Then, before he could stop himself, he tapped Lucien’s name.

It rang.

Lucien answered immediately, voice sharp with surprise.

"hello?"

Ethan paused for a while , as he hesitated just lightly

"Hey, Lucien... Coco is missing."

Ethan’s voice cracked. He panicked and ended the call before Lucien could reply.

He dropped the phone onto his chest and stared at the ceiling, swallowing down the sickening feeling in his stomach.

"I really fucked up," he whispered.

Hours crawled by. Ethan stayed on the couch, mind spiraling between regret for Coco... and regret for Lucien.

Then—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

He froze.

Another aggressive knock followed.

He pushed himself up and opened the door slowly.

Lucien stood there on the doorstep, still wearing his jacket, hair slightly messy like he had rushed out the moment the call ended. His eyes were burning, not angry , maybe, but worried. Frantic.

"Where the hell is Coco?" Lucien demanded.

Ethan opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Lucien brushed past him, storming into the apartment. "Coco! Coco, come here boy!" His voice trembled in a way Ethan hadn’t heard in a long time.

"Luci—" Ethan tried gently.

"Don’t."

Lucien didn’t even look at him.

He paced through the apartment calling for the dog, opening doors, checking corners, checking spots where Coco used to nap. But each empty space only building more tension in his shoulders.

Ethan swallowed, nervous. "Trust me, Lucien, I looked everywhere outside. I’ve been searching for hours. I panicked. I— I couldn’t find him."

Lucien turned to him sharply.

"And you didn’t think to call me sooner? You waited until, what?, your guilt ate you alive before you decided I deserved to know?"

"That’s not fair," Ethan said softly but firmly.

"Oh, really?" Lucien snapped. "My dog goes missing while he’s with you, and somehow you think I should just, what, calm down?"

"coco is also my dog and I’m not asking you to calm down," Ethan replied, voice rising. "I’m asking you to listen. I didn’t lose him on purpose. I’ve been trying to fix this."

Lucien scoffed bitterly, arms crossed. "You can’t even fix us. How the hell am I supposed to trust you could fix this?, and dont say your dog , i bet you simply got fed up of him and decide to throw him away"

Ethan’s jaw tightened. "You think I don’t know I messed up? You think I haven’t been beating myself up every damn day since we broke up?"

Lucien looked away, lips pressed in a tight line.

The air between them thickened, anger, hurt, fear, guilt, everything they avoided saying spilling out at once.

"Lucien," Ethan said carefully, voice raw, "I’ll find him. I swear to you. I won’t stop until I do."

Lucien’s expression cracked just slightly, hurt flickering through his eyes. "You better," he whispered. "Because he is the only thing in the world that matters to me the most"

Ethan flinched like he’d been hit.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, the apartment door suddenly rattled.

Both of them turned.

A soft scratching sound came from the outside hallway.

The argument froze in the air.

Both Ethan and Lucien stopped speaking, glancing toward the door. The knock came again—firmer this time.

Ethan’s heart dropped.

His breath hitched as his mind jumped to the worst possibility.

Mason? Don’t tell me he might be the one at the door

His pulse spiked. His skin went cold.

This is truly not the time for any more inconveniences

The knock echoed again, followed by a gentle call:

"Ethan, are you there?"

A woman’s voice. Soft. Familiar.

Ethan exhaled shakily. Not Mason.

He hurried over and pulled the door open.

Standing there was Mrs. Hale, the elderly neighbor from two doors down, wrapped in her usual knitted shawl... and cradling something fluffy in her arms.

"Coco...?" Ethan breathed.

The dog wagged his tail wildly the moment he saw Ethan, barking with excitement, little paws wiggling as if begging to be put down.

Lucien appeared at the doorway, and the instant his eyes landed on Coco, his entire body loosened with relief. "Oh thank goodness—" he exhaled shakily, reaching out.

But then Lucien saw it.

Coco’s right hind leg was wrapped in a neat plaster of paris cast.

Lucien’s face changed instantly, worry replacing relief. "What happened to Coco?" he asked, gently taking the dog from Mrs. Hale as Coco licked his chin, whining happily.

Mrs. Hale let out a soft sigh. "Oh, I found him the other night limping across the road near the bakery. Poor thing looked so frightened. I knew exactly whose dog he was, so I rushed him to the vet. They said the injury wasn’t too serious, but he needed the leg stabilized."

Ethan’s stomach twisted violently.

"Thank you," Lucien said softly to the old woman, grateful but still tense. "Thank you so much."

Mrs. Hale nodded. "I tried calling you, Ethan, dear. Twice. But your phone was off."

Ethan’s expression drained of color.

Coco had been hurt.

Coco had been limping.

Coco had been outside.

And Ethan... didn’t notice.

He felt sick.

That’s impossible.

He replayed the morning in his head. Coco had been fine. Eating. Wagging his tail. Running around his feet like always.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, thoughts spinning, connecting pieces with a sudden, terrifying clarity.

Only one person had been in the house that day besides him.

Only one person had acted strangely. Stayed too long, and never remembered seeing coco after kicking the person out the house.

Mason.

Ethan’s jaw tightened.

His fists curled so hard his knuckles cracked.

Did Mason hurt Coco?

he is the only one capable of doing such tedious acts

The thought ripped through him, hot and cold all at once.

His breath sharpened. His chest tightened with anger, raw, fierce, protective.

Lucien was busy checking Coco’s cast, whispering to the dog, relief pouring out of him. He didn’t see the storm building in Ethan’s eyes.

But Ethan knew.

This wasn’t an accident.

Someone hurt his dog.

And that someone... had been in his house.

"Thank you for saving Coco," Lucien said wholeheartedly...

Lucien stepped forward, his expression softening as he looked at Mrs. Hale. "Really... thank you. You didn’t have to do all of that." He shifted Coco gently in his arms so the little dog rested comfortably against his chest. "How about I pay you for the vet bill at least?"

Mrs. Hale waved her hand with a warm smile. "Oh, no, no, dear. I’m just being a good neighbor. That sweet boy looked terrified, I couldn’t just walk past him." She chuckled softly. "Besides, kindness doesn’t need payment."

She adjusted her shawl. "Well, I should head home now. Dinner won’t cook itself. I’ll see you kids around."

Ethan forced a small smile. "Thank you... seriously."

"Thank you," Lucien repeated gently.

Mrs. Hale nodded once before walking away down the hallway.

The door closed.

And the moment it did... the warmth left the room.

Instantly.

Like someone snuffed out a lamp.

The silence between Ethan and Lucien thickened, heavy, tight, almost suffocating. The air felt charged, brittle, ready to snap.

Ethan swallowed. Hard.

"Lucien... look, I can explain."

Lucien didn’t respond.

He just stood there, one hand stroking Coco’s fur slowly, protectively, eyes fixed ahead ,not on Ethan, not on anything, just bracing himself.

Ethan took a step forward. "Luci, please—"

Lucien finally spoke, quietly.

Too quietly.

"I’m taking Coco with me."

The words hit Ethan like a punch.

"What?" he breathed out, his chest tightening. "Wait—Lucien, no—why? I—I didn’t—"

"Because I don’t trust you right now," Lucien said, not raising his voice, but somehow sounding sharper than if he had yelled.

Ethan felt the floor tilt.

"Lucien, I swear to you, this wasn’t an accident. Listen to me—"

But Lucien wasn’t listening.

His jaw was tight. His eyes were cold. His grip on Coco tightened almost reflexively, like the dog needed shielding.

"Coco could’ve died," Lucien whispered, the strain in his voice breaking slightly. "And you didn’t even notice."

"Lucien, stop, please, I didn’t know, I didn’t know he was hurt—"

"That’s the problem!" Lucien snapped for the first time. "You were too busy to who knows what , probably fucking someone else as always ." he bitterly said

Ethan flinched.

Lucien stepped back, turning toward the door.

"Lucien, don’t do this," Ethan pleaded, voice cracking. "At least give me a chance to expl—"

But Lucien didn’t turn around.

Didn’t answer.

Didn’t look back.

He simply walked out the door with Coco in his arms, leaving Ethan standing alone in the doorway as the weight of everything collapsed over him.

The door shut behind him with a final, echoing click.

And Ethan felt something in him break.