CHAPTER FOUR: KYSER'S PAST

A few days later, the soft jingle of the clinic doorbell echoed through Aurora Animal Clinic. The scent of antiseptic and warm fur lingered in the air, and calming acoustic music played gently in the background.

Haylee was behind the reception counter, checking schedules, when she heard the door open.

She looked up—and there he was.

“Kyser,” she said, pleasantly surprised. “Did Biscuit already get into trouble?”

Kyser chuckled, adjusting his grip on the pink carrier. “Not yet. But she’s been sneezing a bit. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.”

Haylee motioned to the exam room. “Come on in. Let’s take a look.”

He followed her, observing how confidently she moved in her space—efficient, focused, yet still warm. Finn was lying by the desk, tail thumping once as Kyser passed.

Haylee set the carrier down on the exam table and gently opened it. “Come here, sweetheart,” she cooed softly, lifting Biscuit with ease.

“She really likes you,” Kyser said, folding his arms.

“I have that effect on animals. Humans, not so much,” she joked, flashing a grin.

Kyser raised a brow. “So far, I disagree.”

Haylee felt her cheeks warm but brushed it off as she checked Biscuit’s ears and temperature. “She’s a little congested. Likely the weather and the stress of moving. I’ll give her some meds to help clear it up.”

Kyser nodded, watching her closely. “You really love what you do.”

“I do,” she said simply. “I wasn’t always sure I could handle it, but… this place? It became home.”

There was a pause. Then Kyser said, “I didn’t think I’d find anything familiar after moving here… but this place kind of feels like it.”

She looked up at him, their eyes meeting again for a moment longer than necessary.

“I hope it stays that way,” she said softly.

As she handed him the tiny medicine bottle and instructions, their hands brushed lightly.

“Thanks, Haylee,” Kyser said, his voice a little quieter now.

“Anytime,” she replied. “You’ve got my number, after all.”

He gave a half-smile, then added with a teasing tone, “I might just use it. For Biscuit, of course.”

“Of course,” she echoed with a smirk, watching as he left, the soft jingle of the door the only sound left in his wake.

Finn looked up at her from his spot by the desk and let out a short huff.

“What?” Haylee said, smiling. “It’s just a check-up.”

But even she wasn’t entirely convinced.

Five Years Ago

Kyser stood outside the café, the air oddly still as if the world itself was holding its breath. He had a feeling something was off, but he didn’t expect it to shatter everything.

She sat at their usual corner table, her hands clasped tightly on the surface, eyes red but dry—as if she’d already cried all her tears before he got there.

“Kyser,” she began, voice firm but low. “I can’t go through with the wedding.”

He stared at her, unblinking. “What do you mean?”

She reached into her purse and pulled out the velvet box. She slid it across the table. “I’m giving this back.”

Kyser’s breath caught. He looked at the ring he had spent weeks choosing. “Is this… about something I did?”

“No,” she replied, her eyes finally meeting his. “It’s about something I never stopped feeling.”

Silence hung between them like a blade.

“I don’t love you the way you deserve to be loved,” she said. “I used you… to forget him. My ex.”

Kyser clenched his jaw. “So I was just a rebound?”

She looked down. “I tried to convince myself it could work. You’re kind. You were always there. But I lied to both of us. I wanted to move on so badly… I ended up dragging you into a promise I couldn’t keep.”

He swallowed the lump In his throat. “You could’ve told me before I bought the ring. Before we planned everything.”

“I know. And I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I truly am.”

Then, without waiting for a reply, she stood up and walked away—leaving Kyser with a ring that would never find a home, and a heart that would take years to trust again.

Present Day

Kyser sat by the window of his apartment, watching the snow fall slowly. Biscuit curled up in his lap, purring softly—her warmth was the only comfort in the cold silence.

He found out just last year: she had married her ex. They have a daughter now.

But life didn’t stop for broken hearts. You learned to carry the cracks. You learned to smile again, even if it took years.

And maybe… just maybe, moving into this new apartment, meeting a dog-loving vet next door, was fate’s way of telling him there’s still something worth hoping for.

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