Pitbabes2, Chapter 3 pg1

 CHARLIE:

   I came back to a house with almost all the lights off, which was a bit unusual since Babe typically keeps the downstairs lights on until I’m home.

   “Babe?”

   Stepping into the house, calling out for someone, and getting no response feels strange. It’s unlikely he’s already asleep—Babe can’t sleep alone like he used to. Around six-something, Babe texted me, but I only saw it an hour later because I was stuck in an endless meeting with the research team. When I replied, he didn’t read it. No response. I had a weird gut feeling that something might be off, and now I’m about eighty percent sure there’s something I need to deal with.

   “Babe,” I said, opening the bedroom door and calling out to the person lying with his back to me on the bed. Of course, he didn’t answer, even though it’s obvious he’s not asleep. “I’m back.”

   Silence.

   What’s it about this time?

   “Babe, I’m back,” I repeated. His silent treatment didn’t faze me. I walked around to the other side, kneeling by the bed so my face was close to the sulkiest person I know. He didn’t even pretend to sleep—just lay there, eyes open, face sour, lips sealed. I kept talking calmly, knowing a tantrum might be coming. If I don’t stay composed, things could spiral. “Why didn’t you come down to meet me?”

   Babe stayed quiet, but his mouth seemed to pout even more.

   “Sulking?” Time to start guessing, because waiting for him to speak up could take forever and might make him even grumpier. I racked my brain for what I could’ve done wrong. If I hit the right keyword, he’ll spill. “Or are you mad?”

   Judging by his expression, it’s probably just a little sulk. His eyes aren’t cold enough to suggest he’s actually angry, which is a good sign.

   “What’re you sulking about?” I pressed. “Me coming back late?”

   Dead silence… not that, then.

   “Replying to your text late?”

   Still nothing… not that either.

   “Not checking in?”

   Nope, not that. My brain was working overtime, replaying everything from the moment I left the house to when he texted me. I was busy all day, barely talked to Babe, so I doubt I said anything to upset him. It must be something I did—something he noticed and didn’t like. Not a big deal, but definitely something that bugged him… hmm… what?

   “The story?”

   His eyes widened slightly.

   Bingo. Found the reason.

   “You don’t like me posting stories with other people?” I tried not to laugh, because Babe’s face right now was adorable. He was trying to ignore me, but at the same time, he clearly wanted to snuggle. It’s obvious he missed me too, but since he’s sulking, he’s got to keep up the act. “It’s nothing, really. Just a friend. He was meeting the professor too, got told to revise like me, so we sat together for a bit. We’re not close or anything, just chatted a little.”

   “Not close, but you got your face that close to his for what?”

   Finally, Babe responded. He seemed calmer than I expected. I thought he’d make a bigger fuss.

   “Close, huh?”

   “In the story, it’s close.”

   “Not close in real life.”

   “Charlie.”

   “Sorry.”

   Sometimes, relationships are like this. We don’t always see eye to eye. Babe can be unreasonable at times, and I can be stubborn too. But in the end, what matters most outweighs every conflict.

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