I stare at the two plane tickets I'm holding. I can't believe I spent $2,000 on these.

Although my career has been taking off over the past few months, I've never been swirling in more debts than now.

Being the boyfriend of Celia Adams costs a lot.

Celia always offers to pay for the expensive tuxedos I have to wear to those fancy events she's invited to. But my stupid ego forces me to reject her offer every single time. As a result, not only do I have to cut my other expenses—such as food—I also haven't been able to pay rent over the past two months.

If this goes on, I might die of starvation.

Or worse. Get evicted.

Heaving out a sigh, I tuck the plane tickets between the pages of my passport and zip up my suitcase. I'm about to head to the door when the sudden ringing of my phone halts me. A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I glance at the caller ID.

Miss Mochi

"Hey. Found Kiki yet?"

Nessa always leaves her stray cat under my care every time she needs to go back to her hometown for the holiday. At first, I just left the food in the back alley and ran as fast as I could the moment that little monster arrived. But after three years of feeding her, I have to admit she's starting to grow on me.

I was initially worried when Nessa said Kiki hadn't shown up in five days. But now that she's calling me during Kiki's lunchtime, I figure the prodigal daughter has finally returned after all.

"W-where are you? Are you still home? When's your flight? Oh, are you at the airport already?" The panic in Nessa's voice rings an alarm in my head.

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. My flight's not for another three hours. What's wrong?"

"It's Kiki. She's been in an accident. Sh-she . . ." The sound of her loud breathing resonates through the phone. "She lost her leg."

The news drops like a bomb in my head.

I want to believe this is one of Nessa's outrageous jokes, but the sheer panic in her voice tells me she's dead serious. Her soft sobs snap me back to my senses, and I realize I should pull myself together for her.

". . . and I'm just trying to get her to the vet, but none of those damn cab drivers want to take her without a pet carrier. So, I was just wondering—"

"I'm on my way. Just calm down, okay?" Holding the phone between my ears and my shoulder, I grab my suitcase and my car key before rushing to the front door.

"O-okay. Thanks, Ol."

"Don't mention it." As I lock the door to my apartment, I feel the urge to console her. "Hey, Ness?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry." I try to keep my voice soothing and controlled. "Everything's gonna be fine."

I park Rusty—my faded-green 1963 Dodge Dart—on the side of the road and rush to the studio's back alley.

How did this happen? Is she okay? Are they both okay?

The sound of my running footsteps echoes along the narrow path, alerting the girl sitting on the ground beside the dumpster.

Relief shines in Nessa's eyes as she stands up. "Thanks for coming, Ol. I'm really sorry, I didn't know who else to call."

"It's okay. I'm glad you called." My eyes are drawn to the black cat lying on the ground right next to Nessa. Kiki's body is wrapped in Nessa's denim jacket, her head peeking out of it. "What happened?"

"I don't know. She's already like this when I found her."

I crouch on the ground and unfold the jacket around Kiki's limp body. My chest tightens at the sight of her missing front leg. "Did someone . . ."

Nessa presses her lips together and shakes her head. Tears glisten in the corner of her eyes, but she bites her inner lip and inhales, not letting a single drop fall down her face. "I don't know, Ol. I really don't know."

Kiki struggles to open her eyes as I stroke her head.

"Okay, okay, it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay," I reassure them even though doubt lingers in my mind.

The yellow in Kiki's eyes is dimmed, the remains of her missing leg have turned dark, and a strong smell of rotten meat emits from it. She must've experienced major blood loss, and with all those maggots slithering in and out of her wound, God knows what other infections she's suffering from.

Still, Nessa needs a little bit of hope. And that's what I'm giving her.

"Come on. Let's get her to a doctor." I scoop Kiki up in my arms and rush toward Rusty with Nessa following closely behind.

The road to the animal clinic is awfully quiet. After thirteen minutes and ten seconds of suffocating silence, I glance at Nessa. Her fingers tremble and her lips quiver as she pets the cat curling on her lap.

Feeling the strong need to lighten up the mood, I joke, "See this? This is exactly why you should buy a car."

A ghost of a smile crosses Nessa's face. "I don't even know how to drive, Ol."

"It's easy. Just hit the gas and you're good to go."

She huffs out a small laugh, and the knot on my chest loosens. "I'm pretty sure it's not that easy."

"It is. I'll teach you."

"Yeah? I have to warn you though. I'm a terrible student."

"Well, you know what they say." I slide the car into a parking spot and glance at Nessa. "There's no such thing as a terrible student. Only terrible teachers."

She chuckles. "Okay, we're here."

Murmuring some encouraging words to Kiki, Nessa opens the passenger door and rushes to the clinic's door while I follow right behind her. Disappointment hits me when I read the notice on the door: the clinic is closed due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Oh, no." Nessa bites her lower lip, alarm shortening her breath. "Now what?"

"Hey, hey. Don't panic." I put a hand on her shoulder. "There's gotta be an emergency clinic or something, right?"

Determination flickers in Nessa's eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Let's google it."

I pull out my phone and begin calling every nearby animal hospital listed on the internet. Yet after five failed attempts, the small light of hope inside me wavers. The thought that Kiki might die makes me chew my cheek so hard I can taste blood in my mouth.

Shit. What should we do?

Nessa mutters some incoherent words to herself as her fingers tap her phone. The tremor in her voice snaps me back to my senses, and I quickly pull myself together for them.

After three more calls, I finally find a clinic that still opens today. "Thank you. We're on our way."

"Find one?" Hope shines in Nessa's eyes.

"Yeah." I open the passenger door for her.

"Oh, thank God." She slides into the car and murmurs her thanks to me, all the while stroking Kiki's head. "You hear that? We're gonna get you to a hospital, so hang in there, okay?"

I hop onto the driver's seat and hit the gas.

A few minutes after the car starts moving, Nessa asks, "Ol, where's the clinic?"

"Manhattan Beach."

"Hmm? That's forty-five minutes away from here."

"If we hurry, we can make it in thirty."

"But . . ." She lowers her gaze, concern darkening her features. "What about your flight?"

"LAX is only ten minutes away from Manhattan Beach, Ness. I'll make it," I reassure her. "Don't worry."

A little more than 35 minutes later, we arrive at the clinic. I stop the car right in front of the pale-blue building's entrance.

"Kiki, we're here." Nessa shakes Kiki's limp body, but the cat won't open her eyes. Muttering some curses, she swings the passenger door open and hops out of the car. Her haste causes her to bump her head against the top frame of the door. Rubbing her forehead, she flashes a smile at me. "Thanks, Ol. I owe you big time. Bye."

As she rushes to the clinic's door, the uneasiness in my stomach grows to the size of an elephant. Nessa may never admit it, but she needs a friend—her best friend—by her side now more than ever.

I sit there for a while, contemplating whether I should stay or leave, and glance at my watch. I still have two hours before my plane leaves, so I figure I still have time to stay and see what the doctor says.

I park Rusty in the parking lot and text Celia, letting her know that I'm going to be a bit late, before heading into the clinic through the back door. Once there, I ask the receptionist lady where Kiki is, and she leads me to one of the observation rooms.

Through the door's glass panel, I can see Nessa standing next to the metal table in the middle of the blue-painted room, caressing Kiki's stomach. A tall, plump woman wearing paw-patterned blue scrubs and a surgical mask stands across the table from her, cleaning the wound on the cat's leg.

A breeze of cool wind from the air conditioner greets me when I push the door open. As Nessa and the doctor shift their attention to me, I offer them a polite smile.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Nessa asks, her voice soft. "I thought you left already."

I stop beside her and pet Kiki's head. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

Once the doctor finishes cleaning and observing the wounds, she explains to us that she'll have to amputate the remains of Kiki's leg up to her shoulder joint. Since the bacterial infection might've already entered her bloodstream, Kiki's chance of survival is only fifty percent. But the doctor assures us that she'll do her best to save Kiki's life.

As she prepares Kiki for the surgery, Nessa and I head to the receptionist to put down a deposit for Kiki's treatment.

"I should've searched for her earlier." Nessa hangs her head low, a strong sense of guilt in her voice. "If I had, then maybe—"

"Hey, don't blame yourself like that." I rest my hand on her shoulder, and she raises her gaze to meet mine. "There was nothing else you could've done. What were you gonna do? You don't even know where she lives."

"Yeah." She lowers her gaze for a moment before looking up at me, her eyes shining with concern. "Seriously, Ol. You should go. I'll keep you updated."

"You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Me?" There's a note of delighted surprise in her voice. "Yeah, of course." With a reassuring smile, she waves her hand back and forth between us. "Now, shoo."

I breathe out a laugh. "Keep me updated, okay?"

"Yes. Now go!"

Chuckling, I turn around and plod to the back door. Yet as I'm about to step out of the clinic, uneasiness halts my steps.

Will she really be okay?

My gut tells me I shouldn't leave—not yet. I glance at my watch and see that it's 1:30, which means I still have some time before my plane leaves.

Trusting my instinct, I spin around and stride back to the receptionist.

". . . you mean it's been declined?" Nessa's voice bounces down the corridor.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Do you have another card?" the receptionist asks, sympathy coloring her tone.

"Oh, God." Nessa opens her wallet, her hands quivering. She pulls out another silver credit card and hands it over to the woman standing behind the table. "Can you try this one?"

The middle-aged woman swipes the card. But after a while, she hands the card back to Nessa with a sympathetic shake of her head.

Nessa has been having some financial difficulties lately, and the cost of Kiki's surgery—not to mention an emergency one—must be too expensive for her to pay. Luckily, even though I'm swirling in debts, my credit card's limit is higher than hers.

I pull out my gold Visa card from my wallet and hand it over to the grey-haired woman. "Here. Try mine."

As the receptionist lady is about to swipe my card through the machine, Nessa interrupts, "Ol, no. I can't—"

"I'm not taking no for an answer, okay?"

She hesitates, but after a few seconds of consideration, she gives a reluctant nod. "Thanks. I'll pay you back."

After we finish the admission procedure, Nessa heads to the waiting room while I stay in the front hall to buy Coke for myself and a bottle of orange juice for Nessa from the vending machine.

When I arrive at the waiting room, Nessa is sitting with her hands folded on her lap right across the operating room. Her eyes are closed, her head is hung low, and her right foot taps an unconscious, nervous rhythm. As I approach her, I can hear her murmuring a prayer.

I take a seat next to her and wait in silence.

A few seconds later, she wipes her tears away and raises her gaze to me. "What are you still doing here?"

"Here." I hand over the bottle of orange juice to her.

"Thanks." She opens the bottle and downs a large gulp. Her eyes soften when she says, "Seriously, Ol. You can go now. I'm fine."

A small part of me wants to leave for the airport. After all, I'm well aware of how Celia will react if I miss my flight. But the tinge of pink around Nessa's eyes makes it impossible for me to leave her alone.

"No. I'll stay."

"What?" Her eyes widen with surprise and concern. "What about your flight?"

"I'll take the next one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

She sighs and slumps her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Ol. I'll pay for everything."

"Hey." I nudge her elbow and reassure her, "Don't worry about the money."

She pulls her mouth into a tight line and nods before lowering her head. We stay in a calming silence for a while before she gazes at the door of the operating room. "Do you think she'll survive?"

"Yeah. She's a fighter. I can see it in her eyes."

Nessa lets out a tiny chuckle. "Yeah, I hope so."

"So what are you gonna do with her?"

"I have to adopt her, of course. There's no way I can let her live out there after that." A worried look crosses her face, yet she blows out a determined breath. "I guess it's about time I find a new apartment, huh?"

"Yeah. TJ has this realtor friend. I'll talk to him after this."

"Thanks. I don't know what I would've done without you." Her tone lightens a little when she continues, "You know, it's kinda funny. I literally just lied to my mom that you were gonna help me find a new apartment, and now this—oh my God." A sudden expression of horror sweeps across her face, guilt flickering in her eyes. "Have you talked to Celia about this? Does she know you're here?"

Uneasiness swells in my gut. "Yeah, I left her a message. But I should probably call her."

I walk out of the waiting room and pull out my phone. There are twenty missed calls from Celia, all of which I didn't hear because my phone is accidentally set into silent mode.

Dammit. I must've accidentally pressed the button when I was calling the clinics earlier.

Chewing my inner cheek, I dial Celia's number. She picks up the call within three seconds.

"Oliver, where are you? The plane is leaving in an hour!"

"I know, I'm sorry. Something came up, and I—"

"Let me guess." Her tone goes ice-cold in a split second. Hatred drips from every syllable when she asks, "Vanessa?"

I close my eyes and press my lips into a tight line. "It's her cat. She had an accident, and she—"

"You're putting me behind a bloody cat?" she snaps.

I jerk my head back, annoyance whirling in my blood. "This is a matter of life and death, Celia. It's much more important than some stupid family gathering!"

I grit my teeth when I realize I've raised my voice. Guilt seeps into my blood, and for a moment, I wonder if I should bolt toward the airport. If I leave now, I can still arrive there just in time to catch the plane.

"It's my cousin's engagement party, Oliver," Celia growls through gritted teeth. "This is important to me. Why can't it be as important to you as a bloody cat?"

Her remarks wipe away any traces of guilt I have inside me. At that point, a huge question poses itself in my mind.

Who is this woman?

The Celia Adams I know wouldn't put a social event above any creature's life. A small part of me wishes to believe that her old, caring self is still there, hidden underneath this awful new persona. But at this point, I'm not sure I want to continue seeing this fame-hungry monster.

"It is," I lie. "Look, she's fighting for her life right now. I have to be here for her."

"You have to be there for the cat?" She allows a short pause. Her tone is accusing when she continues, "Or for Vanessa?"

I swallow the lump in my throat. "I'll catch the next flight, okay? I'll be there. I promise."

"Don't even bother, Oliver."

"Wait, Celia—"

I squeeze my eyes shut as the abrupt silence from the other end tells me this is it. The end of the only serious relationship I've ever had. An invisible force grips my chest, and I bite back the tears stinging my eyes. Did I make the right choice? Or did I just screw up again?

"Hey, everything alright?" Nessa's voice breaks my thoughts.

I draw a deep breath and pull myself together before turning around to face her. "Yeah. I'll catch the night flight. Everything's gonna be fine."

But deep down, I know everything is not going to be fine.

Author's Note:

So, that's the end of the flashback! Thoughts on this chapter?

We'll get back to the present in the next chapter xD

As always, if you enjoy this chapter, please show some support by tapping that little star button. Thanks for reading! :)