The drive was long and quiet. Greece kept her eyes fixed on the window, the blur of trees and fading sunlight stretching endlessly ahead. Milo sat curled on her lap, his small body warm against her arms. Her fingers absentmindedly stroked his fur, clinging to the rhythm of his soft purrs — the only sound breaking the silence.
After a while, Rhett slowed the car and pulled over beside a narrow dirt road. A house stood a little off the road — neat, quiet, its front lawn empty and still. Greece frowned.
"Why are we stopping here?"
Rhett cut the engine. "We need to make a quick stop."
She looked at him suspiciously. "What kind of stop?"
He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. "Come on."
Reluctantly, she followed. The morning air was warmer now, the sun sitting high. She squinted at the small house as they walked toward it. It didn't look like much.
"The cat stays here," she heard someone say
"What?"
"Don't tell me you brought me to a pet shop?" she asked doubtfully.
"Something like that," he said.
Her steps slowed, her arms tightening around Milo. "What do you mean something like that?"
He sighed, stopping near the porch. "You can't take him with us."
Her heart dropped. "What?"
"It's not safe," he said, turning to face her. "Where we're going… it's too dangerous. We may face some serious situations before we reach our destination."
She blinked at him, disbelief flashing into anger. "You're kidding me. You dragged me halfway across the country, and now you're telling me to abandon my cat?"
"He's not going to be abandoned," Rhett said, his tone even. "He'll stay here. Mason will take care of him."
"No," she snapped, shaking her head. "No, you can't just— I'm not leaving Milo here. He's mine."
"Mrs Fen—"
"No! You don't get to decide that!" Her voice cracked as she backed up a step, clutching Milo tighter. "He's all I have left."
Rhett exhaled slowly. "Would you rather something happen to him? Because I can't protect both of you. My obligation is to you okay? To keep you alive. Not your cat," he said. his voice calm
The words hit her like a slap — cold, final, unfairly logical.
For a moment, she couldn't speak. The porch door opened, and a tall man appeared — late thirties, easy smile, hair tied back loosely.
"Rhett," he greeted, his accent thick but friendly.
Rhett nodded. "Mason."
The two men exchanged a few quiet words in Greek. Greece couldn't catch any of it, but she heard the name Milo among them, and that was enough to make her chest tighten.
Mason looked at her then, his voice soft.
"You must be Greece. Don't worry — I'll take good care of him, okay? He'll be safe here."
Greece didn't move. Milo meowed faintly in her arms, as if sensing the shift in her grip.
"I can't," she whispered. "I'm not going to let you guys put him in a cage, he hates cages. He gets scared."
"He won't be in one," Mason said gently. "I promise."
She looked from Mason to Rhett — Rhett's expression unreadable, calm, steady. It made her even angrier. Her throat burned.
"You're such an asshole," she said quietly, eyes glassy. "You don't care about anything, do you?"
Rhett didn't answer.
Her breath trembled as she crouched down and placed Milo on the ground. He looked up at her, tail flicking, confused. She brushed her fingers through his fur one last time.
"It's okay, baby," she whispered. "You'll be okay. I'll come back for you. I promise."
Milo rubbed his head against her hand before Mason gently picked him up.
Greece turned away quickly, blinking hard. Her chest felt hollow as she walked back toward the car, each step heavier than the last. She climbed in, slammed the door, and stared straight ahead, refusing to look back.
Rhett joined her a moment later. He said nothing — just started the engine and pulled onto the road.
The world outside blurred again. Greece sniffed quietly, wiping her face with the back of her hand, pretending she wasn't crying.
Rhett noticed — the way her shoulders trembled, the sound she tried to swallow — but he didn'tspeak. He just kept driving.
And for a long time, neither of them said a word.