"Did you hear that?" Pippa asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and hope.
"Yeah," Andrew said, nodding as he looked toward the left side of the trail.
A new bark, clearer this time, cut through the sound of the rain. They ran in that direction, mud splashing with every step. Finally, they saw him.
"Barney!" Pippa cried, her voice breaking between relief and emotion.
The dog was only a few meters away, under a tree that barely shielded him from the rain. He was drenched, covered in mud, his golden fur reduced to a dark, matted mess.
When he saw them, he barked once, wagging his tail timidly. But he didn't get up. Andrew noticed he was keeping one of his hind legs off the ground, trembling slightly.
Pippa ran to him without hesitation. "Oh, Barney…" she whispered as she reached him, dropping her umbrella and kneeling beside him.
She hugged him without caring about the mud or the rain, pressing her face into his wet neck as tears mixed with the downpour.
Barney whimpered softly, licking her cheek.
Andrew arrived seconds later, crouched down, and ran a hand over his head. "Let's go before he gets any wetter," he said, noticing Barney shivering.
Pippa nodded and stood up, stroking his fur. "Come on, Barney, time to go home," she said gently.
The leash had been lost during their first search, so they had no way to hold him. Barney tried to get up but collapsed again, letting out a pained whine while his tail moved slowly.
"His leg's hurt," Andrew said, setting the umbrella on the ground. "I'll carry him."
"Can you?" Pippa asked. Barney wasn't exactly a light dog, an adult male, probably around 70 or 75 pounds.
"Yes, it's fine," Andrew replied without hesitation.
The hard part wasn't the weight but making sure not to hurt him more. He lifted Barney carefully, supporting the injured leg and shielding him partially with his body from the rain.
Pippa watched, impressed. For a moment, she wondered what would have happened if Cara had answered her messages and come instead of Andrew.
Cara, or she alone, wouldn't have been able to carry Barney through that muddy ground. She was lucky, she thought, that she'd gone to him for help.
Pippa picked up both umbrellas and followed as they walked quickly toward the car.
Pippa opened the door of the Camaro and Andrew gently placed Barney on the seat.
The dog curled up immediately, exhausted but calm. The leather seat was instantly soaked and muddy, but Andrew didn't care right now.
He shut the door and got into the driver's seat. Pippa did the same on the passenger side. Almost simultaneously, both doors closed with a solid thud.
"Mission passed," Andrew said, glancing at Barney in the rearview mirror. "If a storm managed to drain the energy from a Golden Retriever, it must've been a serious one."
Barney stayed still, breathing heavily but clearly at peace.
Pippa let out a long sigh and smiled. "Yeah… let's hope next time he thinks twice before running off. Though it was kind of my fault too," she said with a tired laugh.
"We found him, that's what matters. Your place?" Andrew asked, starting the engine.
"Yeah, I have to give him a bath and check if his leg is really hurt or not," she said, pausing as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Seriously, thanks, Andrew."
"It's nothing," he replied, brushing it off as he started the car.
The Camaro moved slowly along the wet road. The rain tapped steadily against the roof, and Andrew turned the stereo up just enough to fill the quiet.
A soft song played, blending with the murmur of the rain and Barney's steady breathing from the back seat.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke. It was the kind of silence that, for some reason, didn't feel awkward.
Andrew was the one who broke it. "Do you want me to help you bathe him?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
Pippa looked at him, surprised. "You'd really do that?" she said, half in disbelief, half in relief.
Andrew nodded. "Sure."
Pippa smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great, honestly. Especially if he's hurt, it'll be hard to move him by myself."
"Perfect. I'll stop by my place first, get changed, and then we'll go to yours," Andrew said.
A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of Andrew's house. He turned off the engine and, before getting out, said, "I won't be long."
Pippa nodded, staying in the car with Barney.
'He's so dependable,' she thought.
Now she could take in the car's interior more calmly than before.
The same car she had ridden in so many times. Her fingers brushed over the glove compartment almost unconsciously. A wave of nostalgia hit her.
The last time she'd been there was under completely different circumstances, the day Andrew drove her to the café where they would end their relationship.
She remembered the uneasy silence during the ride, the way Andrew avoided looking at her, and how she, out of anger and pride, clung to a coldness she didn't truly feel.
She'd been upset because Willa had gone to all his games. And deep down, she knew she didn't really have a reason to be, but she couldn't help it.
Pippa had always been methodical, rational, but jealousy didn't follow logic. She knew Willa was friends with Howard, Leonard, and, of course, Andrew. Nothing more.
But there was something different about the dynamic between Andrew and Willa.
Maybe it was because Willa had met him first.
It was Andrew who had brought her into the group, who welcomed her without hesitation, that created a natural bond between them.
And he had a way of dealing with her that few people did: he wasn't intimidated by her intensity. That inevitably made them clash, and, at the same time, seem closer.
They argued about everything, shows, comics, video games, with an energy that could easily be mistaken for chemistry.
Pippa leaned back in the seat with a sigh. What's done is done.
Andrew returned a few minutes later, got in, and restarted the engine. A short drive later, the Camaro was parked outside Pippa's house.
Andrew got out first and lifted Barney in his arms once again.
Pippa opened the door and turned on the lights.
The dog barked happily, recognizing the place.
"We're home, buddy," Andrew murmured, setting him down gently on his cushioned bed by the wall.
Pippa went to the bathroom and came back with a large towel. She knelt and began to dry Barney carefully, running the towel through his wet fur in gentle strokes.
"I'll go change, then we'll bathe him," she said, and Andrew nodded.
She disappeared down the hallway, leaving the house in quiet stillness.
Andrew dropped onto the couch, and Barney, now half-dry, settled at his feet.
He looked around. The place hadn't changed. A bookshelf overflowing with Pippa's books, her room couldn't fit any more. The TV with Josh's console. The crooked painting made by Pippa's mother.
Everything felt familiar, part of a routine that was no longer his, but once had been.
For a moment, he thought about how many times he'd sat on that same couch: playing Madden with Josh; watching TV while talking with Victor; doing homework with Pippa, or kissing her...
A wave of nostalgia washed over him. He shook his head and let out a quiet sigh, cursing himself under his breath.
He had handled the breakup well, convinced of his choice, but being here made him doubt for a second. Then he reminded himself that the decision had already been made, there was no going back.
He wasn't going to repeat what Haley once did with Dylan, breaking up and getting back together over and over again.
Pippa returned a few minutes later, dressed in dry, comfortable clothes she knew would get wet from bathing Barney, a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants, and her hair tied up in a messy bun.
"All set. I already filled the tub with warm water," Pippa said with a brief smile.
Andrew stood up and nodded. "Perfect. Come on, Barney," he murmured, crouching down to lift the dog again.
Barney whimpered softly but let himself be picked up without resistance. Pippa led the way. They reached the bathroom and, together, settled him into the tub. The gentle steam from the warm water mixed with the scent of soap and dog shampoo.
For the first few minutes, they didn't talk much, only the essentials to wash Barney as a team. Andrew held the dog steady with one hand while pouring water over his back with the other.
Pippa lathered the soap in slow circles, focused, wearing an expression she usually reserved for studying, not for bathing a dog.
Gradually, as the bath went on, they began to chat and laugh over small things, like when Barney shook himself, splashing them both.
At one point, Andrew took the chance to splash Pippa a little on purpose.
"Andrew!" Pippa exclaimed, laughing as she retaliated by flicking water at him with her hand.
"I had to get even, you're way drier than me," Andrew said with a grin. Since he'd carried Barney, he was far more soaked.
They laughed, forgetting about the past and all their previous problems.
Finally, after several minutes, Barney climbed out of the tub almost gleaming, wagging his tail with renewed energy.
Andrew wrapped him in a large towel, and Pippa dried his head, laughing as the dog tried to squirm free.
"Look at him, he's back to his old self," Pippa said with relief.
Barney spun in a couple of circles before lying down on the floor, panting happily, his injured leg now barely a bother.
Andrew watched him with a smile while drying his hands. "Pretty sure he's already forgotten the trauma, and how close he was to getting lost…"
Pippa chuckled softly. "His memory's not that bad, but still, better if he forgets the bad stuff."
Andrew nodded and straightened up, placing a hand on his hip with a wince. "Damn… getting old sucks."
Pippa looked at him, amused. "The most dominant athlete in California complaining about bending down for a few minutes, what would your rivals think if they heard you?"
"They'd probably insult me and try to hit me," Andrew said with a faint smile.
Both of them left the bathroom and walked to the living room. Barney followed happily, then plopped down beside the couch, exhausted after the long day.
Andrew sat down, resting his elbows on his knees while gently petting the dog's head.
"Your parents went to your aunt's place, right?" he asked, remembering the loud-voiced woman with an unforgettable temper.
"Yeah," Pippa said, sinking into the armchair across from him. "They planned to spend the whole afternoon there. I managed to get out of it by saying I had to study, but Josh wasn't so lucky."
"Poor guy," Andrew said with a small grin, knowing full well that house had no entertainment, no console, no cable TV...
"Yeah," Pippa agreed, smiling faintly. "But he'll survive."
For a moment, silence returned, until Andrew sighed and glanced at the clock. "Well… I guess it's time for me to go," he said, finally standing up.
"Andrew, wait," Pippa said, rising to her feet too.
Andrew turned toward her, curious. "What?"
Pippa lowered her gaze for a moment, searching for the right words. "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry."
Andrew frowned slightly. "For what?"
"For what I said when we broke up," she replied in a softer voice. "The part about Willa being a groupie. And everything else."
She paused, taking a deep breath. "I didn't know how to handle it, all that was happening with you: every game, every new video on your channel, all the attention you were getting. It all happened so fast compared to when you were still at Palisades."
"At first I was happy for you, of course. But then I started to feel like I was losing you a little… like you were becoming someone so big, so public, that I wasn't enough anymore, and every girl wanted something from you."
Andrew listened silently. Pippa looked up again, her expression a mix of exhaustion and honesty.
"I was wrong. I let my insecurities ruin something good. And even though I know I can't undo it, I wanted you to know."
Andrew nodded slowly, a bit shaken. "Thanks for saying that. And, if it means anything… I'm sorry too."
"For what?" Pippa asked, surprised.
"Because maybe, I was too blunt. I ended things completely without even trying to fix them. I guess it was easier to act than to think about what I was losing," Andrew said quietly.
Pippa looked at him for a moment, a sad smile forming on her lips. "It's okay, Andrew. It was what needed to happen."
After a brief pause, she added with a tone that was almost ironic but still kind, "And I also take back what I said, that if you ever dated Willa, I'd be proven right."
"Yeah?" Andrew said.
"Yeah," Pippa said. "It's your life. Do whatever you want, with whoever you want, just make sure it makes you happy."
"I hope you're happy too, Pippa," Andrew said softly.
They stood there, looking at each other in silence for a few seconds. It wasn't awkward or tense, just calm, like they both understood this was the closure they needed.
Pippa let out a small laugh, breaking the moment. "Look at us," she said with a half-smile. "We sound like two thirty-year-olds sorting out their issues with maturity, and we're only sixteen."
Andrew laughed too, shaking his head. "Well, that was always one of our strengths."
They walked together to the door. Pippa opened it, letting in the cool air and the scent of wet earth after the rain.
From the living room, Barney lifted his head for a moment, staring at Andrew as if trying to memorize the sight of him, knowing it might be the last time he'd see him.
"Thanks for helping me today, and for calming me down," Pippa said.
Andrew smiled, shrugging lightly. "It was nothing. I'm just glad everything turned out okay."
"And good luck in Friday's game," Pippa added with a sincere smile, giving him a quick hug.
"Thanks," Andrew said, returning the brief embrace.
"Take care, Pippa."
"You too."
Andrew stepped out onto the porch and pulled up his hood before going down the steps. Pippa stayed in the doorway, watching as he walked away until the Camaro started and disappeared down the street.
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