Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 315: The Wrong Phone

Barry had rolled up his sleeves to take care of her earlier.

Nancy’s burning cheek pressed directly against the skin of his forearm without any barrier. In her stupor, she gave a small, dependent nudge, rubbing her face against him.

Barry froze instantly. It was like a spell had been cast on him. He stayed perfectly still, his breath hitching in his chest. When he tried to shift his arm even an inch, she only held on tighter with a dissatisfied groan. "Snowball, quit moving..."

Snowball had been set down on the nightstand. He let out a soft, indignant squeak. "I am right here!"

Barry looked down at her flushed face and finally gave in. He accepted his fate and sat down on the floor mat by the bed in that awkward position.

Star had been watching them both with a look that was far too human.

The dog trotted back to the RV and returned with Barry’s tablet, carefully shoving it into his one free hand. Barry looked at the tablet, then at Star’s expression, and found himself speechless.

What's there to even say?

In the dead of night, the usually untouchable Barry was held hostage by the side of the bed. One arm was being used as a human plushie by the sick girl, while his other hand held the tablet as he reviewed complex business documents. The cold glow of the screen reflected off his quiet face.

Star let out a faint, contented huff and curled up at Barry’s feet, resting his chin on his paws and drifting off. On the nightstand, Snowball was already out cold, belly up, his tiny chest rising and falling. A single drop of drool escaped the corner of his mouth, landing on the wood. His nose and whiskers twitched, likely dreaming of his favorite fried chicken.

A strange, quiet harmony filled the room. As time ticked by, Barry’s eyelids grew heavy.

The next morning, the first light of dawn filtered through the window. Barry had fallen asleep leaning against the bed, his jaw resting on his crossed arms. One of those arms was still locked in Nancy’s embrace.

Suddenly, a sharp ringtone shattered the silence.

Barry’s thick lashes fluttered and his eyes opened with a groggy haze. Usually, Jorgan would call around this time. Operating on pure reflex, he reached out for the phone and swiped to answer without looking.

His voice was thick with sleep, raspy and low. "...Speak."

On the other end, Simon’s calm, clear voice came through. "Nancy, how are you feeling..."

The words cut off abruptly. Simon heard Barry’s voice and the line went dead quiet.

When Simon spoke again, his voice jumped an octave. The wall of cold defense went up instantly. "Barry!"

Barry pulled the phone away from his ear. His eyes fell on the cartoon cat sticker on the back of the device. He realized too late that he had picked up Nancy’s phone.

Simon’s voice sounded like it was coming through gritted teeth. "Have you been in my sister's room all night?"

The chill in his tone was sharp enough to pierce through the line. Barry looked at Nancy, who was still dead to the world. He didn't move his arm. He just kept his voice low and stated the facts. "She had a high fever last night. Snowball came to find me."

He kept it brief, his tone flat. "The fever broke. She is still sleeping."

In the middle of that tense silence, Nancy shifted restlessly. She reached out in her sleep, her hand wandering over Barry’s solid forearm. She mumbled under her breath.

"Snowball... why is your skin so smooth..."

Her fingertips traced the lines of his muscles. She let out a small, confused hum. "Since when did you get muscles... feels so good... so solid..."

Barry stiffened. He instinctively wanted to reach out and cover her mouth to stop whatever was coming out of it.

But he was stuck. One hand was locked in her arms as a pillow, and the other was forced to hold the phone while Simon listened to the freezing silence on the other end.

Simon had only caught the tail end of it. "Skin is smooth… Muscles feel good."