The following day, Layla set out to visit the pet store to purchase dog beds for Venom, Rusty, and Knight. Rusty eagerly approached her, holding his leash in his mouth, prompting Layla to relent and take him along. Meanwhile, Liam remained at home with Venom and Knight. Upon entering the pet store, Layla was struck by its impressive size. While browsing the aisle dedicated to dog beds, both Layla and Rusty responded to a man's voice inquiring, "Is that a Rhodesian Ridgeback?" Turning around, Layla encountered a middle-aged man with brown hair and green eyes. She replied, "Yes, his name is Rusty." The man introduced himself as Eddie, sharing, "I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback when I was a young boy; his name was Banner." Layla responded, "I'm Layla," and they engaged in conversation for a short while before she and Rusty proceeded to the checkout. On her way home, Layla made a stop at Panera Bread to pick up lunch for herself and Liam. Upon returning home with Rusty, she found Liam playing on the floor with Venom and Knight. With a smile, Layla remarked, "My goodness, that's adorable. I brought lunch." As she unpacked the food, Liam began feeding the dogs. While they enjoyed their meal, Layla's phone rang, prompting her to sigh and say, "It's Dad," as she declined the call. Moments later, her phone buzzed with a text from her mother: "Where are you? Why did you leave? Our bills are due; we need you to come back and help us pay them." Clearly irritated, Layla responded, "Typical. They never reached out when I left but as soon as they need something the call me, and now they want my help because they are so cheap." In that moment, Layla decided to block her parents' numbers, feeling an immense sense of relief wash over her.
After enjoying their lunch, Layla and Liam diligently attended to their online tasks until 6:00 PM. Layla then prepared a hearty taco soup for their dinner and fed their dogs some wet dog food. As they settled on the couch to eat, Layla, with her feet resting on Liam's lap, was gently massaging his crotch with her feet. They were watching the evening news when a particular story piqued Layla's interest: "At 3:40 PM today, the body of Eddie Gomery was discovered in his car, which had crashed off the road. Authorities have determined that his brake line was cut, ruling the incident a homicide. Investigations have traced the tampering to the last location he visited, JT's Gas Station." Recognizing the individual on the screen, Layla remarked, "I spoke with him at the pet store earlier today." Concerned, Liam asked, "Are you okay?" Layla replied, "Yes, I feel bad for him and his family, but since I didn't know him personally, I don't feel like crying. I'm just shocked." After completing their dinner, Layla and Liam proceeded to the bedroom, where they engaged in intimate relations. At Layla's request, they experimented with anal intercourse, which brought her immense pleasure. She expressed her enjoyment vocally as Liam increased his rhythm. Both Layla and Liam vocalized mutual satisfaction as he reached climax, ejaculating inside her. Afterwards, Liam observed Layla's own release and commented, "Oh my, you ejaculated a lot, yummy," before proceeding to pleasure her further. They then lay down together and fell asleep. Around 3:30 AM, Layla and Liam were awakened by the low barks of their dogs, Venom, Rusty, and Knight, emanating from the living room. Before Layla could inquire about the disturbance, they heard footsteps outside the house followed by the sound of the trashcan being disturbed. Ready to investigate, Liam retrieved his pistol from under the nightstand while Layla armed herself with a baseball bat. Liam instructed Layla, "Stay inside, I'm going to check if anyone is outside," and he called on Rusty to accompany him outdoors while Venom and Knight remained with Layla. Liam soon returned, reassuring Layla, "It's just me," as he closed the front door. Once back in the bedroom, he concluded, "I think it was just kids messing around; there's nothing out there." Although a bit unsettled, they managed to return to sleep with their dogs resting in the hallway.