Finally, I’m getting closer to Asheville and the traffic lightens up. I get over and take the ramp to town. If I was smart, I would have called in the order before I left work, but I didn’t. It takes me a few moments to get downtown, and I park as close to Cavasos, the Mexican restaurant, as I can. Which is a few blocks away. Clearly, everyone else in town had the same idea because the line is to the door when I pull it open.
Piper is probably wondering where I am, but I don’t want to text her because it’ll ruin the surprise. Though, at this point, I don’t know how much of a surprise it is. She knows good and well I always come with food. It’s part of the best friend agreement. She does the same when she comes to my house. I don’t even know how this whole tradition got started, but unless we go out to eat, the person visiting brings food. We both know it’s supposed to be the other way around, but we don’t care.
There’s a small space available in the corner for me to wait, and I lean against the wall trying not to knock off any of the decor. One of the waitstaff sees me and comes over to me.
“Do you want the usual?”
The fact he knows what I usually order is a sign we come here way too often. When the food is good, it’s hard not to.
“Yep.”
“Piper, too?”
“Yes, please.” I take in the people in line in front of me. “I can wait my turn. It’s not a big deal.”
He shrugs and backs away from me. “You aren’t eating in the restaurant. Why should you have to wait? I’ll get the order in. By the time you make it to the stand, it should be ready for you.”
“Thank you.”
He has no idea how much time he’s saved me. There’s definitely no reason to let Piper know I’m running late now. She knows how traffic is. Next time, I’m definitely ordering ahead no matter where I stop for food.
The line moves forward at a snail’s pace. I guess the folks dining in aren’t in any rush to get out. More people are coming in behind me. I haven’t even made it to the stand when the guy from earlier waves me over. That was quick.
I hand him my card to pay for the meals, and he hands me the bag. After a quick signature, I’m on my way to my car. At least I don’t have to stop for booze. Piper always has wine on hand. There’s no point in buying more.
One thing I love about it being summer is its still daylight as I pull into Piper’s driveway at seven o’clock. The unfortunate thing…it’s still hot as hell out here.
After putting the car into park, I grab the food and hurry to her front door. All I need is the cold air being inside promises me. Music is blasting through the house as I knock on the door. It’s not the usual pop music she listens to either. Rock is reserved for bad days, and based on her text message earlier, today calls for it.
She doesn’t hear me knocking, and I test the door knob to see if it’s unlocked. Of course it is. No matter how many times I tell her she needs to lock it, she doesn’t. In her eyes, she lives close enough to the winery and far enough from town for anyone to break in. I close the door and lock it behind me. If not, there’s a likelihood any of her siblings will walk right in. It’s not that I have anything against them, but tonight is about cheering up Piper, not bringing her down again.
I make my way through the foyer and make a short detour to the kitchen to set the food on the counter. When I enter the living room, I find exactly what I expect.
Piper is sprawled on the couch. A bottle of wine is open on the coffee table, but I don’t see a glass. Okay, so she’s taking the rejection harder than normal. Plus, she’s always been a bit dramatic.
I grab the remote from the table and turn down the music before setting it back down. Piper doesn’t move. She’s not asleep. Instead, she’s zoned out and lost in her thoughts. I hate the way her family makes her feel. She’s just as much a part of Starlit Fields as them, and they don’t give her a voice. At least, not unless it benefits them. And by them, I mean mostly Pierce. He’ll be the boss when their dad retires.
I could lift her up, so I can sit down and hold her. It’s probably better that I don’t. Every time I console her, it rips a hole in my heart. Not just because of her family, but also because she’s the person I’ll never get to have as more than a friend. There are too many years of friendship to ruin it, and I don’t want to lose her being a part of my life.
“Piper,” I whisper. She doesn’t answer, just continues to stare at the ceiling. “I brought food.”
Those three little words are all it takes for her to acknowledge I’m here. She knows I came in. I just wanted to give her time to collect herself. She’ll speak when she’s ready. It’s not often she doesn’t have something to say over the years I’ve known her.
“What did you bring? Hopefully something that goes well with that.” She points toward the bottle on the table.
“You’ll have to get up and find out.” I stand up and reach for her hand.
“Fine,” she groans, but takes my hand. “Just say you hate me like the rest of my family.”
“First off, I could never hate you.” I lift her from the couch and lead her toward the kitchen. “Second of all, it’s kind of mean to lump me in with your siblings when you’re mad at them.”
“I’m sorry. They are irritating, though. My presentation was amazing, but they wouldn’t even take the chance. They are too scared of change. Parker said he agreed with my ideas after the meeting.”
“Did he speak up with Pierce in the room?”
“No.”
“Then his opinion doesn’t matter.”
