Instead of going directly to the main road that leads to the winery, I make the loop. I know I said I wouldn’t go to Piper’s house, but technically I’m not. Driving by is completely different. I only want to make sure she’s okay.
The kitchen light casts a yellow glow in her window. It’s the only light on in the house from what I can tell. She didn’t even get a chance to eat before she left, and I hope she has some food in her freezer. I’d run to town and get her something, but I know it wouldn’t help matters.
Leave it to me to completely fuck this up. In over a decade I’ve never been dishonest with her…until now. I only hope I didn’t screw up so badly I put an end to us before we’ve had a chance to begin.
Knowing she’s safe and sound, I pull away from her house and head toward mine. I could go to Out of the Ashes and drown my sorrows for the evening, but I don’t deserve the comfort. Not when I’ve managed to rattle Piper so much in the space of one evening.
The drive home feels like a lost memory. It’s like I was at Piper’s house then all of a sudden, I was home. I’ve made the drive so many times it’s second nature. This is the first time I’ve ever felt shame and dejection.
My house is pitch black when I unlock the door. I lock it behind me and head straight to my room. The only thing for me to do is figure out how to make things right.
My phone pings with a text message and I pull it out of my pocket hoping like hell it’s Piper. Maybe she’s reaching out for my side of the story.
It’s not her, though. I flop onto the bed and kick off my shoes.
Parker
How could you not tell her Pierce knew?
This is not the conversation I feel like having right now, but I guess I need to. It’s too long to text so I press his picture and hit call.
“Do you really think it’s a good idea to call me right now after everything that went down with my sister?” Well, that’s a fun way to answer the phone.
“Hold the judgement. You aren’t exactly on her favorite people list either. You didn’t tell her about your dad’s announcement.”
“That’s something she’ll get over, though.” He pauses, and I can picture him shaking his head. “You, on the other hand, lied to her.”
“Who told you about it?” In the end it doesn’t really matter, but if he’s going to call and bitch me out, he needs to know the full story.”
“Pierce. After I asked him where you and Piper were.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t tell you the part where he threatened to fire Piper?”
He’s silent for a long moment and I think he’s hung up, but finally he has the outburst I was waiting for. “He did what? He doesn’t have the authority to do that. Dad was pretty clear about all of us being a part of the business. Even Paula should she decide to come back.”
Parker doesn’t interrupt about how this whole thing started after those social stories, and how I needed to keep her fromdoing them or he’d fire her. It’s actually wild when I repeat it. Who the hell does that to a sibling?
“The only way I could prevent that from happening is to tell him we were still going to do it. And he said she couldn’t know that he was in on it.”
“That’s actually fucked up. I would say I can’t believe he’d do that, but I can. He’s a hard-headed person. I just didn’t think he was that stubborn.”
“Yeah, he is. He should have just approved her ideas, or at least some of them. It seems like business has been booming since Piper started posting on socials. But I don’t even care about Pierce’s part in all this. I need to figure out how I’m going to fix things with your sister.”
“Please fix it. I don’t know that I can handle Piper in a bad mood.”
“Have any ideas?” Hopefully he has something because I don’t know what to do. In over ten years we’ve never really fought.
“Sorry, man. I’ve got nothing. You are probably the only person who knows her inside and out. She’s never really let her full-self shine with the rest of us. Though, that’s probably our fault for always picking on her.”
“Probably.” I sigh in defeat. It took longer than one night for her to find out I was keeping a secret. I need to take more than one night to make things better. Making her mad takes a while, but getting back in her good graces takes even longer. She still doesn’t talk to some people in high school over petty things.
“I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”
“Thanks. Talk to you later.” I press the end button and toss my phone on the bed.
I really and truly fucked up with her this time. Tonight, I’ll stew in my disappointment. Tomorrow, though, it’s time tofigure out how I’m going to get my girl back. Even if it’s not in a romantic way, I need my best friend.
twenty-five
