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"I have another meeting with my counselor soon." Mom looks from Piper to me. "Why don't you buy your girlfriend a cup of coffee? Or dinner. We need a few hours." She stage whispers. "She's very pretty."
Again, Piper blushes.
"She's smart too. And talented. She's an actress." She's a lot more than pretty, though she is fucking beautiful. And, more importantly. "We're not—"
"Coffee would be great." Piper looks up to me. "If you need some time alone, I can get one with Joel."
Mom shakes her head. "Don't give her a chance to realize how charming Joel is."
Piper laughs. "He definitely has a unique charm."
After a few rounds of goodbyes, and a setting a post-dinner meeting time, we step into the hallway.
Joel looks up at us and raises a brow.
I'm about to go explain when Piper leans in to hug me.
She wraps her arms around me and squeezes tight.
I'm shaking.
I had no fucking idea I was shaking.
"Are you okay?" she whispers.
No. But, for the first time, I believe I'm gonna get there.
After we update Joel, he makes an obviously fake excuse about needing to make a call.
Piper and I get coffee at the cart in front of the building, mine black, hers full of cream and sugar.
She lets out a sigh of pleasure as she takes a sip. "I need this caffeine." Her lips curl into a smile. "Is there anything better than coffee when you're dead tired?"
A few things. The smile on her face, for starters. The way my body feels light and warm around her. The way she blows away all the ugly grey clouds obscuring the blue sky.
It's a nice day today. Warm. Sunny. Not a single cloud in the blue sky.
I know she can't control the weather, but it feels that way.
She stakes another sip of her coffee and lets out another sigh. "Yours good?"
It's okay coffee. Her company makes it great. "It is."
"You must be tired. You only got a few hours of sleep."
"You too."
She nods. Her blue eyes fill with affection. She looks at me then looks to the courtyard around the corner. "Should we sit?"
"Sure." I take her hand to lead her down the concrete path.
The courtyard is tiny—two concrete tables with concrete benches, half a dozen rows of purple and pink flowers—but it's perfect. It's like her, a bright spot in an otherwise dreary day.
I know it's a gorgeous, sunny day, but this whole fucking thing is ugly and grey.
She's been the sunshine in my life all year.
I left her place thinking my heart was dust. It's okay. If anything, the glue holding it together is fused in place.
