“Food was always such a contentious thing after Mom died. The fact that you added a whole baked good section?—”
“And you can have whatever you want. For free.”
“That’s not a good business decision.”
“I don’t care about business when it comes to you.”
I shouldn’t have admitted it, but like all things with her, I did exactly what I shouldn’t. Every time I’d seen her, I’d gone into it with the intention of keeping distance between us.
And yet here I was, in her arms, as she attempted to squeeze the life out of me.
“I thought you were mad at me for the other night.” She admitted it quietly.
This time, I pulled away and looked at her, bewildered. “Why would you think that?”
“You up and vanished. Right after I finally got a little brave. I thought maybe I pushed you too hard.”
“I—you—” I had a chance to cut this off here. I could tell her that we needed to slow down, that I was happy she was getting past her fear, but nothing would happen between us.
The words wouldn’t come out.
“Did I?”
“No. You didn’t.” It was the truth that I didn’t want to admit to myself. “When you told me you forgot to eat, I was more focused on this, but I promise that was all.”
Piper stared at me for a moment before nodding. She wiped away the last of her tears and I thought she would fully step away for good, but she looked at me through her lashes, a move that made my heart skip a beat.
Then it nearly stopped when she bounced up onto her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. All I could feel was the soft press of her lips like a stamp on my soul.
I froze, both wanting her closer and wishing she would run from me like she should.
“I’ll never forget this,” she said as she pulled away.
I felt like I was on fire.
Piper went back out to the front and took everything we’d saved for her. When she came back for a refill, her smile was even bigger, and she told us how much she enjoyed every single thing we had.
“So, do I get to be a bridesmaid at your wedding?”
“Kelsey,” I warned.
“Hey, if I saw all of this happen, I want to be a part of the wedding. If you say no, I’ll ask Piper. I’d make a killer maid of honor.”
“You are so annoying,” I said.
“Are you going to deny it?”
I needed to. God, I needed to, but I wouldn’t.
Because I knew the truth. My cheek still burned from where her lips pressed against my skin, and I couldn’t stop the way I stared at her as she wrote.
I was so fucked.
And there was nothing I could do to stop it.
27
PIPER
