Page 84 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

Shit. Going to the event at all was going to be an exercise in patience and restraint. Having to swap mindless talk about the stock market, and how much the Titans needed a new stadium, was already creating tension in my jaw. Adding a date to that scenario was a thousand times worse. Of course, my mind went to Piper. How having her by my side would make the night bearable. But every time I thought about bringing it up, considered having to introduce her to that vapid crowd, my throat went dry and my pulse raced.

I could barely stand those people. How could I in good conscience consider making her suffer through it as well? And my parents? They’d be awful to her just because she didn’t have an old-money pedigree.

The one time I introduced them to Sydney, I had to grit my teeth through the entire dinner because all they did was ask about her family. What her parents did for a living. By the angry pinch to her mouth after they were done with their interrogation, it was obvious my girlfriend wondered what the hell she was doing with me.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and walked to the front door.

All day long the clinic had been a frenzy. Nurses rushed in and out of rooms. Receptionists and schedulers answered the dizzying number of phone calls. But once we closed for the night, a peaceful calm settled over the space.

I’d never pictured myself in a place like this. Getting to know a community in such an intimate way. If circumstances were different, if I thought I could change Piper’s mind, maybe I’d consider coming back. She’d been very clear on the terms of our relationship though, and the last thing I wanted to do was push her into something she never wanted.

Chaos was too calm a word for the current scene inside the theater. Teenagers chased each other across the stage, singing songs and trying to follow the accompanying choreography. The kids that weren’t onstage filled the first three rows. Various parents scrambled around them, pressing costumes into their hands.

I searched the room for Piper and found her at the piano singing along with the kids. Her dark braid swung behind her as she tipped up her chin, head tracking each of the young actors’ movements like she was mentally making notes for what needed to be adjusted. I was so mesmerized by her that I didn’t notice Maisey walk to my side.

‘Piper’s damn talented, don’t you think?’

‘There are no words for it. She is simply… extraordinary.’

She gave me a pleased smile. ‘Ding. Ding. Ding. That is the correct answer.’

‘Did you think I’d say anything else?’

She tapped her chin. ‘You like her.’

‘Of course I do.’

‘No.’ Her eyes narrowed and she stepped closer. Too close. ‘You like like her.’

I laughed, looking down my nose at this small and very determined woman. ‘What does that mean exactly?’

‘That this isn’t some small-town fling for you.’

I pressed my lips thin and she didn’t bat an eye. ‘We’re enjoying each other’s company,’ was all I could offer.

Hell, this woman was Piper’s best friend. She knew her better than anyone. If I let it slip that Piper was all I thought about, that I couldn’t imagine her not being a part of my life, it might spook Piper into ending things with me right now, and there was no way I was risking that.

‘Basically, you’re rolling around in the sheets with zero commitment. Sounds like a great deal for you.’

Her voice carried and more than a few parents shot unpleasant gazes in our direction.

‘I’m not comfortable saying more,’ I said in a low tone. ‘This is a private matter between me and Piper.’

‘You’ve been here long enough,’ she huffed out. ‘So I suspect you’ve heard why she was in the hospital that night.’

‘Honestly, no. I’ve haven’t heard much, which I guess is a credit to how much people care about her.’

‘That asshole, that…’ She took a gulp. ‘There was a dealer she owed money to, and he forced her to tell him about the Huckleberry Lane house. He showed up with a mass of people, made her watch while he and his group destroyed the home that Beck, Torran and Manny had lovingly restored. The place that held the last precious memories of her parents. It nearly killed her.’

The murderous look on her face told me there was much more to the story.

‘They tore down the antique lighting. Put holes in the freshly painted walls with sledgehammers. Manny spent weeks restoring the stairs and banister, and those guys destroyed it in minutes,’ she spat out. ‘Imagine finally getting a piece of your family, your past, back and then having it eviscerated right before your eyes.’ Her gaze flicked to where Piper stood. ‘That girl has been through a lot of rough shit. If things are casual like you say they are, then walk away when the time comes. But,’ her breath hitched, ‘if your feelings are more serious, tell her. Piper’s traveled a long road. She’s done the work to get to this life that she deserves. That life should also be filled with real and true love. If you can’t be that guy, make sure she knows that before you leave.’

My mind spun back to the night in Piper’s apartment when I asked if she could trust me. How pain and fear flickered across her face. She’d been through hell. Treated like crap. The fact that she’d taken a chance on me said volumes about the person she’d become.

Piper walked up the aisle toward us and for the first time Maisey’s tough exterior shook. ‘All I’m asking is that you don’t hurt her. Promise me you won’t.’

Hurt her? I’d rather cut out my own damn heart.