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“Perfect. I'll text you the address and see you around six?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
I couldn't contain my excitement, even though I knew it was too soon to think of this as anything more than two old friends reconnecting after several years apart. It was probably stupid to allow myself to think it would ever evolve into anything but that. Still, I'd missed Shane so much over the years, that having him back in my life was nice, and I was looking forward to spending more time with him. Even if we did end up just being friends.
“See you then,” he said before hanging up.
My heart was racing as I put my phone back down on the end table. Slow down, Piper. You can't rush into this, I thought. Even though I told myself that, it was hard not to get worked up. Shane and I had something special back in the day.
Or, I thought we had, at least.
I knew that back in the day, he'd felt the same way. But, our lives just took two dramatically different turns, that being together was no longer an option. Knowing that, I kind of figured we'd never find our way back to each other again.
Maybe we wouldn't. Hell, I had a daughter he didn't know about, plus baggage with my ex to deal with. He had his own baggage now too. Maybe we wouldn't end up happily ever after, but at least this time, I'd know it wasn't merely because we chose different colleges.
At least I'd finally have some closure.
CHAPTER SIX
SHANE
With my last check from the security job, I managed to pick up some food at the market. I couldn't afford to take her out to dinner or do anything fancy, but I worked with what I had. Nolan and Emily were more than happy to eat in the living room in front of the TV while I set up the tiny little dining area for Piper and me.
I don't know what I wanted to come out of this dinner, this reconnection with a woman I'd cared about so much, so long ago. But, the thought of seeing her again, outside the convenience store this time, made me smile.
“I think your girlfriend is here,” Nolan called out as I pulled the spaghetti from the oven.
I wasn't much of a cook, but I could make a mean baked spaghetti and meatballs, thanks to my mom. I rushed to the door and opened it, and stood there for a second with wide eyes, taking her in. My mouth had fallen open into a perfect “O,” and I'm pretty sure I'd stopped breathing altogether for a minute.
She wore a black cotton sheath dress, simple and classic, that was almost the exact same color as her hair. It brought out the paleness of her complexion and the gray in her eyes beautifully and hugged her curves in all the right places. I couldn't help but notice just how nicely she'd filled out over our time apart. It literally left me speechless for a few moments.
“Uh come in,” I said, finally snapping out of my trance and opened the door enough for her to step inside. “And welcome to our humble abode.”
She grinned. “Thank you,” she said.
She looked over
at Emily sitting on the couch, staring at the TV, totally uninterested in the world around her.
“Wow,” Piper said. “They have both grown up so much.”
Emily's gaze flickered over to us and I saw the first spark of interest I'd seen in them all day. That spark of interest was quickly followed by the light of recognition.
“Piper?” Emily asked.
“You remember me?” Piper said.
“Of course,” Emily said, her face lighting up. “You were always my favorite of Shane's girlfriends.”
Ouch. Piper's smile wavered just a bit, drawing a mortified expression from Emily. It was as if she'd only just realized it was the wrong thing to say. Emily cleared her throat quickly and tried to save face.
“I mean, not that he had many,” she said. “But – well – of the few he brought home, you were the only one I remembered.”
“Well thank you, I think,” Piper chuckled.
I took Piper's hand, her skin as soft as I remembered it, and led her into the dining room and away from my brother and sister before they could say anything else that might make either Piper or myself feel awkward and uncomfortable.
“It smells delicious,” Piper said as we stepped into the kitchen-slash-dining area.
