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“That is what I hear,” she said as she hugged me, and I heard the smile in her voice.
As we relaxed down in our usual comfortable silence, her other hand snaked up and took the hand of the arm around her shoulder. And I breathed easily. The anger and resentment that had me seeking her out still niggled at me. I felt it humming in the back of my head, but my breath came easier. Still not quite easy enough that I wasn’t soon reaching for a smoke.
“I could have moved,” Piper said.
It took me a moment to realise what she meant. And, yeah, she could have. But I didn’t want her to.
“You could have.”
“You just had to ask.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to disturb your peace and quiet.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Doesn’t much, does it.”
“Well, you just have to ask next time.”
I could, but I wouldn’t.
“I like you exactly the way you are, Barlow. If I asked you to move for a sec, you might think I don’t want you lying on me. Then, where would I be?”
“Well, now I know how you feel about that, I’ll make sure to lie on you as often as possible.”
That was both the best news I’d had in my life and the worst.
“Good.” After a while, I thought of something and said, “Barlow?”
“Hm?”
“You never seemed fussed by my smoking.”
“Am I meant to be?”
“Most people are. Especially the non-smokers.” I fake gasped. “Unless, you’re a closet smoker!”
She sniggered. “No. Not a closet smoker. I just don’t think it’s my business and it doesn’t bother me. You want to smoke? Smoke.”
That didn’t sound like her at all. Not the her I now knew.
“You’re not judging the underage smoker? Wondering how I get them?” Not that Iwasunderage. Anymore.
“We don’t judge, remember?”
I appreciated that, but, “Seriously, Barlow?”
“What? Sure, it’s not the greatest habit–”
“What did you think of it last week?” I had to hide my smile.
“Nothing.” She squirmed and I wasn’t sure why she wasn’t being honest.
“Bullshit. Spine, please.”
“Fine. That it was stupid and made you a total idiot,” she said quickly.
There was my Piper. “And, what made you change your mind?”
