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Cupping her cheeks, I bring her face to mine, but I don't kiss her. Instead, I rest my forehead against hers and make her a promise I fully intend to keep this time.
"I can't promise you I won't screw this up, pretty girl. But I can promise you that this is what I want. That I'll do everything in my power to make you happy. To put a smile on your face and keep the tears at bay. I'll protect you at all costs, and that includes your heart. All I'm asking is for a chance. I want to be able to kiss you. To hold your hand. For the chance to fall asleep with you in my arms. To show you how I feel. Can you give me that, pretty girl? Can you take a chance on me?"
Apparently, I'm not above begging.
Because that's what I just did.
"Why do you call me that?"
"Pretty girl?"
"Yeah. You say it all the time. The first few times, I thought you didn't know my name and you were just trying to cover it up."
"What do you think now?"
"A pet name. I don't know. That's why I asked."
"I call you that because you're beautiful, Piper. Because the moment I laid eyes on you, it was the first thought in my head.My pretty girl. And that's how I've thought of you ever since. As mine. I know that sounds possessive, and I'm sorry. I don't want to own you or control you. It's not like that. I want to be with you. Plus, I didn't even realize you heard me say it."
"Sometimes I don't think you realize you do. No one ever comments on it, so I don't either."
"What do you mean no one comments on it?" Pulling back, I hold her gaze as my fingers tangle with her hair. I have to resist the urge to kiss her when I see her eyes flick to my mouth. When her tongue darts out and wets her bottom lip.
"You know. Max, Brady, Colt. Pick a friend, they've all heard it. You say it all the time in front of them." Her explanation is monotone as she continues to stare at my lips.
"I do?" She nods, the movement causing my fingers to sink deeper into her hair. Her face draws close to mine. Her stare sends a shot of need straight to my groin. Not that I haven’t been yearning for her all night. The second I spotted her in her yoga pants earlier, I had to adjust myself. I've had a hard-on for the last seven hours. "I didn't even realize I was doing it. Or that anyone else heard. I always thought it was in my head."
"Definitely not in your head."
"And you had no idea I felt this way about you? That I wanted to be more than just your friend?"
For the smartest girl I know, she should have picked up on that. It's not subtle. She's not dense. Even if I wasn't aware I was doing it, she was.
Leaning in close, I brush my lips across hers. She lets out a stuttered breath, and I take the opportunity to steal it from her, sealing my lips against her. When my tongue traces the seam of her lips, she opens them for me.
The first taste of her is heaven. I never want the kiss to end. She's ruined me for all other women.
But it does end.
When Piper pushes me away.
"We'll never work," she utters between labored breaths.
"You don't know that unless we try."
"You don't understand. Relationships lead to feelings. Feelings grow. They become so powerful and all-consuming they end up destroying everything in their path. I don't want that for you. You should be with someone who can give you the happily ever after you deserve. That person can't be me."
I feel her withdrawing, physically and emotionally, as it’s happening. And all I can do is watch. Let her words sink in as she runs from my car. Let them wrap around my heart as I watch her drive away.
The one thing I don't do is accept them.
Of all the things I'm good at, giving up is not one of them.
And I don't plan to start now.
I just need to figure out how to make her see what I see. The possibilities. The greatness. The love we could share.
She feels it; I know she does.
