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“That’s a lot of what ifs. Ones I can’t accept right now.” I scratch my fingernail over the handle of the mug. “I have to believe that he’ll remember, Piper. If I don’t…” I don’t need to finish my sentence as she understands me clearly.
We chew in pensive silence, not needing any words to convey how we feel.
“Mornin’.”
Saxon’s arrival is exactly the distraction Piper needs. I, on the other hand, cringe and sink further into my seat. As he walks through the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee, I can’t help but admire his good looks. My admiration of his freshly washed hair, white fitted t-shirt, and ripped blue jeans which hug all the right places has me thinking about our weird adrenalin punch last night.
One minute we were talking and the next I was questioning if my hand was on fire. I don’t understand it. His confident, cocky touch is so unlike Samuel’s, which is probably a good thing, seeing as he’s not my fiancé.
“You sleep okay?”
His gravel coated voice snaps me from my thoughts. “Yeah, fine,” I lie, meeting his lucid stare over the rim of his raised mug. Wisps of hair cover his left eye, the guise appearing as if he’s guarding a secret.
Is he angry at me? He has every right to be. I lashed out last night, and he didn’t deserve it. With that thought in mind, I push the box of sugar his way. “The pink ones are my favorite.” He peers down at the box, grinning when he observes the lone pink donut surrounded by a sea of other colors.
I can’t ignore this peace offering is similar to one that he offered me a few weeks ago. It appears we both need sugary goodness on hand to pardon our behavior towards each other.
He reaches for the pink frosted donut with colorful sprinkles, licking the gooey icing from his fingers. However, he surprises me as he passes it to me. I accept, as I would never turn down such an offering.
“You said they were your favorite,” he explains when I continue staring at him. I can’t help but smirk as he then reaches for the yellow frosted one.
“Let’s throw a party,” Piper announces, breaking my gaze. When I cringe, she playfully wiggles her finger at me. “You said yes.”
“I know, but that was before all of this—” I motion with my pointer around the room “—happened.”
“What happened?” a croaky voice from behind me says. Does he not remember last night?
Piper stops chewing as she looks over my shoulder, not bothering to hide her distaste at Samuel’s appearance. “Did you enjoy your stay in the barn? You sure as hell smell like you slept amongst the animals. Or maybe that’s your natural stench.”
“Piper!” I scold, my ponytail striking like a whip as I turn to face her. I play facial charades, begging her to stop.
She stops, but does a poor job at hiding her scowl. And Saxon does a poor job at hiding his lopsided grin.
When Sam rounds the counter, I suppress the urge to yell at him and be the bigger person. “Coffee?” He looks like utter shit in his crumpled clothes, snarled hair, and dark rings under his eyes. It appears we both slept like crap.
He nods while peering into the box of donuts. “Thanks.”
I steady my hand as I pour his cup of coffee. His reply is better than a ‘fuck you.’ Maybe he’s woken up on the right side of the bale. One can only hope.
When I pass him his coffee, I can’t help but notice Saxon standing off to the side, leaning against the counter as he quietly sips his coffee. Is he waiting for an apology from Sam? I know I owe him one, and I realize Sam owes us both one— actually, he owes us many. His behavior yesterday was really shitty, and then there’s the fact of where exactly my car is.
But all of that can wait until after he’s had his session with Sophia.
“So, party?” Piper says, cutting through the silence.
Just as I’m about to object once again, Sam’s expression has me zipping my lips. “What party?”
“Thanks to your amnesia taking up everyone’s life…” I close my eyes, shaking my head at Piper’s tactlessness. “We have forgotten what fun is. No pun intended,” she adds, waving off her comment. “So, I suggest we have a party to remind us.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Sam replies, a smile lighting up his face. “Who are you, by the way?”
Piper shrugs, not at all offended. “We’re arch enemies. Quite frankly, I hate your guts right now.” Saxon’s laugh gets lost within the walls of his mug as he chokes on his coffee.
“She’s joking,” I amend, widening my eyes at Piper, telling her to quit it.
“No, I’m really not,” she argues sarcastically. Sam doesn’t seem offended, so I let it go.
With the party apparently going ahead, I decide to get ready as its already 9:30 and Sophia will be here soon. The problem is, how do I tell Samuel? I can’t be sure if he remembers Sophia penciling in this appointment. It wasn’t like he wrote it down or seemed remotely interested in the prospect of her seeing him after he was discharged.
