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We order a feast of waffles and bacon, and Piper chats about her assignments and plans for next spring. “I love learning all the business theories and case studies. Most people go back into the corporate world after, but I had my taste of that after college. No thank you. I want to start my own company,” she says, “I’m just not sure what.”
“Make sure you love it,” I warn her. “Because you’ll be living, breathing, and eating it 24/7 to get things off the ground.”
Piper smiles. “Tell that to Dash. He still pretends it’s all just a hobby he stumbled into.”
“Right,” I roll my eyes. “Because God forbid he break a sweat over anything, and let on that he actually cares.”
The words are out before I realize that they’re not exactly the kind of thing a devoted girlfriend would say, but luckily, Piper is laughing in agreement.
“Right?” she grins. “I swear, he’s too relaxed for his own good. Even if something matters to him, he has to pretend like it’s all one big party. It’s so nice he has you now,” she adds. “To give him a hard time.”
“I definitely do that,” I say slowly—which is true.
“Do you think it’s serious?” she ventures curiously, fixing me with a look over the maple syrup. “I mean, could you see yourself settling down?”
I gulp and take a big bite of waffle to buy myself some time. Fibbing to Zelda is one thing, but Piper is smart, and funny, and nice—I genuinely like her.
Which means lying to her face feels icky on a whole other level.
“I… think that’s up to Dash,” I answer finally. “I’m having a great time, so I’m open to whatever happens.”
There. Tactful and vague, and even true. The perfect combination.
But of course, Piper doesn’t settle for that.
“I know he can be an arrogant dick sometimes,” she says. “But he’s a good guy underneath all that. Really. The best I know.” Her blue eyes fill with affection. “Since our parents died, he’s always been there for me, no matter what. I mean, one time I was at a sleepover in eighth grade and had terrible nightmares. He bailed on Spring Break with his friends to come pick me up, never said a word to complain.”
Uh oh. More stories about Dash’s kind, loyal heart? This is not what I need to keep my flutterings locked down.
“Of course, now I’m the one complaining about how overprotective he is,” she adds, and I relax. Now this is safer territory.
“Killing your game, is he?”
“What game?” Piper sighs. “Between him and his buddies at the bar, it’s like I’ve got a neon sign hanging over my head: ‘Baby sister, do not touch!’”
“He’ll get over it,” I advise her. “I was the same way, with my family, at least.”
“What did you do?”
“Ignored them. Forged my own path.” I grin. “Sometimes you have to do something dramatic, just to make them look at you in a new light.”
Piper looks thoughtful. “Dramatic…” she muses, and I wonder if I’ve just created a monster.
My phone buzzes with a text from Dash.
Where did you go?!!!
I smile at his panicked exclamations. Probably worried I’m spinning more stories of his romantic prowess.
Why? I text back. Miss me?
Always. And there’s nobody to buffer me from gala planning.
“Dash is at the mercy of Zelda,” I report to Piper. “Shall we take pity on him?”
“Umm, nope!” Piper grins. “Do you know how many of these things I’ve had to help with? It’s definitely his turn.”
I text back: Sorry, waffles beat you, any day.
