AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Piper
When we arriveat the restaurant, we realize it’s at full capacity. Finn mutters something under his breath, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment too. The wait is an hour long, and it seems our dinner plans are falling apart.
Derek suggests we cook at home, and I welcome the suggestion. Honestly, I’m not in the mood to dine with other people around while Teddy is missing.
The drive to the grocery store is quiet, but the tension in the car grows when Derek leaves to pick up the food.
The air between us feels heavy and dense. It’s like he has an invisible forcefield around him that can’t be penetrated or broken. This, the end of us, is more painful than I would’ve ever imagined. The man sitting in the driver’s seat is an older version of Archer, but there’s nothing of him inside. Nothing.
No matter how hard I wish for this to be a nightmare, I know it’s my new reality. This feels like the end of a marriage. The tragic ending to a unique love story… the termination of a happily ever after.
Never in a million years would I have guessed we wouldn’t be Piper and Archer forever. After all these years of waiting for him, and now… it’s over. I can feel it. Our hearts aren’t connected in the same rhythm. Who can connect to a robot? He’s the tin man, but that doesn’t make me Dorothy. I’m now a secondary character. No, I’m an extra in a movie, about to be pushed off-screen and forgotten for good.
I involuntarily snort at the irony.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, nostrils flaring.
“You know when something is so sad and ironic that you just laugh?” I state with a sad smile.
“I wouldn’t know,” he responds earnestly and sighs in confusion, turning slightly to face me. “Is this about your friend, Teddy?”
“No.” I shake my head and welcome the change of subject. “But I am concerned about her.”
He tilts his head, and the corners of Finn’s mouth turn down as he asks, “What happened to the other woman, Myka?”
I twist my lips, moving them from left to right before answering, “She was kidnapped by a trafficker along with a friend… afterward she was in the hospital for a month fighting for her life.”
He nods as if he can sympathize and comprehend. “Was I there when she was taken?”
“No, but…” I exhale, frustrated. “Remember, we’re not discussing your past until everyone is safe, and so far, you’ve done a shitty job.”
Finn’s eyes darken, and his jaw tightens. “Do you think I don’t care? I hate losing people during missions—that’s why I was so messed up last night and…” He closes his mouth, glancing toward the passenger window.
“You could’ve told me,” I reply with a hint of anger in my voice, but then I sigh because how can I expect that much from him.
He doesn’t know me or trust me. He narrows his eyes at me and shakes his head, letting out an exasperated huff. “I promised you I’d keep them safe and failed to do so. Don’t forget that just a few days ago you were accusing me of not keeping my word.”
My cheeks flush with shame, and I look away from him in embarrassment. “That wasn’t fair of me to say. It’s just hard being here, away from my family. I’m always the one having to make sure everyone is okay when it looks like we’re in the middle of an apocalypse.”
He studies me closely, his eyes narrowing, and shakes his head slowly, his mouth forming an ‘hmm’ sound. “That explains a lot,” he murmurs.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.
He gestures to my brace. “From what I’ve observed so far, you don’t have any sense of self-preservation, and you seem to do everything for everyone—except for yourself. If you had stayed in New York, you would be safe, but instead, you had to be there in the middle of everything and put yourself in danger.”
Anger surges through me. “Are you blaming me for what happened? I almost got kidnapped.” My voice rises to a roar.
I seethe with anger as I stare Finn in the eye. He has to be fucking kidding me. I was there for his sister, like I’d been there for all his family since he went missing. My fists curl up on my lap as I try to control my temper. If he were… I sigh and have to remind myself that he’s not Archer. This man doesn’t give two fucks about any of us.
The trunk opens at that moment, and Derek asks, “Are you playing nice, children?” with a voice dripping with amusement.
He probably heard us, but hopefully he won’t say anything. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle these men. Why can’t they let me go home?
ChapterThirty-One
Piper
Perhaps I can staywith these men for a few more days as long as they cook every meal… watching two men cooking has been an experience like no other. I mean, who doesn’t want to watch two sexy hunks catering to one woman? This is some sort of fantasy turned into reality.
