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I hold up a hand and she goes silent immediately. That’s progress. Maybe I can teach an old dog new tricks after all.
“I’ll stay out of her life if you cooperate. It’s that simple, Piper. Do as I say and the leeches you insist on loving stay safe. Do you understand?”
She nods slowly.
“Good. Then you’ll be my plus-one for—”
“No.” She releases a shaky breath and meets my eyes. “I said I understand. I never said I agreed.”
“I knew things with you wouldn’t be that easy,” I sigh. “When will you learn, Piper?”
She lifts her chin up in defiance. “When I’m cold and dead.”
45
TIMOFEY
It’s late, but I can hear Piper talking softly in her room.
"It was a stressful day." There's a long pause while whoever she is talking to responds. "I love you, too. I've just been busy."
Who the fuck is she talking to? I asked her about Rodion, but I apparently should have made sure there wasn't anyone else in her life.
"You're right," she sighs. "I should have called sooner. You and Gram both deserved a prompt apology. I didn't mean anything I said."
My hackles lower as I realize she's talking to Ashley. One of the leeches.
“I really didn’t mean it. You are one of my best friends, Ash. You mean—” She stops, groaning at whatever Ashley says. “Yes, you’reone ofmy best friends. I love you and Noelle the same. No, no tiebreakers.”
I roll my eyes. Ashley is a leech financiallyandemotionally, apparently. Fucking pathetic.
“Where are you?” There’s a tension in Piper’s voice that wasn’t there a second ago. “I hear voices, and you…you don’t sound like yourself. What’s going on?”
Some emergency, I’m sure. Something just bad enough to make Piper feel guilty for ever being honest with her. Something that will make Piper rush off to save her.
“Where are you?” Piper demands. “Ashley, tell me right now. Please.”
I push open her door just as Piper curses into her phone. “Ash, goddamm—”
“I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Piper jumps at the sound of my voice and then scowls. “Get out of my room.”
I lean against the frame. “No.”
She waves me away and reaches for her purse at the end of the bed. “Fine. Then I’ll leave.”
“Wrong again.”
“This isn’t a debate, Timofey.”
“You’re right,” I agree. “It isn’t. You’re not going anywhere.”
She rifles through her purse for a second and then her entire body droops. When she turns around, there are tears welling in her eyes. “Ashley is in trouble.”
“What else is new?”
“Stop it,” she snaps, sniffling. “After our fight the other day, she kind of fell apart. She went off the radar, and I thought everything was fine, but she sounded messed up on the phone.”
