AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wave him off. “It could’ve been worse.”
“Very true. It could’ve been your head.”
The words steal my breath. I stare after him, watching as he navigates deftly through the crowd and out onto the sidewalk in front of the airport.
“Who in the hell was that?” Ashley asks.
“I have no idea.”
Gram appears at my side. Her shaky hand grips my elbow. “Piper?”
Two choices unfurl in front of me. I can print out our tickets, go through security, and leave with Ashley and Gram. Or I can sprint out of this airport, hail a taxi on an absolute whim, and warn Timofey about an encounter that might be nothing.
“Piper?” Gram asks again. “Are you okay?”
“We need to go. If we don’t get through security soon, we’re going to be the last ones to board,” Ashley says.
She’s right. I need to go.
But where?
18
TIMOFEY
I haven’t been in the bedroom since before we left for the airport this morning.
The sheets are still in the tangle we left them in last night. The scent of her clings to my skin. I should wash it away, but I’m not quite ready to be rid of the reminder.
I asked Piper to help me forget. But how do I walk away from the night we had? How do I forget the way she said my name while I filled her?
She claimed some deep, unseeable part of me while I claimed her. I’m not sure if that's something I can forget or get back.
But telling her to leave was the right call. Shit is complicated enough without sorting through the mess of my feelings for her. Without trying to figure out why she hasn’t told me about the baby. Is she even having my baby? I haven’t given much thought to her options, and it’s just now sinking in that she might not want to carry my child to term. What ties the sickening knot low in my gut is knowing that I can’t blame her.
As I wander around the empty hotel room, I talk myself into and out of believing Piper is pregnant with my child. That she’ll keep our baby. That she’llwantour baby.
“I should have fucking asked her,” I grumble, pouring the first tiny liquor bottle I find into a shot glass.
Then again, if she wanted me to know, she would have told me. She wouldn’t have left. She’d be here right now. She would have at least put up a fight to stay.
Three quick knocks on the door stop me from taking the shot I just poured.
It’s probably the bellboy. I gave him a big tip the first night we were here, and he hasn’t left me alone since.
“I don’t need anything,” I call. “Do not disturb. It’s on the door.”
There is no answer, just three more knocks.
“Fucking hell.” I stomp to the door and throw it open. “What good is the door hanger if you don’t read—Oh, for God’s sake.”
19
TIMOFEY
Piper raises a hand in both greeting and apology. “Sorry. I thought I might be an exception to the ‘Do Not Disturb.’”
“What are you doing here?” I glance down at her stomach and quickly away. Hopefully, she can’t hear my heart slamming against my ribcage.
