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I get dressed in basketball shorts and sneakers, use the bathroom—glaring at the dozen bottles the whole time—and head downstairs. The sun has barely begun to rise, golden light glimmering along the bottom of the horizon.
I stretch on the porch railing and then start off at an easy jog that quickly escalates as I remember all the reasons I’m currently annoyed.
The pound of my shoes against the dirt driveway is reassuring, so I try to focus on that and nothing else, running past field after field until my breathing is labored and sweat is pouring off me. A few trucks pass me, the morning crew coming in for milking. I wave but continue running. My muscles are all sore from the manual labor I’ve put them through the past week, but I embrace the burn of pain.
When the house comes back into view, it’s paired with an unfamiliar sight.
Piper is sitting on the swing on the front porch, her bare feet propped up on top of the railing. My stomach lurches like I’m falling forward, reacting to the sight.
She looks better than I’d expect, considering the sounds coming from the bathroom late last night. I’m pretty sure she drank her weight in beer and tequila at Wagon Wheel.
Ten feet from the porch, I slow my pace to a walk. I thought I’d have a few hours before seeing her, so I haven’t considered what I’ll say to her. Beneath the sweat and exhaustion, there’s still a slow simmer of anger.
“You’re up early,” she comments when I reach the top of the stairs before sipping some coffee.
Internally, I cheer at the sight because that means she brewed a pot while I was out running, and her coffee tastes much better than mine for whatever reason. Most people would probably consider caring about that a low point. But it feels good, caring about the little things. For too long, I’ve only been focused on the larger picture. Big goals, not small victories.
“I wasn’t the one doing tequila shots last night,” I respond, leaning against the railing.
A slight breeze ruffles the air, and it feels incredible against my sweaty skin. I watch the green leaves of the oak wave in the wind until Piper’s voice pulls my attention from the tree back to her.
“You didn’t drink at all.”
I’m surprised she noticed, but I don’t let it show. Her dig about me being no fun might have been unnecessary, but it was true. Ironically, I used to be the life of the party. I was young and reckless, told to look like I was having the time of my life because that would mean more streams and I was eager to listen.
“I was driving.”
Piper pulls in a deep breath, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m sorry.”
I cross my arms. “For what?”
She huffs a laugh. “For pretty much everything I said and did after we got to the bar. Everyone was nice, but it was weird, being around a big group of people who knew each other so well. I was…nervous, so I kept drinking. And I’m frustrated about being here. But that’s not exactly your fault either. So, yeah, I’m sorry. It was highly unprofessional.”
Fuck, I think.
It took me a couple of hours to fall asleep last night—I was so angry. I just ran for an hour in an attempt to get rid of the lingering irritation.
And it’s all gone. Totally absent, like it never existed, just because she apologized.
A stunt that I might deem unforgivable were it anyone else.
I tell myself it’s because she’s right—we’re stuck together—but I’m worried there’s more to it than that.
“It’s fine,” I say, but I’m not sure it is. Concerned where these feelings could lead.
Piper takes a sip of coffee, then refocuses on me. “It’s nice you’ve stayed so close with your friends. I didn’t keep in touch with that many people I went to high school with, and I never left. I’m not famous either.”
“I’ve always kept the two separate.”
Tooseparate probably. There’s overlap between Kyle and Miles, but I’ve always treated them like two different people. Success and failure. Happiness and heartbreak.
I clear my throat just to break the silence. “I’d better go shower. Still have thirty acres to finish today.”
“Are the guys coming over?”
“No. They’ve got lives.”
“What could be better than spending the day with Kyle Spencer?”
