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Piper
PIPER DELMONICO
You ok?
I stare at the words on my screen, my text to Fitz unanswered. Fuck. One second, we’re fine. The next, I’m getting iced out and walked out on while Ryan Trinh picks his jaw up off the speedway floor. Nolan, Brett, and Kyle went after Fitz ages ago, leaving us with Dylan, who we decided was probably safer out of Fitz’s line of sight, as well.
My phone buzzes, and I jump, hoping it’s Fitz responding to my text, but it’s a group chat.
FAM BAM (1)Alex, Penny, Brett, Nolan
BRETT ROBINSON
We’re on our way back out. Fitz is coming too.
I suck in a breath, my eyes darting back to where Ryan is still sitting with people I don’t recognize. He’s aged a little, but for the most part, he hasn’t changed since I last saw him at graduation. Same cocky smile, same almond shaped eyes, same-
“Hey,” Penny says behind me, and I swivel in my seat to see all four men coming down the steps. We stand, letting Kyle and Brett slide in behind us as Fitz starts down our row. His face has softened, his forehead creased in what looks like concern, maybe determination, as he reaches out a hand for me. Surprised, I meet Alex’s eye before moving to sit, but a hand wraps around my waist and I’m spinning around, back toward Fitz.
And suddenly, I’m being bent back in a sweeping, feverish kiss that catches me by surprise, gasping against Fitz’s lips. He murmurs a laugh, tangling a hand in my hair and swiping his tongue over my lip until I’m meeting him stroke for stroke, my back arching in a dip straight out of a cinematic ending. I grab at his neck, his shoulder, anywhere I can find purchase.
“Oi, get a room!” someone calls, and for once, it’s not Alex, because I hear her tell them promptly where to stick it as Fitz laughs against my lips again. He pulls me back up, meeting my gaze with a warm stare that makes me go a little gooey.
“Uh,” I stutter, and he smiles. “Was that to show off in front of Ryan, or?” The lines between his brows return, and his grip in my hair, on my lower back, tightens.
“No.” His voice is hoarse as he kisses me again, and Brett whistles behind us. I hear Penny smack his leg. “This is for you. Forus.” Fitz swipes my hair off my shoulders, leaving my upper chest bare except the pearls I always wear. He touches his finger to them lightly as he speaks. “I don’t ever want you to feel like I’m not happy to be with you. Ecstatic, really.” His hand traces down my arm, lacing his fingers with mine.
“Ok, now I really am going to puke,” Alex jabs as we sit down. Her comment rolls off me like rain on a window, because damn, I feel pretty impenetrable right now. Like Fitz’s words are wrapped around me, armor against my self-doubt. And Ryan’s shocked face, which I see when I casually glance his direction, is satisfying as hell. Feeling brave, I reach my hand up in a wordless little wave, and he dumbly waves back while one of his friends nudges his shoulder like a preteen boy at a school dance. I laugh into my hand as Carla flips him off behind me.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face as Vic’s second race starts, against another Fiat with what should be an engine that wipes the floor with him. But when he pulls ahead at the last second and scrapes out a win, I’m on my feet and screaming until my throat feels hoarse. Carla tosses her popcorn in the air like freakin’ confetti, and I’m picking it out of my cleavage when we walk back across the bridge, my hand linked with Fitz. Vic’s found the parking spot on the other side of Fitz’s car from the dually truck, and he lights up when he sees us, holding his little trophy and box car model above his head like it’s the Stanley Cup. I don’t even get a chance to scream before Nolan rushes past us, sweeping Vic up with a rally cry, and I stand back with Fitz, letting them have their moment of bromance.
“Typical,” Alex says, crossing her arms and nudging my shoulder. Nolan lets Vic down, and he fist bumps Dylan and Brett in turn. “Vic pulls all the-"
Her words stop as we watch Kyle swagger up to Vic, grabbing him by the side of his face and pulling him in for a kiss that has my eyes wide as saucers, biting my lip to keep myself from gasping. Beside me, Alex lets out a high pitched squeal as Nolan whoops, and Fitz’s arm slides back over my shoulder, smiling like he knew this was coming before I did. I look back at him, then my friends in front of me, utterly confused and internally fangirling.
But as fast as the moment started, it ends when someone tosses an empty beer can in the direction of my friends. They break apart, and we all turn to see three guys leaning against the end of the truck next to Fitz’s car, the one with the confederate flag.
“Knock it off with that homo shit,” one of them, wearing entirely too much camo, yells, and my whole body tenses. I immediately think of Andy, that day in the hall, beating on Vic and I with his horrible comments. “Ain't nobody wanna see that here.”
“No one asked for your opinion, lowlife.” Penny’s practically growling, and I see Brett and Nolan exchange a look next to us.
“What did you say, you stupid bitch?” The same one speaks, and I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I think it’s Brett, then Nolan, but I watch as Fitz crosses the space in three quick strides, his elbow flying back and then clocking the guy so hard, he falls back against the end of the truck. Holding his face, he staggers back, and one of the other men steps forward like he’s going to try something, then realizes that Fitz has about a foot on him. Nolan steps up behind Fitz, followed by Brett and Dylan, and they’re scrambling to hop into the cab of the truck.
“Yeah, you better run!” Alex screams after them, like she’s not five feet tall and 120 pounds soaking wet. But my heart, while still pounding from excitement, from anger, from confusion, and from the absolute joy in seeing the look on Vic’s face as he meets Kyle’s eye, swells just looking at Fitz. As he turns around, cradling his hand and letting Nolan take a look at it, he meets my gaze and gives me a bashful smile, like he expected me to be angry at him for sticking up for Vic and Kyle.
The feeling in the pit of my stomach is far, far from anger, I realize, letting Carla, Penny, and Alex squeal and pepper Vic and Kyle with questions I truly want to know the answers to as well. Because their kiss came out of left field, blinding me. But so did this feeling in the pit of my stomach.
As surprised as I am by the events of today, the events of tonight, I’m more surprised by one obvious fact now at the forefront of my mind: there is a really good chance I’m in love with Fitz Westfall.
Chapter 49
Fitz
“So,Iheardyoupunched a homophobe.” I close my eyes, hoping for a second I’m hallucinating. But when I look up, Seer is, in fact, standing in the doorway to my office, grinning.
“Do you ever actually come here for work?”
“Down, tiger.” She bats her hand at the air, stepping into my office like I invited her. “I’m meeting with Piper for lunch next door once she’s finished with Fran.” I let out the deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding - I’d told Piper yesterday I wouldn’t be able to join her for lunch after her interview with my sister because of an important meeting my father had tagged me in on last minute. I feel immediate relief knowing she has someone to go debrief with.
