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“Horrible,” she finished, the first word she’d uttered in forty-eight hours.
I shook my head. “No, it’s not.” I knew my lie wasn’t convincing, so I added, “What is it?”
She dropped her fork onto her plate and leaned back in her chair. “It was supposed to be a Thai green curry dish.” She lifted a shoulder and picked her fork back up, pushing the contents of her plate around. “But I think I overdid it with the jalapeno. And, it turns out, I don’t actually know how to cook tofu.”
I took another bite, my eyes watering, and tried to smile. She was right, she’d definitely overdone it with the jalapeno…and the curry. I liked spicy food, but this stuff was damn near nuclear. “I think it’s just the right amount of spice.”
She laughed. “You’re so full of shit! I can see your eyes watering!” she sighed. “Stop eating it. I’ll order a pizza.”
“Oh, thank God.” I grabbed the napkin and spat the bite into it before draining the remainder of my water bottle. I was going to need half a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk to stop the burning in my mouth.
Piper stood up and grabbed both of our plates, taking them to the kitchen and unceremoniously dumping them down
the disposal. Over her shoulder, she told me, “I’ve been craving good Thai food lately. I haven’t had any in so long, and the closest place is like forty-five minutes from here. I don’t have time to go that far for a bowl of noodles.”
“Yeah, Antai, right? I’ve been there a few times. They are pretty good.”
She whirled, her eyes lit up. “Yes! Oh my gosh, have you ever had their drunken noodles?” Her eyes fluttered shut and she smiled dreamily. It was the first time I’d seen her look relaxed in ages. The worry line between her brows that seemed to always be there faded. She moaned softly as her eyes popped open. “I would punch a kitten for some right now.”
“I’ll warn Seven to stay away from you for the next few days.”
She blinked once. Then again. “I’m sorry. Did Lawson Reed just make a joke?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m a funny fuckin’ dude.”
She laughed and grabbed a towel to dry her hands. “Keep telling yourself that, Law.” She slid past me and dropped the towel on the table, exchanging it for her phone. “What do you want on your pizza?”
I groaned, knowing full well that the dish towel would remain on that table until I picked it up. I glanced back over my shoulder at the stove to see that it was covered in pots and pans full of the terrible creation she’d tried to feed us. “You gonna leave this shit here all night?”
She stopped in her tracks, halfway to the couch, and turned. “Uh, no?” It was both a question and not the truth. She hadn’t bothered to clean up after herself at all since she’d moved in. I knew this would be no different. “I’ll clean it up later.”
“Sure, you will,” I said under my breath.
She huffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her hands were on her hips and she stood in front of me spoiling for a fight. I didn’t want to give it to her, but I’d had enough of her shit everywhere. My mouth started moving before my brain could tell it to stop. “It means you are the messiest person I’ve ever seen!” I exploded. “You don’t clean up after yourself, you don’t even try!” My arm flew out and I pointed to the stove. “That shit will sit there until I give up on you having any shred of consideration and clean it myself.”
Her jaw fell open. “I’m considerate!” she screeched.
“Well, not to me, you aren’t! I mean, fuck, I let you move into my house! The least you could do was act like you appreciated it and not spend two fucking hours in our only bathroom!”
Her eyes flashed, and I knew I’d wounded her. “I didn’t want to move in here. I didn’t beg you to let me stay here. You showed up one day to move my shit out. I would have been just fine without you.”
And just like that, she wounded me. “You’re not always going to have someone to take care of you, Piper. How the fuck are you going to survive on your own without me or Hampton?”
She took three long strides across the room and came to stand on her toes in my face. Her chest was heaving, as though she’d just run a marathon. “I don’t need you to take care of me!” She jabbed a finger in my chest and finished, “You think letting me sleep in one of your guest rooms is taking care of me? God, Lawson, what the hell have you ever done for me?”
I stepped away from her and muttered, “More than you fucking know.”
She scoffed. “That’s right, I forgot, you helped me get rid of my ancient laptop a couple days ago. I guess I should thank you for that.”
I shook my head and brushed past her. Over my shoulder, I told her, “You know, I think I’ll skip the pizza.”
I stormed down the hall, more pissed at her than I’d been in years. Slamming my bedroom door shut, I stalked to my closet and grabbed my tennis shoes. I needed to clear my head, needed to get out of the house.
The thought of needing to get out of my own damn house just pissed me off further. Why couldn’t she just clean up after herself? Fuck, was that so damn hard to do?
As I made my way down the hall, I heard her on the phone.
