I shake my head. “Jimmy’s getting them, but thanks.”
“Jimmy’s here, too?” He raises his eyebrows questioningly. “On girl’s night?”
I roll my eyes. “He is staying with me. It’s not like I could just leave him out, and he did save me from having to take a cab here so it’s all good.”
His brow furrows, his eyes turning dark and hard. “So he’s staying with you now?”
Crap.
That’s not a happy look. Not happy at all.
Quickly, I consider how to respond, wondering if somehow I can just avoid this conversation all together. I glance at Kim, quickly catching her eye, and she gives me a look that clearly says, I told you so.
I can feel Vance’s attention on me, waiting for my response. It unnerves me on so many levels that I can’t even begin to pinpoint how I feel about his unhappiness. My stomach flutters while another sensation desperately tries to snuff it out.
Frustration.
But then Kim smiles, winking at me.
“Where’s Jase?” Kim asks, reaching across the table, and nabs Vance’s beer, drawing his attention. She takes a sip and makes a sour face. “That’s just gross.”
I smile inwardly. God, I love my best friend.
“Jase is at home,” Vance says, rolling his eyes as he snags his beer back. “He’s Skyping with Elena again.”
“When’s she coming back?” Kim asks. “I’m dying to meet the girl that has Jason Pierce missing Friday night drinks to sit at a computer.”
“Supposed to be Wednesday, but it’s been put off again,” Wes says. “She just bought a truck and is gonna drive back now, leaving New York on Thursday.”
“Ooo, another truck girl,” Kim says, winking at me. “Nice.”
Jimmy appears at the table, his hands wrapped around a beer, a bottled water, and some pink concoction. “Piper’s beer, my water, and Kim’s summer breeze,” he says, passing out the drinks. “Next time, let the guy that’s buying you drinks know where you’re going.”
Kim giggles. “I knew you’d find us.”
Thanking Jimmy for the drink, I reach for it, taking a sip, as Kim starts rambling on about the list we made, explaining to Vance and Wes why it has to be a woman that’s been messing with me.
They talk.
They laugh.
They drink some more.
Ten minutes passes … fifteen minutes … and I think I’m in the clear. Thanks to Kim I’ve managed avoidance, but then, Vance leans into me. “You do know I caught that whole distract Vance look you shared with Kim, yeah?”
“Yep,” I say. “But tonight I’m just trying to have fun with some friends. I don’t want to worry about your issues with Jimmy staying with me, because news flash, we haven’t even had our first date, so please just drop it for tonight.”
He flinches at my sharp tone and leans back in his chair.
Crap. That came out wrong, too blunt and too harsh.
Ugh. Too much stress and alcohol is totally to blame here.
He eyes me peculiarly, as though trying to decide whether or not to accept my words. I open my mouth, about to tell him that I didn’t mean it the way it came out, but he must see it in my expression because he tugs me into his side, wrapping an arm around me. Bringing his lips close to my ear, he says, “I’ve just got one question for you.”
“Sure,” I say, feeling my stomach sink with dread. Please don’t let it be something serious. Please …
“You and Jimmy seem close,” he says. “Should I be worried about that?”
A bark of laughter escapes me before I can swallow it down. Worried about Jimmy? I think that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all night.
Shaking my head, I meet his eyes, still laughing. “Trust me,” I say. “You do not have to worry about that.”
Chapter Five
Vance
An hour creeps by and the girls have officially gone past happily buzzed to wasted.
They joke around, drinking and laughing.
Piper eventually loosens up.
I mull over their new theory on who’s been harassing her in silence.
Jimmy starts doing shots.
I switch to water.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the person is most likely watching Piper, although I know she won’t admit that. She doesn’t like the thought of a stalker, or maybe it’s just the word. I’m not really sure.
What I am sure about is that for ten days straight, something has happened, and then yesterday after an alarm system is installed, nothing.
It’s possible that it’s just a coincidence, but it’s also possible the person was watching, saw us put it in, and decided to regroup.
It’s the latter that feels right to me. Ten days is a long time to mess with someone to just … forget about it and move on. And the stay away warning that was spray painted on her garage tells me this is personal.
She probably knows the person.
She’s most likely wronged them in some way.
I check my phone again, ensuring it’s still on and I haven’t missed anything. The bar is loud; people are getting rowdy, their voices rising, and their laughter louder as more drinks are served. It would be easy to miss an alert in here, but with another glance at the security app, I find her house dark and quiet.
“What are you looking at?” Piper asks, leaning into me, resting a hand on my thigh as she peeks at my phone.
My eyes shift to her, scanning her in the dim light. “Your house.”
Piper tenses and she pulls her hand away from my thigh, bringing it to her mouth. “Oh, no. Did something happen?”
“No,” I say. “Everything’s fine.”
She sags back into me instantly, a small smile appearing on her face. It’s relief, I think, but there’s still a trace of uncertainty in her eyes. “Can I see?”
Holding my phone so she can see, I tap on the screen, first pulling up the front of the house, the garage, and then the back, showing her that everything’s fine.
She’s silent for a moment, staring at the phone, before she shifts her gaze to me, eyeing me warily. “I told you I didn’t want you looking into this for me,” she says, sounding somewhat annoyed, but her hand comes back to my thigh.
My eyes leave hers momentarily distracted, and they settle on her hand. Her small hand, palm down; her slim fingers slightly squeezing the muscle there. I bring my hand down to hers, entwining our fingers. It feels so natural, and for the second time today, I find myself wondering why it’s taken her needing help for me to finally make a move.
It strikes me then, a feeling of loss.
I wasted so much time.
Missed so much.
I blow out a dismissive breath, but whether it’s to the comment or the feeling, I’m not entirely sure. “You knew I wouldn’t listen.”
“It’s kind of creepy,” she says, reaching over with her free hand, tapping the screen and closing the app.
My brow furrows. “What’s creepy?”
“With just a couple taps on your phone, you can watch my house any time you want,” she says. “It’s kind of creepy.”
I put my phone away, glancing at her, seeing an unexpected look of curiosity on her face. Before I can respond, however, Kim chimes in. “She’s right. It’s creepy.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not creepy, it’s security.”
“Nope,” Wes says, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “It’s definitely creepy. Maybe I should watch the house instead.”
I cock a brow. “How is that any different?”
“Because he’s not trying to, uh … date me,” Piper says, blushing.
Regarding her curiously, I ask, “Do you want Wes or Jase to watch the house instead of me?”
Piper wavers, pondering my question, before she wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. “Nope. I’m okay with you being kind of creepy.”
I let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Good to know.”
Shaking her head and snorting o
ut a laugh, she takes another small sip of her beer. The banter starts up again, flowing freely between Kim and Piper, and Jimmy heads to the bar for another round.
It’s then that I notice her again. A woman, young, face caked with make-up, short blonde hair, bright blue eyes … It’s the sixth, maybe seventh time she’s walked by our table, staring at the girls as she passes, making her way to the bar.
Wes notices her, too.
He glances at me, frowning, before turning his eyes back to her, watching as her head swivels, her hard gaze staying on our table, as she slips past us.
It’s not until she’s well past, that she diverts her attention to the bar, saddling up beside Jimmy. She says something to him, and he jerks in surprise.
He doesn’t looked thrilled to see her.
Actually, he almost looks like a cornered animal.
I turn to Piper, and I’m about to ask if either of them knows the woman, when suddenly Piper squeals, hopping in her chair, and a smile lights up her face. It’s the kind of smile that could replace sunshine. “I love this song,” she says, shoving her chair back and jumping up. “Kimmy, dance with me.”
Kim laughs. “I thought you said Constant Pub isn’t really a place for dancing.”
“And you said any place with music is a place for dancing,” she counters, shaking her ass. “Come on.”
Kim doesn’t take much more coaxing. A few whiny pleas and another bright smile from Piper, and she’s up, teetering on her feet, yelling toward the bar, “Turn that jam up!”
From behind the bar, Sam glances up, spots the girls moving into the aisle, only a few steps from our table, shaking their hips as they go, and he obliges, cranking up the tune.
I don’t know the song. It’s some pop/hip-hop crap, but then Piper starts to move, and I couldn’t care less what kind of music it is because she loves it. I can see it on her face, feel it in the way she dances.
She twirls. She shimmies. She throws her hands in the air and sings along, belting out the lyrics.
She isn’t trying to be sexy or draw attention, but I swear, every head turns, drawn to her as she moves.
She looks so … carefree.
I stare at her, my gaze slowly raking down her body, reaching her toes, before trailing back up. Her hips sway to the beat, all her curves proudly on display. Confidence seems to ooze from her pores, bordering on downright cocky. Maybe it’s the booze, or maybe she’s just having fun. I’m not entirely sure, but this isn’t the shy girl I’ve gotten to know over the last few years, or even the one I saw this morning.
This is a girl letting go, a girl having fun.
She’s laughing with Kim, smiling so big that it looks painful.
So damn pretty.
I think I could watch her dance like this, smile like this, for hours, days even.
But then the song ends and instant disappointment hits me, settling deep in my gut as Piper stops moving.
“Play it again,” I say. “Someone needs to play that song again.” The words are out of my mouth and in the air before I have enough sense to restrain them or even realize what I’m saying.
I glance at Wes, hoping like hell he didn’t hear me, because Jesus, who says something like that? But he did. He heard me. I can see the amusement flash in his eyes. He’s silent for a tick, regarding me peculiarly, and then he throws his head back and laughs. Hard. So hard he nearly falls off his chair. The animated sound draws the girls’ attention, and they make their way back to the table, only a few short strides.
Kim’s eyes flicker to me before focusing on Wes. Quirking a brow, she asks, “What’s so funny?”
“Play it again,” Wes chokes out, laughing harder.
Piper’s brow furrows, looking at me. “What’s he talking about?”
I cut my eyes at Wes, feigning irritation, before letting out a rueful laugh and glancing back at Piper. “I might have been disappointed that the song ended and you stopped dancing, and I might have expressed that I wanted someone to play it again.”
“Oh,” Piper half whispers, looking away bashfully. It doesn’t escape my notice that her cheeks flush.
She opens her mouth to say something else, but doesn’t get the chance, because Jimmy is suddenly there, throwing his arm over her shoulder. “Come on, Pipes. Time to get out of here.”
Piper
“Jimmy, let go,” I say, trying to push my way out of his grasp. “What’s wrong with you?”
He doesn’t let go, dragging me out of the bar, into the parking lot. “Tara’s here,” he says. “She’s pissed, we had words, and we need to go before I get tossed out.”
“What do you mean you had words?” I ask incredulously, digging my heels in, trying to get him to stop, but only succeeding in making myself stumble in my sandals.
He steadies me quickly, not slowing down, and pulls the keys to my truck out of his pocket. “Just trust me, we need to go.”
He only makes it another step before Vance and Wes catch up to us, cutting in front of him, and Jimmy comes to a sudden stop, letting me go instantly.
“You’re not driving her anywhere.” Vance’s voice is low and menacing, and he snatches the keys out of Jimmy’s hand.
“Hey.” Jimmy reaches for the keys. “Give those back.”
Vance merely holds them higher, shaking his head. “You’ve been doing shots for the last forty minutes.”
“Fine, whatever,” Jimmy says, dropping his hands. “But I need to get out of here.”
Wes folds his arms over his chest, looking pissed off. “This have anything to do with the young blonde at the bar?”
Jimmy nods. “She’s my ex. It got ugly, she said some things, I said some things, and then the bartender told me to get out or he’d have me escorted out and he’d call the cops.”
“What did you say to her?” Kim asks, catching up to us, her tone stern.
Jimmy shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. We just have to go.”
Vance narrows his eyes and his teeth clench.
“We’ll call a cab,” I say, reluctantly, not liking the idea. I’m really not a fan of letting someone I don’t know drive me around. It’s like putting my life in the hands of a stranger.
But Jimmy’s supposed to be our driver, and if he’s been doing shots, then he’s just as unsafe to drive with as a cabby.
“No, I’ll take you,” Vance says, as he digs into his pocket. He pulls out his keys and tosses them to Wes. “You mind taking Kim home, and then picking me up at Piper’s?”
Wes catches the keys. “I’m on it.”
Kim grins, looking from Vance to me curiously, before she links her arm through Jimmy’s. “Come on, dumbass,” she says. “You can stay with me tonight.”
I start to protest, but Kim won’t hear it. She quickly says goodbye, making me promise to call her as soon as I wake up, and then the three of them take off toward Vance’s truck, and Vance leads me to mine.
Opening the door for me, Vance helps me climb up, giving me a little boost, before shutting me in. I toss my purse in the back of the cab, and then clip my seatbelt, as Vance comes around to the driver’s side, hops in, and starts it up. He then backs out of the parking space and pulls out of the lot.
We drive in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and my nerves for once don’t make an appearance. I think it’s the alcohol mixed with exhaustion, making me feel so at ease.
“I had fun tonight,” I say, breaking the silence. “Thanks for driving me home.” My voice comes out scratchy and dry, and I lean back, shoving my hand through the seat feeling around for my purse. I bet I have some mints in there or gum.
Vance steals a quick glance at me and smiles, before turning his eyes back to the road. “I had fun, too.”
Silence falls once more.
I keep reaching around, straining my arm, tapping my hand along the floor. God, my throat feels so dry it hurts.
Where is that purse?
“What are you doing?” Vance asks.
“Looking
for my purse.”
Giving up on the blind hand search, I unclasp my seatbelt and turn around, leaning into the back of the cab, looking around for it.
“Jesus Christ, Piper,” Vance says, his hand landing on my hip as though to keep me steady. “Sit down and put your seatbelt on. You can grab your purse when I get you home.”
“But I …” I start, but stop as an odd rattling, clanking sound hits my ears, and Vance lets out a stream of curses. I feel him touching the brakes, small little jerks, as though he’s trying to slow down, but careful not to slam them on with me not wearing a seatbelt.
“Piper, seatbelt, now,” Vance says, cutting me off. His voice has an edge to it, one I’ve never heard from him before, not even when he’s stressing about Kim. He sounds … anxious? Maybe calm, too. Whatever it is, it’s unnerving.
I start to shuffle back, but I guess I’m not moving fast enough, because he grips the waist of my jeans, tugging me back into my seat, and then reaches across me, holding me in place.
Then he hits the brakes, telling me to hold on, and then the truck is bouncing, and we’re sliding, tipping, jerking. My head hits the window, smashing hard enough that I hear the glass crack. Time stands still for what seems like minutes, though I’m sure it’s only seconds, and then the truck flips, and everything goes dark.
Chapter Six
Vance
Time moves in a blur. Mere seconds pass, but it feels like an eternity as the truck tips over and crashes onto the pavement. The driver’s side window shatters as it hits the ground, the glass exploding inward, raining against the side of my face in a million tiny shards. Piper jerks forward, wrenching at my arm as I struggle to keep her in her seat.
Pain snaps through my wrist, shooting up my elbow and into my shoulder. My grip on her begins to slip and panic that I’m going to drop her stalks around the edges of my mind, but I refuse to let it in.
Inhaling through my mouth and exhaling through my nose, I try to breathe through the pain, and I tighten my hold on her, pressing my forearm more snuggly against her chest and digging my elbow into the seat beside her, holding her up, so she doesn’t come tumbling into me.