"Why? I ask, my brows pulling together. "Don't you like my flat?" I feel slightly offended. This has been my home for years; why wouldn't he like it?
"It's great. There's just one problem with it."
"Oh?" I quirk a brow.
"It's not our home."
Butterflies erupt the second those two words pass his lips.
Our home.
Piper and Dawson.
A wide smile threatens to spread across my lips, but I contain it for now.
"O-our home?"
"You're wearing my ring, baby girl. Now, pack what you need for tonight. You're moving in."
"But—"
"You really going to argue about this?"
"Um..." My eyes hold his as he waits to see what I'm going to say. "No, just wondering about when we're going to get the rest." The smile I've been holding bursts free.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" he laughs. "Now, put some clothes on before I take you again and you can't walk into our house."
I shoot into action, pulling on some underwear and then clothes. Now he's mentioned being there, it's the only place I want to be. This flat might have been my home, but I've got a new one now, and it's wherever Dawson is. He's always had my heart anyway, so he may as well get my body to go with it.
Thirty minutes later, we're sitting in the back of another car—one without a privacy screen—heading across town.
My hand tenses in his hold and I feel his eyes turn on me.
"You're thinking about the limo, aren't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I know your tells, baby. Your cheeks are flushed, your breathing is heavy, and I bet that if I were to dip my fingers—"
"Okay, you've made your point," I say, quickly shutting down giving another driver some entertainment for the day.
"You're no fun," he sulks, his lips curling into a pout.
"Who was on the other end of this?" I ask, running my fingers over the recent cuts on his knuckles. I've wanted to ask since I first saw them, but he's ensured that I've been thoroughly distracted.
"I paid Cruz a visit."
"Oh."
"You don't have to worry about him or my father anymore. It's over, baby."
"H-how?"
"Short version, I told them all to fuck off and leave us alone."
"And the long version?" I ask.
"It doesn't matter. I'm done with them, for good now. It's just me, you, and Emmie from here on out, baby."
"I'm so sorry, I never meant to break up your family."
"Piper, my family has been broken for a long time. This was just the final nail in an already very rocky coffin. I'm just glad no one ended up in one."
"So Cruz is still alive?"
"Sadly," he mutters.
"Dawson, that's your brother," I chastise.
"And you're going to be my wife. That wins hands down every fucking time, baby."
"What about Jinx?" I ask, thinking of him bleeding out in that room after Dawson shot him in the stomach.
"He's fine."
"Okay. That's... g-good, I guess."
"Is it?" he asks, his brows shooting up. "After what he was..." he trails off, not wanting to say the words as much as I don't want to think about them.
"I just meant that the fewer people you've..." I glance to the driver, realising how this conversation must sound to him. "Yeah... just... the fewer the better, you know?"
Dawson laughs, and it makes my chest swell. He reaches out and pulls me into his body. "Yeah, baby. I know." He presses a kiss to the top of my head and we fall silent for a few minutes as London passes us by.
"At least Emmie should start talking to me again now," he mutters.
"What? Why isn't she talking to you?"
"She hasn't since you left."
"But that's been..."
"I know. A long fucking time."
"I knew she was pissed. She used to turn up at my office every day to tell me."
"Every day?"
"Yup. She really needs to start making some friends."
He falls silent. "Did I make the right decision putting her there? I want to do right by her, give her a good education, but equally, I don't want her to just exist."
"You're doing an amazing job, Dawson. She's lucky to have you."
"I don't know about that. But it's not too late to move her; she could still catch up elsewhere... somewhere... cheaper."
"What are you talking about? You've got that money to pay for her tuition."
"I'm not taking it."
"No, Dawson. Don't do that just because of what happened. Both of you deserve that money."
"I don't want you to think—"
"I don't." I take both his cheeks in my hand and stare deep into his eyes. "Forget about the reason for getting it. It's just inheritance, Dawson. An inheritance that could make your daughter's life. Don't refuse it because of me. Give her everything she's missed out on, everything she deserves."
"You're fucking amazing, you know that?"
I shrug in his hold. "I'm just me, Dawson."
"I know, that's the amazing part."
The car finally comes to a stop outside Dawson's house and we climb out before he grabs my suitcases from the boot.
"Be quiet," he warns before pushing the key into the lock and stepping inside.
I look around at his home. It's exactly as I remember, and I instantly feel relaxed. There's something about this house, although I'm pretty sure it's got nothing to do with the bricks and everything to do with the people inside it.
"Emmie," Dawson calls, "can you come down here please?"
When a loud, "No," comes in response, I have to stifle a laugh. She really is pissed.
"Emmie," he warns. "I think you're going to like it."
There's a loud groan before her footsteps creak against the floorboards above our heads.
We wait silently as she descends the stairs. My heart pounds in my throat as I wait to see her reaction.
The second she registers I'm here, her entire face lights up.
"Piper," she breathes. "Dad, please tell me this is for real."
She looks between the two of us, waiting for confirmation. "It is, Em. She said yes, properly this time."
I hold my hand out so she can see the ring, and Emmie squeals before running at us both and pulling us into a hug.
I look up when I sense Dawson staring at me. "I love you, baby," he mouths over his daughter's head.
"I love you too." Reaching forward, I press my lips to his once Emmie has stepped back.
"Oh, ew. Am I going to have to put up with this all the time now?"
"We'll try to keep it down," Dawson mutters against my lips, not even bothering to attempt to hide his smile.
"Ugh, for Christmas I want better speakers," she announces before turning toward the kitchen. "We need to celebrate. Drinks?"
"Yes," I agree, following her to find her pulling out a bottle of champagne from the fridge.
"I wondered why this suddenly appeared," she says, eyeing her father when he follows me through.
I turn to look at him with wide eyes.
"What?" he says with a laugh. "I was feeling hopeful. And you, young lady, can have one and one only."
"Ugh, keep your hair on, old man, it's not like I want to actually get drunk with you two."
Dawson laughs, taking the bottle from her hands and popping the top.
The three of us raise our glasses.
"To the future, family, and the love of my life."
We both clink as Emmie makes a gagging sound.
Ignoring her, we take a sip before he pulls me into his arms.
"How it always should have been, baby girl."
And in that moment, I'm just an eighteen-year-old girl falling in love all over again.
Epilogue
Piper
Two months later...
"I never thought I'd get to do this," Emmie says from behind me, her voice soft and full of
emotion.
I look up to the mirror and my eyes find hers. They're full of unshed tears, but she has a wide smile on her face. I know the feeling.
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you, but it's nothing compared to you. Dad's going to lose his shit."
"Em," I warn, but I can't help laughing.
She shrugs, pushing her feet into the heels I convinced her to wear today. She might have got a say on the dress, but there was no way she was wearing a pair of Converse as she requested.
I watch her, the same worried feeling tugging at me that has only been growing over the past few weeks.
I started off believing her when she told me that it was just the pressure of school work. That she wasn't used to having so much and having teachers who cared if it was handed in or not. But as the days passed, I can't help feeling like there's more to the story.
As far as I know, she's not got into it with the girls since her hockey incident, but just because there are no visible injuries, I'd be stupid to think it’s just stopped like she's tried telling me it has.
I'm trying really hard not to take advantage of my position at school and dig deeper. I need to trust that if—when—she needs us, she'll ask for help.
"Are you ready? The car's waiting for us."
"Yes," I say, shoving my concerns down and jumping from the stool.
I grab my red shawl to wrap around my shoulders before copying Emmie and sliding my feet into my shoes.
We turn to each other, excitement shining in our eyes.
"You ready for this?" she asks, running her eyes down my vintage ivory lace dress.
"More than ready."
"I can't believe after all these years my dad is finally getting married."
"Tell me about it." I laugh. Stepping up to her, I take her hand in mine. "It just proves one thing," I say to her.
"Oh yeah?"
"Miracles can happen." She shakes her head at me. "Everything happens for a reason, Emmie. No matter how hard things seem, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."
"I feel like you're trying to say more than you're really saying here," she says, her brows drawing together. She's too damn perceptive for her own good.
"I just..." I trail off, not really wanting to put a dampener on the day. "I'm here for you, Em. Whatever you need, okay? I just need you to know that."
"I know, Piper, and I appreciate it but... do you really want to be late because of this conversation?"
"Come here." I pull her into my arms and hold her for a beat. She returns my embrace and it does nothing for the tears in my eyes.
Straightening my spine and squaring my shoulders, I release her and take a step back.
"Right, let's do this thing."
Her hand slips into mine, and together we make our way across the little bridge that connects mine and Dawson's bedroom to the main cabin and out to the front door to greet the driver.
Dawson took charge of organising the transport, so I'm not surprised to find an old muscle car waiting for the two of us.
"Oh wow, that's gorgeous," Emmie says, running her eyes over the sleek black vehicle.
"Anyone ever tell you that you're your father's daughter?" I ask with a laugh.
"Yeah, all the freaking time. I'm not sure how I feel about it, if I'm being honest."
"Take it as a compliment. Your father is the best person I know."
"Hey," she complains, pointing to herself.
"You come a close second."
"I should think so too."
As we get closer, the driver pulls the back door open for us. Emmie lifts her floor-length red gown up and steps inside, and I follow.
The drive to the registry office is short, but by the time we pull up outside, my hands are shaking and my palms are sweating.
"You do know you only saw him like two hours ago, right?" Emmie asks me, looking a little too amused by my nerves.
"I know but..." I blow out a breath. "This is a big thing. A once in a lifetime thing. You'll understand when it's your turn."
"Yeah, we'll see."
"You might think that now, Em. But one day, someone will come barrelling into your life, like it or not, and steal a part of you that they'll never give back."
Something flashes across her face. Understanding? Pain? I'm not quite sure, because as quickly as it appears, she locks it down.
"Come on, it's time to turn you into my new mum."
"Em, you know I'll never rep—"
"Don't even think about giving me that speech. My mother is a piece of shit, you're more than welcome to take her place."
I stare at her with my chin dropped. "O-okay."
The driver opens the door once more, and we step out and quickly make our way inside. It's mid-afternoon, but it's so cold that frost still coats the ground around us. It almost makes it look like we've pulled off the perfect white Christmas wedding. Almost.
In seconds I'm standing outside the door where I know Dawson is waiting for me, and my nerves quadruple.
I shake my arms out, trying to rid myself of the anxiety as Emmie once again laughs at me.
The music changes behind the closed doors, and one of the assistants gives me the nod before opening them.
I blow out a breath in preparation for seeing him. Emmie is right—I only saw him this morning—and seeing as we've gone against almost every wedding tradition, we slept in the same bed last night. But still, my stomach is a flurry of butterflies as I lift my foot from the ground and take a step toward him.
Every head in the room bar Dawson's turns my way and I swallow, my mouth suddenly as dry as the freaking desert.
Lisa beams at me as she wipes a tear from her eye while all of Dawson's Rebel Ink family—who are very quickly becoming my own—smile at me.
Ripping my eyes from them all, I look at my man—or rather, his back.
One second I'm standing at the back of the room, desperate for him to turn around, and the next, I'm stepping right up behind him.
Knowing I'm there, he turns, both of our breaths catching as we look at each other.
"Piper," he breathes, his eyes running the length of me.
My vintage, strapless lace dress hugs every one of my curves before falling straight to the floor. It's simple, classic, and stunning. I knew it was the one, the second Emmie, Lisa and I walked into the shop a few weeks ago.
"You look..." His voice cracks, and it threatens to tip me over the edge. "Wow."
"Not looking so bad yourself," I say, trying to keep it together. I can't cry before we've even started.
Exactly as I knew he would be, he's wearing a white shirt, open collar and sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his ink, and a smart pair of black trousers. The whole look is mouth-watering.
I stand before him as the officiant starts the service. I don't see anyone else in the room. I barely even hear the words she's saying because I'm too lost in a pair of brown eyes that I never thought I'd ever get to look into again, let alone vow to look into for the rest of my life.
"I love you," I mouth, totally ignoring whatever is being said to us.
"I love you too."
We say our vows and exchange our rings in the flash of an eye. But the second Dawson has permission to put his lips on me, everything grinds to a halt, for a few seconds at least.
Still unaware that we've got a roomful of friends, and Dawson's daughter, staring at us, when his tongue slips out to tease mine, I eagerly deepen the kiss. Much to everyone's amusement when we finally pull back.
But he doesn't pull away from me. Instead, he leans into me, his beard brushing my cheek and his lips tickling the shell of my ear.
"As it was always meant to be."
Emmie
"Does anyone else think it's kinda weird that Spike's girl and Emmie are closer in age than she is with the rest of us?"
Kas's eyes lock with mine before rolling back in her head. I like Kas a lot. She gets me in a way most people don’t. And that’s not mentio
ning that she snuck me up a joint when my dad was too busy entertaining his new bride last night.
"Shut the fuck up, Titch," various voices call from different places in the huge open plan room we've all spent our Christmas Day in together. We've been here two days now and Dad's already given up trying to chastise them about their language. I get that he's trying to protect my virtue or whatever, but it's kinda pointless. I've heard, and seen, a hell of a lot worse than these lot can throw at me. I've known these guys almost all my life; they're like those weird uncles every kid has that they can never quite escape from.
When Dad first suggested I spend the holiday with him, Piper, and all his friends, I can't say I was all that thrilled, but his eyes lit up in that way they do now Piper is back in his life, and I could hardly say no. I also couldn't exactly send him off and opt to spend the time with my mother, seeing as she has still vanished from the face of the Earth.
"What? I'm just saying," he sulks, lifting his beer can to his lips. "And, while I'm at it, this is nice and all, but it's not exactly Vegas."
"Yeah, well, not all of us are stupid enough to get so drunk we have a shotgun wedding," Spike points out.
"It's time for you to get planning, you know. Aside from Emmie, you're the only unmarried one left," Titch adds.
"Whatever, man," Spike says, flipping his friend off and pulling Kas into his side. The way he holds her, looks at her, I've got a feeling he already has a plan. He's certainly not letting her go anytime soon.
"So Emmie, how are the boys down at the posh school? You managed to find yourself a trust fund knight yet?" Titch asks, turning his inquisition on me. My stomach churns as one face pops into my mind. One that doesn't belong there, but one that appears more often than it should nonetheless.
"No, Emmie is banned from boyfriends until she's at least twenty-five. Isn't that right, Em?" Dad says with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, old man."
"I'll take that as a yes, then. Come on, give us all the gossip. How big is his—"
"Titch," Dad barks.
"Trust fund. How big is his trust fund? Fucking hell, D. I'm not about to ask your daughter how big her boyfriend’s cock is." He rolls his eyes like the mere idea is ludicrous, but I think everyone in the room would expect no less from him.
Play You: A Second Chance/Single Dad Romance (Rebel Ink Book 4) Page 27