He didn’t have to ask me twice. We flew out of town. Luke sat in the passenger seat, his knee bouncing.
“We’ll get her,” I said to reassure him as much as myself.
“Drew, you have no idea what an ass Jack is.” Luke shook his head as moisture filled his eyes. “He’s been tormenting Piper for years and his buddies are just like him. I never thought they’d be capable of this, but I swear I’m going to kill them if they’ve hurt my sister.”
“I’ll be in the jail cell right beside you, man, don’t worry.” My fingers itched to punch something.
“Turn down this dirt road. Jack’s house is the only one back here.” Luke pointed to a road marked only with a mailbox and a couple of round reflectors. I turned too fast and my car skidded almost hitting a barbed-wire fence. I quickly got back control and drove as fast as I could down the narrow road.
The house was lit up like the Fourth of July and music blared through the walls. “What the hell?” I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but if what Luke thought was happening really was, these guys sure weren’t trying to hide anything.
I pulled to a stop beside a mini-van. Luke and I were both out before I could even turn off my car. I just left it running.
Luke busted through the front door. It wasn’t locked. Once inside we didn’t see anyone, but the noise was coming from the basement stairwell. We thundered down the wooden stairs.
I wanted to cry. In that split second before the instinct to fight for Piper took over- I wanted to sit down and bawl my eyes out. Even in the midst of all the chaos, I knew that later, that’s exactly what I would probably do, because the image of Piper, so defenseless and frightened, was going to haunt my dreams for years to come. The knowledge of what those guys were doing to her was never going to leave me and it was never going to leave her.
And I wanted to inflict that kind of damage on every single person in that house before I was done. Luke must have felt the same way because there was no stopping him. We entered the fray, starting with Jack and his buddy, Patrick, whose hands touched her, and we ripped them apart.
A part of my mind registered that Jack and Patrick were the only two who even fought back. The others backed away and a couple even fled up the stairs. But no one tried to help those two as we attempted to issue their death sentence.
“Okay, son, that’s enough.” Firm hands gripped my arms and pulled me away. “He’s down, he’s done.” The voice was calm and filled with authority and I felt like I was waking from a dream. My head cleared and I looked around me. The room was filled with police officers, at least six of them. One held Luke, whose chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. On the floor, Jack and Patrick were beaten to a bloody pulp. Neither of them moved.
My gaze shifted to the chair. Two officers worked to uncover Piper’s head and untie her hands and feet. I broke free from the officer who held me and knelt at her feet. Luke was beside me in an instant.
“Piper, Piper, are you okay?” he whispered over and over as we both hugged and held her.
Tears streamed down her face and I reached up to pull the gag out of her mouth. She coughed and someone handed her a bottle of water.
I was angry all over again, wishing there was someone else to beat up.
“Let’s get you out of here.”
Piper
It had been a week since the incident. I still hadn’t gone back to school. Jack and Patrick were just barely out of the hospital from the beating Drew and Luke had rained down on them at Jack’s house and had joined the other four at a juvenile detention facility. Charges were being filed against the six of them that had taken me from the parking lot at the Art Center and they were all facing expulsion. Jack’s parents had been out of town. His mom had gone with his dad on a business trip to Tennessee and wouldn’t have returned until the next weekend. Of course, they’d had to cut their trip short when they got a call from the police that their son had abducted someone and was in the hospital.
“Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?” Mom and Luke had been treating me as though I was made of glass. And sometimes I felt they were right.
“I’m okay, Mom.” I’d been spending a lot of time in my bed. Netflix, who’d already been my friend, had become my reason for living. I knew Mom was worried, heck, I was worried. I just didn’t know how to go back. I didn’t know how to face school.
“Good, because there’s someone here to see you. I don’t think I can put him off anymore.” And with that, she rose from the bed and left the room.
“What? Who- Oh, it’s you.”
“Don’t be too excited to see me.” Drew grinned from the doorway to my room, unable to hide the concern in his eyes as he took in the cuts and bruises on my face. He, of course, looked handsome and tired with gray smudges under his eyes that matched the one’s Luke and I had been sporting the last few days.
I didn’t know what to say. What did you say to the man who’d helped save you from the worst-case scenario? Luckily, he didn’t seem to expect me to say anything.
Drew pushed off from the door frame, thankfully not commenting on my rearranged face, and closed the door before making his way over to my bed. “What are we watching?” he asked, taking the remote from my hand and sitting on the edge. “Scoot over.”
Not taking my eyes from his profile, I moved over making room for him on my queen-sized bed. He adjusted a pillow behind his back and kicked off his shoes. I knew he’d be staying awhile when he got under the covers with me and sighed.
“Ugh. Can we find something else?” he groaned once he got a look at my television. I’d been watching Heartland. He didn’t wait for me to answer, just navigated to a different show. “Have you ever seen this?”
I glanced at the screed. “Arrow? Nope.” I shook my head.
“Arrow it is then.” He pushed the button to start the show. “Here.” He dug in the pouch of his hoodie and pulled out two water bottles and a package of red licorice.
“Thanks.” I accepted one of the waters.
“This show is so good. I can’t believe you haven’t seen it.” He spoke over the rustling sound the bag of licorice made as he opened it.
“I watch a lot of chick flick kind of shows.” I grabbed the bag from him and dug out four lengths of licorice.
“That kind of surprises me. You seem, I don’t know, kinda tomboy-ish.” Drew scooted down so he was more lying than sitting on my bed.
I scooted down beside him and munched on my licorice. I wondered what he was doing here. I hadn’t seen him since that night. I shuddered remembering.
“Hey, you okay?” His blue eyes were softer than I’d ever seen them and his arm reached across to pull the blankets more securely around me.
I nodded. “Luke hates it, my love of romance dramas. He and I can never agree on a show. He’s more Walking Dead and I’m more Outlander.”
He snorted and put his arm around my shoulders, tucking me close to his side. I was tempted to question him about it but decided to enjoy his nearness instead. Besides, he smelled amazing. “You and Kittie would get along, then. She loves that show. But she’ll watch anything with zombies, too.”
“I don’t like zombies,” I told him around a yawn. He was warm and his hand drew lazy circles on my arm, making me drowsy. I gave into the temptation and relaxed my head on his chest, slipping my arm across his stomach. He laced his fingers with mine.
Vaguely, as my eyes drooped closed, I wondered if my mom would get mad finding us like this.
Chapter 23
Drew
I stayed away. For a whole week, I stayed away. After that night, after holding her hand in the ambulance that took her to the hospital to check her over for injuries, I wanted to give her the space and time she needed to heal. I’d never seen anyone so terrified and so relieved at the same time. When Luke and I showed up and even after the police came to the Fawcett’s house, Piper had been the only female on the property. I was relieved for her sake when the ambulance came and there w
as a female paramedic.
I was worried that she’d be traumatized if I came around and that was the last thing I wanted. I just wanted her to get better.
Luke called me earlier that morning. He told me Piper was doing better but she wasn’t sleeping well. I knew the feeling. I’d been haunted by the images I’d seen in that house, I couldn’t imagine what she was experiencing having been the one abused. Just thinking about it made me want to punch Jack and his friends again.
Luke asked me to come over. He asked me about my feelings for Piper. He’d seen how I reacted that night. He’d seen what it had done to me to see her like that. It had taken me days to process those feelings myself, but Luke had known right away.
I cared for her.
A lot.
More than I wanted to. So much it hurt to be away from her.
Luke wondered if some of Piper’s pain was because it was hurting her to be away from me.
It couldn’t have been easy for him to come to that conclusion and actually talk to me about it. Luke was a good brother. He must have talked to his mom, too, because when I showed up at their house, she met me with a fierce hug and instructions to do whatever it took to get her to sleep.
I knew exactly what to do.
Her even breathing against my chest told me I was right. Using her remote, I turned off the television and decided to take advantage of her being close and get some sleep myself.
A tickle on my nose woke me some time later. The room had darkened and my arm was asleep. I’d turned on my side while I slept and Piper lay curled in my arms, her face tucked in my neck. I realized it was her hair tickling my nose and reached up to smooth the strands down.
“Why do you smell so good,” her sleepy voice reached my ears in the dimness.
“I don’t know.” But her words made me smile. “You smell good, too.” And she did. I loved it that her strawberry-blonde hair smelled like strawberries.
“I’m glad you came over,” she mumbled, her lips brushing my neck.
“Me, too.” I also wasn’t ready to wake up. “Sleep.”
The next time I woke up, I was on my stomach, my favorite sleep position. Piper’s weight on my back was comforting and I hoped this wasn’t going to be a thing now- not being able to sleep without her. I knew her mom was worried and that’s why she’d allowed this arrangement today. However, I had a feeling this was a one-time deal and the thought made me anxious.
“Who knew you’d make such a good pillow,” Piper said against my back.
“Of course, I do.”
She half-heartedly slapped at my back- it felt more like a caress. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to watch your show.”
“I’m not. That’s the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.” That was true. This week had been the worst, but I hadn’t been sleeping well for a long time.
“Me, too,” she sighed.
“You know, you make a good blanket,” I told her, rolling to my side to face her. She fell back against the pillows beside her. “Get back here.” I pulled her close again.
“I can’t believe my mom let us sleep in here this long,” she whispered, her mouth inches from mine.
“She’s peeked in here a couple of times.” I was a light sleeper and Piper’s door squeaked a little.
“Weird.” She burrowed into my neck.
“I didn’t think your mom would be so open-minded,” I teased her and she giggled.
“She so isn’t.” Piper paused, her hand twirling in the hem of my shirt. “She must be really worried about me.”
Her voice had gone small and I knew we were entering different territory. When I’d come to her house today, I wasn’t sure if she’d want to talk about what had happened or if she would just need rest. My gut was telling me she needed to talk. I kept my arms around her and hoped she was in a place she felt safe. I hoped she knew that as long as I was in her life, I would do everything in my power to keep her safe.
“Of course, she’s worried, Piper.” I shifted so I could see her face again, trying not to react to the hurt I saw there. I’d been struggling to keep my emotions in check since I’d arrived at her house, the evidence of her pain on her face. “It’s okay that she’s worried. I’d be worried if she wasn’t worried.”
Piper smiled at that just like I’d wanted her to. “I know but I feel bad.”
“It wasn’t your fault, baby. Not your fault at all.” I had to relax each muscle in my body one by one and talk myself down from the anger her words inspired. How could she feel it was her fault? I wanted to rage at the ones who really were responsible.
“I know. I mean, I do know that. I just- if it wasn’t me. If for some reason they didn’t chose me,” she paused. Even in the dark, I could see the moisture rising in her eyes. “If there wasn’t something wrong with me so they tease me like they do, then none of this would have happened.”
Ahhhhh.
Piper.
The words pierced my heart and every part of my body hurt for her. I would never understand why this happened to her. I would never understand why she believed there was some kind of flaw in her. But I planned to work relentlessly until she believed me when I told her how wrong she was.
“Baby, no. Something is wrong with them. Nothing is wrong with you.” Framing her face with my hands, I tilted her head until she met my eyes. “Nothing is wrong with you.”
Piper
I heard what he said and I wanted to ask him why he didn’t want me then? How could he hold me so tenderly? Fight for me so fiercely- and then turn me away? How could he? It hurt to think about. It hurt almost as much as the pain inflicted by Jack and his buddies. Which could have been so much worse if Luke and Drew hadn’t come for me.
Luke had related to me what had happened that night. How Drew called him when I didn’t show up to the basketball court that night. Drew had even been the one to remember the GPS app on our phones that they used to find me. Luke said Drew had been beside himself and when they’d burst into the room where Jack had tied me up, there was no stopping him. He’d been savage with his fists as he’d taken down Jack and Luke went after Patrick. They’d been so savage in their defense of me, no one even tried to stop them to help Jack or Patrick.
And Drew hadn’t stopped until the police pulled him off. He’d beaten Jack within an inch of his life. I’d worried about repercussions for both my brother and Drew, but Mom had reassured me no charges would be filed against either of them. Jack would recover and so would Patrick. Mom thought part of that decision had been the hope that we’d go easy on Jack in return. Mom wasn’t feeling generous. She’d been at the police station the very next morning to file whatever she could against all of them. Finally, there was physical proof of the bullying I’d been experiencing most of my life.
“Piper. I’m serious. You have to believe me.” Drew’s face was earnest as his eyes searched mine.
“In my head, I know you’re right. But my heart…” My heart wasn’t so sure.
“I’ll just have to change your mind, then,” his voice was soft, his gaze locked on my lips.
“Drew-” I breathed. I wanted him to kiss me. I was desperate for him to kiss me. But I was confused. Before, he was sure what he wanted and I wasn’t it. He didn’t want a relationship. Had he changed his mind?
“It’s okay, Piper. I know,” he cleared his throat. My confusion must have shown on my face. “I know, I haven’t let you in. But things are going to be different, if you want them to be.”
What did he mean? Was he saying he wanted more? I wanted to come out and ask him, but I was still hurting and I didn’t know if I could handle rejection from Drew at this point on top of everything else. So, I decided it didn’t matter. He was here. He’d saved me. He helped me sleep. And for now that was enough.
“I want things to be different, Drew. But I still need time-” my voice cracked and I couldn’t go on.
Drew’s smile was soft. “We’ll take things slow.” And we would. The soft kiss he pressed to my lips was
all the promise I needed.
Chapter 24
Drew
“So, school?” It was Sunday night and Piper had missed a week and a half of school. Between Luke and I we’d been bringing home her assignments and doing all we could to keep her from falling behind. But she was becoming more and more reclusive, only seeing me and Dannika outside of her family. Luke had been trying to lure her out with basketball games with the guys, but even that hadn’t tempted her to leave the safety net that was her home.
“I don’t know.”
I hated the vulnerable look that passed over her face. The incident with Piper and the football players had made national news because what they had done was a copycat of the hazing that had gone on in California. Thankfully, no names had been released, including Piper’s, so there was that.
Things at school had been tense. The administration held a special meeting of the board to discuss the disciplinary actions that would be taken against the Jack and his friends. The football team was in shambles. Jack and Patrick and their friends were all seniors and starters on the team, and after extensive investigations by the Coach and school staff, it was determined Jack had been the idea man and had recruited the others, but they were the only ones involved.
The school had brought in specialists to talk to students about bullying and teachers had gone to an all-day training. New policies had been voted on by the board and put into place in the student handbook. Each of us had been required to read the new standards and sign our agreement to adhere to them. They weren’t taking this incident lightly.
One thing was certain, none of those guys would be returning to school. I’d heard they would all be finishing high school online, hopefully from juvie or jail.
“Piper, I won’t pretend to know how you feel or to know what’s best for you. What can I do to help? Basketball practice starts in a week and if you want to play, you have to be there.”
Dating: One on One: Eastridge Heights Basketball Book 1 Page 15