Overlooked

by Lulu Pratt

  “You’re bad,” I say, laughing.

  “I couldn’t help myself,” he says.

  “I’m glad you two are finally together,” Piper says.

  I drop the bowls and they shatter on the floor.

  “Piper,” Knox and I say at the same time.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be doing your homework?” Knox says.

  “I finished it, and thought you’d want help to set the table. I didn’t know Avery was here.”

  “Since when do you help set the table?” Knox asks.

  Piper looks at me and smiles. I guess my lecture yesterday about helping out her father has sunk in.

  “Do you have a broom?” I ask as I pick up the bigger shards of the bowls.

  “I’ll get it,” Piper says.

  I clean up the broken dishes, while Piper sets the table and Knox ladles out the stew in more bowls. Through dinner, Piper and I chat as usual. Knox even joins in, a lot more than he did before. He’s relaxed, smiling and visibly happy and is even more fun to be around.

  After dinner, the three of us clean the kitchen together.

  When we’re finished, we head into the living room. Piper sits on the armchair, and Knox sits beside me on the couch and puts his arm around me.

  It’s a perfect day. Sex in the morning, and cuddling in the evening.

  So perfect, we repeat it every day for the next two weeks.

  Knox

  “I’m so excited, tomorrow is going to be the best day ever,” Piper says, her face beaming.

  She’s finished grade school, and tomorrow officially graduates from eighth grade. All week, she’s been reminding me that she’s a high school student now, and officially almost a grown up. And that her birthday is in a month and she’ll be fourteen. As in not my baby girl anymore.

  I know the next four years are going to get even worse. That she’ll want less and less to do with me, and more and more to do with her friends. Until the day she brings a boy home. How the fuck am I supposed to deal with that?

  “I still remember my eighth grade graduation,” Avery says from her position beside me on the couch, “I tripped when I went up to get my certificate.”

  “And that’s why we didn’t get the shoes with the heels too high, right?” Piper says.

  “Exactly.”

  “I don’t want to make a fool of myself tomorrow, especially with the surprise I have planned.”

  “What surprise?” I ask.

  “Duh, it’s a surprise. Surprise means I can’t tell you. Or it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

  Piper’s gone on about her surprise for the past two weeks. I don’t like surprises. No matter how much I’ve pressed her on what it is, she wouldn’t tell me. It’d better be something stupid, and not anything like introducing me to a boy at the ceremony.

  “You’d better get to bed, or you’ll be too tired to enjoy tomorrow,” I say.

  “Night,” Piper says as she runs up the stairs.

  “Good night,” Avery and I say.

  “What the fuck is the surprise?” I mutter.

  “No idea. She wouldn’t give me any hints,” Avery says.

  She’s been sitting beside me on the couch all night, and now that Piper’s gone upstairs, I pull her closer.

  “It better not be a boy.”

  “You might want to prepare for that. If it’s not tomorrow, it’ll be some day not too far in the future.”

  I grumble, too annoyed out by the idea to think about it any longer.

  Avery leans her body against mine, and we mindlessly watch some movie. I only pay attention when a car comes on the screen.

  Piper loves having Avery around so much, and the two have become even closer. She’s fit right into our family so easily, it’s like she’s always been a part of it.

  Part of me still worries that having an actual girlfriend and having Piper have a relationship with that girlfriend is a bad idea. But it’s an idea I’ve been religiously following Piper’s whole life, and breaking it is a weird feeling.

  Even though breaking it for Avery couldn’t feel more right.

  The credits roll up the screen, but neither of us moves. Avery’s been going home around eleven every night, but tonight I don’t want her to leave.

  She presses her hand against my chest and moves to stand, “I’d better get going.”

  “Stay here tonight.”

  Avery’s eyes move up to mine, and widen when our eyes connect. “What are you saying?”

  I lower my voice, and say, “To sleep. I want you in my bed.”

  “But what about Piper.” Avery raises her head to mine, inches away from me.

  “But nothing. I said to sleep. We both know you can’t be quiet. Besides, I’m surprised you’re not still sore from this morning.” I spent three hours at her house this morning, and when I left she was stuck on her bed.

  “You want me to sleep in your arms? But not fuck me?”

  “That’s what I said. You can leave before Piper gets up in the morning.”

  “I didn’t bring anything to sleep in.”

  “Good,” I say and bring her mouth against mine. I break the kiss just as fast, before I won’t be able to stop and we end up waking Piper.

  Pushing Avery off me, I stand and take her hand. She follows me around the house as I turn off all the lights, before she follows me up the stairs and into my bedroom.

  In silence, I strip down to my boxers while watching Avery peel off her clothes. She leaves her panties on and climbs into my bed. I finally have a woman in my bed and it feels fucking right.

  I get in bed, and pull her alongside me. She hooks her feet around my calves and I hold her tighter against me. My dick rests against her round ass, and I force myself to think of Piper to stop myself from sticking it in Avery.

  Avery falls asleep almost instantly, and I lie here, enjoying the rise and fall of her ribs under my arm. The scent of her hair fills my nose as I drift off to sleep.

  At some point, I wake with a massive hard-on. It’s pitch black, and Avery grinds her ass against me in her sleep.

  Still half asleep, I trail my hand over the curve of her hip, and flick my finger under the edge of her panties. She’s wet and she wants me. Fuck, I need to be in this pussy.

  I kiss her cheek, put my lips to her ear and say, “Can you be quiet?”

  She mumbles something and grinds into me.

  I flick my cock out of my boxers, hold her panties aside, and push into her. Being inside her bare, feeling her wetness against my skin, still sends shivers from my cock through my body. I stay motionless, enjoying the sensations.

  Moving a little, I move slow and deep. I’m waking up more now, but Avery is still half asleep. With each thrust, her ass pushes back against me. Her breath is shallow and fast under my arm, and she whimpers.

  “Quiet,” I whisper, increasing my thrusts.

  A moan comes from her throat. I know the noise, it means she’s close. Tingles race up and down my legs and my balls tighten.

  Avery’s body gyrates and she tilts her head back, her mouth open. I clamp my hand over her mouth in time to muffle her scream. I hope I muffled it enough.

  My body shudders and my dick explodes against her walls.

  In seconds, she’s back asleep and I wonder if she was ever even fully awake. Exhausted, I leave my cock in her and fall back asleep.

  I wake up with Avery still in my arms, the room bright with sunlight. Not wanting to wake her, I run my hand over her sleeping body before caressing each of her breasts and rolling her nipples between my fingers.

  My cock stirs inside her, but I know it’s too risky and that Piper would know. Having her sleep here in my bed is risky enough.

  Shit, it’s after nine. Piper will be up. Fuck.

  “Wake up, baby,” I whisper into Avery’s ear.

  “Hmm.”

  “Quiet, Piper’s up.”

  “No.” Avery jolts to her elbows, and my dick falls free of her in the movement.

  �
�We slept in. We have to be quiet,” I say in a hushed tone.

  “How do I get out of here?”

  “I’m going to have to sneak you out.” The way Piper had better never sneak a boy out.

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, I’ll distract her in the kitchen and you go out the front door.”

  Avery laughs, and I cover her mouth with my hand.

  “What’s so funny?”

  She creases her brow and pulls my hand away, “Did we have sex last night?”

  “I’m offended you don’t remember.”

  “I remember you putting your hand over my mouth. And I remember a pretty good dream.”

  “Dream?”

  “Not a dream then?”

  “No. Focus. We have to get you out of here without her knowing.”

  I should think it was a mistake having her stay here last night, but all I can think of is wanting more of it. Even though I know it’s a mistake.

  A mistake that makes me even more angry at myself, for putting myself ahead of Piper. Piper has to come first. I can’t forget that.

  Avery

  After Knox leaves the room, I pick my clothes up off the floor and pull them on, making as little noise as possible.

  Sleeping in Knox’s strong arms all night was too wonderful for words. And it turns out that the dream I had about him last night was real in all its glory. It’s no wonder I slept in and that was a dream I didn’t want to wake up from. And one I hope he’ll let us repeat. Assuming I can get out of the house without Piper seeing me.

  I creak the door open and creep into the hallway. At the top of the stairs, I strain my ears to try to figure out what room Piper’s in.

  At first I can’t hear anything, so I take a couple steps down the stairs, my feet coming into view to anyone in the living room.

  “Avery,” Piper says, sobbing, her voice coming from the living room.

  Why is she sobbing? My heart races, and I rush down the rest of the steps.

  They’re standing in the center of the living room, Knox is holding Piper as she sobs against him. Her eyes are rimmed in red, and she wipes her nose on her sleeve as she looks at me.

  Panicking, I hurry over to them, and rub her back. “What’s wrong?”

  What if she’s upset because I stayed over? Knox will be furious, but hopefully not at me. Why didn’t I set my alarm on my phone? Why today, of all days, did I have to sleep in?

  I flick my eyes up to Knox and he shrugs, his eyes wide. Piper cries harder against his chest. He hugs her tight but she’s in hysterics, her body heaving as she cries. Knox breathes heavily through his nose, his body tense.

  “Talk to us, Piper. You’ll feel better, and maybe we can help you,” I say.

  “My surprise. It’s ruined,” she says and wails against Knox.

  Part of me wants to tell her to stop overreacting. Nothing is this bad. But Knox’s face is taut, and I bite my tongue.

  “What was the surprise?” I ask in my nicest voice.

  “It’s not fair,” she says between sobs.

  Knox picks her up and carries her to the couch. He sits down, cradling Piper on his lap. She looks tiny against his massive frame.

  I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to intrude on them, but I want to help them both. Neither are looking at me, Piper’s face is buried in Knox’s chest, and Knox is looking helplessly at his daughter. I end up perching on the coffee table across from them.

  “What was the surprise?” Knox asks.

  “I was following my dream,” Piper says. As she speaks, she looks at me.

  My eyes widen, remembering the conversation I had with her a couple of weeks ago. She asked me if she should follow her dreams, and I said always. I was in too much of a rush to leave before Knox got home bother asking what that dream was.

  “What dream?” Knox asks.

  Piper dissolves into another fit of tears, and Knox visibly tenses even more.

  “Avery said to follow my dream.” I flinch as Piper says my name. I’m officially a part of this.

  “We should all follow our dreams,” I say quietly, my eyes on Knox.

  He doesn’t react as I speak. I don’t think his body could get any more tense to begin with.

  “Piper, you need to tell us what the surprise was,” Knox says, his voice strained.

  I’m sure he thinks it’s a boy. At least, that’s what I’m thinking it is. Did he break up with her on the morning of the graduation? Is this was a young broken heart looks like?

  “No,” she whispers.

  “I mean it, Piper, What was the surprise?” Knox says, his voice stern.

  “No! I said no I’m not telling you. I don’t have to tell you anything.”

  “You don’t have to, but if you want us to help you, we need to know. Come on, sweetie, you’ll feel better to say it out loud,” I say, reaching over to stroke down her arm.

  “What was the surprise?” Knox says again, his teeth gritted.

  “She’s not coming,” Piper wails.

  “Who’s not coming?” Knox asks.

  “Mom,” she says.

  My heart stops. I thought her mother didn’t have anything to do with her.

  “What do you mean mom? Do you mean Grandma?”

  “My mom. She’s not coming and I thought she was going to come and I, I…”

  “What are you talking about?” Knox says, his nostrils flaring.

  “Why don’t you start at the beginning,” I say, and take her hand. Knox runs his hand down her arm, and takes her hand from me.

  “When Darla was here,” she says. Knox winces at Darla’s name. “She told me if I want to know the truth about my mother, I should look it up on the internet.”

  “Not ask me?” Knox says.

  “I do ask you, but you always say you don’t know.”

  “Because I don’t.”

  “But Darla,” Knox closes his eyes at her name, “said that everyone in the world is online, and if I really wanted, I could find her.” She pauses to swallow and wipe her nose. “And I found her, on Facebook.”

  “What did she say?” Knox says, the tendons in his neck straining.

  “I asked her to come to my graduation. Because Avery said to follow my dream, and that was my dream. For her to see me graduate.”

  “What did she write back?” I ask, and Knox glares at me with daggers in his eyes, and I slouch.

  “She didn’t. Until this morning, she told me to… to stop sending her messages and leave her alone,” she says, and dissolves into another fit of tears.

  “You should’ve asked me,” Knox says to her.

  “But Darla and Avery…” she says through an open-mouthed sob.

  Knox’s face becomes stone and he swallows hard. He glares at me and says, “Weren’t you leaving?”

  My heart stops and my arms fall to my sides. He continues to glare into me, my skin burning under his eyes. My mouth hangs open, but his eyes continue to bore into me.

  I don’t want to make a scene in front of Piper. But I want to defend myself, to not be lumped in with Darla.

  “I didn’t know,” I say.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Knox says, and wraps his arms even tighter around Piper.

  Brushing a tear from my cheek, I stand. My knees are weak and my heart thumps all the way up in my throat. I want to defend myself. But Piper is still crying, and I don’t want to upset her further.

  “I’ll come over after and help you get ready,” I say, my hand on Piper’s shoulder.

  “I’m not going!” she yells, and I step back from them.

  “I’ll see you later?” I say to Knox hopefully, but his attention is on Piper.

  My heart shattering into a million pieces, I turn, stumble into the coffee table, and flee the house.

  I can barely get the key in my lock, my hand is shaking so badly. Finally I get the door open, and stagger to my living room. Stunned, I collapse onto the couch and try to understand what happened. The whole time, tears
flow down my cheeks until it seems like I’m crying just as much as Piper.

  All day, I’m hopeful Knox will come to my door once Piper has calmed down. The closer and closer it gets to midnight, the more my hope drains. At two in the morning, all hope is gone and I make my way upstairs to bed.

  The next afternoon, there’s still no word from Knox. He hasn’t been in his garage all day, but I tell myself that’s because it’s Sunday.

  In the late afternoon, I work up the courage to knock on his front door.

  Knox

  No matter how much I tried to convince her, Piper refused go to her graduation. She said she told all her friends her mother was going to be there, and that it was too embarrassing to go knowing she wouldn’t be.

  I kept saying she’ll regret it, that it was the only one she’d ever get but she didn’t care. She was too upset.

  Piper spent the day either crying on my lap, the couch or her bed. She wouldn’t even watch Law & Order in the evening. Said she was too busy thinking of everyone having fun at the graduation dance without her.

  Her heart is crushed.

  And I wasn’t there to protect her heart because I was too wrapped up in my own enjoyment. If I hadn’t been spending so much time with Avery, maybe I would’ve seen signs Piper was searching for her mother.

  If I hadn’t been so desperate to get some cock action, Darla never would’ve babysat Piper, and maybe she wouldn’t have got the idea to track her down in the first place.

  I failed Piper.

  I failed because I broke my own fucking rules, the rules I made to make sure nothing like this ever happened. It kills me that I can’t change the past, but the only thing I can do now is make sure it never happens again.

  The rules won’t be ignored again.

  There’s a quiet knock on the door, and I know it must be Avery. Anyone else would ring the doorbell.

  Not wanting Piper to know Avery’s here, I open the door enough to stick my head out.

  There are bags under Avery’s eyes, and her normal perfect hair is flat against her skull. She’s beautiful.

  I close my eyes for a moment, reminding myself what’s most important. Piper. Piper is all that matters. I can’t let her down again.

  My teeth grit, remembering how I let her down in the first place.

  “Can we talk?”