Her skin made contact with the smooth leather. She smiled. No, she didn't just smile, she lit up the garage with how big she beamed.
She hopped over the door, sinking into the seat, her bare feet hitting the floor. Her eyes snapped open.
Her car actually had a floor.
She bent over and saw that it had been done as well.
She wasn't sure when Parker had done it, but she knew it was his way of apologizing and trying to undo what had happened.
The next day she was there before he was. They didn't speak a word, carrying on as though they always had, except Parker had a hard time concealing a grin. Violet hadn't forgiven him, she only appreciated that he had tried to make it right. The only problem was, there was no going back. She didn't know where that left them.
Chapter 28
Bulletproof
Senior year wasn't any different than the previous three years, not that it surprised Violet.
Maggie was more obsessed than ever with her training, mostly due to the fact that nobody seemed to care that a girl had won, more focused on the guy who had won second place.
It pissed Violet off too. It's not like driving was some intense physical sport where they had to worry about the larger men crushing the women. She didn't understand why men always felt threatened if a woman was better than them. What did it matter?
Wesley and Ava were always in their own love bubble. Violet secretly found it cute. They were so in love and it showed. She was happy for them, especially after last year when the two struggled to adjust to all the changes thrown at them. Ava now spent almost every weekend at their house. Violet often wondered if her parents had clued into the fact that it was because Ava would sneak into Wes's room when everyone had fallen asleep.
Nothing between her and Parker had healed. Violet had become estranged from their friendship, rarely seeing him outside of the garage, and that almost never lasted more than ten minutes. If Parker noticed, he didn't show it, carrying on as though everything was exactly as it had been. He still sent her funny jokes or random texts throughout the day. She never responded.
She had grown closer to Ryder. He also had an addiction to frozen yogurt, and the two met a few times a week at their favorite place. Nobody knew; it was their little secret. He never mentioned Parker, knowing she wouldn't want to talk about it. She never brought up his claustrophobia, why he avoided human contact, or Maggie, having figured out her name made him uncomfortable. Knowing each other’s weaknesses made it easy to relax around one another.
Violet understood why Parker and Ava were so fond of him. It was more than his kind, sweet nature; he was easy to be around. You never felt judged, and he had a way of looking at the world that was different than anyone she had ever met. He always pointed out things others would pass by and ignore, like the way a toddler was devouring his yogurt in complete bliss. Ryder admitted to wondering what the world would be like if we all dove in like that, abandoning etiquette in favor of joy. Or he'd stop to listen to the guy on the streets playing his guitar; he'd close his eyes as though the man was delivering the latest masterpiece, and always left the person whatever was left in his wallet.
It was a few weeks into the school year, and Ryder and Violet were eating their yogurt outside, showing each other all the yummy goodness they had put inside. Ryder usually stuck to fruits and mochi bits, but today Violet had convinced him to douse it in hot fudge. He was tweaking by the time he was near the bottom, high on sugar. It made Violet laugh.
“You’re like a kid when you've had sugar,” she teased. “Does it make you turn cranky, then pass out in an hour?”
He flung his spoon at her, pleased when fudge, melted yogurt, and crushed blackberry landed on her shirt. She launched a broken peanut butter cup at him with her spoon. It smacked him in the forehead. They both laughed, not hearing the familiar sound of her sister's car screeching into a parking spot close by.
“Hey guys!” Ava called out, coming over from the car. She looked from Ryder to Violet, confused at the sight of them, “What are you two doing here?”
“Trying to raise awareness on the over-use of waxed paper cups, want to sign our petition?”
Violet laughed so hard, never hearing Ryder be sarcastic before, wondering if perhaps she was rubbing off on him.
Maggie laughed too, causing Ryder to stop and look away, as though something across the street had caught his attention, his cheeks a bright red.
“Does Parker know you’re here?” Ava asked in defense of her brother.
Violet got annoyed, “Why? Do we need his permission to hang out?”
“No, you two just seem...” Ava faded, becoming embarrassed.
“Cozy,” Maggie finished.
“It is possible for two people to hang out and just be friends.”
Violet was irritated. It wasn't like that with her and Ryder; it felt more like when she hung out with Wes (and nothing like with Parker).
“I have to go,” Ryder said while getting up, his half-eaten yogurt left behind.
Maggie frowned, having noticed he always did that when she was around.
“Don't forget the barbeque at my grandpa's house this weekend,” Ava called after him.
Violet got up to follow him, “I'll be right back.”
She caught up with Ryder just as he was securing his helmet in place.
“You don't have to run off every time she's around. She won't bite.”
He seemed embarrassed and a touch angry, “You could stop ignoring Parker.”
She flinched. She deserved that for bringing up one of their taboo topics.
She carried on anyway, “This is the only time I'll bring it up. She thinks you hate her.”
His head snapped up from fiddling with his bike, “I could never hate her.”
“Yeah, but look at it from her side. You ignore and avoid her, and the minute she's in the same room or close by, you leave.”
“It's probably better if she thinks it's because I don't like her.”
“Why?”
His brows lifted, as if to say, “Seriously?”
Violet wasn't trying to play matchmaker, she only wanted to get him to be more comfortable around his sister, as both were a staple in their lives.
“You let Ava hug you,” she pointed out.
“Yeah and it’s awkward every time,” he looked over her shoulder. “Can we not talk about this anymore?”
“Never again,” she vowed, adding in, “Unless you want to.”
He met her eyes, “Okay, my turn.”
She was tempted to walk away, but it was only fair. “Yes?”
“Parker misses you.”
Now Violet was the one avoiding eye contact.
“All he does is mope around.”
“He should have thought of that before he fucked some girl in my car,” she bit out.
“He's going to kill me for telling you, but before that day he hadn't had sex in almost ten months.”
Ryder had her full attention, “What?”
He shrugged, not explaining more.
“Why?”
His eyes locked to hers, telling her through them.
Her heart leapt, “Why didn't he tell me?”
“He was scared.”
“How do I know that he won't freak out one day and cheat?”
Ryder concentrated back on his bike, not having an answer, “Just talk to him. It would kill him to lose your friendship over this.”
She stared after him long after he disappeared into the streets, her heart and logic at odds with what to do.
Two hours later, Violet was knocking on Parker’s apartment door.
Peter answered, “Birdie!”
He picked her up, hugging and shaking her like an Etch-a-Sketch. He didn't set her down until they were at the couch and he dropped her on a seat.
“I've missed seeing your pretty face around here.”
She missed him too; he was a hard person not to grow attached to, “Sorry, I've been bu
sy.”
“Liar. You’re pissed at Parker. I can tell by his sour mood and lack of personal hygiene. What he do this time? He won't tell me.”
“Fucked a girl in the backseat of my car. I caught them.”
He shook his head, “Ouch, what an idiot.”
“Among other things,” Violet grumbled. “Is he here?”
Peter tilted his head towards the hall, “He's busy at the moment.”
The unmistakable sound of mattress springs and moaning came from behind Parker’s closed door.
There was the reason she shouldn't be here.
“Hey,” Peter kicked her foot. “Want to get out of here for a while?”
“Let's go.”
Despite the heat wave the two walked to the park that was almost a mile away, both sweating and wishing they had brought water. Peter and Violet each took a swing, ignoring the way the heat of the rubber burned through her jeans. She let everything fade away, going as high as she could, dipping her head back and being in the moment. When she brought her head up Peter was watching her in a way that had her stomach dipping.
“You're so fucking beautiful it hurts,” he spoke softly, meaning it.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she teased to hide the way his words made her feel.
“I've never said that to any girl,” his sincerity and the intensity behind his eyes had her stomach dipping again. “Go on a date with me?”
Her pumping legs came to a stop, lowering her to the ground, “A date?”
“Yeah. It's this thing people do sometimes,” he explained, smirking with twinkling eyes. “It usually consists of dinner between two people who are attracted to each other and want to get to know one another better. The guy will order whatever he's in the mood for while the girl will order a salad, waiting until they've established more of a relationship before she'll properly eat in front of him. One of them will suggest dessert if the date's going well, praying the other will accept. Usually whoever asked the person pays, and in this instance that would be me...”
“You sure seem to know a lot about this,” she taunted, regaining her composure, relaxing into her seat.
He winked at her, “I've been on a few.”
“You’d have to come pick me up, and you know, talk to my dad.” Was she seriously considering going on a date with Peter? He was a slutty goofball, yet somehow it didn't feel as strange as it should. She tried not laughing when he visibly swallowed.
“That’s going to suck, but Violet,” he turned serious in a way she never would have thought him capable of. “I've been crazy about you for a long time, and it has nothing to do with the way you would think someone like me would – it has nothing to do with sex. It has everything to do with you and the way you keep me up at night thinking about your smile, or laughing out loud at work when I think about the shit you give me. I've never felt this way about someone.”
Those were the kind of words every girl wanted to hear, and although it wasn't coming from the person she wanted to hear it from, she found herself viewing Peter differently enough that the idea of a date was appealing. She wanted to get to know the man in front of her, she had never met him before; the serious, grownup side of Peter.
“What about Parker?”
He looked up at the sky.
“I've thought about this a lot, and honestly,” his eyes latched onto hers, “I know that if I don't at least try I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting that I didn't.”
“He won’t like it.” He would hate it. In fact, he'd probably think he had the right to deny it from happening.
“I don't care. I agreed with him when he told everyone you’re off limits, not wanting them to use you, but that's not what I'm doing.”
“What are you doing? Have you ever even had a second date?”
“I was with the same girl all through high school,” he confessed, never having brought her up before. “She cheated on me. It pretty much broke me. I found it easier to avoid all of it, but I never planned to be a slut forever. I knew one day I'd find a girl who was worth trying it again for.”
“What if you’re at the bar, shitfaced, and Big Booty Judy is shaking her moneymaker at you? You’re telling me you'll deny her?” From what she'd seen, he was no better than Parker.
Peter laughed so hard he fell off the swing, “See Vi, it's when you say shit like that that I think you might be the woman of my dreams. Please tell me you'll go out with me? I swear I won't stop asking until you agree.”
He would, if only to get on her nerves.
“Can we wait to tell Parker, at least until we survive date one?”
“Sure, but I won't hide from him. If this works, I'm telling the whole fucking world.”
Violet smiled at the same time an ache formed in her chest, knowing this was one of those forks in the road writers loved to ramble on about; if she denied Peter it would be because she wasn't able to let Parker go, but if she agreed, there was no going back. She and Parker would drift further apart.
She chose the only path that had a future, the one where she agreed.
Chapter 29
Someone New
The following Saturday Violet stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, debating if her first ever date required makeup. She decided it didn't. Peter had never seen her wear any in the past so why start now?
Her mom knocked on the door, poking her head in when Violet answered.
“His car just pulled up. I'm not sure you want to leave him alone with your dad...”
They could hear her dad answering the door, “You're the fucking kid who called my daughter jailbait.”
The door slammed shut.
“Date's over!” Violet’s dad yelled up the stairs.
Violet cursed, moving around her mom and sprinting down the stairs to the front door.
Peter was still standing there, hesitant when she reached for his hand to bring him in. Violet was relieved to find her mom trying to smooth things over with her husband, who was eyeing Peter as though deciding the best way to kill him.
Violet couldn't help but roll her eyes, “Quit being so dramatic, Dad. Peter's just an idiot with a big mouth, you can't listen to half the crap he says.”
“Gee, thanks,” Peter grumbled.
Violet shrugged her shoulders, not caring if she offended him; it was the truth. She added in a few more, “Peter's never been anything but respectful towards me, and besides, you know if he tries anything I'll have him wrapped up like a pretzel.”
That earned a grin from her primitive father, knowing he had trained his daughters well.
“Just go,” her mom ushered with her head, “I'll take care of him.”
Violet gladly made her way to the door, expecting her date to follow. Instead he held out the bouquet of flowers in his right hand, offering them to Lily.
“I wanted to do something nice for you, seeing as we've never really met,” Peter avoided looking at Noah as he took the steps it required for Lily to accept them. Then he dashed out of there like his ass was on fire.
Violet waved goodbye to her mom, who had her nose deep into the arrangement, and her scowling dad.
Peter had the passenger door open, so she shouted for him to just get in the car and start it. They needed to get out of here before her dad changed his mind.
The car was silent for a few painfully slow minutes; the only sound was the tires rolling along pavement and vibrations of the car.
“Sorry about that,” Violet felt the need to say.
“It's cool. I actually expected it to go a lot worse.”
“Oh...why are you acting so weird right now then?”
He sheepishly glanced over at her, “It's the first date, I'm nervous.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
“But we've known each other for years.”
“This is different.”
She couldn't argue that.
He took her to one of the nicer restaurants in town, where they both enjoyed
themselves, talking and laughing freely.
Peter showed his more grownup, mature side. Certain smiles he gave Violet had her stomach lurching and her heart skipping beats. When he offered dessert she agreed with certainty, earning a smile that had her thinking about the end of the date and wondering if he'd kiss her, hoping he would.
The ease of their conversations came to a halt as Peter took the long stretch of road from the entrance to the property to her family's home.
Peter turned the ignition off, moving his body to face hers, “This is the part of the date where the guy is scared shitless. He usually walks her to the door, trying to get up the courage to kiss her and ask for a second date. It usually helps when the girl takes a step closer to him at her door, letting him know she's waiting for him to make the next move.”
“Hmm,” Violet pretended to ponder his words. “Good to know.”
Peter came around to help her out, his hand on her lower back as he led them to the door. He dropped it so they could be face to face.
Violet met his eyes, taking a step forward so they were almost touching.
There was no hiding the smile on Peter’s face as his hand went to hold the back of her head and he leaned forward.
Violet closed her eyes, meeting his mouth, their lips gentle at first.
Peter gradually picked up the pace, never using tongue. It didn't matter, it was one of the best kisses Violet had ever had. It made her want to bend a leg out behind her like in old fashioned movies.
As his lips began to leave hers she found herself asking, “What happens next? The second date?”
His lips stayed close to hers as he responded, close enough that his breath mingled with hers, “The guy will usually call in the next few days if the date went well, or if he's really crazy about the girl the very next day, once he musters up the courage.”
Peter dropped his hand, taking a step back, “Goodnight, Violet.”
“Goodnight,” she whispered, heading inside in a state of shock that she might possibly be more than interested in Peter, something she would have laughed at a few months ago (hell, a few weeks ago).
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