Accidentally Perfect

by Elizabeth Stevens

  “Ugh!” I grunted as I made my way back to Hadley and Celeste.

  Nothing about him was making sense anymore and it was messing with my head.

  “And, where have you been?” Hadley accused as I almost tripped on a clump of grass.

  “Discovering that Britt’s hand job is the best.”

  “Beg pardon?” Celeste choked on her drink.

  “Roman and Rio were talking. I had the misfortune of overhearing them.”

  “I thought I saw someone standing awfully close to you. What did the sex-god extraordinaire want?”

  “More of Britt’s hand jobs, probably.”

  Hadley and Celeste both snorted, “Someone jealous?”

  I glared at them both. “Yes. Hold me back before I can’t possibly deny my passion any longer,” I mono-toned.

  “What did he actually want?”

  “To tell me I’m apparently uninspiring.”

  “He’s obviously being mean to hide his raging inspiration.” Hadley failed to contain her giggles.

  “I don’t think you need to know anything about his raging inspirations, babes. Say it with me, now. Un. Healthy.”

  “What do you think Roman would do on a first date?” Celeste sighed, clearly in fantasy-land. I loved her, but she had this idea that every guy was secretly perfect boyfriend material. If Roman was ever going to be boyfriend material, it was only going to be in Celeste’s mind.

  Hadley and I shared a knowing look.

  “He’ll fuck you senseless, leave you craving more, and never speak to you again,” Hadley replied matter-of-fact.

  “See? Not worth it,” I said.

  “Totally worth it,” Hadley disagreed.

  “Oh my God!” a girl who we sometimes hung out with giggled as she sort of careened into our semi-circle.

  “Tanya, hi,” Hadley trilled.

  Tanya giggled some more. “Erin’s throwing herself at Roman!”

  I frowned, but it was Celeste who voiced the reason for my frown.

  “Hasn’t she already had a shot with him?”

  “Yep. But, apparently once isn’t enough,” Tanya answered.

  “It never is, is it,” I mumbled sarcastically.

  We looked over and saw Roman and Rio were standing closer to us than I’d have expected.

  I couldn’t hear their words, but Erin looked rather flirty as she flicked her hair and popped her hip. Roman looked at Rio and shrugged. He took Erin’s hand and pulled her to him. He kissed her in a way that made your stomach flutter and your cheeks heat.

  When he pulled away from her, he looked Erin over like she was nothing as he took a drag of his cigarette. Less than nothing. If that girl had got ice the other day, Erin was getting…whatever the hell was colder than ice. Roman’s gaze could have cut diamond.

  Roman shrugged lazily, his eyes found mine as he blew smoke up, and he and Rio walked away totally cavalierly.

  “Ouch,” Hadley winced.

  “I’ve got it,” Tanya said, suddenly sober.

  It was one thing to joke Erin was going to be given that Roman Brush-Off. But, when it actually happens?

  “And, you want to be one of those?” I asked Hadley.

  “I’m not stupid enough to expect a repeat performance.”

  Yeah, but wasn’t she? My best friend acted tough, but I was pretty sure that when it came down to it she was as wrapped up in the idea of the romance hero as I was.

  By no means was I waiting to be swept off my feet. I didn’t want any knights in shining armour. I didn’t expect any princes. As nice as knights and princes sounded, I knew it was just a fantasy.

  But, I liked the idea of the guy who proved himself through his loyalty and his friendship, through a connection you shared. I liked the idea that he expected me to prove myself too, because I wanted a guy who wanted more than just a pretty face with a preference for his brand of crazy.

  I wanted what I’d come to think of as a John Cusack level of perfection, as much as Hadley teased me for it.

  It was the kind of perfection that you can only find with that one other special person.

  That one person who really got you and you’re the only one who really got them.

  I didn’t really think that was too much to ask.

  Was it?

  We didn’t see Roman or Rio for the rest of the night, so we managed to find other topics of conversation and I stopped wondering what was going on with him lately.

  Hadley was leaving me the next day too for the next week and planned to sleep all day in the car, so we made the most of the night. I pulled my head out of my arse enough to act like the upbeat, happy girl who didn’t have a care in the world. I put on the smile, no matter how much I kept checking the time on my phone and wanting to just curl up in bed with some John Cusack and a hot Milo.

  I was the perfect Piper, the happy Piper.

  Chapter Five

  Katie Morris and the Cooties.

  The sky was blessedly clear as I stared up at the stars and took a deep breath. Something about a clear winter night always calmed me.

  With Hadley now in Melbourne visiting family and Mason on his way to Europe, little Piper Barlow had faded into the background and people went on without me. Sometimes, it bugged me. But, most of the time it gave me that much needed downtime. My parents expected me to be in the middle of the social scene, so I could stay out all night at the lake at the bottom of the hill behind our house all holidays if I wanted and just lie on my blanket and watch the stars.

  And, that was my plan.

  Because, no one came to the lake in winter; the bonfire parties were all in the fields on the other side of town. And, the first Saturday of the holidays was going to be no exception.

  The one exception, of course proved itself when a huge car parked just above where I was lying.

  The headlights were blinding even from behind me, so why I sat up and turned around to glare at them, I’m not sure. But, I was well blind by the time they were switched off and I blinked the spots out of my eyes furiously.

  I turned back to the lake and stared at it as though my fierce concentration on the blotchy water would make whoever it was go away.

  “Well, well, Barlow. A pleasant surprise,” the familiar voice said and my skin had that weird feeling.

  I really should have recognised that stupid Holden Colorado; I’d seen it every day in the driveway next door for the last three weeks.

  “Wish I could say the same, Lombardi.”

  He dropped beside me and I glared at him, not that I could see much more than splodges still. Mind you, that did improve him somewhat.

  “Do you mind?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Not particularly.” I could see his splotchy silhouette as he flicked his dark hair out of his face and looked towards the lake.

  The moon reflected in the water and the breeze was still. The whole thing was beautiful, but it was now just ruined by the wanker beside me. I wriggled, drawing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

  “I’d have thought you had better things to do than sit out here by yourself,” he said after a while, picking up a stone and skimming it across the surface.

  “Because I’m a loser now?” I snapped without thinking.

  He huffed. “No. Trust you to take everything I say as an insult.”

  “I could have gone if I’d wanted.”

  “Of course you could have. It’s not like I’m there either.”

  “Were you even invited?”

  “I don’t need to be invited, Barlow.”

  That was true.

  “No, you just show up where you’re not wanted like…” I stopped myself as my cheeks flamed; I was so not the girl who just insulted people. I hated confrontations, especially unfriendly ones. But, Roman had a way of getting under my skin and making my mouth run away without my brain.

  He made a sound that might have been laughter. “No, don’t
stop now. Like what?”

  “Nothing,” I mumbled.

  “No. I’m genuinely interested in hearing this scathing quip from you, Barlow.”

  “Nothing,” I assured him.

  “Come on, have a backbone. For once, say what’s on that tantalising mind of yours.”

  “Nothing’s on my perfectly normal mind,” I huffed.

  “Do I need to break out the Katy Perry?”

  I hid my laugh. “No.”

  “Go on, then. Tell me what you really think of me. Or, I’ll–”

  “Like some venereal disease, all right? You just show up where you’re not wanted like some venereal disease.” My cheeks burned as I shoved them in my knees.

  Plus, it wasn’t at all true; if Roman was at a party, it was considered a success. Because for some reason Roman’s apparent approval by appearance was the bar for considering a party cool. And everyone wanted their party to be cool.

  He only laughed, which went to prove how badarse I really was. “Well, I feel honoured to be torn down by the girl who’s chosen to sit on the shore of a lake by herself instead of being seen at tonight’s it party.”

  “So, now it’s a bad thing I don’t go to all the raging bonfires and get drunk every night?” I wasn’t really sure what I was actually saying, but it was out now.

  He slid a cocked eyebrow at me, as though telling me we both knew I’d made no real sense, and shook his head. “On the contrary, I have a new-found respect for you now.”

  I wanted to take that as some kind of insult. But, there was nothing but sincerity in his tone, which only served to confuse me about him more. Roman didn’t respect anyone. Let alone me.

  “Right, because that makes sense,” was all my stupid brain could come up with.

  He chuckled and skimmed another stone. I watched it skip five times across the water as though it were terribly important, because then I could almost pretend he wasn’t there.

  “It’s just refreshing to know you’re not a complete popular dick,” he said.

  I looked at him, flabbergasted. “This from the guy voted most likely to nail and bail.”

  He grinned and I told myself I was unaffected by it. I mean, a hot guy can smile at you and you’re allowed to appreciate it. It doesn’t mean you’re attracted to him.

  “That title was aptly awarded, true.” He nodded.

  I scoffed. “I’m surprised you even know the word ‘apt’.”

  He laughed. “I’m not as stupid as I look, Barlow.”

  “No, I imagine not. Very few people could actually be as stupid as you look.” It was delivered seamlessly, but my cheeks heated.

  “Ouch,” he chuckled. “Kudos on the insult. But, I’d be more offended if I didn’t see the way you look at me.”

  Why did he have to be quite so…relaxed? Roman was a guy who didn’t care about anything. He didn’t care what people thought of him; he was him and he was perfectly comfortable as people judged him or looked down on him. He went through life with his lazy indifference on his face and everything bounced off him, leaving him completely unaffected.

  “I don’t look at you like anything,” I said, pulling my mind away from where his smirk led it and telling myself I wasn’t lying.

  “Sure you don’t.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Barlow, you don’t need to be embarrassed that you like the way I look.”

  “I might be if I did.”

  He only chuckled and juggled the stone in his hand.

  “Why are you here anyway? Don’t you have other people to do on a Saturday night than come down to the lake by your lonesome?”

  He skimmed the stone damned perfectly. “I suddenly found myself in need of some peace and quiet. My house is very loud all of a sudden. And you know, sometimes a meaningless fuck just doesn’t do it for you.”

  I blinked and hid a smile. “No. I wouldn’t know.”

  “‘Course you wouldn’t.” Again, I couldn’t get a read on his tone.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” But, I was apparently insulted by something that shouldn’t have been an insult.

  He shrugged and leant back on his hands. “Only that I imagine you have far better taste than to fuck just whatever comes along.”

  “You know, Lombardi… Coming from you, I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. “No, me either.”

  I laughed at that. I couldn’t not. We caught each other’s eye and he looked slightly less dour than usual. When I finally stopped, I looked at him for a moment.

  I was torn between finding a polite way out of sitting on the lakeshore with Roman and finding out what catalyst completely broke his usual patterns.

  “What do you mean your house is loud?” I heard myself ask.

  He sighed and helped himself to lying down on my blanket. “You remember my sister?”

  I nodded and after a few moments lay next to him. “Yeah, she was nice as far as I recall.”

  He chuckled, but it was humourless. “Yeah, about as nice as syphilis.”

  “Well, you’d know.”

  He snorted. “Right, either way. So you remember she was pregnant before she left?”

  I thought back, trying to remember what Paris had been like before she’d left – yep, Roman and Paris, how would you be? – but there wasn’t a huge amount there.

  “Maybe?” I shrugged.

  “Yeah, well she was. Had a little girl. That little girl, as sweet as she is, was dropped on Mum’s doorstep a few weeks ago. Paris decided she wanted to travel and her daughter starting school was the perfect time to unload her and do just that. We moved, my sister pissed off, and now that little girl lives with us. So, I’m here in lieu of playing uncle.”

  I wondered if this niece was the other ‘kid’ Mum had referred to the day they moved in. I certainly hadn’t seen any evidence of Paris… Not that I could remember seeing a little girl either. Maybe she was a very recent addition?

  “Oh, do girls’ panties not drop like they used to, the idea of a little girl hanging around you?” I teased. Although, I had to say, the idea of a little girl traipsing after Roman actually made him slightly more appealing to me.

  He laughed, but it was humourless. “Very funny. Excuse me if I don’t feel like dropping trou with the knowledge of what it leads to following me around the house incessantly.”

  I was trying to ignore that incessant niggling in my mind that Roman wasn’t the guy I’d thought he was after that statement. So, I settled for teasing him.

  “Oh, has Roman suddenly got a conscience?”

  “You’re cute like this, you know?” His voice was full of sarcasm.

  I snorted very unattractively. “Sorry. But, I see you dealing with your problems in one of two ways. You fuck or you drink. I really don’t see a third option.”

  “Firstly, I have never heard you say ‘fuck’ before. And secondly, you’re looking at that third option right now.”

  “Yeah,” I snorted. “Because you’re totally not dreaming of getting in my pants.”

  “Oh, I never said that. Any man with eyes is dreaming about getting in your pants, Barlow,” he answered, completely matter-of-fact. “And, any guy who tells you otherwise is full of shit. Your precious Carter included. But, it is a massive dampener to the inspiration when you keep remembering that sex leads to pregnancy. I came here with nothing but peace and quiet on my mind. I didn’t even know you were here.”

  The sincerity with which he said that hit me like a sledgehammer and I didn’t know what to address first. Maybe he wasn’t so unaffected after all.

  “I can…go…?” I offered softly.

  He shifted so his head was right next to mine. “Nah, I don’t mind my peace and quiet being invaded by you.” He paused. “You’re like…peace personified.”

  “Isn’t that just another way of saying I’m boring?”

  He huffed ano
ther humourless laugh. “No, Barlow. It’s a compliment.” He sighed. “Lying here with you… It’s like I can relax, but I don’t have to be alone. Fuck, don’t make me explain it. I’ll just sound like some nancy wanker.”

  My chest fluttered, but I couldn’t decide if it was because he could have been mistaken for being sweet or because that mistaken sweetness was turning my opinion of him on its head. Again, I had the urge to get out of there super-fast. But, I couldn’t move and I had this insane sense of comfort.

  So, I didn’t look for an excuse to leave and we lay for a while in silence.

  I just stared at the stars, drawing patterns and counting dots of light. I tried to empty out my brain, settle the manic humming it seemed to have like background noise; always on, always draining. Roman didn’t seem to feel the need to talk either and strangely I didn’t feel any weirdness lying next to the town’s resident underachiever in the dark. We just lay, quiet. But finally, I had to break it.

  “Lombardi?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s she like?”

  “What’s who like?”

  “Your niece.”

  He sighed and laced his hands under his head. “Fuck, I don’t know. She’s adorable – all dark curls and bright blue eyes. But, she’s a handful. She’s barely five and she’s smarter than the lot of us. Swear to God, she’s just full of questions. It’s ‘Uncie Roman’ this and ‘Uncie Roman’ that. Drives me up the fucking wall.”

  Despite the way his voice softened with something strangely akin to fondness, that made me laugh. I tried to hold back my laughter, but I failed epically.

  “What?” he asked incredulously.

  “She calls you ‘Uncie Roman’?”

  “What’s so wrong with that?” He sounded legitimately offended that I found that anything less than fantastic.

  “Nothing,” I laughed, trying to picture bad boy Roman Lombardi as ‘Uncie’ anything. “Nothing at all. Just kind of ruins your image a little, don’t you think?”

  “You know what, Barlow? I’m starting to regret telling you anything.”

  For some reason I didn’t like that idea, even if he didn’t sound completely serious and I had no reason to feel that way. “Okay, I’m sorry. All kinds of serious now…”