He nods. “Five minutes,” he repeats.
Mom’s head flips from him to me, unclear as to what’s going on. Thankfully, she’s used to our twin antics, but she won’t let this go for long. She’ll ask me what this is all about when the time is right.
“Piper, go in there and say hello to the Tweedles.” She lightly taps my back, urging me to do as she said.
Brad steps back, and I narrow my eyes as I walk into the family room. Once I enter the room, Bayli’s obnoxious laugh mixes with her dad’s booming voice, and I cringe.
“Piper, dear.” Her mom stands. She’s an older version of Bayli—attractive, dressed to the nines with every piece of jewelry on. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into her, practically giving me whiplash.
“Hi,” I say, my face buried in her tweed jacket.
Mrs. Tweedle is wearing tweed. It’s like a Dr. Seuss book. The thought makes a laugh escape out of my mouth.
She pulls back, her hands still on my upper arms. “We didn’t know you were dating Curtis Zeker.” Her face gleams. “He’s quite the catch. The talk around the club is, you’ve snatched him up. He’s practically crossed off the list.” She smiles widely.
I want to say, don’t use permanent marker.
“He’s a very nice young man,” my mom chimes in.
I hate how much she loves Curtis.
“He is, and his parents are absolutely lovable. I went to school with his father.”
She continues talking, but I tune her out, silently throwing daggers at Brad, who’s now trying to cuddle up to Bayli to divert me
“Mrs. Zeker told me that just last night,” I add in, not sure why. Maybe I think I’ll piss Brad off if I’m friendly to his soon-to-be in-laws, who he hates. It’s a small payback for what he did to me.
“All the girls were devastated when his mom told everyone about Piper Ashby. Right, Bayli?” She looks at Bayli.
Bayli rolls her eyes and then looks me up and down. “Yeah,” Bayli says offhand.
“Yes,” Mrs. Tweedle corrects her daughter.
Bayli’s eyes roll back further.
“It was nice seeing you both. I have to make a phone call.” I begin to back up.
Then, Mr. Tweedle stands. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Piper.” He nods his head in my direction. “Zoe dear, we need to get going.” He begins following me out of the family room.
“Bayli, honey?” her mom calls out.
Bayli kisses Brad on the cheek.
“Oh, young love. There’s nothing better,” Mrs. Tweedle remarks.
Bile rumbles up my throat. How do either set of parents not see how unhappy they are?
I wait for them to linger in the foyer to say their goodbyes, and I sneak out to the patio. I’m happy to find a bottle of wine, still half full, on the table. Snatching it in my hand, I swing it off the table and walk over to the pool deck.
Without bothering with a glass, I bring the bottle to my lips and down a swig while taking a seat on the cement. As I admire the still water from the pool, the lights glow, illuminating the water. It’s enticing, and I want to jump in and submerge myself just to block out the noise in my head.
Everything I’ve believed for two years was dead wrong. Tanner’s the good guy. In all of this, he was a protective friend. I stand up, unable to remain seated, as the rage begins to boil in my veins again.
Why did I move on with Curtis? Two years ago, I should have allowed Tanner to talk to me, to explain himself. Then again, as he admitted tonight, he’s not sure he would have told me the truth.
I’m on the opposite side of the pool, pacing back and forth, when Brad walks out to the patio. My parents linger by the window, peering out, curious as to what’s going on with their children. But they don’t come out, giving us our space.
“Piper,” Brad says, steps over to me. He’s judging my level of anger right now.
By initiating the conversation, he is giving me the opportunity to guide if this will be a full-on physical fight, a heated argument, or a civil conversation.
He should have his fighting gloves on because I’m fuming.
“Brad,” I seethe through my teeth.
“Tanner talked to you?” he asks, taking a seat on the edge of a lawn chair.
“Yeah, he talked to me.” I tilt my head to the side. “You should have—two years ago.” I tip the bottle back, downing more.
“I was different then.”
This is his lame excuse for ruining my life?
“You were obviously a drug addict and loser for trying to get ahead without the sweat and hard work,” I spout.
He places his head in his hands. “I made a lot of mistakes back then. All I saw was the Olympics as my top priority. Tanner had already been accepted, and there was a miniscule amount of time for them to notice me. I panicked—”
I place my hand up in the air to stop his selfish excuses. “Save your pity act. I don’t want to hear it.” My feet shuffle along the cement, as I pace from frustration. I need to feel the cool water cocoon me. Plunging into the water, drowning myself in the silence, is so alluring at the moment.
“I’m sorry, Piper. I know you see me as a failure.”
“Damn right I do, Brad. Even if you take away the detail that what you did was not fair, you allowed Tanner to take the fall for your stupidity. You could have ruined his career. You were okay with that?” I stop right in front of him, getting my face into his.
“I told him not to do it. I said that I’d come clean, but he was convinced we’d get away with the lie, that I’d be able to swim and hopefully be asked to train with him in Colorado. He lied, and he was right. Coach slapped him on the wrist and hid the whole thing.”
“Are you even listening to yourself? He protected you because he was your best friend. And what did you do? You were going to let him take the fall and ruin him.” I step back, closing my eyes, because my voice keeps escalating, and I fear my parents will come out. If my fingernails dig into my palm one more time, I’m going to draw blood. “When are you ever going to stop thinking of yourself?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Piper. Why are you so invested in Tanner’s career? Why the hell do you care what we agreed on?” He stands up and walks until he’s right in my face.
For every inch he comes closer, I back up.
“What happened is between us. He’s my best friend. If you must know, I’ve apologized a million times. Told him we were lucky that nothing more happened, and I thanked him for what he did for me.” He digs his finger into his own chest, emphasizing himself. “He’s never once made me feel guilty for it. He’s taken my apology to heart, and he knows I hate that he put his career at risk. Tanner knows how sorry I am for it. So, the question remains, Piper. Why the hell do you care so much?”
Because your one act took me to a fork in the road, and I made the wrong choice.
“You can cut the crap about the integrity of sports and competition,” Brad adds. His arms cross his chest, his legs widen.
Releasing a breath, I mimic his form and glare him down. “It just pisses me off. That’s it.”
I go to walk by him, but he grabs my upper arm, swinging me back around.
“Ultimately, you know that you’ll have to choose between Curtis and Tanner. He told you the truth because he wants you.”
My shoulders deflate. “I’m going to put you in the middle of us, if it doesn’t work out.” I focus down on the ground.
I’m fairly certain Brad would allow me to date Tanner now because he owes Tanner one.
“Hell, I’m already in the middle of it.” He sits down, his eyes veering from me to the chair beside him.
When I reluctantly sit down in the chair, he grabs the bottle, taking a swig for himself. “Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll be awkward when the two of you are together. Might as well see what comes of it. Talk to me, Pipe.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to hear me out?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.
He nods and t
akes a hefty breath. “Shoot, before I change my mind.”
“Okay, well—”
He holds his hand up. “One more thing. No sex talk. Actually, no physical contact.” His head violently shakes as the thought revolts him.
“Okay. I ran away from him two years ago when it all went down. I was mad about the drug confession because that meant, as an athlete, he took shortcuts. But it was more than that. I saw the drugs as proof that he’d fail me in the future, that he would never be happy being anything but first.”
“Why should he be?” Brad interrupts.
I contemplate his question. “As long as I’ve known Tanner, he’s worked his ass off to get to where he is. He’s trained ungodly hours and kept his diet in check, for the most part. Swimming has been his life. When he told me the smoothie you took was mixed with his drugs, I shut down any future possibility for us. For some reason, I saw us living a life of lies, and I didn’t want that. He came after me more than once to explain, but I just assumed he would only have lies. I knew if I were in the same room with him, my body would weaken, and I’d cave, only to live a life of disappointment.”
“Man, the woman’s mind.” He chuckles.
I nod. “Then, I find out that you actually did drugs. And you’d better be off of them and never do anything that idiotic again. Got it?” I toss him a stern look.
He holds his hands up. “Promise.”
“Good. To be honest, Brad, I’ve never stopped loving him. As much as I tell myself I’m not, I constantly compare poor Curtis to Tanner.”
“Curtis is a douche, Piper. I’m not sure what you saw in him to begin with. He’s the polar opposite of Tanner.”
“Have you ever felt that you weren’t good enough for someone?” I ask, staring up at the dark sky with a few stars peeking out.
“Yeah,” he says, tipping his own head back. “You feel you aren’t good enough for Curtis? If it’s the money thing, you gotta let that go.”
“No, I’m the wrong fit for Tanner. I’m not adventurous or risk-taking. He’s so free and fun-loving. I drag him down.” I cross my ankles, taking the bottle out of Brad’s grip.
“See, as an outsider, I find another scenario. You are free, Piper—with your love and belief in someone. I can only imagine what Tanner must feel for you.” He laughs. “As much as he protected me two years ago, when he returned here, he picked you over me.”
“I’m not sure I understand, Brad.” I’m confused as to how Tanner picked me over Brad.
“That first night, when we played volleyball in the pool, after everyone left, Tanner and I stayed outside and talked. He flat out told me, he was here for two reasons, and the second was my wedding.”
“The first?” My heart soars, hopeful Tanner confessed what I think he did.
“To win you back. He told me about you guys two years ago and how you got mad. He never asked me permission to tell you the truth. He just said he was going to at some point.” Brad sits up in the chair, facing me. His forearms rest on his legs, and his honest eyes peer into mine. “He loves you and deservingly so. He’s a good guy, Piper, and I’m not saying that because he’s my best friend. He’ll treat you right, make you laugh, and since you love him, too, I’m not going to try to stand in the way.” He stands up. “One of us has to be happy, so go for it. Take the leap, and I guarantee, it will pay off for you.” He begins walking away from the pool.
“Brad!” I call out.
He turns around, his mood somber.
“Do you want to talk about you and Bayli?”
He shakes his head. “Nah.”
He turns again, and even after I call his name a few times, he never looks back
eighteen
“SHOOT, PIPER.” TANNER BOUNCES THE basketball to me.
I catch it, immediately shooting it at the basket. The ball sinks through the net, and the boys cheer.
“Let’s play a game. Ashbys versus McCains,” Tanner says.
As much as I love basketball, I’m exhausted from the running around I did with my mom today.
“Nah. Go ahead.” I wave Dylan, Brad and Tanner off, plopping down on a lawn chair next to my dad.
“Hey, sweetheart.” My dad pats my knee.
I smile over at him. “Hi, Dad.”
My mom and Lana busy themselves, gossiping in the corner.
“Why don’t you get out there?” I nod my head toward the boys.
My dad laughs. “I’ll wait for Patrick. Plus, the boys go easy on us now, so it’s not as much fun.” The warmth in his grin shows how proud he is of my brother. “I’d rather spend time with my daughter anyway.”
He pats my knee again, and we share a smile. I was never a pure daddy’s girl, but he has that instinct to know when there’s too much on my mind.
Admiring Tanner bouncing the ball back and forth between his legs makes me wish he were mine already, so I could saunter over there, wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, and rise on my tiptoes to kiss him. As though he can read my mind, he glances over to me with a sly smile and then turns his attention back to the net. Shooting the ball, he scores and then glances over again, tossing me his classic wink, before Brad takes his shot.
A little bit of guilt surfaces because I haven’t ended it with Curtis yet. Tanner still thinks he has to earn me back, but he won last night. He just confirmed that he’s the only one out there for me, and what I have with Curtis doesn’t even enter the stadium.
For all those years I was scared of Tanner cheating on me, I’d never do that to someone else. The problem is, every time I’ve called Curtis today, it has gone straight to voicemail. It’s almost as if he knows what I ‘m going to tell him, and he thinks, by not answering, he can delay the inevitable. My mind is a jumble, and I have no clue how I will tell him I lied. That not only did Tanner and I have a relationship prior, but Tanner’s the one I’m breaking up with him for. Worse yet, he’ll lose me and the possibility of signing Tanner.
“Come on, Pipe.” Brad walks over, dribbling the ball in front of me. “You know we can beat the McCains.”
“Yeah, come on, Piper. Let me cover you,” Dylan hollers over.
Tanner hits him in the chest.
“Ouch!”
They share a look between them, and Dylan laughs.
Smiling, I sense my dad’s eyes on me, but I ignore them for the time being. I’m sure they’re filled with curiosity.
“No way. I’m exhausted.”
“Pipe, our parents did me a huge disservice by not giving me a brother. Now, you’ve always held your own with us, and you can’t stop now.” Brad does a variety of fancy moves with the basketball, lastly spinning it on his pointer finger.
I jokingly look around for a sign of girls anywhere. “There’s no one to impress here, Brad.”
Then, it dawns on me. There’s no Bayli, no Bayli’s parents, no Bayli’s bridesmaids.
“Where’s Bayli?”
The ball drops and bounces down the driveway. Brad jogs down to get it, and I make my way to meet him halfway.
“Brad?” I question.
He blows a bubble with his gum. “Relax. She’s with her friends. Something about the dresses. They’re on their way.”
He walks past me, and I see the dullness of his eyes. He’s terribly unhappy.
I turn around to go back to my chair and Brad swivels to face me. “Now, go get your shoes on, and let’s beat these guys’ asses.” He pretends to elbow them and puts Dylan in a headlock.
The four of us laugh, and I’m about to walk up the driveway to join them in a game because it will be good for us to get to a state of normalcy.
“Hey, beautiful.” Curtis’s arm swings around my shoulders.
My eyes veer to Tanner first. He’s shooting lasers at Curtis and then softens when he turns them at me.
I bite my lip, and Tanner turns around to shoot layups with Dylan and Brad. I slowly move my head up to see Curtis, and see him beaming down at me.
“Hi,” I greet him.
&
nbsp; He steps in front of me. “What kind of welcome is that?”
He pulls me into a hug, and I loosely place my arms around his middle, trying to figure out how I’ll dodge a kiss.
“I tried to call you today,” I mention with the hopes that I’ll find out if he’s clued in on the fact something is coming.
“I know. Sorry. I was busy the entire day. Dad had a stick up his ass, and he was hell-bent on taking it out on me and my brother.” He pushes back, takes my hand, and begins to lead us up the driveway.
I try to non-verbally grab Tanner’s attention. To somehow tell him that this isn’t what I imagined, but he’s doing everything in his power to ignore me. Actually, Dylan is, too. Strike that—all three of them won’t even look at me or say hello to Curtis.
“Hi, Chris. How are you?” Curtis extends his hand out to my dad.
It’s not hard to miss my dad’s confusion about the sudden tension on the basketball court.
“Hi, Curtis. I’m good. Thanks.” Then, my dad goes back to watching the guys. My dad isn’t an outgoing guy by any stretch of the means, so his behavior isn’t abnormal.
Curtis approaches the guys, and I cringe at the reaction he’s about to receive.
“Take a seat, Piper.” My dad points to my vacant seat.
My eyes flicker back and forth between the driveway and my dad.
“Relax. He’s a big boy.” He laughs.
Reluctantly, I sit down.
We both watch Curtis bounce around him, each giving him a nod. Then, Tanner surprises me when he stops bouncing the ball, walks the two steps, and shakes Curtis’s hand. Afterward, Tanner cuts his eyes over at me, until Dylan bounces the ball to him.
My body ramps up to a heat level so high that I’m barely able to remain seated. Tanner is so transparent. No one can miss how torn he is right now, how hurt he probably feels that I haven’t ended it with Curtis yet. Even though Tanner never asked me to, he assumed after last night I would. Truthfully, he should have believed it would and if Curtis answered one of my ten phone calls, it would have.
“Hmm . . .” my dad sighs. “It’s like a showdown. Something going on that you haven’t told me?” He’s perceptive, figuring out things are awkward out there.
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