“Don’t be too jealous,” Curtis spouts.
Tanner glances to me before setting his sights back on Curtis.
“Jealous? Why the hell would I be jealous of you?” Tanner laughs and shakes his head.
“Because I have the girl.”
“Oh,” emerges from the crowd. I swear you’d think we were in high school the way this is all going down and no one is doing anything—including my parents.
Dylan lets go of my hand. “Shit, this isn’t going to end well,” Dylan says next to me, crossing his arms.
Tanner hesitates, and Curtis shakes his head.
“What’s that I hear? Nothing. I thought so.” Curtis pretends to hold his hand to his ear.
If I were a mean-spirited person, I’d silently give Tanner permission to tell Curtis, but I can’t. That would be embarrassing, and Curtis doesn’t deserve for Tanner to make a fool of him in front of all these people.
“Yeah, I’m not blind. I see how much you want to fuck her, Tanner. So, it must kill you that I was inside of her last night.”
Tanner’s face flies to mine with questions in his eyes. I’m just as surprised by Curtis’s words, so I fail to react right away, which gives Tanner the wrong impression.
He takes one step toward Curtis and swings his fist, and Curtis falls to the ground. Still awestruck from what Curtis said, I stand there like an idiot while the two of them wrestle on the cement.
“Piper, is it true?” Dylan whispers.
I shake my head. “No.” Then, I cock my head toward Dylan, wondering why he would question that. How much does he know?
“Yeah, Tanner told me everything. Brothers.” He shrugs so nonchalantly.
Tanner straddles Curtis, throwing another punch to his face.
“Stop!” I scream, running over to them. When my hand yanks on Tanner’s arm, he stops, and the hurt is flooding his eyes. I silently move my head side to side, and he climbs off of Curtis, my hand still on his arm.
Curtis crawls backward and then rises to his feet.
“Why are you lying?” I ask him.
His hand gently touches his skin from how painful the punches were. His eyes divert to my hands on Tanner and then back to my face. “It was a test, and you both fucking failed. How long have you been screwing him behind my back?” He spits a glob of blood on the ground.
“I haven’t.” It’s understandable that he’s confused by all of this, but to think I would deceive him places me in a whole other category.
“Whatever. Keep lying to yourself.”
Stepping forward, I release Tanner’s arm. “I swear to you, Curtis, I haven’t done anything.”
“Really?”
I see the hope in his eyes, and I bite my lip because I still need to end it with him.
“Why don’t you just tell her the real truth about why you started dating her?” Tanner announces from behind me.
My head flips backwards because it sounds as if Tanner has another secret he’s kept from me.
“Give it a rest, McCain.” Curtis says from behind me.
“Wait.” I hold up my hand. “What am I missing?” I look between both of them.
Tanner crosses his arms and widens his stance. “Rich boy has known who you were the whole time. Haven’t you?”
He nods in Curtis’s direction, and Curtis’s lips purse.
“I don’t understand.” My stomach clenches with the realization that another man in my life has lied to me, that he wasn’t who I thought he was.
“He knew our connection before he asked you out. He was using you to get to me. He and his daddy wanted to sign me.”
My blood boils, and my hands clench at my sides.
“When you asked me for my number, you knew I was friends with Tanner?” I step forward.
Curtis nods. My fingernails dig into my palms.
“I knew you were his next door neighbor and that he and Brad were best friends, but then . . . Piper, my heart fell for you, and I didn’t care whether we signed him or not. I just wanted you.”
He reaches for my hands, but I take a step back, bumping into Tanner’s chest.
Spinning around, I narrow my eyes at him. “How could you not tell me?”
He places his hands on my cheeks, and I allow him to hold me.
“I refused to win by default. I had to make sure I was still in your heart. I didn’t want you to come running to me just because he used you.” His soft eyes and fixated gaze are clear signs he’s telling me the truth.
I release a breath. “You do understand that I love you? I always have,” I admit, placing my hands on top of his.
He inches forward. “I know. I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
I nod, forgiving him because it doesn’t matter anymore. I won’t allow anything to separate us from this point forward.
“Oh, how sweet,” Curtis sneers from behind me.
I spin around. “You can leave now.”
I cross my arms over my chest, and Curtis steps up to me.
“You’re going to pick him over me?” His eyes try to dig into mine, but all they find is the anger that’s rising inside of me.
“It was never a choice. I’m sorry, Curtis. I’ve always been meant to be with Tanner. Maybe you should have done better research before seeking me out.”
He shakes his head. “You both deserve each other.” Then, he turns around, walking down the driveway. “One day, Piper, you’ll regret this decision,” he calls out.
Watching his back walk down my parent’s driveway, I only feel relief that our relationship is over.
“You okay?” Tanner comes alongside me, his hand resting on the small of my back.
When my face lifts to see him, I’m taken back from the blood trickling down his face. “Shit, Tan.”
I place my hand on his swollen eye, but he shakes his head.
“I’m good.” He smiles, wiping the blood off with his T-shirt.
Dylan joins us, smacking Tanner’s back. “You got him. I’d say you won the fight.” He winks my way and then walks to the back of the house.
“Thanks, man.” His hand holds my hip firm, and he positions me in front of him. He cups my face with his palms. “I swear to you, I didn’t want it to go down like that.”
I cock my head to the side, and Tanner laughs. We both know that’s not entirely true.
“Well, it felt good to hit him. I’m not going to deny that.” His hands slide down to my shoulders, and he pulls me into him. “I’m sorry, Piper,” he softly says. He kisses the top of my head.
Allowing the sheltered feeling of Tanner’s arms wrap around me with no guilt because of Curtis is something I’ve craved since he returned. To be honest, I’ve wanted this for longer, probably since the day I left him on that bed two years ago.
I back up from his embrace. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
His palm runs down his face. “I shouldn’t have allowed the possibility of the fight to happen. I could have brushed off his elbows and shoves. Because look around, Piper. You just broke up with your boyfriend in front of all these people.”
He peers around the driveway, and I follow his vision, noticing all the small groups huddled around, whispering about the incident.
“Oh.” I cringe.
He chuckles, pulling me into him again.
“Who the hell gives a shit about them? I want to kiss you so bad right now.”
With my cheek pressed against his chest, I’m about to say, Do it, when I find my mom staring at me. Her arms are crossed, and Lana is talking in her ear, but her eyes are zeroed in at me.
“I think I need to talk to my mom for a second.” I should have known she wouldn’t be happy about this. There’s always been something with Tanner that she warned me about.
Tanner must notice, and he nods his head, releasing me from his grip. “Hurry back.” His finger brushes under my chin, raising my face to meet his eyes. “And tonight is just us. Got it?”
I bite my lip and nod my head.
“All yours.”
He smiles, and then I travel the tension-filled steps to my mom. When I reach her, her eyes never leave mine.
“Can you give us a minute, Lana?” she asks, those brown eyes lasered to me.
“Of course,” Lana says, squeezing my upper arm as she walks away.
Once everyone is a safe distance away, my mom finally looks down at the ground, and my dad comes alongside us, most likely seeing how on edge my mom seems.
“What’s up, girls?” he asks, casual.
I giggle from his way of lightening up the situation. As though we all didn’t witness a fistfight a second ago, my mom’s chest rises and falls as she takes deep breaths.
“We need to talk.” She walks into the garage and straight into the house.
My shoulders slump.
“Go talk to your mom.” He tosses his head to the direction of the door.
I take one last look at Tanner, who’s talking to his parents as well. He winks and smiles over to me while his mom hugs him, ecstatic at the news.
“You know she just feels left out. That was a lot for her to take in when you’ve kept so many secrets.” My dad follows me through the garage door, down the hallway, and then to the office door.
I pause outside, realizing she’s behind that door, most likely sitting at her desk with her fingers tapping on the top of it.
“Believe me, I tell her more than other girls.” My hand is on the knob.
My dad places his hand on my shoulder. “This was quite a surprise to us who have known the two of you all these years.”
When the metal twists in my hand, my heart pounds. After all this, my mother is the one who doesn’t accept it. I found out the truth about Tanner, Brad’s relented, and I broke up with Curtis. All of those things were done, but it will be my mom to halt my movement toward Tanner.
Then, it dawns on me. I’m twenty-four, not fourteen, so she can’t tell me whom to date or not. I love Tanner, and she’ll have to accept my decision. All of my internal pep talk sounds great until I open the door and find my mother’s head in her hands.
“Mom!” I screech, going to her side.
“Susan.” My dad shakes his head.
“What’s the problem? You don’t want me to be with Tanner?” I place my arm around her back and lay my head on her shoulder. “You’re this upset about it?”
Without looking up, she sniffles. “I’m upset because I asked you two days ago, and you didn’t confide in me. You looked me in the eyes and lied.” She picks up her head, and there are pools of tears in her eyes. “I want to be one of those moms who you trust and come to for advice.”
“You are!” I debate.
She shakes her head. “I’m not. What happened out there just now has been brewing this whole week, and you never said anything.”
“Mom,” I sigh.
My dad walks over, looking down at us. “Susan, this is a good thing. Tanner is a great boy,” he pleads my case.
I smile up to him and mouth, Thank you.
“I’m not saying that, but I don’t like that he hurt you before.” She swipes the water from her cheeks.
“He hurt you before?” My dad’s head cocks, and long gone is the casual jokester he usually is.
“See? That’s what I’m saying. I knew two years ago—call it mother’s intuition—that Tanner broke our daughter. She never said anything to me, and now, years later, he isn’t here for a week, and things go crazy.”
My dad laughs. “Susan, you have to let it go.” He pulls her up and hugs her tight in his arms.
“It’s hard, Chris. Brad and her are my life.”
He laughs and kisses the top of her head. “I know, and you’ve done well so far,” he kids.
She slaps his stomach. “I was being serious.”
Soon, the mood shifts, thanks to my dad. It upsets me that I deceived my mom and that she doesn’t feel included in my life. My family is everything to me, and I would never intentionally hurt her.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I say.
She unhooks herself from my dad, staring over at me. “No.” She wipes more tears. “I’m sorry. You’re grown-up, and you don’t want to tell me every problem you have. It’s just . . . Tanner?” she questions.
I bite my lip, nodding my head. “Yeah.” God, this feels good to have him and not having anything holding me back from shouting it to anyone that will listen.
A small smile begins to cross her lips. “Yeah,” she mimics my word, stepping two strides until she’s right in front of me. “Kind of always assumed.” She shrugs.
“Mother’s instinct?” I ask.
She nods. “Something like that.”
I lean into her open arms, and she tightens them around me. She was the first person who could swallow up my pain and take it away.
“But don’t think I won’t talk to him if he hurts you again.”
“Relax, Mom. He’s not going to.” My confidence surprises me. There were times when I thought Tanner was too good for me or that he’d rather be with someone else.
“You sure?” she whispers.
My dad wraps his arms around us. “I’ll make sure of it.”
We all laugh, and then there’s a knock on the door. We release from our embrace and peer over.
“Come in,” my dad says.
A tentative Tanner peeps his head in. “Do you mind?” he asks.
I smile over at him, happy he came to find us.
“You hurt my angel?” my dad asks.
My mom laughs.
“I did. But I think I’ve made up for it.” Tanner steps into the room, his hands shoved in his pockets.
“We hurt each other,” I say, cuddling next to him, my hand splayed on his stomach.
He stares down at me, his own hand finding my hip. “Never again though,” he promises.
My heart opens for him more.
“Oh, boy. Well, you’re already a part of this family, so there’s no use in welcoming you.”
My mom steps in front of us, and soon, my dad follows suit.
“We love you, Tanner, but remember, we love her more.” My dad clasps his hand on Tanner’s bicep. Then, my dad links hands with my mom, leading them out of the room.
“Me, too, Mr. Ashby. Me, too,” he says to their retreating backs.
The door isn’t even shut when Tanner places his hands along my cheeks, and he’s angling me for his lips. My eyes close, and the heat of his breath tickles my lips. Then, his moist, tender flesh is on mine, and Tanner slows his tongue, sliding through the part of my lips, as it searches for mine. My fingers rub the back of his neck as his hands slide down my face, one flowing to the back of my head and the other settling on the small of my back. As he pulls me into him, my body molds into his while our tongues mingle together.
My body is limp by the time Tanner closes the kiss with a few chaste ones.
“God, it’s been too long since your lips were on mine.” Then, he descends again on me, kissing me a little more urgently.
It’s hard not to beg him to rip my clothes off and throw me on the desk.
“Alone tonight. No isn’t an option.”
“Yes,” I say, catching my breath.
He smiles again, pressing his excitement against my stomach, and I deny the urge to wrap my legs around him.
“We’re going to your apartment.” His mouth flows down my jaw.
“Bea’s staying there,” I remind him.
He nods. “Hotel then. I’ll get us a room because you’ll be screaming my name tonight.”
My core heats up, and I’m practically dripping from his words. “Okay,” I meek out.
He laughs. “I guess it’s time I share you, huh? A lot of questions are being thrown out there.” He tilts his head toward the door.
I agree, “Let’s get this over with.”
He entwines his hand with mine, and after one more brush of our lips, he opens the door. We follow the noise of people in the kitchen. Then, everyone begins clapping when we
come into view, and my face heats from embarrassment.
“It’s about damn time!” Dylan shouts. He puts his fingers in his mouth, releasing a whistle.
“Seriously, do you people have nothing better to do?” Tanner calls out.
Everyone laughs.
As I look around the room, at the people happy for us, I’m unsure what my issue was years ago when I wanted to keep us hidden. Tanner knew it was okay to come out. Why didn’t I?
When my eyes find Brad, he smiles.
I mouth, Thank you, to him, but he only shakes his head. Then, I catch Bayli standing next to him, texting something to someone, and her friends are lingered around her, none of them happy like our family.
Our families come around us, giving hugs and handshakes, while all the friends disappear outside.
“Oh, look at that smile now,” Lana says. “I’ve missed it.” She hugs me.
Now knowing she felt this way, I try to put together the puzzle of random thoughts she’s been spouting all week.
“Thank you, Mrs. McCain . . . er . . . Lana.”
She grips me tighter.
Once everyone leaves us alone and we aren’t some spectacle, I meander over to the counter to grab a drink.
“I’ll make you a drink.” Tanner grabs my hips and pushes me up onto the counter.
“No, that’s okay. I want to remember tonight,” I joke.
He chuckles. His hands land on my thighs, and his fingers part my legs, leaving a line of shivers up my back. Stepping between my legs, he kisses my lips, and I stiffen from the uncomfortableness that our families could witness our affection, but Tanner doesn’t relent until I soften.
When we part, he smirks. “It’s nice to do that without worrying.”
I smile, and lightness washes through my body. “It is.”
“Now, what does my girl want to drink?”
He leaves my body, and I watch him move around the counter. It’s similar to the party from two years ago, and I’m elated from how nice this feels—not only his declaration of me being his girl, but also the fact that my family is okay with us.
“Just a water.” My legs sway back and forth along the counter.
“Nothing else?” He turns my way and then walks over to the fridge.
“Nope.”
He opens the bottle and steps back to me.
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