by Garza, Amber
“Did Jackson say anything to you about her? Anything that can help us?”
I shook my head. “Whenever we talked about Piper, Jackson always said nice things. He really loved her, Mom.”
Her expression hardened. “I never got it. Jackson always dated sweet, pretty girls. What was it about her that he liked so much?”
“I think he liked that she was different.”
“She was different, all right.” Mom snorted.
It’s funny, because that’s what I liked about Piper. I liked that she was different. Jackson had always dated girls like Tanya. Girls who were popular and loud. Gorgeous girls who I never fit in with. Piper wasn’t like that. She was approachable. In fact, she was kind of shy, like me. And even though we didn’t talk much, the times we did she seemed to genuinely like me.
It was Thanksgiving, and it was the first time Jackson had brought a girl over for a holiday. Mom and Dad weren’t happy. They thought it was odd that Piper wasn’t spending the day with her family. But I could tell it was a big deal to Jackson. It meant something to him to be able to spend the holiday with Piper. I suspected that Mom and Dad knew how much it meant to him too. Perhaps that was part of the reason it bothered them so much.
The whole day was awkward and tense. Mom and Dad didn’t even try to act cordial to Piper. I could tell she sensed this, so I went out of my way to make her feel comfortable. At one point we were alone together in the family room. Mom was cooking, Dad was in the living room watching sports, and Jackson was in the bathroom. For a minute we sat in silence, but then Piper glanced up at me and gave me a shaky smile.
“Well, this is pretty awkward, huh?” She flashed me a crooked smile.
I grinned back. “Little bit.”
“Sorry if I’m ruining your Thanksgiving. Jackson insisted that I come.” Piper played with the bracelets on her wrists, rotating them around and around.
“No, you’re not at all.” I scooted forward in the recliner facing Piper, who sat across from me on the leather couch. “It’s nice to have another girl here. Besides, now I can finally get Jackson back for all the times he’s embarrassed me.”
Her eyes shimmered at this statement, and her smile deepened. “What do you have in mind?”
I bit my lip, my gaze scouring the room and landing on the bookshelf with the row of photo albums on the bottom. Quickly I made my way across the room. After snatching up a couple of the photo albums, I plunked down next to Piper. She smelled like vanilla as she reached up and tucked a strand of bright red hair behind her ear. Peeling back the first slick page, I pointed to a picture of Jackson wearing a Spiderman costume. He stood with his palms out like he really expected spiderwebs to leap from his hands.
Piper giggled. “Look at how cute he was.”
I glanced over at her, seeing her the way Jackson must. When she frowned, her face was a little harsh. But when she smiled, she looked radiant, beautiful even.
“Was that Halloween?” she asked.
“You would think so, huh?” I raised a brow. “But no, Jackson wore his Spiderman costume year round.”
“Really?” She chuckled, moving closer to me, her eyes sweeping the page. “Ah, yes. There are a lot of pictures of him in that costume.”
“He seriously thought he was Spiderman,” I said with a giggle.
“Who says I’m not,” Jackson’s voice startled me, but Piper didn’t flinch at all. In fact, at the sound of his voice her shoulders visibly softened, and her chest rose and fell as a relieved sigh left her lips. The effect he had on her was amazing, really. When he plopped down next to her, her face lit up. Her arm moved as if by its own volition, her hand landing on his thigh. He responded by placing his hand over hers and stealing a kiss on her cheek. Her whole face warmed, her skin flushing pink. I couldn’t stop staring at them, at the way they interacted as if they’d known each other forever, as if they were made for each other. I’d never seen anything like it. And I didn’t know if I was unnerved or comforted by that. “I could be Spiderman,” Jackson continued. “I mean, have you ever seen me and Spiderman in the same room together?”
I shook my head. It wasn’t the first time he’d used this argument on me. I was pretty sure he stole it from somewhere. “No. But to be fair, I’ve never seen Spiderman at all.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Probably because he’s not real.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.” Jackson teased me.
Piper smiled. “I don’t know. I kind of believe him.”
“You do?” I asked incredulously.
“He’s definitely heroic. Maybe he is Spiderman.” Her hand lifted, touching his face gently. “And you did look awfully cute in your little costume.”
“I think we probably still have it. I can try it on for you if you like.” He winked, his lips moving so close to her ear they almost touched it. I shifted, feeling uncomfortable, like I was infringing on a private moment.
Piper giggled. “I think it might be a little small, don’t you think?”
“You might like it,” he bantered back.
I threw up my arms. “Okay. I think that’s my cue to leave.”
A gruff laugh leapt from Jackson’s throat, and he pulled back from Piper. “It’s fine, Court. I was just joking. Everyone knows that Spiderman’s costume grows with him as he ages. Do you know nothing about my superpowers at all?”
I rolled my eyes. “See, Piper, this is why you should never encourage him.”
“I don’t know.” She gave him a pensive look. “I kind of like encouraging him.”
Shaking my head, I stood. The photo albums fell off my lap and landed on the couch. On the page, little Jackson dressed up in his costume stared up at me, his brown eyes wide, his lips curled upward. “I give up. I’m going to see if Mom needs any help.” Then I whirled around and left the room in order to give them some privacy. I could tell that’s what they wanted. I hadn’t even reached the kitchen doorway before they started making out.
I knew Jackson was falling in love with Piper even then. We all knew it. It was written all over his face. And Mom was not pleased. In fact, that night after Piper left Jackson and Mom got into a huge fight about Piper. It was then that Jackson admitted how much he loved Piper. Mom backed off after that. She was probably worried about pushing Jackson so far away she’d lose him. It was clear that Jackson would side with Piper if he had to choose. And I could tell that broke Mom’s heart.
And now her heart was breaking again.
But I knew Piper didn’t hurt Jackson. I knew it deep in my heart.
Piper
“What was Jackson’s family like? Did he have a good relationship with them?” Mr. Roth asked.
I swallowed hard, curious why he was asking this. Surely he didn’t think Jackson was killed by his own parents. “It was fine, I guess,” I lied. The last thing I wanted to do was speak poorly of Jackson’s family. They already hated me enough. My stomach tightened, wondering what they must think of me right now. I was sure they thought I was guilty. Hadn’t they always said I would hurt their precious son?
The only person in that family who treated me with any respect at all was Courtney. I stared down at my hands. They were red and raw from constantly wringing them. Scratches painted my arms. How the hell did I get scratches on my skin? And how did I get this gash on my head?
“Did you get along with Jackson’s parents?” Mr. Roth sat forward, his face expectant.
I was already tiring of the questions, and the detective hadn’t even arrived yet. God, how was I going to survive this? Wiping my sweaty hands on the thigh of my pants, I snorted. “Yeah, they freaking loved me.”
“Piper,” Mom admonished me. She knew I was lying. She’d overheard Jackson and me talking after Thanksgiving.
It was late at night when Jackson dropped me off, and the house was dark. I assumed my parents were asleep inside. They never made a big deal of Thanksgiving. Dad didn’t like turkey, and Mom wasn’t a very good cook anyway, so I was guessing they just ate Indian
take-out and then went to bed early.
This morning I had been so excited about having a traditional Thanksgiving meal with Jackson’s family. But the day was a disaster. It was pretty damn obvious that his parents did not want me there. When they weren’t ignoring me, they were patronizing me. His dad asked the most blatantly rude questions, and his mom kept looking at me with her nose curled in disgust. It made me so self-conscious I kept checking to make sure I’d worn deodorant. I had, so I knew I didn’t stink. Therefore, the disgusted looks must have just been about me in general.
Jackson did his best to shield me from it, but his attempts were futile. The damage had been done. I was never going to be accepted in his family. That message was received loud and clear. The only bright spot was when Courtney showed me Jackson’s childhood photo albums. I felt like she threw me a lifeline. For a few blissful moments I could forget how awkward the whole day was. Besides, it made me feel better that Jackson practically lived in a Spiderman costume for years. In that stuffy house where everyone dressed in perfectly pressed clothes, it was nice to know that Jackson had always marched to the beat of his own drummer. The one thing I couldn’t stand was cookie cutter people. And Jackson had proved to me that he wasn’t like that. It was probably why he had so many problems with his dad. It was evident that his parents liked cookie cutter, and I definitely didn’t fit the mold.
Jackson drove me home in silence. I was sure we were both thinking about what a mistake it was that I went to his house for Thanksgiving, but neither of us verbalized it. I picked at a string on one of my bracelets, focusing on it with precision. When Jackson pulled up in front of my house, I mumbled a quick goodbye and then pressed my door open. After slamming it shut, I hurried up the walkway to my front door.
Cold air swirled around me, biting my nose and nipping at my fingers as I fished in my purse for my keys. After locating them, I stuck them in the lock and turned the knob. When I breathed out, a puff of white circled in the air. Shit, it was freezing. When the door opened, I was grateful for the warmth.
“Piper, wait!” Jackson’s voice called from over my shoulder.
I swung around as he walked toward me. He wore nothing but a thin long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Shivering, I tugged my jacket tighter around my body. By the time he reached me, his nose was red, his cheeks pink.
“I’m sorry.” He hung his head. “God, they were so mean to you. I should’ve stopped them. I’m an ass.”
“No, you’re not.” I lifted a cold finger and touched his chin.
He shuddered. “Damn, you’re cold.”
I giggled. “C’mon. Let’s go inside.”
Once inside, I closed the door softly behind us, trapping in the heat. It felt warm and soft as it spilled from the heater vents. Darkness swallowed us, but I had no desire to turn on the lights. I didn’t want to wake my parents. This was the first time I’d been alone with Jackson all day and, frankly, I was tired of sharing him.
His arms came around my waist, drawing me forward until our chests touched. “Piper, I really am sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” My hands fluttered over his chest. “You warned me about them.”
“Still, I can’t believe they treated you like that.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not.” He tugged me forward. My jacket rubbed against his shirt. “You don’t deserve it.”
I bit my lip. “They don’t matter to me, Jackson. Only you do.”
“But I should’ve defended you.” He rubbed his nose against my cheek. It was still cold, and I shivered.
“You did.” I ran my hands up his chest until they reached his neck. Then I framed his face with my palms. “They’re your parents. You did as much as you could without disrespecting them, and I respect you for that.”
“Damn, you’re too good to be true. You know that?”
I sighed. Sometimes I wished he wouldn’t say things like that. I wasn’t as good as he thought I was. If only I could be. I hated knowing that one day I’d have to disappoint him. That one day he’d find out the truth. “Only the best for Spiderman,” I joked, not wanting to spoil the moment with negative talk.
He nuzzled my neck. “I’m going to wrap you in my web and never let you go.”
“That’s fine by me,” I said honestly.
His eyes met mine, his face growing serious. “I love you, Piper.”
My breath hitched in my throat. “You do?”
He laughed nervously. “Not exactly the answer I was hoping for, but yes, I do.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, feeling stupid. “I was just shocked, that’s all. No one’s ever said that to me before.” I kissed him softly on the lips. “But I love you too, Jackson.”
“There’s the answer I was hoping for.” His mouth claimed mine, clamping over it firmly as if sealing in my words.
The day after Thanksgiving Mom admitted that she’d been awake when I got home. When she heard me come in she started to walk down the hallway, but when she saw Jackson she hid because she was in her pajamas. So she overheard our whole conversation. I was humiliated, realizing that my mom was there the first time a boy said he loved me. But she didn’t mention that part. Perhaps she hadn’t even heard it. We were whispering at that point. Mostly she was concerned about the fact that Jackson’s parents weren’t welcoming to me. And now she was sharing the whole story with Mr. Roth.
Groaning, I ran a hand down my face. How was any of this relevant? The fact that Jackson’s parents didn’t like me had nothing to do with his death. Maybe if I had been the one killed they would be suspects. Then again, if I had been murdered, weeding through that list of suspects would be pretty damn difficult.
I wasn’t sure I’d even know where to begin.
Jackson
I stayed home today with the flu. It killed me to be away from Piper, and I worried about her. Who would she hang out with? And what if Tanya and those guys harassed her? No one would be there to help her. That’s why I tried to force my ass to get up and go to school, but Mom wouldn’t have it. One look at me and she sent me back to bed. And I guess that’s good. I had a fever, and I hurled numerous times. I never would’ve survived school.
When I crawled back into bed I grabbed my phone and shot off a text to Piper telling her I was sick. She replied with something about me really just being lovesick.
It had been a couple of weeks since we’d said that we loved each other, and neither of us were tired of saying it yet. The words left our lips every chance we got. I loved the way the letters tasted on my tongue, sweet like candy. And nothing was better than hearing her say it in that damn sultry voice of hers.
I texted her again to see if she’d be okay without me. She texted back that it’d be tough, but she’d survive.
I slept most of the day. Mom forced me to eat soup at some point, but I couldn’t keep it down. That was around noon, so I knew Piper would be at lunch. My heart ached thinking of her eating alone. I could picture her sitting on our patch of grass in the quad all by herself. So once I got cleaned up, I called Piper. I figured talking to me would give her something to do during lunch period. That way she wouldn’t feel lonely. And truth was, I missed her. It’s weird. In the past I couldn’t wait to have a break from the girls I was dating. Guys’ nights were something I lived for in previous relationships, but with Piper it wasn’t like that at all.
It took several rings before Piper answered. I started to wonder if maybe her phone was on silent or something, but then she picked up and her sexy voice floated through the line. My heart skipped a beat when she asked how I was feeling. I told her I felt like shit, and she said she’d come over after school to make me feel better. I wanted to tell her not to do that. It’s what a good boyfriend would have done. I mean, I shouldn’t want her getting my sick germs. But I couldn’t tell her no, because the thought of her coming over to make me feel better was way too tempting. Besides, Mom said she had to run some errands later, so I figured Piper and I w
ould have some alone time.
Then as we were talking, I heard a voice in the background. A male voice. For one minute I worried that someone was bothering Piper. Then recognition slammed into me, and I asked if it was Shane. I detected wariness in her voice when she answered yes, and it made me feel like an asshole. I shouldn’t make her feel guilty about her friendship with Shane. Only I kind of thought it was over. Once Romeo and Juliet ended, I never saw them together again, and we’ve been together almost every waking moment. I guess I thought she wasn’t hanging out with him anymore.
And maybe she wasn’t.
But clearly that changed today. I cursed myself for being sick and giving Shane the perfect opportunity. But I didn’t say any of that to Piper. I just told her that I was happy she had a friend to keep her company while I was at home.
Then I spent the next hour lying in bed fantasizing about Shane making moves on my girl. If I had been feeling well enough I would’ve gotten out of bed and raced to that school as fast as I could. However, between my fever and the constant throwing up, that wasn’t happening. Instead I lie in bed like I was dying until Piper came over after school. She brought me a list of all my assignments, like I was really going to do my homework. She also brought me a book of poetry to read. When I told her I didn’t feel well enough to read it, she sat next to me and opened the book. Then she read me her favorite poem. It was beautiful, but I had no idea what the hell it meant. Afterward she told me about school, and I tried not to visibly cringe every time she mentioned Shane’s name. Which was twelve times in case anyone was counting.
I was. I tallied it off in my head every time she said it. And every time it was like a knife to my gut.
Don’t get me wrong. I trust Piper. I really do. It’s Shane I don’t trust. I know guys like him. Okay, I am a guy like him. And Piper is pretty irresistible. When I first met her I knew I had to be with her. And it wouldn’t have mattered if she had a boyfriend or not. I would have still went after her. Shane is probably thinking the same thing.