by A. M. Myers
“Yep. Now, get your butt out of the car and into the restaurant. You don’t want to leave your man waiting.”
I scowl as I glance up at the restaurant. “I just want you to know that I’m still really pissed at you.”
“I can live with that. Bye, now.” She hangs up before I can say another word and my stomach flips as I turn to the restaurant. I hide my face in my hand and let out a little growl. I can’t believe I am about to march in there and come face-to-face with Wyatt for the first time in ten years.
Oh, God, I’m going to throw up.
My hands shake as I reach for the door and open it, stepping out into the dense Louisiana heat. Closing the door behind me, I lean back against the car and press my hand to my chest as I stare up at the restaurant, trying to come up with something to say to him that won’t sound callous or flippant after everything we’ve been through. I mean, I can’t just walk up to him and say “hi”, can I? There is so much to say, so much to apologize for but I’m not sure that I’m ready to tell him any of it. The things that happened back then… I don’t want him to know any of it. I don’t want him to see me that way but what else can I say?
When I left him, I told him that I had found someone new but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. There’s never been anyone else for me and even the few guys I’ve dated since leaving him haven’t been able to breach the barrier around my heart that is Wyatt Landry. He has owned me since we were two little kids, too naive to know how special and meaningful our love was. Truth be told, it took leaving Wyatt and spending the last ten years without him to truly understand the magnitude of our relationship and the love I have for him. I wish I could say I had a plan when I left but I didn’t. At that point, I wasn’t thinking clearly and by the time things did become clear, too much time had passed for me to just run back to him. The damage was done and I had to live with it. Pushing off the car, my heart thunders against my ribs and my legs feel like Jell-O as I make my way across the parking lot.
“You can do this,” I whisper to myself as tears sting my eyes and a memory from the first time I met Wyatt flashes through my mind. Aunt Myra was guiding me up the steps to her house after picking me up in Shreveport and Wyatt was running through his yard next door with one of his friends. Right in the middle of their game, he stopped and stared at me before flashing me a half smile and waving. It was such a simple gesture but after all of the horror I had just been through, it was… everything and I can’t help but picture what it’s going to be like when I get in that restaurant and he sees me again. Anger, maybe? Shock? I can’t imagine that any part of him will be happy to come face-to-face with me again but ever since Eden brought it up, I’ve been wondering why the hell he never signed the divorce papers I sent him. At the time, I thought I was doing him a favor but now, I don’t know.
When I reach the front door, I pull it open with trembling hands and step inside as my head screams at me to turn and run back to the safety of my car. But it’s not really safety, is it? It’s cowardliness. And weakness because every cell in my body is urging me forward, pushing me to close the distance between Wyatt and me like it knows where it belongs even if my head can’t get on board. I glance up from the entryway and suck in a breath. Oh, God, there he is… He’s looking down at his phone with a scowl and my belly flips as my heart races and the memory of his kiss tingles on my lips. It’s been so long since I have seen him and the years have certainly been kind but guys always get all the luck with that kind of thing. His hair is longer, falling into his face and he brushes it back. My fingers itch to run my fingers through it like I used to when we were younger and my chest aches as memories flood my mind, barely giving me a chance to recognize one before the next is invading my thoughts.
Gulping in air and trying my best not to throw up as I start walking through the dining room, my heart beating so fast that I’m afraid I might pass out. A memory of the first time he kissed me pops into my mind and I shake my head, remembering how awkward it was since we were only thirteen but also, how special it was in spite of all that. We were back behind Aunt Myra’s house, hiding in the oak trees and when I looked over Wyatt was staring at me with this look on his face that I had never seen before. The next thing I knew, his lips were pressed to mine and my heart was thumping. When we pulled apart, he smiled at me and I couldn’t stop the giggle from bubbling out of my lips. The next day he asked me to be his girlfriend and that was it for us. We were no longer two separate people. We were Wyatt and Piper, one solid unit.
Something on his phone makes him smile and his full lips quirk up on one side as warmth floods my body and I fight back a smile of my own.
Oh, that smile…
It’s one of my favorite things on this earth and I forgot how much I missed it, or blocked it out in an effort to survive without him. His smile widens and he shakes his head before typing out a message and I have to force myself to keep my eyes open as the memory of those lips dragging along my skin burns its way into my memories. My skin tingles with awareness and my belly flutters with nerves as I close in on the table and will him to look up at me so I don’t have to be the first one to speak. Just as I stop by the seat across from him, he sets his phone down and glances up. Recognition flickers across his face and his eyes widen as he falls back against his chair and his lips part.
“Piper,” he breathes, staring at me like I’m a ghost or a figment of his imagination and I force a smile to my face but it feels shaky, at best, and my heart pounds in my ears.
“Hi, Wyatt.”
Chapter Nine
Wyatt
“Hi, Wyatt.” Her voice washes over me like a thunderstorm, electricity racing across my skin and my heart thundering in my chest as I stare up at her, trying to find the right words to say. One part of me wants to stand up, pull her into my arms, and kiss her until neither one of us can breathe, until I get every single second of affection I’m owed for the past ten years and the other part of me is fucking pissed, raging out of control and demanding answers to the questions that have been dogging me day and night since she left. And I have no clue which side to give into. How the fuck can she make me want to fuck her senseless and scream at her at the same time?
Fuck, she looks incredible, too.
Her dark red hair is longer now, hanging down her back as she stands in front of me, trying to put on a brave face but looking nervous as hell. My gaze drops down her body slowly, taking her in as I try to collect myself again and I swallow hard when I catch a glimpse of her long legs and the pink heels she’s wearing. They remind me of the lingerie she wore on our wedding night and my cock strains against my zipper as I shift in my seat and meet her gaze again. She arches a brow and I realize she’s still waiting for me to say something.
Shit.
What the hell do I say to her?
I mean, there is so much I want to say, so many fucking questions to ask her but what am I supposed to do? Just blurt them out in a crowded restaurant? When I still don’t open my dumb mouth and force words out, she pulls out the chair across from me and sits down. I remember my date with Eden and I shake my head as I glance around the restaurant. Well, this is awkward.
“I’m… uh, I’m actually meeting someone, Piper, so you can’t stay here.”
She nods as she sets her purse on the floor. “I know. You’re meeting me.”
“No,” I answer, shaking my head. “I’m meeting someone named Eden.”
“Eden is my best friend and she set this up. I didn’t even know until I got here.”
Well, fuck.
I scowl as I study her face and my gaze falls to the scar on her neck and she subtly covers it with her hand. “And why would she do that?”
“Because…” she sighs, her tongue darting out to run along her bottom lip and I bite back a groan. Fuck her for still being able to get to me like this. “Because she thinks we need to talk.”
“What could we possibly have to talk about, wife?” I growl, pissed at Eden for blindsiding both of us a
nd hurt creeping back into my chest as the shock of seeing Piper again wears off. My memory of reading her email in that Godforsaken desert pops into my mind and pain floods my body. I remember the pain of coming home to an empty house and her wedding ring on the table, the pain of getting the divorce papers in the mail and I clench my fist on top of the table. Shit. I wish I could punch something. Her gaze flicks to my hand and she sucks in a breath before meeting my eyes again.
“I don’t want to fight with you, Wyatt. I know that I hurt you and I don’t have any excuses for you but I do want to tell you how sorry I am… losing you… leaving you is my biggest regret.”
I consider coming back with a snappy remark, something designed to hurt her in return but as she looks up at me from across the table, I can see the truth in her eyes which only leaves me with more questions. Shaking my head, I suck in a breath.
“So, what do you want, then?”
Her teeth sink into her full bottom lip. “I don’t want anything.”
“Liar.”
“I didn’t even know I was meeting you here today so truly, I don’t want anything from you.”
I tilt my head to the side, studying her. “You could have just left, stood me up.”
“Well… I didn’t want to do that, either.”
“So you’re just here to torture me then?” I ask and she flinches, unshed tears shining in her eyes. Fuck. I always hated it when she cried. Her hand shakes as she presses it flat against the table and I can see her warring with herself before she looks at me with a determined expression on her face.
“I want you to help me have a baby.”
Blinking, I stare at her as my lips part in shock. “What?!”
“I want you to help me have a baby,” she repeats, her gaze unwavering and strength reflected in her gaze.
Holy shit.
That’s new.
Where the hell is the scared girl I grew up with? The one that would jump out of her skin and start crying if you snuck up on her, the one who never made it through a week without, at least, three nightmares that woke us both up and the one that I loved so fucking much in spite of all that. Watching her, I can’t help but wonder who she is now and how much I would like to get to know her again before I shut that thought down and press my lips into a line.
“Is this why Eden set this whole thing up?” I fucking hate feeling like I’m being played right now and I don’t know how she thinks the two of us having a baby together is a good fucking idea. It’s insane. At best, she and I are a mess of pain and resentment and she wants to bring a child into this? She shakes her head.
“I’ve been looking into how to have a baby on my own lately and when I realized how expensive it was, she joked that I should ask you but it was never something I seriously considered until I walked in and saw you.”
“Oh, good,” I snap, crossing my arms over my chest. “‘Cause here I thought you had thought this all through and still thought it was a good idea. What was Eden’s plan then when she messaged me?”
She sucks in a breath and her nerves flash through her eyes for just a second before she shuts it down. “No… She seems to think that there is still something between us.”
“Did you tell her she’s fucking insane?” I ask with what I know is a condescending laugh but my chest aches as I force the words out of my mouth. Sitting here across from her, staring at the face of the woman I fell in love with at thirteen years old, I’m not so sure that’s true anymore. She lets out a breath and shakes her head, sadness creeping into her green eyes and I’m back to a teenage kid who just wanted to make her smile.
Fuck.
I have to get out of here.
“The answer is no,” I force out through gritted teeth as I grab my phone off of the table and stand up. She reaches out and grabs my arm as I try to pass her and I swear to God, my heart stops for a second as I look down at her. His gaze pleads with me and my gut turns as the ache in my chest grows.
“Please just think about it, Wyatt. I don’t ever expect you to forgive me for what I did but I think you might be my last hope.” Her eyes hold me prisoner, wrapping chains around my heart and my anger drains away, forcing me to confront what lies beneath.
I can’t do this.
I can’t let myself go there.
I can’t even let myself think about it because up until this moment, I didn’t realize that I was balancing on the edge of the cliff overlooking a ravine but now I’ve looked down and seen the jagged rocks on the bottom and if I reach for her, I know it will destroy me.
“Good-bye, Piper,” I say, pulling my arm from her grasp and walking away from her. Fuck, it hurts like hell. I’m halfway to the door when I hear her hushed sob and it takes every ounce of strength I possess to keep on walking but I know better than to turn back. The only thing waiting for me back there is more betrayal, more pain, and more lies. I am supposed to be moving on with my life, finally, and I can’t let her pull me back.
By the time I get to my bike, my anger is returning full force and I almost slam my fist into the seat before shaking my head and swinging my leg over. It rumbles to life beneath me and I try to ignore the pain in my chest as I pull out of the parking lot. It’s fucking baffling to me why she thought any of what just went down was a good idea.
Her and I have a baby together?
I scoff and shake my head as I weave through traffic. It’s moronic. Plus, I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about her just wanting me to be her sperm donor after everything we’ve been through. That is the cherry on top of the pain sundae courtesy of Piper Robichaud… or Landry?? Fuck, I don’t even know if she ever changed her name. No, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mean anything if she still has my last name. Then again, I have to wonder what happened to the “someone new” she found if she is coming to me to give her a baby. Why the hell doesn’t she go to that fucker and beg him to knock her up?
Just the thought of someone else’s hands on her body makes me see red. Fuck. She’s not mine, I know that, but goddamn it if she doesn’t still feel like mine. Especially with the feeling of her hand still imprinted on my arm. My stomach twists with the rival emotions battling inside my chest. I want to turn this bike around and pull her out of her chair, throw her on the floor, and fuck her so hard that she’ll realize everything she’s been missing and never think of leaving me ever again.
Wait, what?
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I don’t want Piper back.
A red Fiat cuts me off and I slam on the brakes as my body tenses and flushes with heat. Grinding my teeth together, I speed up and slip into the other lane before riding right up next to his little piece of shit and smacking my hand on the window. He looks over at me with wide eyes and rolls the down the window. Big mistake, fucker.
“Why don’t you learn how to drive, motherfucker?” I bellow at him before punching the door frame and pulling ahead. Once I’ve merged over in front of him, I hit the brakes just enough to make his heart stop for a second before racing away from him. The speedometer hits one hundred before I feel calm enough to slow down and I sigh as my townhouse comes into view.
After parking in my spot, I climb off my bike and clench my fists as I march up to my place, trying to push all the thoughts from my mind. Fuck. I need something… a beer? Maybe. To punch a hole through a wall? Possibly. I’m still undecided. Hell, maybe I’ll make a real night out of it and do both. Once inside, I toss my keys onto the kitchen counter and throw myself into the seat in front of my desk as I lean my head back against the headrest and cover my face with my hands.
“Fuck,” I groan, dragging them down over my jaw before dropping them into my lap as someone knocks on the door. “What?”
The door opens and Cleo steps in with a sly smile on her face. “Hey, Fuzz.”
“Cleo,” I answer with a nod as she walks over to me and braces her hands on the arms of the chair, leaning over me just enough that I can see down her shirt. “What are you doing here?�
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“Oh, come on, Fuzz. Don’t play games. You know why I’m here.”
I shake my head. “I’m not in the mood tonight.”
“I think we can get you there, big guy,” she whispers, leaning forward and pressing her lips to the side of my neck. My eyes close and in my head, it’s Piper in front of me, her cherry lips against my neck and I moan. Her hand strokes my cock over my jeans and I groan again as it hardens and presses against my zipper, the teeth biting into my skin. “That’s what I thought.”
“Stop talking,” I growl as I slip my hand into her hair and give it a tug. Cleo laughs as she drops to her knees in front of me but behind my eyes, all I can see is Piper. She unbuttons my jeans and I lift my hips on the chair so she can pull them down. A sexy little hum slips out of her lips as she wraps her fingers around my length and I groan, massaging the back of her head as she takes the tip into her mouth.
Oh, fuck.
That’s fucking perfect.
I open my eyes and my mood sours instantly when I look down and Cleo meets my eyes, grinning around the length of my dick in her mouth. Piper’s face flashes through my mind again, her pleading look in the restaurant as she begged me to help her have a baby and the strength that flashed in her eyes - so goddamn sexy. God, as much as I loved her even when she was broken and damaged, seeing her hold her own and be strong makes my heart swell no matter how much I don’t want it to and the image of a baby in her arms pops into my head. Turning my head, I catch sight of the damn divorce papers again and clench my teeth as I shove Cleo away from me, feeling all kinds of wrong as I stare at Piper’s name signed at the bottom of the page. My mind screams, rage and a desperate need for relief ripping their way through me as I try to make sense of the last ninety minutes.
“Are you okay?” Cleo asks and I look down at her. She arches a brow in question as she releases me and I shake my head as I stand up and pull my jeans up.
“No. You need to go.”
She balks. “What?”