Page 112 of Power Play Rivals

Once inside, I lock the door behind us and lean against it to keep some distance between us.

“Bathroom, huh? Not exactly very romantic,” he says in disappointment while doing his due diligence of kicking in the stall doors to verify that we’re fully alone.

“Maybe you haven’t been paying attention, but I don’t do romance.”

“Oh, I got the memo, kitten.” He grins widely before walking in my direction.

“Trent, don’t you dare come any closer. I’m not fucking you here.”

“Who said anything about fucking? Though I do like where your head is at.” He smirks. “No, I came here to give you a birthday present, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

“Fine. Hand it over then,” I grumble, extending my hand in a fake gesture since I’m pretty sure the only gift Trent wants to give me is his nine-inch cock.

But then he surprises the shit out of me when he places a blue velvet box in my hand.

“What the hell is this?” I gawk at the box as if it were an explosive ready to detonate.

“What does it look like? It’s my gift.”

“I don’t want it.” I shake my head.

“You haven’t even opened it yet.”

“I don’t care. I don’t want it,” I say quickly, placing the damn thing on the sink’s counter.

“Piper—”

“I said I don’t want it, Trent,” I interrupt with a harsh tone.

“How do you know if you haven’t even opened the box to see what’s inside?”

“I don’t care what’s inside. Whatever it is, I don’t want it.”

“Piper, stop. You’re being unreasonable.”

“I have my reasons! If I keep whatever that is, you’ll think—”

“What? What will I think?” he interjects, unable to hide the misery in his voice.

I hate how the weight of his sadness pierces my heart like a relentless force, engulfing me in a black sea of pain.

But if I accept his gift… if I let this continue… whateverthisis, then sooner or later, one of us is going to get hurt. And I’m not going to let it be me.

“I just don’t want it,” I murmur.

When his dark eyes become tinged with crushing sadness, it feels as if there isn’t enough air in the room for the both of us.

“Okay, Piper. I get it. Fuck. I get it.” He runs his fingers through his jet-black hair in exasperation. “It’s not the gift you have a problem with. It’s me,” he says, looking like someone just ripped his heart out from his chest. “I mean, my first clue was you not inviting me here tonight. I just thought it was out of some misguided pride you have or that damned sheer stubbornness of yours that makes you act the way you do. But that’s not it, is it? You genuinely don’t want me here. You don’t want me, period.”

I fight back the lump in my throat, overwhelmed by the pain in his voice, which drowns out the rapid beating of my heart.

“I’m sorry to have crashed your party, Lee. It won’t happen again.”

He then proceeds to pocket the velvet box back inside his coat and starts walking towards the door. But just as he’s about to grab the knob to get away from me, I grab his wrist to stop him. He tilts his head to me, his eyes filled with such confusion, sadness, and anger that all I can do is follow my instinct to kiss his pain away.

He doesn’t budge as I wrap my arms around his neck, licking the seam of his lips, begging him to grant me access.

“Trent,” I whisper into his mouth. “Let me in.”

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