Page 83 of Pretend for Me

It’s as if all the lightheartedness in the room fades at once. My jaw hardens and the hand I was running through her hair freezes in its spot. I lift her chin so she can meet my furious eyes. “He was a dick, Piper.”

She nods, giving me one of her it’s-no-big-deal smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, I know. Because look at what he missed out on. I’m a fucking prize.”

“Piper,” I say, not liking the sarcasm in her tone. “You area fucking prize. You’re the most intelligent, incredible, and witty girl I’ve ever met. Surely, you wouldn’t let one asshole’s words fester inside your head.”

A flicker of vulnerability cuts through her usually confident exterior. “No, but there was a bigger asshole who said those same things to me probably as far back as my memories go.” She lays her head back on my chest. “I used to call him dad.”

Jesus. What the fuck?

My anger surges, that deep protectiveness I have for this girl rising to the surface as her words sink in. I knew she wasn’t close to her dad, but now I want to punch the lights out of him.

I pull her off me, laying her on the pillow so I am hovering over her. My fingers nestle in her hair while my other hand cups her face.

“Peter, listen to me,” I say, my voice low and unwavering. “You are extraordinary. The kind of person people wish to be. You’re so fucking talented?—”

“That’s not what you said after your last haircut, mister,” she teases, trying to lighten the mood again because, God forbid, she just takes a compliment for once and not make a self-deprecating joke.

“—funny and sharp. But beyond all that, you’re kind and thoughtful. Until you, I’d never met a single person as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. You’re a fucking force of nature. A beautiful, and slightly insane, storm, sure,” I say, making her giggle. “But there isn’t a single thing I’d change about you. You’re perfect.”

I pause, making sure she really hears me.

“These voices inside your head telling you otherwise? They’re liars and assholes. They don’t have an ounce of the aptitude and charisma you hold in your pinky. They don’tknow you . . . not the way I do. So, believe me when I tell you, there isn’t a person like you out there.”

Her eyes glisten, bouncing against mine, before she reaches up and pulls my lips to hers. She kisses me with abandon, both fiercely and tenderly, like it’s the only way she can express everything she feels but can’t say out loud.

My heart thunders inside my chest. The words I’ve been holding back press against my lips, and I’m sure she can taste them on my tongue. Words I can’t hold back much longer, but ones I’ll keep to myself for now.

That I’m irrevocably in love with her.

twenty-nine

dev

Five Schlongs Hen Party

Dean Meyer

@Dev Menon, just wondering what the groomsmen are supposed to wear. Wedding is coming up in three weeks, and I want to make sure I look . Not that I need too much help in that area. Should I just wear my work uniform?

Then again, that might not be a good idea. The wedding guests might think there’s a fire nearby.

Garrett Meyer

Or a stripper.

Hudson Case

Wait, you’re one of the groomsmen? I didn’t even realize you were invited.

Dean Meyer

Very funny, old man. You must have forgotten, given youradvanced age.

Dev Menon

Hold on. @Dean Meyer, did you not get the detailed email about the groomsmen attire I sent weeks ago?

Darian Meyer

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