Page 38 of The Right Woman

“Delta house on Fraternity Row near campus. Can’t miss it.”

Letting them check out my backside, I cast a casual, “See you there,” over my shoulder and saunter to the front of the store. Hurriedly, I text Essa that we’re heading out this weekend. Though she needs something new to wear.

New year, new me. One that fucks frat guys at classy bottled beer parties and forgets about the daddy dick stalking me everywhere I go.

I don’t even know what to do with Adon anymore. His presence is like a constant reminder that I’m broken and not good enough for a man like him, one with a whole life and no big issues blaring to send him into a mental health crisis. Someone who looks out for my well-being better than I can. He’s got good kids, for fuck’s sake. I’m pretty sure that Avery is more mature than me. What would I bring to the table other than a tragedy?

Every gift he’s sent, every moment he sat in the parking lot checking on me, only made me feel worse. Unworthy. And ungrateful.

It’s awful to admit that I have to be a bitch in order to save him from me. While at the same time, if he leaves, my heart will break. Dare I admit how deep my feelings for him are going? No. I can’t or I’ll shatter.

I was hoping that he’d just get bored and go away. But one day when he didn’t show, I had a full-blown panic attack and slept in my bathtub. The fear that he’d actually left me was too overwhelming to think about.

He’s like my Daddy Don guardian angel, always watching out for me wherever I go. I need him, and I hate to admit that, but there he is. Heshouldleave if he knows what’s good for him. Instead of encouraging that, as I leave the store, my eyes find his truck near the back of the parking lot as he waits for me.

Adon probably thinks I don’t know he’s there, but somehow, he always is. It’s comforting, albeit creepy and obsessive, but I’ll take it for now. As I place the bottle of wine in my passenger seat and glance back to the loud calls and laughs of the guys behind me, I wonder what he’ll do if he catches me at a college party.

Maybe it’s time to draw him out of the shadows.

Saturday night, I don my lime green sequined jumpsuit and spike up my hair a bit. Essa finally listened to me and wears a cherry-printed dress I helped pick out for her. She even let me do her makeup after my own for the night.

Once we arrive and manage to squeak inside, she resists me pulling her arm through the crowd of Deltas as we snake toward the kitchen where the booze is, but I give her an excited grin to encourage her forward.

The bass resounds through my chest, making talking almost impossible, but as soon as we get to the line, a familiar curvy ass stands right in front of where I want to go. Tarin’s dark brown hair waves as she swivels her hips in time to the music, her tiny red skirt barely containing the bottoms of her plump cheeks.

“What’s a girl like you doing at a party like this?” I ask, sliding my arms around her waist and pressing my lips against her ear.

She jumps and turns her head until her ruby red lips almost graze mine. “Piper! What areyoudoing here?”

“I was invited. Seems like fun. Want to have some fun?”

The heaving breaths of alcohol she wafts at me with a giggle let me know she’s ready for a good time. Her eyelids look heavy, and the whites of her eyes are a crispy pink. Oh, yeah. She started a long time ago.

She bends forward, pressing her generous rump into my waist and fills a second red Solo cup with spiked punch, then refills her own. After handing me the sweating plastic cup, she taps mine with hers and says, “Bottoms up!”

We eye each other as we tip our cups and empty them, but I’m only pretending. It’s like I’msupposedto flirt with her, sothat’s what I’m doing. Maybe another drink will make me feel it. Feelsomething, anything other than numb.

I can’t take another day of not being real.

So, I smile and flutter my lashes, and slip my hand into hers, then grab another drink. Essa seems preoccupied with a cute guy, so I lead Tarin into the dining room where the music is louder. It’s whatPiperwould do. By the time we get there, the buzz from overly sugary punch is already taking effect.

With the closeness of the bodies surrounding us and loud music, my vision blurs in time with beats playing through speakers nearby. We try to make room to dance, but it’s so packed, we can barely move. “Hang on! I got an idea!” I mouth over her ear so she can hear me better.

Shoving the last game of flip cup out of the way, I jump onto the dining room table and kick beers off as I do while the crowd around us cheers me on. I hold out my hand for Tarin, who shakes her head, but gives me a broad smile, then takes it. Once I’ve pulled her up so we’re both on top of the table, I lift my cup in victory as the music rises to a crescendo. The frat boys around us holler louder, and we dance for them seductively, all eyes on the two of us.

Tarin downs her cup and I mine, then we’re handed two more. And maybe another after that, I’m not entirely sure. All I know is I’m feelinggoodand free. Piper is here, and she loves to party, enjoys the attention and all the lights sparkling off my sequins.

“Piper!” Essa snags the bottom of my pants, and I lean down to kiss her cheek.

“Hey, girl!”

“Have you been drinking? How are we getting home?”

Fuck. I forgot. The boy behind her is standing close and this innocent woman needs to expand her horizons to more than Eli, despite the porn star cocks the Griffin brothers seem to have.“Oops! Sorry, Essa! I think I’ll be here longer than I thought. Are you not having fun?”

I spin on a heel and grab Tarin by the waist to pull her close. Calling out to the crowd, I yell, “Who wants to see us kiss?”

The boys hoot louder as I grip her ass with one hand and hold my cup high in the other. Leaning forward, I catch a glimpse of a formidable figure just entering the front door and freeze.

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