Page 68 of My Last Dance

“Please, Auntie P!” Lucy echoed. “We can’t reach!”

Auntie?I smacked my forehead. Damn, this little girl was already good at a guilt trip. “I’m not feeling that well,” I lied through my teeth.

“Piper, I just saw you yesterday, you are fine,” Mer deadpanned. “I refuse to let you miss out on any more fun just because you don’t want to seehim.”

“See who?” Lucy questioned, making me squeeze my eyes shut.

“And we really need help with the balloons,” Mer repeated.

“Can’t Colt help?” I asked weakly.

“No, he’s sleeping in because he hurt his shoulder in the game last night. Now get your butt up and come over here,” she snapped, and then the line went dead.

My phone slipped out of my fingers to the bed.

She actually hung up on me.

We’d been best friends for over fifteen years and I think that was a first. The shock of that alone was enough to make me roll out of bed and drive over there.

_________

Still wearing pajamas, Lucy threw the front door open and gasped. “I love your hair, and your outfit, and your shoes!” shesqueaked.

“I loveyou.” I chuckled while handing Mer an iced coffee over her little head. At least someone appreciated my style. Clothes gave me confidence, and I knew if I was going to come face-to-face with Richard Charles Kappers the Third, I needed to dress to kill. I chose off-black tights, thigh-high boots, a caramel colored mini-skirt, and a tight black top with a long peacoat overtop for the day. My blonde hair was curled and coiffed, and I spent way too long on my cat-eye eyeliner. “You’re a great hype woman, you know that?” I told her, making her smile proudly.

We spent the next half hour twisting pink and purple balloons together to create a perfect little arch.

I was holding the last balloon when the doorbell rang.

My shoulders stiffened as deep masculine voices echoed in their front hallway.

Turning, I spotted JP. The last decade did him well. His pronounced cheek bones and strong jaw fit his buzzed hairstyle, and he looked respectable in lulu dress pants and a simple button down. Kappy, standing beside him, looked like an overgrown teenager. He wore his slutty little earring, a fur-lined jean jacket, gray sweatpants, and a snapback on top of his messy hair. I was glad he was sporting a mustache above his upper lip—I completely detested it, which made sneering at him easier.

Kappy opened the box he was holding, revealing pink sprinkled donuts, and he presented it to Lu. “For the birthday girl.” The grin he had for Lucy was different from any other smile I’d seen on his face. It was more gentle, endearing.

Lu giggled and snatched a donut. “Thank you, Uncle Kappy.”

Kappy rubbed her head, making her brown hair all staticky.

“Happy birthday, little Lu,” JP said, patting her head to smooth down her hair. “Where’s your dad? Shouldn’t he be up?”

“Not yet, but I’ll go get him!” Lucy yelled before dashing up the stairs.

Without Lucy in the room to ease the tension, my grip on the balloon tightened. A loud pop sounding like an explosion went off, leaving me holding scarps of latex.

“Sorry,” I grumbled.

“Piper the Viper, in the flesh,” Kappy drawled. He looked me up and down, but his face gave nothing away.

“Dick,” I deadpanned.

“Play nice, you guys,” JP warned. Strolling forward, he pulled me into a quick hug. “Nice to see you, Piper,” he said before wandering back to the kitchen with the box of donuts.

“I’m always nice,” Kappy clapped back.

I scoffed. I couldn’t help it.Of coursehe would think he was nice, when in reality, how many girls was he playing? He played me for years, andthatwas not very nice.

“I hate men,” I grumbled, then inwardly cringed. I totally didn’t mean to say it aloud.

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