Page 99 of A Perfect Match
Griffin opens the door, takes one look at us, and his expression shifts from confusion to concern."What happened?Is she okay?"
"She's fine," I say, stepping inside."But she needs sleep.She pushed herself way too hard today.”
I carry Piper down the hallway to her bedroom, setting her gently on the bed.She's half-asleep, but she manages to mumble, "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can," I say softly, brushing a paint-streaked strand of hair from her face."But wouldn’t it be better if we take care of each other?”
I pop off her shoes, take off her socks, and get her down to bra and panties so she’s more comfortable in bed.Once she’s tucked in, I press a kiss to her forehead.
"Sleep in tomorrow, or I'm going to chain you to this bed next time, and not in the sexy way."
That earns me a weak smile before her eyes flutter closed.
Griffin is waiting in the living room when I emerge, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.The man looks like a guard dog—he’s truly a huge athlete, and I can’t help but think about the last time he and I were in this living room together.My left eye starts throbbing from the memory.
“What the fuck is going on?”Griffin asks gruffly.
"She’s been working on the barn," I explain."Nonstop.Waking up at five a.m.and doing nothing else, not even eating.”
“Why are you letting her do that?”
There’s something in his tone that instantly grates on me.Thank god Piper wasn’t here to hear it.
“Are you fucking serious right now?”It’s too late and I’m too tired for cordiality.After the day I had, after what I just went through with Piper, I can’t school my voice in the slightest.“I don’t control her.And neither do you."
“Don’t you care about her?”Griffin steps closer.
“More than you even fucking know.”I match his step until we’re in the center of the living room, staring each other down.“I caught her tonight when she fell asleep sitting up and almost cracked her head on the floor."
Griffin's face darkens."Jesus."
My frustration with the situation spills out of me."She's going to kill herself trying to prove she doesn't need anybody.Because she thinks she has to do this alone.”
“What do you meanalone?”Griffin asks.“She has her brothers and…you, I guess.”
“But she doesn’t see that,” I say.“And you and your brothers aren't helping.In fact, you’re making it so much fucking worse, and you don’t even realize it.She's so desperate to show you guys she's capable that she's pushing herself past the breaking point.And all you guys do is tell her why she’s making the wrong decisions."
"We're just trying to look out for her—"
"By making her feel like she has to prove herself every damn day, about every damn thing?"I shake my head."Is that what you want?For her to work herself into the ground just to earn your respect?"
Griffin is quiet for a long moment."No," he says finally."That's not what we want."
"Then you need to ease up on her.Stop questioning every decision she makes.Stop treating her like she doesn’t know what she’s doing."
Griffin’s jaw ticks and I begin bracing myself for another punch.I don’t make it a habit to come into another man’s house and tell him how to treat his baby sister, but this is an important exception.
“I don’t think you have the right to comment on my family.”He steps closer again, energy crackling between us.
“I get it,” I tell him.“I’m the new boyfriend.You all can shit on me if you want.But Piper is my girlfriend, and I’m going to support every last fucking thing she wants to do.I believe inher.Her vision, her dreams, her future.And the shit I heard you guys saying to her this week was really fucking disappointing.”
Griffin is looming over me now.I wonder if he’s weighing his options: punch, or maybe just throw me out of his house by the collar.
But I can’t stop now.I’m not going to watch her shrink and fidget through another game night, terrified of what her brothers are going to say to her.
“You’re gonna lose her if you don’t back off,” I add, not breaking eye contact.I don’t flinch; I don’t retreat.I just hold my ground.Griffin might be like the attack dog who can smell fear, and if that’s the case, he’s not going to smell it on me.
Silence throbs between us, and finally Griffin says, “You think we’re too hard on her?”
