Page 37 of Love Beyond the Illusion
Chapter Fifteen
Jack
It’salittlepasttwo in the afternoon when I hear the front door open. Piper is back, and I’m anxious to know how her day went. I texted her earlier to check in but didn’t get a response back. I was expecting to see her enter the living room, but instead, I hear the bathroom door slam shut. The wooden door colliding with the side of the wall cannot be a good sign, and the sound makes my heart pace. I’m tempted to go in after her, but I shouldn’t invade her space.
I quietly walk up to the closed door and gently knock on it. “Piper? Is everything alright?”
“It’s just fucking peachy! Thank you for being so thoughtful and checking on me.” Her voice is muffled, but its sharp inflection is hard to miss.
What the hell happened?
“Are you upset about something?” I bring my ear to the wooden door.
The door suddenly swings open, and I almost fall forward from the force. Piper is standing in the bathroom with one hand on the handle and the other on her hip. She pushes her lips to the side of her mouth and raises her eyebrows. I can feel the tension radiating off her shiny body—massageoil.My dick jumps.
I shake it off, ignoring the inappropriate thoughts rushing my brain. “You look pissed. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Sure, I’ll tell you all about the pleasant surprise I got today during thelittleladies’ spa day. Your fucking ex-girlfriend,” Piper spits, then shoves past me, leaving the bathroom, and stomps right into the living room.
Shit. I rub the back of my neck. I completely forgot about Sophia. I should have warned Piper about her. I’m an asshole for not realizing she could have been there today too. “I am so sorry. I completely forgot that there’d be a possibility that Sophia would be there.”
“Clearly.”
She is pissed. I take a few steps toward her. “We dated in high school and haven’t been together since. That was a long time ago,” I try to explain. Piper and I aren't a real couple, and it shouldn’t be a big deal about Sophia other than communication. But it doesn’t stop me from needing her to know that there is nothing with Sophia. “Look, I’m sorry I didn't mention it to you, but why should it matter?” I ask. “I broke things off with her years ago.”
“Oh, I’m going to tell you why.” Piper’s hands fly up to her hips. “It is very obvious she is not over you.”
I’m not surprised to hear this. It’s been no secret that Sophia had trouble with our breakup. She even tried to follow me to Arizona for college. Thank god, it didn’t work out for her. “I can’t say I’m shocked. Sophia has been trying to get back together with me for years.”
“It would have been nice to know this. She is a wicked bitch and tried to make my day as uncomfortable as she possibly could.” Piper sits on the bed, angling her head away from me and toward the window. I feel like such a jerk.
I shake my head in frustration with myself, then slowly walk toward her. As I bend to sit down next to her, my leg rubs against the warmth of her skin. She flinches but doesn’t move. I let my eyes scan up and down her slick skin that’s still covered in the remnants of lavender massage oil, the same scent as her shampoo. I came over here to comfort her, but now all I want to do is let my tongue lick up the inside of her thighs.
I adjust my shoulders and sit up straighter. “Yes, she is. Would you like to tell me what happened?”
“I don’t think it’s worth getting into the details, but in a nutshell, she basically dragged me into a who-knows-Jack-best competition.This was so strange because then she kept finding ways to insert that she’s engaged to someone who is perfect and treats herlike no man has ever before—which I know was a subtle dig at you. And to make matters even more aggravating, she said all these things when your mom wasn’t around. Like she was trying to get a rise out of me, so I’d lose my cool or something.” Piper fidgets with the strings on the dress that covers her bathing suit.
I lay my palm on top of her agitated hand, squeezing lightly. “I’m sorry that you had a rough time with her, and I’m sorry for not giving you a heads up first, but please don’t let Sophia get to you. She’s a horrible person, and she knows it. She’s probably jealous about how beautiful you are,” I say, slipping out the beautiful part. Piper is gorgeous, and I’ve mentioned it before, but this time it comes out more sincere.
Piper’s head whips around. Her eyes flicker to mine briefly before falling to my lips. I’m tempted to suck that puffy bottom lip of hers into my mouth. We both blink away at the same time. I casually hook my arm around her shoulders, and I feel her muscles relax and release into me.
“How does takeout for dinner tonight sound?” This is the first time I’ve had her in my arms since the night we got married in Vegas. It feels good.
Piper tucks her head under my chin with her ear resting on my chest. “Don’t we have to attend that new restaurant opening tonight?”
“We should be going, but honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal if we don’t. There will only be a few influential community members there anyway.” I try to sound convincing even though we should be going. But tonight, I need to spend some time with Piper. I’ve been a little distant since she arrived yesterday morning, and I should make up for that. It was never my intention, but I’ve been struggling with how to act around her.
“We’re going to have dinner and actually hang out together?” she asks with slight sarcasm in her soft voice.
“Yeah. Do you want to have dinner with me tonight, Mrs. Bradley?”
“I would love to have dinner with you.” She snuggles a little closer.
“What do you feel like?”
“Pizza and wine.”
I laugh. “That was quick.”
