Page 26 of Love is a Lyric
8
Piper
Stay with us.
It was that simple for him, wasn’t it?
Piper held back the tears trying to break free as she locked eyes with Ben, seeing pain swirling in his depths. Pain caused by her. She’d never imagined anyone would care what she did. Quinn would get angry, but only because Piper’s absence meant losing the songs she wrote.
Conner wouldn’t even notice until he went to get a coffee no one had brought him. Once they had a new assistant, nothing would change for him.
But Ben… he didn’t care about the coffee or the schedules someone else would have to arrange. For the first time since joiningFate, Piper knew she was wanted, valued.
And yet, she still had to go. “I can’t stay,” she whispered. “I can’t work for Quinn any longer. It’s time for me to move on.”
“From us.”
She nodded. As much as it hurt to think,Fatewasn’t her band, her future.
“And Drew has offered you a job?”
“A good one. I think…” She sucked in a breath. “I think it’s a good opportunity for me.”
“I want you to have every opportunity. You know that, right? Even if it’s not withFate. I’m your family too, Piper, not only Chase.”
“I know.” She smiled. She’d always known.
He shielded his eyes as he scanned the surrounding beach. “I should have brought my sunglasses.”
Piper zipped open her bag and pulled out said sunglasses with a shrug. She took Ben’s glasses from his face and snapped them into the holder before dropping it into her bag.
“Do you ever get tired of it?” Ben slid the sunglasses into place. “Living your life in anticipation of other people’s needs.”
She looked away. “It’s—"
“If you finish that withyour job, I’m going to scream.” He pointed to the towel, gesturing for her to sit.
She opted for the sand instead and dug her feet beneath the surface. “After my parents died, I became entirely dependent on people who weren’t my family.”
“They—”
“I know your parents loved having me, but it never lessened the guilt I felt. I didn’t have anything to offer them. After the funeral expenses, the remaining life insurance money went to pay for Quinn’s college, so I started doing everything in my power to be helpful. I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I’m a burden.”
“You could never be a burden.”
“Saying that doesn’t really make someone stop feeling like one. I know I didn’t choose to be a ten-year-old orphan and that none of it was my fault, but I guess I saw it as my duty to make it better for everyone around me.”
He ran a hand down the strings of his guitar, plucking a few in the absent way he had. He always had to be making music, even when he was younger and their families got together.
“You asked me why I love her.”
Piper covered her face with her hands. “I sort of hoped you’d forgotten about that.”
“I’m not blind—as some people claim. I see how Quinn goes through her life, how she treats you. You have no idea how sorry I am for that. I don’t blame you for leaving us. But… it’s really hard to explain. Her music, her words they call to me, pulling the music from me effortlessly. From the day I heard the first song she wrote, I haven’t been able to help but think it’s fate tying us together.”
“Fate.” Her wide eyes found his. “Because of the lyrics… do you really believe that?”
“I used to think I was crazy, that I couldn’t feel this way for songs, especially when the girl writing them can be difficult. But I can’t help think my music was supposed to find hers.”
