Page 87 of Definitely (Maybe) Dating
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to see my girl.”
“Your girl?” she whispered.
“Yeah. She’s about yay high.” He held his hand to his chest. “Dark hair, tiny nose ring, this sexy tattoo right here.” He reached out and ran his fingers behind her neck, tracing the tattoo. “Did I mention her eyes? Brown when she’s happy, green when she’s testy, and golden whiskey when she’s turned on.”
“What color are they now?”
“Sad.” He stepped closer. “And for that, I will forever be sorry.”
And just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, his hands rested on her hips and he pulled her closer. She opened her mouth to tell him that she was fine, but instead her entire body began to tremble with emotions so encompassing they were screaming to escape.
“I shouldn’t have walked away before we’d finished talking, and I should have given you a chance to explain your intentions. I did to you exactly what I accused you of. I was too afraid to hear what you’d say.”
He tucked his hand beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. “I should have come after you to explain myself.” He took a big breath. “When you left, I realized how hard I was struggling to become the person I want to be. That man who I am around you. The man you make me. But instead, I got sidetracked by my mom, the mayor, the race.”
“You have a lot of people counting on you.” And that would never change, especially if he won the election. “I know your family means the world to you, and that’s really amazing,” she said honestly. “I’m just not sure there’s room in your life for me.”
A terrifying thought because it reminded her of the scared girl who would rather live on the streets than be discounted again and again by the people she loved. People who didn’t love her back enough to come looking for her.
“You are my life. That’s what I should have told you. You remind me what it’s all about, why I’m doing this.” He stepped closer. “You remind me of the why, Piper.”
“But you still picked your mom?” Something she was having a hard time getting past. Not his loyalty to his family, but how easily he allowed his mom to control the entire situation. “When Margo dug in and cost a group of girls an amazing opportunity, you didn’t stop her or at least set her straight.”
“I know, and I am so damn sorry. What Rebecca did was wrong, but what I did was even worse. You gave me your trust, and I didn’t keep my word. I messed up big time, but I promise we—”
“Stop, just stop.” She plugged her ears. “Promises are made to be broken. You won’t mean to, but you will.” She turned around, facing the skyline. “This is why I hate promises, they always hurt too much.”
“I didn’t come the other day for my mom or the silo.” He slid his arms round her from behind and whispered in her ear. “I came for you. You, Piper.”
Her breath caught. “Why?”
“My family, my job, all the crushing responsibility. I let all those things lead me down the wrong path when all I had to do was look up and see you.”
A tiny bead of hope lit in her belly. “When you look at me, what do you feel?” Please say that with her he felt found because that’s how he made her feel. Seen and heard, and not so alone in a world that was designed to make space for the past.
“With you, I feel like I’m coming home.” Large hands settled on her hips and slowly turned her until she was nestled in the most glorious chest she’d ever felt. Wanting to grab on, but terrified of looking as desperate as she felt, Piper let her hands hang by her sides, but she rested her cheek over his heart and tried to calm her breathing to match his steady beat.
And somewhere between his arms coming around her and feeling his lips press against the top of her head, Piper wondered if maybe she’d found the kind of man, a man like Josh, who saw forever in her.
And Piper might be a promise-phobe and terrified of disappointment—from herself and others—but she wasn’t a coward, and she didn’t do regrets.
“I don’t know how home feels, but you make me want to find out what it could be like.”
“This.” He tilted her head up and brushed his lips across hers, igniting a million tingles—and for once Piper welcomed them. “This is what it’s like.”
His lips touched hers, and a warm flood of understanding and acceptance filled her chest, and a foreign lump of something she believed to be love wrapped around her. And when he pulled back, her mind said,He’s mine.
Piper went to tell him just that when she heard a commotion behind them. She turned to find a large crowd walking around and admiring the photos. “What’s going on?”
“Me coming through on my promise,” he said roughly. “I realized that I should be here with you. Not with my mom or the mayor, but here. I said I always come through for the people in my life. For me, you’re it. You are my life. So I called everyone I knew, including my brothers, to see if they could help, and it turns out we know a lot of people who like art.”
“Is that Rhett?” she asked, spotting his brother standing next to Rebecca, asking her about her photo. And then the most miraculous thing happened. He placed a red sticker at the bottom of the frame, indicating he’d bought Rebecca’sCinderella’s a Lie.
Tears in her eyes, Piper turned back to Josh. “You did this for me?”
He cupped her cheek. “I’d do anything for you.”
