Page 54 of Revved
“I told you. We’re busy.” Yeah, they were busy, but that wasn’t why he wasn’t sleeping, and she knew it as well as he did.
Hands on hips, she looked down at the floor and shook her head. “Rusty has looked after me all our lives, did you know that? Even before our mother left. She stuck up for me, hugged me when I was hurt, when my heart had been broken.” She lifted her chin, blond hair bouncing around her face. “She used to say ‘Pipe, they aren’t worth it. No man is worth that kind of pain.’”
Reid gritted his teeth, waited for her to let him have it, wanting her to get it over with. He was hanging on by a thread where Rusty was concerned. Twice he’d gotten into his car with the intention of going to her, begging her to take him back. Twice he’d just barely managed to fight it. He couldn’t take much more. “I get it, Piper, you’re pissed at me…”
Her wide baby blues locked on his. “She thought you were worth it, Reid. She thought you were more than worth it.” She crossed her arms. “You were the first man she ever felt that way about, and now…after what happened, I think you might just be the last.”
His entire body seized. Fuck. His heart stopped in his chest for a few seconds, then kicked into action, hard and pounding against the back of his ribs. “You don’t understand…”
“No, I don’t. I don’t understand how you could let her go, how you could treat her like she was nothing. The sad thing is, if you’d given her time, given her the chance, she would have made you feel like you were everything. You don’t know what you had, Reid. No idea what you threw away when you decided to do what you did. So, no, I don’t understand. But I do know that you’ll live to regret it.”
“Piper…” His voice came out nothing but a rasp. Every word out of her mouth was chipping away at his self-control, tearing him up inside because he knew this. Because he knew what he’d had. Rusty had made him feel all of it…and more.
“Letting you into her life was hard for her. She took a risk, being with you. I think you know that. But I’ve always thought my sister was a good judge of character, and I think there’s more to this than you’re letting on. If that’s the case…if that’s true? Then maybe it’s time you man the hell up and stop running scared. It’s time you took a risk, for her. If anyone’s worth it, it’s Rusty. I think you know that, too.”
Jesus. This woman was annihilating him.
“My sister won’t come to you. If you decide to sit back and let her go, you won’t get a second chance. You might see her across the room at car shows. She might even say hello, but she’ll lock you out, and you’ll never get back in.”
Teeth gritted, he fought the words swimming around his head.
Piper planted her hands on her hips. “I’ll leave you now. But I wanted you to know you made a mistake. Rusty isn’t one to sit around feeling sorry for herself. She’s going to do whatever she has to do, to get past this, to get over you.” A small smile curved her lips. “And I think you have an idea how she plans to do that.”
“Where is she?” The words were out of his mouth in a rush before he could stop them, like someone had socked him in the chest and forced them past his lips.
Piper looked down at her phone, checking the time. “Right now?” The grin turned wicked. “I’d say working very hard at getting over you.”
“Are you telling me she’s on a date?” The possessiveness already thrumming through his veins reared up inside him and took hold. Rusty was his. Fuck this. He could not stand by and watch her date other guys. He knew what she planned to do, she’d made it perfectly clear when she’d climbed into her truck and driven away. But that wasn’t happening. No way would he let anyone touch her. He’d been stupid to think he could.
“I think I’ve said enough. The ball’s in your court.” She turned to go, but then stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. “You know, I never took you for a coward, Reid Parker.” Then she walked out the door.
Coward.
He rocked back on his heels as if she’d taken a swing and hit home. That word described one person in his mind, always had. A coward took his fists to his wife and son without a second thought. He sure as hell didn’t walk away because he couldn’t bear to hurt them.
He rubbed his hands over his face, realization sinking in. Jesus. In his fear, he’d lost sight of that simple truth. Rusty made him a better man, made him see himself as he is, not what he believed himself to be.
He’d let the fear momentarily blind him.
He believed walking away was for the best. But he’d been wrong—about a lot of things. His old man would never have walked away to protect the ones he cared about. And one thing he knew for certain? He would never, could never hurt her. He would take off his own arm before raising it to her, to any woman. He knew that now, despite his fears. He knew it.
He was not his father. Never was. Never would be. Being with Rusty—losing her—had made him finally realize it.
He yanked the door open and raced out. Piper was just about to get in her car. “Tell me where she is, Pipe.”
She ignored him and got in.
“Please.”
She didn’t shut the door. She turned to face him. “Does this mean you’ve had a change of heart?”
“Yeah, I’ve had a change of heart.”
She pulled a pen and a piece of paper from the glove box and scribbled down an address. “You’ll need to wear a suit.” She handed it to him. “I wouldn’t mess around if I were you.” Then she yanked the door shut and peeled out onto the street in her pink Corvette.
Chapter Twenty
Rusty grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing waiter and took a sip. The restaurant Deke had booked for the evening was gorgeous. The food great, the alcohol flowing. She’d been working toward a good buzz and keeping it since she got here, but it wasn’t really happening, no matter how hard she tried.
