44. Piper, Power Play (D.C. Stars #2)

44. Piper

FORTY-FOUR

PIPER

Can we go back to Spain?

It’s too cold here.

Liam

I don’t have another sister getting married.

Maybe I could find one?

No one could replace Alana, but the sooner the better.

Liam

I know I said I love my job, but it was really fucking nice to have a few days off.

It was, wasn’t it?

Are you getting back into the swing of things?

Liam

Three days back, and it feels like weeks.

What are you doing tonight?

Hanging with the girls!

Liam

Girl code. What kind of stuff do you all talk about at these hang outs?

Are you asking if we talk about you?

Liam

No.

Yes

Someone is nosy.

Liam

I prefer curious.

We do talk about you. Nothing bad, though.

It’s really just an academic discussion on the validity of glow in the dark condoms.

Liam

Grant just asked why I’m laughing.

Did you tell him it’s because you’re ill and losing your mind?

Liam

I will now.

Can I tell you a secret?

Liam

Does my mascara make me look like a raccoon?

Close.

Liam

You hate the glow in the dark condoms?

Closer!

I miss you.

And I’m sorry I got all weird at the rehearsal dinner.

Liam

Did that happen?

We can pretend like it didn’t.

Liam

Not a fan that we’re doing this over text, but fuck it.

I’ve never been married. I don’t know the emotions you might have been feeling, but you never have to apologize for what’s going on in your head.

And if I said or did anything that didn’t help the situation, I’m sorry.

You didn’t. I just have a lot on my mind.

Liam

Are you going to team dinner the day after tomorrow?

I am. Are you?

Liam

Yup.

You’ve been going to more this season. I’m proud of you!

Liam

I go because you’re there, Piper.

Want to talk then like real humans?

If you feel like telling me what’s on your mind, I’ll listen.

If you want to talk about condoms instead, we can do that too.

I’d like that.

The telling you what’s on my mind part.

And I guess the condom part too.

“I can’t believe how far along you are.” I smile at Maven’s baby bump. “You’re freaking glowing, Mae.”

“The women who say being pregnant is fun are out of their damn minds.” She rests a hand on her stomach and props her legs up on my coffee table. “I’m exhausted all the time. My feet are swollen. I’m hungry, but half the food I want to eat makes me nauseous.”

“You’re getting there,” Emmy says, and Maven glares at her.

“My due date cannot come fast enough. Don’t mention childbirth to me, though, because it’s terrifying. Someone else pick something to talk about.”

“How was the wedding, Piper?” Lexi asks. “I’m still pissed you didn’t send us a single photo while you were there.”

“The wedding was amazing. Liam’s family is wonderful. You all would love his sister, and I’m so glad I got to go.” I pause and swirl my wine around in my glass. “I think I did something stupid, though.”

“Is this like a tattoo situation? A drunken marriage situation?” Emmy asks, and I choke on my drink.

“Pardon? What made you say that?”

“I don’t know. I’m thinking about things people do that they might regret, and they came to mind.” She narrows her eyes and leans forward. “What are you hiding, Piper Mitchell?”

The only way to get their advice about everything that’s been on my mind is to tell them the whole story about what’s going on between us.

If Maverick can know, my friends can know, too.

“Okay.” I set my glass down and rub my hands over my thighs. “I haven’t been totally honest with you all. I told you about how I might have feelings for Liam, but I left out the part where I mentioned he’s kind of my husband?” It comes out like a question, an embarrassed squeak that makes my cheeks turn bright red. I touch my necklace and follow it up with a disbelieving laugh and a shake of my head. “So, yeah. That’s what’s been going on.”

“Oh, my fucking god. You are a sneaky little bitch.” Lexi gapes at me. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Since when?” Maven challenges. “I swear to god if you say it’s been months, I’m going to be pissed.”

“In my defense, I didn’t want to upstage Emmy’s wedding, but…” I trail off and clear my throat. “New Year’s Eve in Vegas?”

“ Vegas ? That was weeks ago.” Emmy stands up and puts her hands on her hips. “You better start talking, Mitchell.”

And I do.

I tell them about everything from the insurance to the time Liam came over and helped with my migraine. I mention the moment we had on the balcony in Spain, and when I stop to take a breath, my head is killing me.

“That’s what I mean by doing something stupid. At the rehearsal dinner, I said something to Liam about how the last time I was in a relationship, the last time I thought I had found my forever, it went up in smoke. He didn’t say anything about those hesitations. He didn’t reassure me, and it terrified me. I took it as a sign he’d never want that with me, and I closed up after that.”

Maven wraps her arm around my shoulder, and I bite my lip to keep from crying. “Oh, sweetie.”

“It’s all so stupid. It’s only supposed to be something physical, and I went and caught feelings. Do I have feelings for Liam? Do I have feelings for any man who treats me better than Steven? We communicate so well about everything else, but I have no clue how to be honest about my emotions.”

“Okay. I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships, so take what I’m going to say with a grain of salt. But how is a relationship different from what you’re doing right now?” Lexi asks. “You spend time together. You sleep together. You’re not seeing anyone else. There’s no way there’s not some sort of attachment on his end.”

“Maybe there is. I don’t know. That would require a conversation about everything, and in the few days that we’ve been home from our trip, we’re both overloaded with work.”

“So make time to talk,” Maven says. “Tell each other how you’re feeling and decide where it goes from there.”

“We’re going to get together at team dinner this week. I miss him.” I laugh and touch my necklace again, the chain cool against my fingers. “And I don’t mean in a romantic sort of way. I miss him as a friend, and I just saw him.”

“That’s good though. Missing people is a normal human emotion, Piper.”

“I know it is. I hate to keep bringing Steven up, but it’s hard not to compare what I’m going through right now with what I went through then. They can’t be more different. Liam’s priorities are like his though, with work coming first. With being dedicated to his career to the point of putting other parts of his life on the back-burner. Would he do that with me? Would he even be able to balance me with everything else?”

“Before you play that game, you need to figure out how Liam feels,” Maven says gently. “A conversation will help, and being honest in that conversation is important.”

“God. This all kind of sucks, doesn’t it?”

“It does. But the other side of it is fun.” Emmy smiles. “It’s nice to be wanted and cared for.”

“Do you have a ring?” Lexi looks at my hand. “I haven’t seen you wear anything.”

“Oh. It’s right here.” I pull the chain out from under my shirt and hold up the silver band. “I’m pretty sure it’s cheap metal because it’s already disgusting.”

“This is all making so much sense now. After the season ticket holder event you all had, Maverick would not shut up about this guy Liam went after.” Emmy sits on the couch and pulls her feet under her. “He said Liam had this dude shoved up against a wall and almost killed him.”

“ What ? What guy?”

“Some guy named Charlie? The name sounds vaguely familiar.”

My stomach drops to my feet. My tongue is heavy in my mouth and my hands shake. “What else did Maverick say?”

“I don’t remember, to be honest. Just that he’s never seen Liam so pissed. He threw out a comment about his wife, and all hell broke loose.”

“Jesus.” Lexi whistles. “Marry that man again.”

“Stop.” I swat at her, but heat rises on my skin. I love when he calls me that. When he whispers it in my ear right before I’m about to come. It’s like our little secret, a taunt to the other man who never treated me like a husband should. “The marriage has no impact on my feelings for him.”

“Yeah, but you have to admit there’s nothing hotter than a man calling you that when he’s standing up for you.” Maven grins. “Some guy hit on me at a bar once, and Dallas got all possessive. Told him he was standing too close to his wife, and to back up before there was a problem.”

“Well, fuck me. Looks like I need a husband now,” Lexi says. “Who has a list of available athletes in the DC area?”

“What happened to that minor league baseball player you went on a date with?” I ask, grateful to get the attention off of me for a minute. “Was he cute?”

“Oh, you mean the one who spent half an hour telling me how my job will be obsolete in ten years when robots take over and can patch people up in half the time I can? Yeah. I bolted pretty quickly after that.”

“What about one of the guys on the team?”

“Never going to happen. I’m around them too much and I’ve seen their asses too many times to be attracted to them. I’m not touching a hockey boy with a ten-foot pole.” Lexi glances at Emmy. “Unless any of the guys on your team are cute.”

“Hard pass.”

“Oh! Liam’s sister designed a dating app where the women are in control of the conversations. It’s called Steady.”

“No way . I love that one.” Lexi pulls out her phone and shows me her profile. “I won’t use anything else. Small world.”

“Hey.” Maven taps my knee. “Everything is going to be okay.

“I know it is.” I smile at my friends, encouraged for the first time all day. “Thanks for letting me vent.”

We talk about the rest of the season and how the standings are looking for the last two months of games before the playoffs. April is already creeping up, and soon we’ll be deep in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.

My phone vibrates under the pillow next to me and I grab it, fighting back a smile at Liam’s name on the screen.

Liam

*Attachment: 1 Image*

Pico misses you.

I didn’t say it earlier, but I miss you too.

See you soon, Sully.

Liam

Can’t wait, Pipsqueak.

VOTE2

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