Chapter Ten
PIPER
“We’re heading pretty far out of the city for a business meeting,” I say, staring out at the cosmos that expands into eternity ahead of us.
A full moon hangs heavy against the purple sky, with stars twinkling brightly from the lack of light pollution. It’s a beautiful view, I’ll give him that, but without knowing where we’re headed, I can’t help but feel a little unnerved.
It’s not because Alfie’s driving us away from L.A. I trust him, and after our bonding experience, I don’t feel any malice in his heart. Not towards me, anyway.
“Who said anything about a business meeting?” Alfie asks. He follows up his question by resting a hand on my knee and giving it a soft squeeze. “I wanted to take you out. You said material things aren’t for you? Well, I’ve got something that might be right up your alley.”
He’s not wearing his usual attire of suit and tie, instead he’s sitting in a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue golf shirt. This business casual look suits him, better than I thought it would.
“Am I understanding this right? You’re taking me on a date?” I tilt my head.
Alfie smirks. “You’re damn right I am.”
I start to blush, but luckily the darkness engulfing Alfie’s car hides it.
We drive far out from the city, down long empty roads until we reach the middle of nowhere. Alfie takes a turn on a quiet, serene dirt road stretching through a thicket of brambles. He navigates with expert precision over the thin path.
The dense foliage finally breaks into a wide-open vista of green grass. On one side, a calm pond has fish hunting for their dinner along the surface. Opposite the pond, a large field stretches out, and in the distance, I can make out the shape of a giant oak tree.
“We’re here.” Alfie’s been smiling ever since he left the main road. His entire demeanor has changed from the stern stoicism I’ve come to expect, to wholly calm.
He gets out of the driver’s side and walks around the car to mine. He opens the door and extends a hand to help me out of the car. I accept it.
“Why thank you, Mr. Gentleman,” I say.
“Of course, Mademoiselle,” he replies.
I get to my feet but Alfie doesn’t release my hand. He keeps it at his side while he starts leading me away from the pond and towards the single tree. I still haven’t worked out what’s going on here, but I’m loving it so far.
As we walk over the dew-dropped grass, I cast my eyes to the skyline.
Swirls of royal blue and deep purple engulf the universe ahead of me.
Bright white streaks shine from the Milky Way running through it.
The moon, in all its immaculate glory, dangles somewhere in the middle, but for the first time in my life, it’s an afterthought to the grand expanse of space.
“My God, it’s beautiful,” I say.
“Yes,” Alfie turns to me. “Yes, you are.”
My teeth instinctively sink into my lower lip. Flirtatious banter and a pretty view? Somehow this feels like a proposal is on its way more than a night out.
“So, where are we going?” I ask, changing the subject. It’s amazing how Alfie makes me feel like the only girl in the world, but if I don’t stop blushing and smiling, my face is going to hurt.
“Oh, not far,” he says.
We make our way to the tree, but Alfie stops before we step around it.
He turns to face me squarely, but I can’t make out any of his features in the dark.
He takes both my hands in his, gently caressing my knuckles with his thumbs.
A sigh escapes his lips as if he’s the bearer of bad news.
For the first time tonight, I feel a sting of panic in the pit of my gut.
“This place is very special to me,” he starts. His voice quivers while he speaks. His rugged tone turns almost dire. “There’s something about you, Piper. I can’t put my finger on it, but I fear it’s changing me. For the better, I should say.”
I don’t speak. I don’t want to interrupt whatever Alfie’s about to say, lest he gets cold feet and doesn’t continue. I squeeze his fingers, showing him that I’m here to listen. That I’m here for him.
“Learning more about you the other day, about how your parents treat you,” his words make the pit in my stomach grow heavier. “It reminded me of my own life before Callahan Tech. It transported me back in time to my youth. A boy in a house with a drunken mother and an abusive father.”
He laughs a little, to lighten the mood. It doesn’t work for either of us. I can feel tears gathering in my eyes, and Alfie’s voice is cracking as if he’s about to cry.
“My mother and I planted this tree together,” he releases my hand and pats the bark.
“The sole standing oak in an empty valley. She told me then, that if the world ever becomes too overwhelming, I should return to this place. That I should come here and see how well you can make it on your own. And I did.”
He pauses to clear his throat.
“I learned that sentiment gets you killed, and I learned that love destroys ambition. I watched a strong woman crumble at the feet of a husband who shouldn’t have worn the title.
I saw how being alone removes distractions and creates opportunities,” his tone shifts to stern severity.
“If you want to make it in this life, you have to do it alone. Like this magnificent oak, alone in a field with nourishment from the rain and the sun and the stars. People are a hindrance.”
My heart plummets in my chest. If I didn’t know any better, and I don’t suppose I do, I’d think this was Alfie’s way of breaking whatever we have off.
“I fought my way to the top without any assistance. I fell into a bad crowd, slinging dope and bootleg booze. I lied, extorted, and clawed my way from the lowest of lows, to where I stand now. I’m not proud of what I’ve done, or who I’ve hurt, but it led me to this moment now. It led me to you, Piper,” he says.
He leans forward and presses his lips against mine. His soft kiss immediately changes my perception of what’s happening here.
He’s not chasing me away; he’s pouring his heart out to me.
“I brought you here because I want you to know that I understand how hard it can be, Piper. That going through life without anyone by your side is a daunting challenge. But you don’t have to do it alone.
” He pulls me into a tight hug. Tears spill the second I bury my face in his chest. “I’m here for you, every step of the way. ”
“You don’t know how much it means to hear you say that,” I say through my sobbing. “Thank you.”
“You never have to thank me for anything,” he says. “There’s something about you, Piper Beckett. I want to explore it for the rest of my life.”
It takes me a while to compose myself, but Alfie holds me tightly while I cry. I never knew how much I needed to hear that, and now that I have, I can’t imagine spending my life without having someone like Alfie in it. He’s a strong anchor of support to help me in the bad times.
I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
We spend some time together, lazing beneath the oak tree and watching the universe unfold before us. And I’ve never been happier than I am in this moment.