5. Piper
Chapter 5
Piper
I ran into my house in time to hear my text notification go off.
I glanced at it, anxiety churning within me. It was from Ren. He was checking on me. I picked it up to text back, but I couldn’t—not now. I was too humiliated and embarrassed even to face a message on my phone.
I had let my emotions take over, revealing too much too soon. Actually, I’d revealed things I should never reveal to anyone. I was an open book. I was too trusting, talked too much, and never knew who I should believe in. I sank onto my couch, overwhelmed, wishing the earth would swallow me whole.
How could I ever face him again?
I couldn’t, not ever. I’d have to find another fake boyfriend to fake out Ren, who had just faked out Richard for me. What the hell had I been thinking?
I was thirty-eight years old and acting like I’d been transported back to high school. No, that wasn’t it. I’d been a lifelong doormat whose weak ways were now catching up to her, and it had to stop. I could stand up for someone else with no problem. But when it came to myself? Forget it.
I had been too much of a wimp to tell Richard off for good and insist that he let me have Cody because we both knew he belonged with me. Richard liked Cody just fine, but Cody loved me, and I loved him. I was the one who had wanted to get a dog. Richard was simply along for the ride. I should have never let him be the one to sign the damn papers.
Burying my face in my hands, I felt the weight of every wrong decision I’d made lately piling up on me. But I didn’t want to cry anymore. I’d done enough of that for today and the past couple of months, too, if I were being honest with myself.
Nimbus and Smog, as if on cue, darted into the parlor and hopped onto the couch on either side of me. Each headbutted one of my arms as they purred their brains out. They hated Richard. From the first cat turd we found in his shoe, I should have known. Animals could sense evil. They tried to tell me. Why didn’t I listen to them?
My phone buzzed on the table with another message.
I hesitated for a moment, then reached for it, fingers trembling as I swiped up to see the message. His words glowed on the screen like tiny little beacons of hope. Stupid, freaking dumbass hope.
Hot Neighbor: Not stalking you, just wanted to add an addendum to the last text. I’m a good listener if you want to talk, and you never have to feel embarrassed about a damn thing. Not with me.
I stared at the words, my mind racing through a myriad of possibilities about what I should text back. I wanted to explain myself. But, damn it, if wanting to be understood wasn’t the root of a lot of my problems. It made me too open, too free with my heart. I couldn’t do it anymore.
The fear of further humiliation held me back. Nimbus and Smog must have sensed my inner turmoil as they nestled closer.
I took a deep breath. Ignoring him would accomplish nothing. Slowly, I typed a response, trying to strike a balance between honesty and self-preservation.
Me: Thank you for letting me vent. You are very kind. I’m sorry for running off.
I hit send and placed the phone down on the table. That sounded like something a well-adjusted, normal, human woman would text back, right?
Focusing on my future was what I should be doing. My bakery was almost ready to open, and man-stealing, lying Dana or not, I was still happy about it. I had this house to finish decorating. I had two awesome cats and a great family. And I’d get my freaking dog back, too. Richard couldn’t keep him forever. He was just trying to control the situation, and he would get over it once he realized I could not be controlled—not anymore and never again. The point was I had a lot to be grateful for, and screw Richard and Dana for trying to ruin it.
“ Argh!” Frustrated with myself, I let out a mini scream, which sent Smog running up the stairs. Nimbus, a fan of drama, hopped onto my lap and curled up.
Just as I began to take another deep breath, my phone buzzed again. It was Ren. Reluctantly, I picked it up and read his message:
Hot Neighbor: Don’t apologize. Heading to Coffee Cabin. I’ve haven’t tried it yet. Can I grab you something? To cheer you up?
Oh shit.
I blinked. “I think he’s going to come over here, Nimbus. What do I do?”
Without thinking, I texted him back.
Me: My family owns the Coffee Cabin. You’ll love it.
Ambiguous answers were always a great tactic when you didn’t want to make a choice.
I held my breath, waiting for a reply. I should have been relieved when I didn’t get one, but because I was a hopeless romantic, I was disappointed instead. Damn it.
My grandparents owned the Coffee Cabin, a cute little drive-through coffee hut designed to resemble a mini log cabin. It was located in the corner of the massive parking lot of the Honeybrook Inn, which they also owned. Once it became clear that locals would walk or jog by to grab their morning coffee, they’d put in a few covered outdoor sitting areas. Hopefully, he’d sit there and drink his coffee. But if he didn’t, The Coffee Cabin was real close, so he’d be here soon.
My baby sister, Eliza, ran the place for my grandparents. Maybe I should call her and ask her to keep an eye out. Or not. S he was nosy, just like the rest of my family, and I didn’t want anyone to know about Ren.
“Time for me to get a move on, Nimbus.” I gently shifted him onto the knitted throw in the corner of the couch and stood, smiling as he stretched and then went back to sleep. Nimbus, a floppy gray and white ragdoll cat, acted like a baby when tired. He’d be out for a few hours. I covered him with the corner of the blanket and patted his fluffy little head.
Whether or not Ren stopped by, I was going to get my ass up and do something. Sitting around and feeling sorry for myself was pointless. I’d start by washing my face. He had seen enough of me with green cheeks, for the love of god.
Feeling more like my usual upbeat self, I grinned, my wide smile cracking the dried, green face mask around my cheeks, the flakes falling to the floor.
I was supposed to put the finishing touches on the bakery’s grand opening day. Something Sweet’s grand opening was coming up soon. It was a childhood dream come true to create beautiful wedding cakes, cupcakes, and a variety of other sweet treats for a living. We were throwing a big party, and I was in charge of the planning, but Richard had killed my mood. Damn him.
I stomped into the bathroom and splashed warm water on my face, taking a washcloth from the shelf to wipe away the remnants of my face mask. I decided being mad was better than being sad as I glanced around my downstairs bathroom. I took in the cozy, old-fashioned, floral décor. I had enjoyed choosing it when I moved in.
It was important to focus on the positive aspects of my life, like my house, the bakery’s grand opening, my cats, and finally getting Cody back.
If Ren didn’t show up today, it didn’t matter. My happiness didn’t depend on him or any man. And screw Richard. I was done with letting him ruin my life. I had plans to make: to throw an epic opening day bakery party and get my dog back.
I finished drying my face, feeling better and ready to start my day, even if it meant facing the unknown with Ren. I had embarrassed myself, but he seemed kind enough to let it go. He would make a good friend, I decided as I took one last look in the mirror.
With a renewed sense of determination, I headed upstairs to my bedroom. It was done up in soft pastels. It was serene and all things girly, exactly as I’d always wanted.
At my vanity, I slicked on some pink lip gloss, took down my messy bun, and ran a brush through my hair. Then I slipped on a pair of my best jeans, dark blue, faded at the knees, and they did great things for my ass. I added my favorite chunky white cable knit sweater, oversized and soft. I needed to feel good about myself again.
I glanced in the mirror as I slipped into a pair of Converse. Dressing like this might have been a subtle attempt to impress Ren if he showed up, but it was also about reclaiming my confidence and taking control of my day. No more moping around in my pajamas and ratty old robe.
I took a deep breath, feeling the soft fabric of my sweater brush against my skin, and smiled. Ready to tackle my to-do list for Something Sweet’s opening, I grabbed my notebook and pen, determined to stay busy. Then, a knock at the door sent my mind whirling all over again.
I flew down the stairs, my heart pounding with anticipation and curiosity. After taking a moment at the bottom, I steadied my breath and opened the door to reveal Ren leaning casually against the porch rail, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight. My racing heart skipped a foolish beat, but luckily, I quickly regained my composure.
“Hey, I had a feeling it was you,” I blurted a bit too excitedly.
He straightened and offered me a cup of take-out coffee. “Well, I couldn’t leave you to face this all alone, could I? Eliza said to tell you hi, and she told me your favorite drink is a hazelnut latte.” He eyed me carefully. Concern for me was etched all over his face.
“Thank you.” I took the drink and stepped aside to let him in, feeling nervous and relieved at the same time. I was surprised that his presence was such a comfort. But at the same time it was also sort of unsettling, stirring emotions I wasn’t entirely ready to face—like moving on, hope for the future, crap like that.
As he walked past me, I caught a whiff of his cologne. He smelled so good, like sandalwood and pine, as if he had showered and run through the forest after. I fought the urge to rub against him and inhale deeply. He was playing with my mind without even trying. Suddenly, I realized that when Richard and I were together, he had to put in effort to evoke these feelings in me, while Ren simply had to exist. I needed to nip this burgeoning crush in the bud before my imagination took it too far.
He turned to face me, his expression softening as he took in my appearance. “You look great, by the way,” he said. His voice was warm and genuine, and my nerves flew away.
“Thank you.”
“Are you feeling better?” He sipped his coffee as he studied my face. “You look better.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry for freaking out on you before. I was stuck in the moment with Richard and couldn’t stop thinking I’d never see Cody again. It was irrational, but I couldn’t stop the thoughts from coming.”
“No apologies. I’m glad I was there. I see a notebook. Are you making plans?” He watched me carefully as if he cared. Like he would listen to whatever I had to say, I mean really listen. I could get used to this. If a man didn’t look at me like Ren did right now, I didn’t want him.
“I’m supposed to be planning the grand opening of the bakery. And I’m really trying to be happy about it.”
“Tell me all about it.”
“It’s called Something Sweet. It’s wedding themed—you know, something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new… Anyway, this whole thing is ironic now, since I no longer believe in love and my business partner is the one Richard cheated on me with.”
“Ouch. Do you want to talk about it? Should I be in the loop as your date?”
“It would probably be a good idea to cover the basics at least. I went to culinary school with Dana. We were never best friends, but we were friendly. Our goals aligned, and we decided to work together. I won a bunch of baking competitions, and along with that, enough money to fund whatever I wanted to do. She was ready to start her own business as well. So we talked, made a deal, and then made a plan. Then she slept with Richard, and they are currently together. Richard has been trying to get me to forgive her. Apparently, she feels bad, like boo hoo, right? That’s about it. Now, cheer me up. Let’s be friends. Can we do that?”
“Absolutely.” He leaned against the staircase banister with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I think we need to establish the ground rules before we do anything together.”
“Rules?” I teased. “It’s just a few pretend dates, not some kind of secret society we’re trying to infiltrate.”
“Exactly, but if we’re going to pull this off, we need a game plan. We can’t have people thinking we’re just friends. We need rumors to start flying for both of us. Richard might be comfortable messing with you, but now that I’m here? No one messes with you.”
“Oh.” I shivered at the thought of having Ren around to protect me. “Good thinking. Okay, so rule number one.” I set my coffee on the console table by the door and tapped my pen against my notebook. “We should look like we’re having fun. So no sulking in the corner or staring daggers at each other.”
His head drew back on his neck, affronted, eyes narrowing in a half-hearted glare. “Easy, I can be fun on occasion. Rule number two: we need to be…affectionate. Hand holding, arm-in-arm, stuff like that.”
I flushed. “You mean be touchy-feely?”
“Exactly. But not more than we’re comfortable with. Those can be a subset of rules, and we can figure that out later.”
I wrote it down. “Got it. Rule number three: witty banter and/or flirting. We need to maintain the illusion that we’re falling madly in love. Right?”
His eyes lingered on mine as he stepped closer, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I felt the weight of his attention, and I couldn’t help but wish it were real. He looked at me as if he had seen me for the first time and reveled in every detail.
Confused, I shook my head to clear it.
Was he really this good at faking?
“That should be easy.” His voice was dark, rumbling from his chest as he reached out a hand to brush an errant curl over my shoulder. “Rule number four,” he continued. “Compliments.”
“I love compliments,” I burst out almost hysterically. “Tell me I’m pretty.”
His eyes never left mine. “Pretty?” he scoffed. “No. You’re fucking gorgeous, Piper. Even when your cheeks were green, I couldn’t stop looking at you. You’re strong too. You’ve taken control of your emotions today and will get control of this situation with Richard, Dana, and Cody, too. I know it. I can see it in your eyes.”
My mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water as I searched for words. I felt my cheeks go up in flames, sure that I’d turned bright red—a change from the green. Progress, I guess.
“Too much?” He cracked a smile, breaking the mood, and thank god for that; I swear I was about to pass out. Or maybe kiss him or something else equally touchy-feely and totally inappropriate.
“I can handle it.” I grinned at him, full of false bravado, but whatever. Turning away, I grabbed my coffee from the console table. “Let’s go to the kitchen.” I took off, trusting he’d follow. I needed a moment without his gaze on me. He really was listening. It felt like he knew me already.
He sat across from me as we settled in at my table. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and redirect my focus to our plans while he sipped his coffee and watched me fidget with a knowing grin lighting up his face.
“How long have we been together?” he asked, breaking the tension.
“What?” Gah! It took a second, but I came to my senses enough to answer him. “Okay, right. Rule number five: If anyone asks how long we’ve been together, we say it’s three weeks or possibly a month.” I paused to write it down. “Three weeks,” I mumbled as I wrote. “Yeah, so that’s about how long I’ll be separated from Richard. And it will be believable because you and I are still getting to know each other. It will be new, so it's okay if we don’t know everything. Plus, I don’t want anyone to even think I cheated. I am not a cheater. I would never cheat. Cheaters suck. Fuck cheaters.”
“Yeah, they do suck. I think three weeks is perfect.” His eyes burned into mine. “How did we meet?”
“Aside from our connection to Violet and Jake, we could say that sparks flew at my sister’s bookstore,” I answered decisively. “We reached for a copy of the same book; our hands touched, and bing, bang, boom. Magic.”
“Magic, huh? It’s cute. Cliché, but it works.”
“Of course, it works.” I stole another brief glance and grinned at him as I wrote. “Clichés exist for a reason. It will plant a familiar seed of truth that nobody will question.”
“Good point. Okay, partner in crime.” He offered me his hand across the table to shake, and I couldn’t help but notice how natural this all felt despite my nerves. He had an easy charm, and he was confident. This thing might actually end up being fun. “Shall we seal the deal again with a handshake?”
I offered my hand, shivering as his big palm engulfed mine. “Deal,” I agreed softly just as Smog entered the dining room with a loud meow .
“Wow, he’s huge,” Ren remarked as Smog jumped on the table to stare at him.
“Yeah, he’s a Maine Coon; they can get pretty big. Be careful. I don’t think he likes men very much. He couldn’t stand Richard. He treated his shoes as a litter box.”
“Smart cat. Serves him right. Are you friendly?” He held his hand out for Smog to sniff.
But he didn’t have to worry. To my surprise, Smog started purring and flopped to his side on the table in front of him. “Okay, do you have cat treats in your pocket?”
“Nope.” Ren smiled as Smog rolled over and let him give him a belly rub.
“He likes you, and basically, he only likes me.” My eyebrows shot up. “He tolerates my family, but nothing like this.”
“Smog suits him.” His eyes met mine. “He’s a beautiful cat.”
“He was a stray, along with Nimbus, who is currently sleeping on the couch. They lived near the dumpsters at my old apartment. It took a while, but I forced them to love me, and now here we are.”
“I’ll add this to the list of reasons I like you more each time I talk to you.”
“You say sweet things.” I exhaled slowly, trying to gather my feelings and stuff them back somewhere safe.
As I watched Ren pet my cat, I realized even more that I should have paid closer attention to how they had always treated Richard. It felt as if they could read my inner doubts about him and were trying to warn me.
The bottom line is that I had to start trusting my instincts. And right now, my instincts were screaming that Ren was amazing, and there was nothing fake about how quickly I was beginning to like him.