Chapter Twenty-Four
Then
The summer she started kissing Wyatt, Piper didn’t want to stop. When she wasn’t hanging out with her friends, Piper was with
him—making out in the clubhouse, holding hands on long walks, or talking on the phone late into the night. Their new level
of intimacy grew roots deep as an oak tree’s in Piper’s heart the way only a first love can.
Even though they’d hung out countless times since their first kiss, Piper bubbled with excitement for their first official
date that Friday. And, in an act of generosity, her parents had recently extended her curfew by an hour. It felt like the
perfect start to what was shaping up to be the best summer yet.
“You look nice, Piper. Are you going somewhere special tonight?” her mom asked when Piper made her way down to the kitchen
the night of their date.
Piper smoothed the pleats of the bright coral maxi dress Allie had loaned her, hoping her hands weren’t too sweaty. She’d
spent a few extra minutes curling her hair into soft, buttery waves, dusting her face with powder to cover the spray of freckles
across her pale nose, and applying a second coat of mascara to make her green eyes pop.
“Thanks, Mom! I’m not sure where we’re going, but Wyatt’s picking me up in about twenty minutes.” Piper made it sound like
a casual nonevent, but she couldn’t hide the elation in her voice.
Her mom heard it, too. “Are Allie or Ethan going with you?”
For a second, Piper considered avoiding the truth, not wanting the night ruined by a lecture or disapproving look. But she’d
never been good at lying to her parents, and she didn’t want Wyatt to be a secret anymore. “No, it’s just Wyatt and me. We’re
kind of going on a date.”
Her mom exchanged a frown with her father, who was thumbing through mail on the counter. Piper rushed to explain. “I know
you’ve always said you didn’t want me dating in high school, but technically high school is over. And you’ve known Wyatt forever.”
“We set those guidelines for a reason, Piper,” her dad said, taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Are you saying I can’t go?” Piper set her jaw and crossed her arms, challenging them. She rarely went against her parents’
wishes, but nothing would keep her from seeing Wyatt tonight.
After a tense moment, her mom relented. “You can go, but please use sound judgment.”
Wyatt’s truck rumbled into the driveway, cutting off the need to continue this debate.
Piper grabbed her purse and headed toward the door. “I’ve got to go.” At the very least, she could spare Wyatt the third degree.
Her mom cleared her throat. “Be home by ten.”
Piper clenched her hands into fists and turned back around. She forced a calm smile onto her face. “My new curfew is eleven.”
“That’s when you’re hanging out with your friends. We don’t want you out all night with a boy. It’s not appropriate.” When
her mom used this haughty, clipped tone, matters were not up for debate, but Piper was tired of being told what was appropriate
or best for her.
“Wyatt’s not some boy. He’s my friend. And he’s my date.” And possibly the love of my life.
“It’s not about Wyatt. It’s just that you’re so close to college. We want to make sure you stay on track.”
Piper wasn’t in the mood to analyze that cryptic statement further. “It’ll be fine, Mom. I’ll be home by curfew—my new curfew,” she clarified and ran out the door before they could argue with her further.
Wyatt was standing on the doorstep, fist raised to knock, when Piper flew out, almost colliding with him. He’d traded his
usual black T-shirt for a crisp white button-up rolled up at the sleeves, accentuating his strong forearms, and paired it
with navy shorts. His face split into a dazzling smile when he saw her. How could she have seen his face a million times and
still be caught off guard by his devastating perfection?
“Come on, let’s go.” Piper grabbed his hand and dragged him to his truck.
Wyatt dug his heels in. “I should say hello to your parents. I don’t want them thinking I’m the kind of guy who honks from
the driveway and expects my date to run out.”
“Since when do you care what people think?” Piper asked.
“Since it involves you.”
That gave her pause. It melted her heart that he wanted to be chivalrous, but contending with her parents after storming out
like that would put a damper on the rest of the evening.
“Please, Wyatt. If we go back in, they might not let me leave. They gave me such a hard time about going out tonight, and
I don’t want anything to ruin our evening.”
Wyatt glanced back at the house door, biting his lip, then down at Piper’s pleading face. He sighed. “Fine. But next time,
I’m coming inside.”
He opened the truck door, helped her up, then leaned against the doorframe, drinking her in. “You look amazing, by the way.”
His voice was low, a shared secret. “I love this dress.”
Piper grinned, unsuccessfully hiding how much she loved the compliment. Her nerves from earlier evaporated into the warm summer air. There was nowhere else she’d rather be than next to Wyatt, with him looking at her like she was a movie star instead of the same awkward girl he’d known since middle school.
“Thanks. You look pretty great yourself.” He shut her door, climbed in on the driver’s side, and kissed her before turning
the engine on. Every time she saw him, she thought it would be weird that they’d crossed the sacred line of friendship, but
when they kissed, it felt weirder that they hadn’t been doing this all along.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he backed the truck out of the driveway.
“You’ll see.”
The sun drifted sleepily toward the horizon, clearing the way for a night of possibilities. To stay cool, they rolled the
windows down in Wyatt’s truck with no AC. The radio was about the only thing that worked. Piper tuned it to a classic rock
station, cranked up the volume, and they sang along to Mellencamp’s ditty about Jack and Diane.
“Woo-hoo!” Wyatt hollered out the open window and turned onto the main road, picking up speed. He glanced over at her, his
eyes sparkling. “This is the best. Driving with you, listening to the radio, feeling the breeze, being free.”
Piper delighted in this rare moment of Wyatt expressing childlike glee. The joy radiating off of him was contagious. She reached
for his free hand. “I couldn’t agree more.”
He laced his fingers through hers and held on tight, sending a conga line of tingles down her spine. The road rolled out before
them like a red carpet, the night ushering them forward and promising to keep their secrets. The moment sparkled with magic.
She could tell he felt it too by the way he held her hand like she might float away if he let go.
Piper would have been happy driving around with Wyatt all night, but he pulled into the parking lot of Charlie’s Diner. The diner hadn’t changed much in the forty years since it opened, with its sloping roof, yellow Formica counters, a jukebox that played only Elvis, and a menu that offered fries with every meal. It was a Lonely Onlys favorite spot, where the servers knew them by name, and they had an unofficial corner booth.
“Wait right here.” Wyatt left the truck running as he ducked into the diner and returned a few minutes later carrying two
milkshakes. “Strawberry with whipped cream for you. Oreo with extra cherries for me.”
Piper accepted the to-go cup dripping sweat from the heat along with a straw. “I like this date already.”
A small crease between Wyatt’s brows formed. “I hope you like what’s next.”
He guided the truck up a gravel path to a grassy knoll, reversed until they faced the dirt road, and parked. Piper watched
with curiosity as he pulled out a bag of popcorn from the backseat along with a stack of blankets and stepped out to lower
the tailgate. He spread the blankets on the bed of the truck, then motioned for her to join him, offering a hand to help her
climb up. Stars glittered above, and below, the projection on a movie screen glowed.
Piper’s eyes went wide. “Is that the old drive-in theater? I didn’t know you could see it from up here!”
Wyatt reached through a back window of the truck and tuned the radio station to the channel broadcasting the movie before
pulling her back against his chest.
“I discovered it a few weeks ago. I know it’s not a fancy steak house like you deserve, but they’re playing your favorite
movie tonight. This way, it’s like our own private showing.” He handed her the popcorn. “Plus, the popcorn’s a lot cheaper.”
Piper kissed his cheek and took a handful of popcorn. “Thank you. This is the perfect first date.”
She snuggled into him while they watched Harry meet Sally, Sally befriend Harry, then Harry lose her, only to realize they were meant to be together all along. Piper knew every line by heart, which helped, because she spent most of the movie distracted by Wyatt. Whenever he dropped a kiss onto her shoulder, shifted positions to get closer to her, or played with her hair, she worried she might combust on the spot.
A few tears spilled down her face as the sounds of “Auld Lang Syne” filled the air. The ending always made her cry.
Wyatt brushed a tear away. “Are these happy tears?”
“Mostly. This song gets me every time.”
Wyatt kissed her last tear away, then kissed her again on the lips. He tasted like popcorn and possibility.
She faced him and framed his face in her hands. “Promise me we’ll always be friends. I don’t want to go years without talking,
like Harry and Sally did in the movie.”
His laughter vibrated deep within his chest, but he grew somber when he saw she meant it. “I can’t promise we’ll be friends—I
hope we’re always much more than that. But I can promise I won’t let a month, let alone a year, go by without talking to you.”
He brushed a strand of hair from her face, then sealed his words with a deep, time-stopping kiss.
The warm summer air had nothing on the scorching heat radiating from Wyatt’s lips. Piper melted into the sensation of kissing
him, of feeling the chemistry charging between them like a freight train picking up speed. She could stay here all night,
all week, curfew be damned, as long as Wyatt kept his mouth moving on hers.
Unfortunately, Wyatt had his eye on the time. He groaned and rolled over onto his back, putting physical distance between
them. “It’s getting late. I better get you home.”
How was he staying so in control when all she wanted to do was claw his clothes off and press herself against his sturdy frame?
She tilted onto her side so she could see his face. “I hate saying goodbye to you. I could stay here forever.”
Wyatt took her hand and brushed his lips roughly along her knuckles. “One day, I’ll be out of the army and running my own business, and you’ll be a successful surgeon.” His voice was raspy, raw with emotion. “We won’t have curfews or rules, and I’ll be able to take you to the best restaurant in town. I’ll take you to Paris or Rome—anywhere you want to go.”
She loved the idea of building a life with Wyatt, the picture he painted of their future inked in her soul like a tattoo.
“You know I don’t need any of that stuff, right?” She stroked his cheek. “Being here with you is all I want.”
Wyatt’s mouth wrenched to one side, like he wanted to believe her but didn’t. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“I’m happy.” Piper cupped the nape of his neck and drew him back on top of her, conveying her happiness through her lips on
his, feeling like the star of her favorite rom-com with every lingering kiss.
When she slipped through her front door five minutes before 11:00 p.m. , her parents were waiting up, but they could say nothing to ruin Piper’s cloud-nine mood.