Piper
“Holy shit, I’m so sorry,” I hear Rory say behind me, my mouth hanging open as I try to process the last sixty seconds.
“He’s right. He’s been nothing but amazing and you—”
“You have to go after him!”
It’s the urgency in her voice that has my feet finally moving, throwing boots on, my heart racing as I burst out into the sunshine. His truck isn’t here but that clearly hasn’t stopped him from putting one foot in front of the other to get as far away from me as possible.
But he’ll have to try harder than that.
Taking off at a dead sprint, my legs burn and my stomach rolls with guilt and nerves and the fear that I’ve just ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
“Mack,” I call, aware that he’s ignoring me when his back stiffens but he doesn’t turn around. “Wait.”
“No,” he snaps, his hands in his pockets when I finally reach him.
“Mack.” With everything I have in me, I grab his arm and force him to turn, using my momentum to pull him closer to me. “Would you stop?”
“For what?” There’s a flash of devastation in his eyes before it’s gone again, indifference falling over his face like a mask.
Why did it take me so long to notice?
“Because I’m sorry and I don’t have a good excuse other than I was scared shitless and I panicked. I wanted it to be real and I was terrified about what would happen if I said it out loud and I was wrong. God, Mack, I didn’t want to be wrong.”
“But it was okay to brush me off to Rory? Like I was just some fucking party boy? You just flat out denied me.” He throws his arms wide, his face flushed as he tries to turn away again, but I stop him, forcing him back a step as I invade his space.
“I was scared and I dug myself a hole, and every time I opened my mouth, I made it worse.”
“Piper, you knew I was there. You told me to just give you a minute. And still you couldn’t tell her fast enough how not serious things are.”
“Because every guy before you was a douchebag and I just broke up with another one, and I didn’t want her to think I was just using you.”
“Aren’t you? I mean, hell, my cum is still inside you. I told you I’ve never done that before. Never even considered it, but I did with you because I thought we were in this together.”
“We are in this together. You have no idea how terrifying it is to be happy, Mack. To be so screwed up for so long that I can’t automatically trust what my eyes and heart and body are telling me.”
“Then trust me to show you.”
“I do, but I can’t say that’s the last time I’ll get caught up in my head,” I tell him, reaching for his hand, my eyes filling with tears when he lets me thread our fingers together.
“I won’t stay if you deny me again. I can’t.”
“I won’t.”
“Piper, don’t—”
“I’ll shout it from the rooftops if that helps.” When he doesn’t answer right away, I cup one hand around my mouth and shout, “Hey, everybody. I’m falling for Mack—”
I can’t get out his last name before he’s hauled me flush against him, his thigh nestled between my legs and his mouth crashing over mine in a bruising kiss. It’s indecent for this time of day, but I don’t care; the relief is worth whatever consequences there might be.
Because Mack is worth it.
“Dammit, I’m gonna get us arrested like this,” he growls, his thumb brushing over my cheek as he holds my gaze.
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Say the other thing.”
“What? That your sister is currently on my shit list?”
He snorts out a laugh. “No, the other thing.”
Rocking my hips just enough for him to notice, I lick my tongue over his bottom lip. “I’m falling for you, Mack, and I think that probably scares me too. It feels too fast, but maybe it’s finally right.”
“You’re going to have to make it up to me later.” He grins, one hand trailing down my spine and over my hip to cup my ass through my shorts.
“I promise.”
His mouth is back on mine, his tongue sweeping and licking and stealing my sanity on the side of the road.
“Fuck, I don’t care if it’s too soon. I’m so in love with you.”
“It’s not fair. You got a head start,” I joke, rubbing my nose playfully against his. “You gotta give me some time to catch up.”
Mack’s returning smile is everything, and my heart is ready to burst with happiness that I thought I might never have again. But it’s right here.
Because he’s here.
“Trust me, Honey Girl?”
“Yeah, Mack. I know you’d never lead me astray.”
“Does that extend to kickin’ my sister out of your house and fucking on every available surface so we can pretend like this morning never happened?”
“You drive a hard bargain, but I think it’s worth a shot,” I muse, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him so he knows he’s mine.
So he knows he’s everything.