Chapter Eighteen
Piper answered the door to the fifth delivery van that day.
“Another delivery for Piper Hollister,” the driver muttered in a monotone voice. “Sign here.”
Piper signed in the appropriate place, accepted the roses, and plucked the card from the holder. Forgive me?
With a sigh, she stepped back inside, placed the flowers next to all the others scattered around the room, and plopped down on the couch.
Perhaps she should give him another chance, she considered, studying the dozens of roses littering her floor. Maybe he truly is sorry.
It had been a week since Piper had last seen Ethan.
She’d met up with Calibri’s this past Friday and signed a five-year contract with them.
After the negotiations had been settled, Piper ended up with a hefty sum of money up front and forty-five percent of future profits. It wasn’t as much as she would have netted with Ethan, but it was certainly nothing to shake a stick at. Besides, Piper wanted to make it on her own and not be beholden to the man she had feelings for. And she did have feelings for him. She just wasn’t sure what to do with them.
Not a day went by that Ethan didn’t text, attempt to call, and send flowers. Surely to God he would have given up by now if he wasn’t sincere?
And Piper missed him. She missed everything about him. His incredibly sexy eyes, his smile, his smell, his lips…
How the hell had she gotten so wrapped up in the man? She’d been moping around for days on end, replaying their every moment together.
She’d wanted him with every fiber of her being. She still did.
Was it her pride keeping her from forgiving him? Most likely. But Piper had always been a strong, proud woman. That quality had gotten her where she was today, and she wasn’t about to change herself for anyone.
But Ethan wasn’t just anyone. He provoked feelings in her she never knew existed. Certainly not with anyone from her past.
She’d wanted to give herself to Ethan, to take him inside not just her body, but her heart as well.
And that’s why his betrayal of her trust had hurt her so much. And it had been a betrayal, no matter how he tried to spin it.
Of course, she had no idea how he would have spun it since she hadn’t given him a chance to explain himself.
Jerking up her cell, Piper swiped her thumb across the screen and opened the text beneath Ethan’s name. Her finger hovered over the text box until the screen went black.
With a nervous sigh, Piper swiped again and began to type. I’m willing to listen. My place at six o’clock.
She noticed her hand shook as she touched the Send button.
Something about pressing that green phone key felt liberating. Tonight, she would see Ethan.
I’ll be there, he immediately sent back.
The doorbell rang again, catching Piper off guard.
She dropped the phone onto the coffee table, jumped to her feet, and answered the door.
“I have brownies,” Rhonda announced, rushing inside. “I hope you have milk.”
Piper grinned, shut the door, and followed Rhonda into the kitchen. “I don’t know how old it is. I bought it last week for Whiskers.”
Rhonda wrinkled her nose. “Check it and see.”
Opening the fridge, Piper pulled the carton of milk free, bringing it to her nose. “It’s still good.”
The two of them sat at the bar, poured a couple glasses of milk, and tore into the brownies.
“I’m assuming the rose garden in the living room is not your doing?” Rhonda bit into a brownie, her eyebrows lifted in question.
Piper shook her head. “They’re from Ethan.”
“All of them?” The stunned sound of Rhonda’s voice was almost comical.
“He sends several a day,” Piper answered, sinking her teeth into a delicious brownie as well.
“My goodness. Obsessed much?”
Piper went into defense mode. “Oh, I don’t know. I think it shows how sincere he is.”
“Or how crazy,” Rhonda interjected.
With a grin, Piper shot back. “When have you ever had a man send you dozens of flowers?”
“Since…never. You got me there. And crazy isn’t always a bad thing. Most crazy man are badass in bed.”
Piper laughed. “Oh really? How would you know?”
“Remember Pete?” Rhonda wriggled her eyebrows.
Nearly choking on her next bite, Piper gasped. “You slept with Pete the Meat?”
“In my defense, I’d had far too much to drink. But I was also curious if the rumors were true or if he’d gotten his nickname from his choice of food groups.”
“And?” Piper prompted.
“And what?”
“Rhonda!”
Rhonda laughed. “It definitely wasn’t from eating steak.”
Piper found herself chuckling as well. It felt good to smile, something she hadn’t done since she’d last seen Ethan.
“So, what are you going to do about Mr. Seaborn?” Rhonda questioned, once the humor died down.
With a shrug, Piper pinched off another piece of brownie. “I sent him a text right before you got here. I’m seeing him tonight.”
Rhonda paused in her chewing, but didn’t speak for a minute. She took a drink of milk, reached across the table, and laid her hand over one of Piper’s. “I’m with you on whatever you decide. If you think he’s being straight with you, then I do as well. I trust your instincts, Piper. I always have.”
“I love you, Rhonda. Thank you for always being such an amazing friend.”
The pretty blonde gave Piper’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I love you too.”