A knock on the door of the apartment drags me from the paperwork in front of me. The girls Preston and I had in the car that night were sisters. Their father decided to drag what happened in the past back into our lives by suing me, only I know it’s because Mr. Beaufort spoke to him. As a lawyer, he must’ve been able to dredge up some fancy terms and conditions to make the man do this.

We’ve paid. I may have paid more than the others, but that doesn’t matter. I was the one driving that night. It doesn’t matter what happened with Preston. It was my hands on wheel.

Another knock tells me that whoever it is won’t go away and I wonder if Preston decided to drive out here. Rising from my seat, I make my way to the front door. When I pull it open, it’s not my best friend, but his sister on the other side.

“What are you doing here, Piper?”

“I need to see you, and I need you to listen to me,” she tells me, lifting her chin in defiance, and I can’t help but step back and allow her into the apartment.

Shutting the door, I turn to watch her settle herself on the sofa. When I join her, she turns to me, meeting my gaze.

“Preston confessed what happened that night,” she tells me in a whisper, her fingers twirling the material of her hoodie. “Why didn't you tell me, Ryder?”

She’s right, I should’ve, but I’d become accustomed to telling my story, not Preston’s, that it was just something I said. It’s how I told everyone what happened.

“Ryder, look,” she says, placing a hand on my thigh, her thumb circling the part of me that’s no longer flesh and bone, but plastic and metal. And as much as it should be a strange sensation not to feel her touch, it’s not, because it doesn’t matter where Piper is, or what she’s doing, I’ll always feel her. She’ll always be a part of me.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to hate Preston.” I turn my gaze to the window, looking at the cloudless blue sky and it reminds me of my girl’s eyes on a summer day.

“I don’t hate Preston anymore. Growing up I did, he was never nice to me. He wasn’t the brother that would look after me. But right now, with everything that’s happened, I’m just livid that he allowed you to take the blame for it, and I’m angry at you for not telling me sooner. If we do this, Ryder, I need honesty.”

Her words catch my attention. There’s an honesty in her eyes that grips my chest painfully. She still wants me? Shaking my head, I sigh, knowing she is right, but I don’t understand how she can still want me after everything that’s happened.

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d hate your brother. He’s your family, Piper, blood, and I’m nobody to you.”

“That’s bullshit, Ryder,” she bites out angrily. Then suddenly, she’s on my lap, straddling me like she always does. “Look at me, look into my eyes and tell me you’re nobody to me,” she commands. Her delicate hands on my face hold me steady so I can’t turn away.

“I can’t. You know I can’t tell you that because you know I love you, and I know you love me,” I tell her, holding on to her hips, my fingers digging into the smooth, silky flesh I know is hidden under her clothes.

“So, don’t you dare tell me we’re nothing to each other,” she insists. “I’m angry, Ryder, so goddamn angry at Preston.” This time, she curls herself in my lap, her arms wrapping around me as she nuzzles her head under my chin. The scent of honeysuckle from her hair has me inhaling deeply.

“Your father—”

“I know what he did, that’s why I’m here,” she mumbles into my shirt. “But I don’t want to talk about him right now.” Her words are muffled by the material of my T-shirt, but I hear her. “I want to talk about you and me.”

I pull in a breath, holding it before I question her, “What about you and me?”

“You said something on the phone last night. You told me that the next promise you make me would be forever,” she reminds me of the words I’d uttered. “What did you mean?”

Her big blue eyes shine with as much curiosity as a kitten when it first gets a toy. I allow my gaze to memorize every inch of her face, from the gold strands of her hair that fall over her cheeks to the button nose that crinkles each time she gets frustrated at me, down to those plump rosy lips that make me groan with want.

“I meant, Piper… I meant I love you. I always have.” My voice is raspy when I look into her eyes. “It’s no secret. I never knew I could care about someone so much. I wanted what was best for you and I didn’t care about what happened to me.”

My throat feels like there’s a lead weight stuck in it.

“When I got hurt, all I wanted was to walk away from you because I knew you deserved more, you deserved better.” She opens her mouth to speak, but I place a finger on her lips to keep her quiet. “I wanted to walk away because it would’ve been best, in my mind. But, I realize it’s not best because we complete each other, Piper. And what I meant when I said that last night is that I want you. Forever.”

This isn’t how I wanted to propose.

It’s not romantic.

I don’t have a ring.

All I have are my words.

“Are you asking me to marry you, Ryder Kingsley?”