Beautifully Broken

I pull Piper tight against my chest, lifting her off her feet, relishing this moment. I know it might be awhile before I get to have her like this agai

n. From everything I’ve gathered, Piper hates all human contact, but for some reason she likes me. I drink her in, her soft curves molding against my hard edges. After not near enough time, I set her back on her feet. I know I’m pushing my luck, but my hands settle on her hips.

Glossy grey eyes look up to me. So light. So happy. They crush my soul because as much as I love seeing Piper so free, it’s fake. She’s drunk and from everything I’ve figured out, this is unusual.

Piper chews on her bottom lip. She rises onto her toes, pressing her mouth against mine. Her lips are softer than the petals of a rose. She tastes like vanilla mixed with pure desire. I thread my fingers through her hair, ruining her ponytail, deepening the kiss. Our tongues dance together, discovering more of each other with each passing second. She groans into my mouth, pulling me further down the rabbit hole that is Piper. I know I shouldn’t let myself fall into her lips, nothing good can come of it. But she kissed me first.

Piper pulls back, her lips swollen from pressing against mine. Heavy lids hide most of her eyes. “Mmm,” she grins. “You’re good at that.”

Piper drifts to the center of the room and dances to a Top-40 song by herself. Her hips sway, dipping low then coming back up again. It’s a beautiful sight to see, even if she is clumsy and drunk. I step forward, ready to claim her as mine again when someone claps their hand on my shoulder, “My man!”

I look behind me and am met with brown hair and bloodshot eyes. Irritated at his timing, I force a grin. Every second I spend talking to this jackass is that much longer I’m away from Piper. I’ve already spent nine painstaking days wondering what it would be like to have her in my arms. Now that I know, I want her back in them as soon as possible. “Hey, Logan.”

He’s lit. Having dunk a handle of Captain Morgan by himself, I don’t know how he’s still standing. All night he’s pretended the argument at the Red Onion last week never happened. Acting like we’re old buddies. I play his game, hoping Piper will see that I can be the bigger person.

Logan holds up his phone and takes a Snapchat video of Piper dancing. It’s irritating because somehow it’s gonna bite Piper in the ass. I push his phone down. Logan, seemingly unaware that I moved his arm, tucks his phone back into his pocket. “Dude, I don’t know how you did it, but thanks.”

Tad slinks up behind Piper. I grit my teeth, pissed because that should be me. Also because I warned him to stay away. Had I known Piper was coming by, I would have kicked him out the moment he stepped through the gate. He grasps her hips, pulling her back against him. I take a breath and try to swallow the bile creeping up my throat. It’s fine, they’re just dancing. His palm slides up her stomach, settling on her chest. Fuck you and your fat fingered manwhore hands!

I cross the room in the blink of an eye and grab Tad by the collar of his shirt, pulling him away from Piper. She stumbles back a step then finds her balance again. I narrow my eyes at him. “Leave.”

Tad chuckles, ignoring me. It’s clear as day Piper’s drunk. And the fact he thinks it’s okay to touch a girl like that when she’s inebriated puts him lower than dirt. He wraps his arms around Piper’s waist again and dips his head. Lips press against the smooth skin of Piper’s neck. Her head tips back, a moan escaping her. A moan that almost sound like my name. I’d be thrilled if it was me causing those sounds, but it’s not. “Last chance, Tad.”

“Screw you, Montgomery,” he says, nipping at her flesh. “You had your fun last weekend. It’s my turn.”

I’m gonna kill him! I grab Tad’s shirt collar again and yank him back once more. Piper falls to the floor, instantly throwing up all over her legs. She’s even more drunk than I realized. All the more reason no one should be touching her tonight, especially him.

Tad, fueled by liquid courage, swings. He’s a shit fighter, barely able to make a dent in the punching bag in the school’s gym. I dodge his right hook and sock him in the nose with a jab. He throws another punch that hits me in the ear. It’s a lucky shot. If I hadn’t taken my eyes off him to glance at Piper, he never would have landed a hand on me. My ear throbs but doesn’t slow me down. I live for this shit. Getting to beat the living shit out of people is part of what I love about playing hockey, and I’m a damn good fighter.

I throw a combo—jab to the face, left hook to the side, right hook to the ribs, uppercut to the jaw. Tad’s balance waivers and he falls. I straddle him and punch him some more. Hit after hit after hit until his face is a bloody mess. Tad raises his arms to block but it doesn’t make a difference. My fists slam into his arms and his arms hit his face. Fucker should have learned the first time not to touch my girl. A set of hands snake up my chest and yank me off before I do lasting damage.

“You good, Bro?” Logan’s watching me like I’m a rabid dog. He’s probably worried I’ll attack again. Depending on Tad’s next move, I just might.

Tad groans and rolls onto his knees. His lip is busted. Nose is broken, twisted to the side. One eye’s already swollen shut. Two guys from the football team come to his side, helping him onto his fat hobbit feet.

I point to the gate. “Get the fuck out. Everyone.”

Within minutes, the deck is cleared. I only threw tonight's party because Logan overheard my conversation with Piper. I would have been more than happy to call it an early night after this morning’s redeye. But on the off chance Piper decided to come by, I went ahead and had it and am glad I did. I wouldn’t want her drunk like this anywhere else.

What is going on with this girl?

I bend down and swoop Piper into my arms, puke and all. She leans into my chest, nuzzling her cheek against my shirt. I open one of the double doors on the deck with the hand under her legs. Piper groans and twists into my arms, turning away from me.

“Hey, hey. I’ve got you.”

13

Piper

My head’s killing me. I swear Thor’s beating against it with a million tiny hammers. And my skin feels like it’s being ripped off. Each movement, even in the smallest of ways hurts. It’s been almost a year since my last hangover and I could easily go another year without one. Why did I drink again?

Because it made you forget.

Oh yeah. I rub my hands down my face and open my eyes. Tan walls. Navy sheets. A large window that lets in too much light. This isn’t Cooper’s room. Shit, this isn’t any room in the Harris house.

Where the hell am I?

I kick the covers off and sit up. The world spins around me like it does when you’re on a carnival ride. This ride, it sucks. I want off. I press my palm to my head, hoping to halt the movement inside my brain. It does, a little, but not nearly enough to make the day tolerable. I take a breath and cross my legs, placing my hands on the mattress, trying to balance myself and look down. I’m in a green shirt that has a deer wearing silver glasses and red and black striped boxers. Last time I checked; I was in jeans and in a t-shirt.