“You found it?” I ask.
“It was under my bed.” She snickers. “So the mystery is solved.”
I give her a grin, somewhat relieved because for a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, Jack had found us and stole it. He’s said weird shit about her hair in emails.
“So, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” I say.
She blinks up at me with bright eyes. “What’s up?”
“Easton’s coming today since the roads are open, and he’s already suspicious of us.” I leave out the part where he bitched me out after seeing us fooling around on the couch.
“Okay. And?”
“I think it’s best if we keep what’s happening between us to ourselves and not make it obvious that we’re…a thing. The last thing I need is for my brother to give me a hard time.”
Her smile fades. “Why? Are you embarrassed by me?”
“No, no,” I blurt out. “I swear it’s not like that. I don’t want the whole world to know about us until we figure out what we’re doing and how we’re going to navigate being together outside of our safe space.”
She gives me a sarcastic grin. “Oh okay. Sure. Got it. Understand, sir.”
“Piper…” I narrow my eyes at her typical attitude. I should’ve known she’d take it the wrong way.
“Nope, don’t worry about it. He won’t suspect a damn thing.” She shrugs, then makes herself a cup as soon as it’s done brewing. Without another word, she goes upstairs
I let out a frustrated breath, but I really can’t do anything about it either. It’s for the best, regardless of Piper’s frustrations. Embarrassed isn’t how I’d describe how I feel about her, but I also know my brother will hound me, and I don’t want to second-guess my decision to be with her. My parents would know before he left the house, and no telling who else would find out. If the wrong person catches wind of it, the internet will be convinced the rumors are true. That’s stress she doesn’t need, and I’d feel guilty for being the cause of it.
Easton arrives an hour later. I help him carry the groceries inside, and when we return, Piper’s dressed in tight jeans and a crop top. Her hair is pulled up, and she’s put on bright red lipstick and mascara.
“Hey, Easton!” She moves toward him, holding out her arms for a hug. He gladly squeezes her, hanging on a little too long for my liking. While I’m tempted to say something, I keep my words to myself.
“Missed seeing you,” she says sweetly as she pulls away.
He chuckles. “Oh really? Well, I’m here now.”
God, he’s insufferable when women flirt with him.
Piper unloads the bags and gets excited about everything she pulls out. If I didn’t know better, I’d say her camera was set up somewhere because she’s giving Easton her YouTube Piper persona. However, I see right through her act.
“You literally got all of my favorites,” she gushes.
He shrugs. “I’ve learned my lesson with you.”
Piper laughs right on cue. “Well if you ever need anything, you just let me know, and I’ll make sure to repay you for your services. Speaking of, I've been thinking about that promo post for your shop. Maybe next time you can bring me something else that I can pose in? The bikini was amazing, but do you have any thong swimsuits? I could set up my camera and take some sexy angled ones.”
Easton lifts a brow and looks her up and down. “Actually, I think I do. It’d look hot on you too.”
“Oh yay! I could even write Belvedere on my stomach, right here.” Piper lifts her shirt higher, showing even more skin, and my brother’s eyes nearly bug out of his head at how much she’s revealing.
I clear my throat. “These groceries won’t put themselves away.”
“You should stay for lunch,” Piper offers, ignoring me. “That way, we can talk more about it.”
“Yeah, sure. What’re you making?”
“I’m not sure yet…” She looks around, and I know for a fact she can’t cook shit. Her eyes meet Easton’s. “Maybe you can help me decide? I’m not the greatest in the kitchen.”
Easton looks at the different items on the counter. “What about chicken Caesar salads? Looks like we’ve got everything here.”
“Perfect,” she sing-songs.
I stand back, watching her laugh at every one of his jokes. She bumps her body against his as they cook together. She even has the audacity to wink at him.
While I know she’s trying to make me jealous, it’s working because my stupid brother is feeding into her bullshit. Though I understand why because Piper's charming. It’s one of the reasons she has millions of followers and why she’s under my skin day in and day out.
After they’ve tossed in the dressing, cut and added the chicken, and made three bowls, we sit at the table.