One-Eighty (Westover Prep 1)

The music at the end of the movie rouses Piper, but even though she’s awake, she doesn’t lift her head from my lap. She seems content to stay there as the third movie is put in.

When Peyton gets up to make something to eat, she’s gracious enough to make everyone a sandwich, and I manage to convince Piper to sit up and eat hers.

“Want some ice cream instead?” I offer when she only manages a few bites.

She shakes her head, and the look she has on her face reminds of the one she had when she got the brain freeze from the snow cone.

“Maybe something warm?”

“Hot chocolate!” Preston yells, suddenly wincing when Piper moves to cover her ears. “Sorry.”

She gives him a weak smile. “Hot chocolate would be wonderful.”

I don’t think she really wants it and is only agreeing because she knows it would make my little brother happy, but I take our plates to the kitchen and pull out a pan and milk to heat on the stove.

“It’s summertime,” my sister comes in, stating the obvious.

“And?” I rummage through the crowded pantry until I find the familiar blue box.

“How did you remember he likes hot chocolate with milk instead of water?”

I look from the box in my hand to the pan of milk.

“I didn’t.” But somehow, I knew.

“I read that sometimes that’s how the memories come back. They’re not like a flash, but just muscle memory more than anything.”

“Cool,” I tell her because it seems like everyone but me is concerned about my memories. I don’t know what Peyton is worried about, but from her own confession, I know Piper is terrified I will hate her if they come back.

I don’t ever see that happening. She was worried about my reaction when she told me about driving the car the night of the accident, but I didn’t blink an eye. Apparently, I loved that car, but what she doesn’t know is that I love her more.

“Are you and Piper like official or something now?”

I keep my back to her while grabbing mugs from the cabinet.

“Yes,” I answer her.

“Does she know that?”

I chuckle at the surprise in my sister’s voice. “I’ve told her.”

“Told her? Does she not get a say? Is this just some other way you’re manipulating her?”

Carefully, I set the mugs on the counter. I could get angry and tell my brat of a sister to stay out of my business, and honestly, I’m tempted to. I don’t want anything coming in between Piper and me, but hostility isn’t going to convince this girl that I’ve changed. If anything, it would only set us back a few steps.

“I like her a lot. You already know that. I’m not manipulating her. She should probably stay a million miles away from me because of all of the shit I’ve pulled over the years, but for some reason, she’s giving me a chance.” Peyton shifts her weight on her feet. “She’s giving me a chance, and I’m not going to do anything to mess that up. You don’t have to worry about her, Peyton. She’s safe with me. I promise.”

“You talk a good talk,” she huffs, and I know she’s not one hundred percent convinced even though just last week she was the one urging me to go talk to Piper after I confessed my feelings to her.

“Then step back and watch me walk the walk, too.” I wink at her and decide when she laughs a little that she doesn’t completely hate me after all.

I mix the cocoa powder in the pan and stir it until all the lumps are gone before pouring it into the mugs. I’m on my way to the fridge, hand under the ice dispenser when Peyton pipes up.

“You’ll need two cubes of—”

The machine whirs, dropping two cubes of ice into my hand before she can finish her thought.

“Preston will complain it’s too hot if I don’t put two cubes in his,” I say with my eyebrows raised.

“How did you know that?”

“I don’t know.”

“But seriously. You were never around before. How would you know something like that?”

“I don’t know,” I repeat, but I don’t have time to stand in the kitchen and ponder all the weird shit that’s going on. My girl is in the other room, waiting for a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

Just like I predicted, Piper doesn’t drink the hot chocolate, offering her mug to Preston when he finishes his own, but she does lean back into me and lets me wrap my arm around her shoulder so we can watch the third Harry Potter movie, so I call it a win.

My parents get home, both pissed off and snapping at each other because their client was found guilty with only two hours of deliberation from the jury. Piper excused herself shortly after, no doubt unable to handle the shrill sound of Mom’s voice when she tore into Dad for his lack of rebuttal on some comment from the state's attorney.