by Brook Greene
“Piper have you ever heard of TMI?” I laugh as she licks her lips in a suggestive manner.
“So are you going to forgive him?” For once in her life she cuts two sheepish eyes over at me.
Groaning, ‘God Piper I don’t know, I just don’t know.”
She smiles, ‘you will, I can tell.”
“You can, can you?” I shoot a smart ass look her way. Thankfully seeing she is not going to get anywhere with me she drops the subject and redirects the conversation her way.
We spend the rest of drive talking about her and Dalton and how she thinks she is in love with him. I encourage her to tell him because after spending the past week with them I can tell he is either very close to it or he is already there too.
“It will freak him out Avery.”
“I am telling you Piper he is there too.”
“Ya think?”
“No girl I know, and so what if he doesn’t say it back, he isn’t going to kick you out of the bed or anything. Believe me I have lived with you two for the past week and kicking you out of the bed is the last thing on the man’s mind.” I had been an ear witness to their sexcapades. Turns out the walls are really thin in the apartment Dalton lives in too.
“I don’t know.” Her voice is no more than a whisper now, this is a side of Piper I have never seen, insecure and uncertain.
“Look here Piper, you can’t plan these things, it has to feel right in the right situation, you can’t just run up to him when we get there and blurt it out. You will know when and where is right I promise. And he will be more than happy to show you he feels the same way.”
“You are so good at this stuff, it is a terrible thing you can’t take your own advice.” Her snarky little comment assures me she is back to her usual self.
“Slut.” Is my only comeback because she and I both know she is right, I am great at giving good sound advice, awful at practicing it for my own benefit.
“We are getting close, are the familiar butterflies starting to take flight?” She does her best impression of a creepy voice.
“Shit Piper not until you said something about them they hadn’t, now my stomach is rolling.” I encircle my stomach with my arms.
“He is miserable Avery.”
“Good.”
“Avery!”
“Piper.”
We both go silent as we pull through the fence, my breath catches in my throat as the first thing I see is Leo standing on the steps leading up to the shop office, smoking watching us pull in. We come to a stop, he butts out his smoke and in only a way Leo can he makes the most mundane task like walking down steps ooze sex.
He comes to my side of the car immediately opening the door for me, ‘glad you came.” He says as he offers me his hand. I reluctantly take it and let him help me out of the car. I can feel his eyes devouring me from toe to head, ‘shit Avery you look amazing, I have never seen you wear a dress before.”
I smile, ‘you haven’t seen me wear a lot of anything.” I am flirting with him, I am actually talking about me being naked. Damn him and his wilely ways, so I guess my mind is made up, I will forgive him but he is going to have to work for it a little.
His eyes go all devilish, ‘this is true.” A smile cracks his face and the sun glints off his lip ring as he leans in and places a soft kiss to my temple. When he leans back I get my first real chance to survey his face, it is healing well but the ever present dark circles under his eyes are worse now than they were days ago and my heart clenches knowing him worrying over me is part of the reason they are so bad.
My hand reaches to strokes his face, my heart is full of pity for how tired he looks. As my palm grazes the stubble on his cheek, his lips turn into it and give it a warm gentle kiss, ‘like I said I am glad you came.” His voice low, almost a whisper but I heard him loud and clear.
Dalton and Piper are standing and waiting for us to join them. He does as usual, placing his hand at the small of my back leading the way. This simple gesture does, as it always has, send a chill over my body landing right between my legs.
When we enter the place it is already booming with loud music and tons of people, ‘what is the occasion?” I lean in and ask Leo.
“Nothing, just a Saturday night.” He holds the door for me and Piper to walk through as Dalton brings up the rear. He and Leo do the whole bromance thing, grab hands and lean in to slap each other on the back. Roman spies us and saunters across the room garnering stares from all the females as he passes.
“Hey sis.” He takes Piper up in a bear hug.
He turns to me, ‘hey stranger.” He leans in to hug me but Leo clearing his throat thwarts the idea so I just get a knuckle to the shoulder.
“Let’s go and get a beer.” Leo whispers in my ear.
“Okay.” I have decided to try, I put a lot of thought into what Piper had said about moods and drinking and it was completely logical.
We cross the room as people step to either side making room for Leo and I to walk through. We land at the bar and a man immediately gets up for me to sit down, ‘two beers Kayla.”
“Hi Kayla.” I remember the talk Beeker and I had, I give her a smile.
“Hey Avery, it is good to see you back.” Her smile is genuine as I watch her glance over at Beeker.
“What?’ Leo asks as he takes the first drag of his beer.
“We need to talk later.” I am going back on the promise I made to Beeker but it is for his own good, ‘don’t get that look Leo it isn’t anything bad.”
He leans in, ‘I love it when you say my name, I want to hear you scream it later.” I blush and get wet.
The party progresses and the entertainment goes along with it. Piper and Dalton had joined us at the bar and we were all four drinking and talking enjoying our selves, Leo never left me. He stood behind me the whole time touching me in one way or another.
Piper decided she needed to go the bathroom and could only get there with my help, ‘I need to pee, Avery?”
I look up at Leo and back to Piper, ‘uh yeah I guess.”
Leo releases me, ‘go to my room.” He leans in and kisses my hair, he is letting me go on my own. I jump from the stool quickly and take Piper’s hand before he changes his mind.
“Let’s go.” Piper and I go hand in hand through the crowd to the opening of the hall leading to Leo’s room.
“Leo is being sweet.” Piper stumbles into me.
“Leo is never sweet, he is just being quiet.” I reply. I thread my arm through hers to keep her a little steadier on her feet, to say she is drunk would be an understatement.
The sounds from the party are now muffled as she stops and turns to me, ‘Avery give the poor man a chance he is trying. He knows he fucked up and he said he was sorry.” She bites out.
“What is with the attitude Piper?”
She steps back and puts her hands on her hips, ‘there is nobody perfect, you need to quit trying to make him into the bad guy.”
I laugh, ‘what are you laughing at Avery?” Piper shrieks.
“He said the same thing to me the other day that’s all. Come on let me get you squared away.” I push open the door to his room to be greeted by a stomach turning sight.
A skinny blond was lying naked on the bed, she starts to rise to her knees, ‘Leo I have been wait-“ she stops short of finishing her sentence when she sees me and Piper step through the door.
“Who the fuck are you?” Piper almost face plants with the sudden movement I have to jerk her back into me to steady her.
“I should be asking you the same thing bitch.” The naked girl rolls off the bed and is standing in full glory, and I might add she isn’t the least bit self conscience.
Piper turns to me, ‘now is the time you play that little card you are holding in your back pocket Avery.” Her eyes are smoldering with anger.
I turn from Piper to see the girl has started to cover herself in her scant clothing, ‘you can go, Leo is expecting me.” Her snide comment is what pushe
s me over the edge.
I lunge for her, ‘I highly doubt that.” I grab her by the arm and begin to haul her out of the door and down the hall.
She struggles against my grip, ‘let me go, you bitch.”
“I don’t think so honey,’ I stop half way up the hall and turn her to face me, ‘do you know who I am?” I am having to grit my teeth to hold what little bit of my temper has not exploded.
“No and I don’t give a shit.” The woman is snarky and a little to full of herself.
Piper has come up behind me pointing a boney finger in the woman’s direction, ‘you better fucking care.”
I level my eyes back on her and glance over her shoulder to see we have garnered and audience, ‘my name is Avery Delany, does it mean anything to you?”
Her eyes glass over, ‘no, should it?” Her arrogance is annoying and so is the self righteous smile she has plastered on her face. Before I can get a chance to say a word Piper is at it again, I wish she would let me take care of this.
“She is Leo’s old lady.” I almost laugh at Piper’s smugness.
Our staring match is interrupted by a very annoyed Leo, ‘let her go Avery, I will deal with her.” He is stalking down the hall. He takes my hand free from her arm and steps between us, looking down at the half naked woman, ‘what the fuck are you doing here Joy?”
She takes a finger and trails it down his chest, ‘waiting for you sugar.” He smacks her hand away and glances over at me. I have to resist the urge to reach around him and bitch slap her.
“What gave you the idea I wanted you to wait for me anywhere?” Leo levels his eyes on her.
“Well you looked a little lost at the club the other night and we had a good time, didn’t we? So I just thought maybe you needed a little cheering up tonight.” I take two steps back from the both of them, I am trying to process what she just said so I go over the words again in my head, they had a good time the other night?
I draw in a deep breath to try and steady myself, I look over at a very sheepish and strangely quiet Piper, leaning over to her, ‘did you know about this?”
Chewing on her very nice manicured nail, her eyes dart wildly around the walls of the hall trying to look anywhere but at me, ‘Avery you need to talk to Leo.” I give her an eat shit look and redirect my attention to Leo.
“Well you thought wrong Joy, you need to leave now.” Leo points his finger toward the door but she shows no signs of budging from her spot.
“Are we seriously going to stand here and chat with her?” Piper graciously breaks the stalemate between the two, I silently thank her even though I am pissed as hell at her for not telling me about Leo and the stripper.
I turn to see the Piper’s face is a fire alarm red and I have to agree with her, redirecting my attention back to Leo, ‘either she goes or I go, Leo.” I go to step around them both as I do Leo holds up his arm blocking my way.
Leo’s deep stern voice makes me jump as he points his big hand at the club door, ‘Joy I said to leave now and don’t come back if I see you anywhere around here or Avery again it will not be pretty, you got me?”
Her arrogant expression has disappeared and has been replaced by the look or rejection, I don’t help matters by looking around Leo’s shoulder and give her a little wave, ‘bye-bye.”
She jerks around and gathers up the rest of her clothes and stomps down the hall shouldering through the laughing crowd. Leo takes me by the arm and hauls me into his room, leaving Piper alone still needing to pee, ‘Avery that was not what you think.”
“Oh really cause it looked and sounded exactly like what I am thinking.” I cross my arms over my chest, ‘she is one of your strippers?”
“She works at my club, yes.” He runs his fingers through his hair, ‘and yes I have spent time with her in the past, but-“
“Obviously in the recent past,’ I take a step back to put some space between us, ‘is that what you were doing for the past week, spending time with her?” My anger is at epic levels making my whole body quiver.
He takes a deep breath and shoves his hands into his jean pockets, ‘the night I came home and kicked you out,’ he pauses looking up for the first time to gauge me, ‘I was with her.”
“With her, with her like you are with me?” The air has grown heavy, almost too thick to breath. I swallow the bile threatening to emerge from the pit in my stomach.
“She gave me a few lap dances is all I swear, I think.” He holds his hands up in surrender but seems as casual as if we were talking about tea and crackers.
“Because a lap dance from a naked woman is not the same as having full blown sex, right?” I close my eyes tight trying to fight back the images of her doing to him what I do to him and the fact he may have enjoyed her doing those things. Pinching the bridge of my nose I go back over his words again, ‘wait a minute, you fucking think, meaning you don’t know what you did with her?” I turn for the door but before I get too far I am hauled around.
“Where are you going?” His face has paled and turned pleading, ‘Avery I am sure nothing really happened, shit, I just can't remember.”
Throwing my thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the party, ‘I am just going to go out there and rub all over Roman for a little while,’ placing my hand on his chest, ‘but it means nothing, nothing at all.” The vindictive bitches’ claws have come out and I am not sparing one ounce of his feelings.
The fire lights his eyes, ‘don’t even fucking play Avery.”
“I’m not, I will just send little miss hot to trot back in here to occupy you while I do my thing,’ smirking at his enraged expression, ‘but Leo I will be thinking of you the whole time.”
The silence is nerve wracking as we stand toe to toe once more, I watch as he mulls over my seriousness. Easing back another step, ‘see it isn’t so much fun now the shoe is on the other foot is it?” I pause as my anger is now beginning to spill over into a crying pissed, ‘I would never do anything of the sort to you especially with one of your best friends, some people just have a little more integrity.”
He drags a ragged breath through his gritted teeth, ‘I am sorry, I am fucking sorry.” He runs his fingers through his hair again, in what I now know is a signature move for him, and I think it is sexy as hell.
I cross my arms over my chest, ‘but what does it matter any way, this isn’t one of those apple pie relationships is it Leo?” I am not sure where the strength is coming from but it is taking every ounce I can muster to act like whatever is going on between us is casual at best.
“I am trying, believe me, I am trying Avery.” His grip has loosened on my arm, I pull it free and rub where he had had a death grip on me. Looking around the room my eyes settle on the disheveled bed.
“Yeah you keep saying that, but for some strange reason I am finding it hard to believe you,’ I pause and give him a full head to toe look, ‘who was with you, at the club Saturday night?”
His voice conveying his utter defeat, he sighs, ‘Cowboy and Dalton.”
Shaking my head, ‘I can't fucking believe you Leo, while I was at your house, in your bed waiting for you to come home you were,’ I throw my arm up in the direction of the very open door, ‘partying it up with that hussy!”
“You aren’t going to let this one go are you?” He has found his inner demon letting him take the reins now, his eyes shift and voice gets deep, ‘I asked you once about you and Roman, I let you explain and then I dropped it.”
Pointing my finger in his face, ‘there is a difference.”
Standing stock still, he props his hands on his hips, ‘oh there is, is there?”
“Yes, I never touched him, or gave him a naked anything!”
Noticing the door is open he walks over and pushes it shut, ‘I said I was sorry, what more do you want me to do?”
“Stop jerking me around, for starters.” I followed him over and when he turns I am standing right in his face, well his chest. If he wasn’t so damn big it would be face to face.
“I am going to give you one more Leo, one more. If you fuck up again, I am done. Believe that.” I throw my hands up in the air to accentuate my point.
I turn and cross the room over to the bed and start to take the bedding of the mattress, ‘what are you doing Avery?” Leo’s confused expression if humorous.
“I am going to burn them,’ I hold up my arm load of linins, ‘no way in hell I am getting anywhere near something that skank's nasty ass has been on,’ pausing I turn to look at him seeing another chance to rub salt into the wound, ‘I don’t need to have you flee dipped or anything do I?”
“Avery.” He sighs.
“Just asking.” I shrug as I take the rest of the linens from the bed.
I stop at the thought, ‘did you know she was back here?” I feel the flames of fury burn my cheeks red.
“What, no, fuck no I didn’t.” He seems shocked enough at my accusation.
Walking towards him I bury my finger in his chest, ‘you never let me go to the bathroom here by myself. Why all of a sudden did you tonight?” My voice is as a shrill with rage.
“Because I wanted you to see I trusted you and wanted you to think you don’t have to be under my thumb all the time Avery, shit.” He turns and kicks his dresser making all the stuff fall off and scatter over the floor. Turning back to me, ‘she showed up and I don’t know who let her in but I am going to find out.” He takes my hand, ‘Avery please baby, I fucked up again and I am sorry again.”
He pulls the sheets from my hand tossing them over to the door, he wraps his free arm around my waist hauling me into him, ‘and I promise it is just you Avery.” He leans in and takes my lips with his in a gentle example of his devotion.
