Piper Dreams: Dream it, Seize it, Live it. (Dreams Series Book 1)

by Duncan, Amélie S.

  I pulled out my phone, ready to call my mother but hesitated. What would I tell her? It would be my word against his. So, who would she believe? The man that dotes and spoils her every day? Or me. The daughter that she occasionally sees; that makes her feel bad about her new life?

  I put the phone back in my pocket and swallowed hard. I hated to admit it, but Royce was right. He had my mom completely believing he was madly in love with her. This news could be the final wedge that got him to take her over, completely. It’d break her. I didn’t know what to do, but one thing was clear, I would have to leave tonight.

  I typed out a message to Jorge as I made my way back inside the house.

  I need to stay over at your place tonight.

  I increased my pace once I was inside and didn’t stop until I was back in my bedroom. No. It was Royce’s room. Everything in this house belonged to him, but not me. I closed the door anyway, with a bit of a bang. Whatever he dreamt he could cash in on was never going to happen.

  I sat down at the desk and checked my account again and was happy to find Aunt Luna had come through with the money for the ticket and then some. Normally I would refuse, but I needed her guilt money. I sent her a thank you and gave her a brief heads up on the biker trip, asking her to back up the story I was going to give my mother, appealing to her sense of adventure about this trip. I was still going ahead with my plan to spend time with the Biker Babes and their bucket list. I went through my drawers and trolley bag and went about packing clothes for whatever I thought I might encounter on the road. A thrill went through me at the idea though I wasn’t sure how much to pack. Despite everything, the excitement of the possible trip was still within me. I needed this, not only for my program, but to get away, think, and plan. I went back to rolling my underwear around my cameras, packed around my jeans, t-shirts and fleece. How much could I take? I had no idea what I needed. My phone vibrated with a message from Jorge:

  Of course. I’ll come over and pick you up.

  I was relieved he didn’t ask any questions. I wrote back.

  You’ve been drinking. I’ll take the subway.

  He sent back.

  Nope. I’ve already held a taxi. See you in fifteen.

  I answered.

  Thank you

  I needed to tell Brody. A warmth filled my chest at the thought of him out there waiting for me. He’d stood up against Royce without any concern for what could happen to him. He had gotten tangled up in my mess, but didn’t back down. He even invited me to go. He wanted me to go, and I wanted to be with him.

  “Royce said you’re leaving tonight?” I looked up as my mother walked in. She was still in her party dress. The corners of her mouth were turned down.

  I averted my eyes and continued packing. “Yes. Aunt Luna has worked it out. Since I’m not going to be around the rest of the summer. I’m going over to Jorge’s,” I babbled.

  “What about me?” she asked, her voice thick. “I’m not going to see you for the rest of the summer. I barely saw you during the year, and we’re in the same town.”

  I zipped up my case and stood. “I invited you plenty of times, but you wouldn’t come alone.”

  “Please hush your voice,” she walked closer to me and gently petted the top of my head. “I was going to make up for it. I planned for us to go to spas, shopping, shows, and parties.”

  I lifted a shoulder. “You know I don’t care about any of that.”

  “I wish you would, it would be easier,” she mumbled and cleared her throat. “Did Royce tell you that he got you a job at the Boston Globe?”

  “I didn’t ask him to do anything.” My tone was clipped.

  “But that’s his way,” she said admirably. “He wanted to help you. You still want to be a reporter, right?”

  “Global journalist,” I corrected.

  “Then why do you want to go to a smelly old farm? You can do everything you want and be here with me,” she choked.

  I quietly stood and wrapped my arms around her small waist. “You used to love that smelly farm. We used to spend a lot of time there with Dad and Luna.”

  “Because I didn’t want to go back to our crappy apartment. It was all I could afford after your dad was depressed and stopped working,” she said.

  “It wasn’t here, but it wasn’t that bad,” I muttered.

  “You were a kid. We had many years of ups and downs. Him going from one dream to the next. His last one being that shitty MC and letting them take over both our lives,” she hugged herself.

  “He wasn’t perfect,” I said, “But you were the love of his life.”

  “One of his loves. He loved many, many women, including Kat, Jorge’s mother. If he hadn’t come out looking like that psycho, Hatchet, I would have clawed her eyes out. That kind of love was crazy.”

  I clutched my stomach. “You never told me that.”

  “And ruin the father you worship?” she said irritably and snorted. “You can’t stand to hear anything bad about him, but I lived and loved the man. Love had me doing things I wish I’d never done. Love ruined my dreams. Do you know I could have been a photographer?”

  “You could still be,” I said touching her back.

  She shook her head. “I don’t need to be. One day you’ll understand; life’s not so simple, especially when you have a child. I woke up and chose a better life for us and with Royce—”

  My mouth twisted. “Royce can go to Hell,” I snapped.

  Her eyes widened. “You’re criticizing Royce in his own house? Piper Rowe, I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you need to stop it right now.”

  The sound of the door creaking had my head moving toward the noise, to find Royce. He had changed into a white t-shirt and boxers with his arms folded. He held out his hand, and she immediately went to take it. “I told you. Piper’s an adult. She can make her own choices. If she changes her mind or needs anything, we’re but a call away.”

  My mother nodded quickly, and he cuddled her. I was going to be sick. I pressed my lips together and zipped my case up.

  “Your friend George is here,” he said.

  “Wait,” My mother exclaimed and ran from my room.

  I went over to my dresser and took my favorite three photos and unzipped my bag again and put them inside.

  My mother glanced at Royce, then held out a credit card and cash. “This is for emergencies,” she said. “Royce?”

  “I don’t have my wallet,” he said in a light tone.

  I crossed my arms. “I don’t want anything from either one of you.”

  “Stop being so proud,” My mother said and stuffed the items in my handbag and zipped it closed. “Call me when you get there.”

  Royce went to pick up my case, but I snatched it away. “I’ll manage thanks.”

  My mother groaned. “Let him take it down.”

  I let it fall back, and they shared a look before he picked it up. I collected the rest of my things and walked with my mother down the stairs and to the large oak carved door at the entrance. She opened it and pulled me against her kissing me on both cheeks.

  I leaned close to her ear and whispered the words my father always told us. “Remember you are loved, inside and out, and for all eternity.” I wiped her cheek.

  “Take good care of her,” I said in Royce’s direction for her sake.

  “Not yet!” My mother called out and ran over to a closet.

  Royce stepped forward and held out his hand for me to shake.

  “I always do,” Royce answered. “Remember what we talked about.”

  “How could I forget?” I replied between clenched teeth and snatched my hand back.

  “It gets cold at night in Los Gatos,” My mother said. The coat was a bit too heavy for the weather, but I took it and thanked her anyway. Rolling my suitcase behind me, I walked down the front path to the taxi at the street where the driver took my bags and placed them in the trunk.

  I spared a glance back up at the front door and was surprise
d to find my mother still standing in the doorway. I waved to her before shutting the door. A tear rolled down my face as I watched her come all the way outside to watch the taxi until we turned the corner. My heart sunk at the thought of leaving her. I wanted to go back and spend more time with her. But that was no longer possible now, and when I tell her the truth, maybe never. The sound of Brody’s bike cut through that haze, and my pulse increased. He was still here and following us at the end of the road.

  “Piper. What happened?” Jorge asked.

  My throat tightened, and tears rolled down my face. He placed his arm around my shoulder, and we drove away from Royce’s house. Hopefully, for good if I could plan it.

  WE ARRIVED AT THE dorm right before midnight. We moved my suitcase to his car, and I took out a small backpack with a change of clothes for the next day along with my laptop. The room was a standard set up for two though it was larger than some I’d seen, a perk of summer study I suspected. He had twin beds in the double space and pine bedside tables, bookcases, and computer stations, one occupied by his new roommate, Eric, who paused from his multiplayer game to raise a hand in greeting. Jorge’s side was, of course, immaculate. He had already organized everything perfectly while his roommate still had boxes around his side.

  “You are a machine,” I teased as I flopped down on his bed and groaned. EEK! Dorm-foam mattress.

  “You can’t stand that bed, but you want to trade it in to go God knows where with a bunch of strangers,” he said and tossed over a t-shirt and sweatpants to change into. “It’s not only ridiculous, but destructive, but I don’t blame you for wanting to go. I blame that fucking dick, Gilmore.”

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “You can’t talk me out of it. I want to go, and I’m going. Please try to understand. It’s only for a week.” Hopefully longer. I needed it to last as long as it took for Aunt Luna to return to the farm or short enough that Eric wouldn’t report me for crashing here until school started. If I could afford it, or get Gilmore to let me in the program. God, everything was a mess! I got up, picked up my backpack and went into the bathroom and cleaned up and brushed my teeth. I came back in to find Jorge on the phone arguing.

  “I’m not coming! You’ll have to figure it out yourself, Kat, or call the police,” he barked into the phone. Eric surprisingly didn’t react. It must have been some game.

  I frowned and came over and gave him a quick hug before he went into the bathroom. His mother and father were clearly fighting again. His mother was my godmother because our parents used to be friends. Well, after the bomb my mother put on me tonight, I understood why she wouldn’t keep in contact with her.

  I sat down and used his computer and my laptop to do some preliminary research on breast cancer and to tentatively, set up the blog. As I was shutting the computers down, Jorge came back in looking upset.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Kat being Kat,” he said. “She moved Hatchet back in, and he’s partying it up. She’s really mad because he’s not letting her be a part of the party.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What does she expect you to do from over here?”

  Kat behaved more like a teen. Even being on opposite ends of the country didn’t stop her from running to Jorge, to fix her life.

  “We talked through it. He came in, and she crawled back into his bed. Case closed,” he said bitterly. I walked over and sat down on the bed next to him. “You can’t solve all of our problems.”

  “I can try,” he said with a lift to the corner of his mouth. “Now you tell me who made you cry tonight?”

  I looked at the ceiling. I couldn’t tell him everything that happened with Royce. If I did, he’d do something; or tell Hatchet, who would probably kill him.

  “I’m fine. You know I can’t stand Royce. My mother was being a pain. I’m leaving tomorrow anyway, so I left and came here.”

  He was quiet for a few moments before getting up and turning off the lights except Eric’s at his desk and Jorge’s side lamp. “I’m happy you came. You’re always welcome, wherever I am.”

  I moved under the duvet. “If I ever settled down, you can do the same.”

  “If you want experience, we could plan a trip together before our senior year. What do you think?” He said taking off his jeans and shirt.

  I pulled my hair over my shoulder. “We will both be extremely busy setting up our future careers to even consider going away. I’ll be gone a week or a little longer. Nothing to freak out about.” He crawled in and lay on his side. We were sardines in this bed.

  “I could sleep on the floor,” Jorge offered.

  “Nope, we’ll fit,” I said smashing myself to the wall.

  “Why is going with this group so important?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I just feel this is right,” I replied.

  “Is ‘right’ something to do with that Biker? He’s with Seren. So if you got romance on your mind it isn’t happening,” he replied.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I mean Seren said they were sort of dating,” he said.

  “Sort of? She told me they weren’t.” Or did she? I frowned in the dark. “She has a fiancé.”

  “Well, during our ride to yours and Brody picking her up, she said they were. You know the biking lifestyle. They don’t do monogamy. Our dads didn’t think twice about hooking up with some side piece right in front of our mothers.”

  “Yeah, well if that’s the case . . .” My stomach soured at being Brody’s piece on the side from his relationship with Seren. I had been confused, but when he kissed me, it felt incredible.

  “It is,” Jorge affirmed. “So what are you going to do?”

  “I’ll stay away from him. I’m not going for romance anyway as you put it. I’m going for the story and experience.”

  “With that, he turned off the side lamp leaving me to think about Brody and Seren. Were they together? I wasn’t sure, but whatever was going on with Brody, I was going to follow Jorge’s advice and stay away from romance; and him.

  WE WERE CLOSE TO Gillette Stadium where I agreed to meet with the group and spotted the camper and a line of Harley’s ahead. He stopped the car and turned to look at me.

  “I don’t want you to go, but I can’t stop you. I’m worried about you trying to go out of your way to be something you are not,” he said.

  I smirked. How did he know that when I didn’t really know myself? “I’ll be fine, and I’m not just doing this for them, but because I want to do it for me.”

  “I couldn’t handle anything happening to you,” he added quietly.

  I looked over at him, and a pang went through me at causing him distress. “I’m sorry. I’ll call and text every day,” I promised.

  “You will, or I’ll be the one coming to get you,” he said half joking.

  I groaned. Sometimes Jorge acted like a parent. I went for a change in subject. “Have fun with Nora. She really likes you.”

  He ran his hand over his face. “Nora is sweet I suppose.” He drove up and parked next to the caravan. We got out and walked over to the small group who stopped once I walked up. Seren, dressed in a cheerleader outfit and new rock boots, broke away and bounced up to us.

  “Glad you made it,” she said. “Let me introduce you.” She took my arm and walked me over to the caravan and trailer where a middle age man with a crew cut and handlebar mustache was standing next to a deeply tanned, short redhead wearing a black leather jacket with tassels; her cheeks puffed out.

  He stepped forward and shook my hand. “I’m Doc. My wife Fiona is oil pulling, so you get meet her in a few minutes.” Fiona waved and continued to swish her mouth.

  “Oil pulling. An alternative method to heal mouth sores that are a side effect of chemotherapy,” I said.

  “Someone has been reading.” He smiled. “I’m the doctor that checks everyone out. The shower, beds, and just about everything on here is available for you to use. If you need something, just give us a shout.” He to
ok my suitcase.

  I took out my camera before handing over my handbag. “Thank you.”

  Fiona finished up and shook my hand. “I’m glad to have you along with us. I would love to have something to share with my sons back home.” Doc pulled her close and kissed her cheeks.

  “I don’t want to be interviewed or recorded.” A young, wraith-like female with a white blonde undercut hairstyle said, stopping in front of me.

  “I’m Zack,” a male with a crew cut and sleeve tattoos said, pulling her back into his beefy arms. “Don’t worry about Riley. She’s got a permanent stick up her ass.” Riley hit him but laughed.

  “I promise I won’t,” I said assuredly to her.

  “Then you don’t have to have Piper take pictures or help with a website, Riley,” Seren snipped. “I want her to do it, and so does Fiona.”

  “Now, ladies, there is no need to fight,” Doc said. “The rule you started with, was that anyone and everyone is welcome to ride along. Piper is a guest and said she’ll respect your wishes. Our appointment is now, so let’s go in the stadium.”

  “Yeah. I’ve got a chance to cross off squeezing a tight end’s ass from my list,” Seren said, and we all laughed.

  “Wait until Fiona gets a chance to get the football from them before we get kicked out,” Brody said walking up. Looking at him had my heartbeat picking up, so much I could feel it in my ears when he stopped in front of me.

  His eyes roved over my face. “Your eyes are puffy. You alright?” He asked in a hushed tone.

  I could only nod, but Jorge clearing his throat out loud had me stepping back, reminding me that Brody was taken. “I’ll be fine.” I turned away, and Jorge took my arm.

  “Everyone, this is my friend Jorge.” They all waved a greeting.

  “Where are you all headed next?” Jorge asked giving me a hard look.

  I felt my cheeks warm. I should have been asking that and everything else.

  “Cadillac Mountain in Maine,” Fiona answered and beamed. “Acadia Park. It’s known for its beautiful sunrises.”

  “We need to go,” Brody said staring at me.