34

Piper

Out Of The Ballpark

Back at KYU, I got drunk, at most, five or six times altogether. Thomas always said it was too embarrassing. After a couple of drinks, I got too clingy, too touchy, and we had a lot of long conversations about how being a football player's girlfriend meant top-notch appearances, not me after a daiquiri.

So my tolerance was…nonexistent.

Making our way to Xavier's cousin's house, decked out in dark clothing, I was just drunk enough to walk and talk, but also drunk enough to completely ignore that inner voice telling me this was a bad idea.

"We're just keying his car," Adam reminded me, like he was trying to convince me, as if I hadn't been the one to convince him . "That's all we're doing, Piper."

I nodded. "Sure."

"Piper. You can't say sure . I asked you a simple question. You're supposed to say yes or no."

"Yeah." I nodded again, focusing on putting one foot ahead of the other. Xavier's cousin's house wasn't in a tight-knit neighborhood. The houses were spread apart, a good walk away from where the taxi dropped us off.

But the distant bright red Clemenza gleamed in the moonlight.

That car's going to get it.

"Piper," Adam whispered, grabbing my arm, tugging me back. He had a KYU bandana tied around his mouth, but the disguise wasn't much. I could still clearly tell it was the Marrs Manwhore. His dark eyes bore into mine. "I need to make sure you're okay. We're just keying his car. Then we're walking back to the bus stop, and the taxi will pick us up. Look me in the eye. Are you good?"

"I'm great." I tried to smile. "I couldn't be better."

"Are you sure?"

"Couldn't be more sure-er."

Adam didn't seem all that convinced, but we'd already taken two separate taxis and walked twenty minutes so that no one could point us back to what happened. He sighed and reached for my hand, unfurling my fingers until he could place the key in my hand.

We were planning to key a guy's car and Adam was being…gentle with me.

I was too drunk to think about that.

"You're going to key his car, and then we're getting out of here," Adam repeated, his voice softer than usual. "I'll keep a lookout."

I frowned, looking down at the keys. "You don't want to…?"

"This is your thing, ice princess. I'm here to make sure you don't get in trouble."

"Just the bodyguard?"

Those little lines that appeared with his smiles, lined around his eyes, no doubt matching the grin on his concealed lips. For as weird of a night as it was, I smiled back.

"Just the bodyguard," he confirmed as we walked up the driveway. It was freezing outside but that was weirdly comforting. The night was so beautiful and I actually felt calm knowing Adam would wait by the mailbox with his hands behind his back.

I gave him a little wave and stumbled over to the car.

"Key, key, key the car," I sang under my breath.

And I was going to key the car. But the closer I walked to it, the more my frown deepened. How much would it even cost to repair? It was a momentary inconvenience for making June break apart. That was awful. Watching her sob was worse than awful. It bubbled up every memory I blocked from finding out about my ex.

Xavier didn't care. Obviously. He chose to bar-hop in a tiny, rinky-dink town where anyone could've found out.

Gazing at the Clemenza, my hands balled into fists at my side. I gripped the key with white knuckles. The anger was overwhelming. And it wasn't just directed at Xavier.

I was furious with Thomas.

And…I was seething at myself.

I kept everything just as perfect as June had. All those sacrifices she made, I made them too. Every time I could have chosen myself, I didn't. I created dozens of elaborate ways to satisfy someone else, and where had it gotten me?

Where had it gotten June?

Crying our eyes out while the guys got to skip away from the carnage.

I never, ever, ever wanted to put in my whole self for someone who didn't deserve it. I would never settle again.

A pile of wooden planks caught my eye. I came to a sudden stop. Staring them down, I shoved the key into my pocket.

How good does it feel to stop caring?

"Piper?" Adam called behind me. "Piper— Piper! "

His words became more frantic when I hefted up a piece of cold wood as thick as my arm. It took all my strength.

I took a running start at the Clemenza, with its top on, and its windows rolled up, and its picture-perfect paint all lovely, and smashed the side of the wood against the window.

"Holy shit! " Adam looped his arm around my side and yanked me with him.

The piece of wood clattered to the ground. Adam was no doubt seconds away from sprinting with me in tow, but he hesitated, stilling with his arm around me.

"They're not home," Adam realized.

"Good," I whispered.

"Piper, you dumbass." He let go of me but whirled me in front of him, an incredulous look in his eyes. "What the hell were you thinking? Keying a car is one thing! Smashing a Clemenza? Do you know how much these are worth?"

I jutted my chin. "I thought you said I was supposed to be reckless?"

Adam paused, seemingly at a loss for words. It didn't happen a lot with him. As much as I knew I should've felt bad about the cracked window, I couldn't figure out how to care about it, and Adam drew in a slow breath, trying to push down a smile, just made me feel better.

"Not…this kind of reckless," he said finally.

"You don't mean that."

There was that grin. He shrugged and walked over to the pile of wooden boards. "You should go gamble at Vegas, ice princess. I can't believe they're not home. We need to go back to the dorms."

"This isn't good enough," I muttered. "A bird could've done this."

"Piper, this is more than keying a car."

"I want him to—" I struggled with my words for a moment, overcome with emotion. "All I want is for him to—I want him to know how much—how much it hurts."