Chapter 18

18

A n hour after Audrey had watched Piper walk away, she was still sitting on her deck. She'd gotten up to pour herself a glass of wine, needing something to distract her, but as she stepped back outside, she saw Piper coming back towards her house. At first, Audrey assumed Piper would turn towards her own deck, but she climbed the steps to Audrey's instead.

Audrey met Piper in the middle of the deck. "I can't leave things like this," Piper said. "Not without saying what I came here to say."

Audrey cradled her glass of wine, her fingers trembling slightly. "It was a pretty one-sided conversation."

"The funny thing is, I knocked on your door tonight to talk to you. I'd been thinking too, except I came to the opposite conclusion."

Audrey swallowed, her heart pounding as she waited to hear what Piper was going to say. She looked so beautiful with her hair tied back in a messy bun, her face free of makeup.

"I wanted to talk to you about how we could make this work, about how our lives could fit together even when they're so different. I have nothing on my schedule for the rest of this year. I'd planned on taking some time away from work anyway, and what better way to spend that time than here, with you, seeing where this could go." Piper wiped a hand across her face, pacing nearly as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "I was going to say that I'd never ask you to leave here, that if I was working in Los Angeles, I'd find a way to spend time out here with you. That even when I'm away filming, I won't ever be away for too long. I wanted to ask you if you were willing to give this a try. I know that these next few weeks wouldn't be a true reflection of what it'd be like to be together. I won't always be able to be here full-time. But by then, we'd know if this was something worth fighting for. I know, you have reservations. I'm just..." Piper exhaled, her voice filled with longing. "I don't know. I couldn't leave without saying that."

Audrey's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. "You're leaving?"

Piper nodded. "I can't be this close to you, seeing you all the time, and not be with you. Not after the week we spent together. I'd drive myself crazy."

Audrey started to doubt her decision. "You know where I'm coming from though, right?"

"Yes. And does it change anything to know that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this work? I got the impression that your ex wouldn't."

Audrey shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. "No. She definitely didn't. But that's what drove me to make the decision. I don't want you to have to change your life for me. An amazing life by the looks of things."

Piper's eyes softened, her voice gentle. "I don't have to. I want to. And it has its moments, but I've been in the game long enough to know that it's not everything people think it is. I love acting. I'm not going to give that up. But I also don't need to take on every single job that comes my way. I can pick and choose. Maybe you can come with me if you have enough notice to work it into your schedule. I don't know." Piper held up her hands. "That was all I wanted to say, and I thought I'd be saying it to someone who wanted the same things as I do. Anyway, on that note, I'm going to go.",

"Piper, wait." Audrey put her glass down on the table and reached for her arm. "I didn't mean for things to get this dramatic. I just wanted to keep myself from getting too lost in this, but I think it's somehow already too late for that. This whole thing with you has been crazy. This is not what my life is like. I'm boring. I have a best friend who I spend all my time with and other than chatting with my clients while I'm working, I don't have the best social life. I haven't dated in years. I don't fall like this. This fast, this hard. I'm just trying to protect myself."

"I know." Piper's voice was soft, filled with understanding and hope. "I know. And I'm scared too."

"You are?" Audrey's hand drifted lower, sliding over her wrist until she held Piper's hand.

"Hm. Scared of losing this chance."

Audrey's eyes fluttered shut. "This is why I've been avoiding you. I knew if I saw you, I'd change my mind." She finally opened her eyes, but Piper was blurry, her eyes full of tears again.

"I told Evelyn about you."

"You told Evelyn Coleman about me?" Audrey asked with a smile.

"Yes. Well, I asked her for advice. You know about her and Claire?"

Audrey nodded. "I'm not oblivious to all celebrity news."

"Just me then?"

Audrey shook her head, heat flaming her cheeks. "Lisa is going to have a field day with this. Assuming I tell her."

"Your friend? Of course, you can tell her. You'll have to. Unless we never leave the house. Better yet, we could never leave the bedroom."

Audrey playfully tugged her closer. "What were you saying about Evelyn Coleman?"

"Just that she met Claire and that Evelyn nearly let her go. I don't want to make that same mistake." Piper searched her eyes. "If you really want to end this now, I would completely understand. It's the last thing I want. But I'll walk away. Really, this time. I won't come back again an hour later," she finished with a smile.

"Piper, I've spent the last hour being absolutely miserable, and I think that was long enough."

Piper's smile widened. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes." Audrey lifted her hand to Piper's cheek. "I'm sorry for making this so difficult."

"Shh," Piper whispered, already leaning in, and Audrey met her halfway, parting her lips against Piper's. Audrey slid her hand from Piper's cheek to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, and deepening the kiss.