Early on he’d presented me with a similar necklace, and I’d politely refused it. We didn’t need a stamp of approval—or ownership—from his frat to be a couple. As Pippa exclaimed over the gift, I peered a little more closely at it, and an uncomfortable feeling settled over me. The stones on the one he’d offered me were amethysts to “match your eyes.” Pippa’s necklace should have had sapphires or at least blue topaz to match her eyes, but from where I sat in the low light of the living room, the stones on that pendant sure appeared to be amethysts.
The glare I sent Charlie should have shriveled him into a tiny, prune-y pit. Instead he blithely picked up the necklace, clasped it around Pippa’s neck, and sat back to admire his prize.
Dad utterly misinterpreted my expression—and wrecked all the positive vibes we’d had going until Pippa opened Charlie’s gift. “In the spirit of the holiday, the best present you could give your sister is to unblock her from your phone.”
I nodded. “Also in the spirit of the holiday, these two could tell the truth.”
From the way their eyes darted between each other and my parents, the truth had a snowball’s chance in hell of being told.
“Right.” I downed the rest of my drink, gathered up my gifts, and stood. “After making sixteen runs today and eating all that delicious dinner, I’m exhausted. See you all in the morning.”
Hopefully, not.
“Piper...” Dad’s tone was a warning.
“Look. We both want something the other isn’t willing to give. So in the spirit of the holiday, I’m going to bed rather than ruining the evening.” I brushed a kiss across my dad’s cheek. Mom’s wide-eyed response to that move intensified when I brushed one over her cheek as well. “Thanks so much for the earrings. I truly love them.”
On that shocking note, I headed upstairs, absolute silence in my wake.
After locking the door to the private sanctuary of my room, I set my gifts on my dresser and flopped back on my bed. I had the right amount of alcohol coursing through me to be dangerous and no outlet for that danger. As I scrolled through Instagram, checking out my friends’ Christmas Eves, I saw a picture of Wyatt and what could only be his brothers. They were holding up pairs of boxers and grinning like loons. The caption read “Mom scores again!”
The colorful twinkling lights of the tree in the background and the mass of paper and boxes surrounding the three of them where they sat on the floor of a modest living room stabbed a fierce sense of longing through me. Before I thought too hard about what I was doing, I pulled up the photo of his number I’d saved to my favorites and texted him.
A minute later my phone chimed an incoming text.
Merry Christmas, Piper.
The little dots appeared beneath it before a second text followed.
About damntime.
A laugh slipped from me as I tossed my phone aside and lay back to stare at the ceiling. I wasn’t ready to dive right into another relationship with someone, but I might be ready for more of a steady good time.
Chapter Twenty-One
Wyatt
“Nice boxers,” Finnsaid as he exited the bathroom, eyeing my new M&M’s pair.
I scratched my chest, yawned, and said, “Thanks. My mom gets it right every year.” I stepped past him into the bathroom. After I finished my business, I walked across the hall and leaned against the door to his room. “What did you get for Christmas?”
“The usual. Some new shirts, a pair of earbuds to replace the ones I lost, lots of home-cooked food. You?” His wet towel lay on the floor at his feet as he pulled a clean pair of jeans on over his boxers.
“Pretty much the same. Boxers and socks, shirts, a new video game prototype for us to beta test for Dash. Piper’s number.” I dropped that last one with a nonchalance I was far from feeling.
It had been a week since she’d gifted me her number. During that time, it had required all my willpower not to text her at least six times a day. Instead, I’d played it cool and let her lead. So far we’d only exchanged texts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when she’d sent me a pic of her on a pair of skis on some mountain in Colorado, and I’d returned an action shot Mom had caught of me ripping the flag right out of Ryan’s back pocket in our annual family flag football game.
I decided to wait until early afternoon before I checked in on her New Year’s Eve plans. Plans I hoped would include me.
Finn stopped with his shirt only half pulled over his head and popped his head up. “Did I hear you correctly? Did you say you got Piper’s number?” He finished pulling his shirt on, smoothing it down his front. “How the fuck did you do that?”
“No clue.” I pushed off from the door. “But you’d better believe I’m taking advantage of it now we’re back on campus.”
“She’s back too?”
Tilting my head, I shrugged. “Don’t know yet. I’ve been playing it cool and not blowing up her phone. But with any luck, she and I will bring in the New Year together.” I waggled my brows and my friend smirked.
“Good luck with that.”
