I chuckle softly. “It’s easier said than done I know, and there are good days and bad days,” I lower my head to meet her watery gaze. “But I like to remindmyself that I am still here. Alive against all odds. That means something. So, I fight for every day I get to be me,” I smile. “And so should you,”
Piper smiles back before looking down at herself in disgust. “I never used to be like this. I don’t know this version of myself,” She wipes a tear that falls down her cheek. “I don’t know how to get back to who I used to be,”
“You can’t,” Her eyes shoot to mine. “Whatever happened to you, or whatever you are going through can’t be undone. We can spend time grieving that version of us, but we can’t get stuck in the past. What we can do is decide who we want to be, pull our broken pieces together and instead of making them fit a mould long gone, we create a new one. One that can withstand whatever we choose to put ourselves in front of,” I grin. “We rise from the ashes of our past selves and make sure our future is the onewedecide on,”
She stares at me bewildered, like I have grown another head, and she doesn’t know whether to try and pet it or run screaming. To be honest, I don’t know where any of that came from myself. First her brother getting me to open up and now her.
What the fuck is in that Vander blood.
I clear my throat suddenly a little uncomfortable.
Piper smiles and nods. “You’re right,” She nods more aggressively. “I am done hiding in my own head. I need to start living again, because no matter what my mind keeps showing me, I am alive and that is a gift,”
“Exactly,” I agree. Unfortunately, I need to know why she is so traumatized, but asking her about it now feels counterproductive. I need to try and spend more time with her, but she is always surrounded by goons.
Maybe she would like to have dinner with me and the others.
I open my mouth to invite her, but she beats me to it.
“Are you going to the fundraiser next week?” Her voice hopeful yet still holding back.
“I think so, but I still need to find something to wear,”
“I know we only just met, and you no doubt think I am a complete weirdo for the mental breakdown you had the pleasure of witnessing,” she awkwardly starts to pick her nails. “But would you want to go together?” She holds her hands up and rushes out her next words. “It is totally fine if not, so don’t feel like you need to say yes. I was going to go with my brother and his friends anyway,”
“Of course we can go together,” I say excitedly and that gains me a big grin. “I think my other friends were going to come over and get ready with me beforehand if you want to come?”
Her grin falls and she looks a little unsure.
“It’s Corden and Deena from my year. I can vouch for them being nice people. They welcomed me with open arms my first few days here,” I chuckle. “Well, scratch that, Corden didn’t really give me a choice and then we both reluctantly threw ourselves at Deena,” Piper chuckles back and her red rimmed eyes are no longer filled with unshed tears. “I think you will fit right in,”
“Okay,” she says softly but still not convinced.
“Here, let me put my number in your phone and if you want you can text me and we can set up a dinner so you can meet them without the pressure of the fundraiser. If you change your mind and don’t ever want to speak to me again, then that’s fine as well,”
She assesses my hand that is outstretched before finally placing her phone into it. I quickly type in my contact along with my name. When she takes it back, she glances at it before holding her hand out. “Nice to meet you Ruella, I’m Piper,”
I place my hand in hers.
“Nice to meet you too,” We both grin at each other and for a second, I think about going straight to Asher and coming clean. This poor girl has been through something terrible, I can see it and feel it. She deserves to be protected. A huge lump forms in my throat and my pulse start to pick up with the guilt. But, before it completely takes over and I have a full out panic attack, the door to the studio bashes open so hard it smashes off the wall and the metal handle leaves a dint.
“Are you out of your fucking mind!” An angry voice echoes around the room as Piper and I jump up to face whatever it is. I instinctively put myself in front of the tiny girl by my side and internally berate myself for having no self-preservation.
Loud booted feet stomp towards us as a massive frame stops just in front of me. I look up to a furious grey glare as he stares me down.
“Out of my way,”
I cross my arms and straighten my spine. I can’t stare him down because of the height difference but I stare him out. “Rude,”
“Rude is my middle name, now fuck off,”
I raise a brow unamused.
Piper gasps from behind me before pushing me aside and coming toe to toe with the 6ft2 mountain of a man called Jacob.
“Apologise,” She demands.
Jacobs nose wrinkles. “You and I are about to have a little chat about where you should be right now and why you aren’t,”
