“What about the money?”
“He acted like it was owed to him for all the years he supported me. For the connections his family provided, and the lifestyle I supposedly benefited from.” I force myself to meet her gaze. “Then he said he’d think about what I deserve.”
The words sound just as ugly coming from my mouth as they did from his.
“You should get an attorney.” Piper reaches out and covers my hand with hers, and I have to force myself not to flinch away. She leans closer and says, “Because he can go fuck himself.”
I know she’s right. The same way I know that three-thirty alarm is going to shatter my sleep tomorrow morning, and I’ll drag my ass down to the bakery and lose myself in the work of making something that brings joy to people. Me, most of all. Attorneysmean paperwork and potential depositions, and I’m so tired of fighting battles I didn’t start.
“Maybe.” I take a deep breath as Piper squeezes my hand tighter. “I’ll think about it.”
“It sounds like you’re letting that douchebag get away with what he did.”
Fair, but ouch.
“I don’t want to give him more of my energy than I already have, Pip. I spent years managing that man’s moods and anticipating his reactions. I’m done orbiting around his bullshit. I want to figure out my next move without him being the center of it.”
She nods, and I can see her deciding whether to push. Piper was the first person to notice how horribly off my relationship with Jon was and call me out on it. She has every right to do the same thing now. Instead, she takes a sip of her iced decaf latte, then flashes a grin.
“So let’s discuss a less problematic swinging dick. How’s Jeremy?”
The question catches me mid-sip, and I grab the deconstructed napkin with my free hand when coffee snorts out my nose. “Swinging dick?”
She tilts her head. “Just asking.”
“He’s fine. We’re fine. I mean, there’s no official we. He’s just—” I wave my hand in a vague gesture that communicates very little.
Piper’s mouth twitches. “Just what?”
“Just…nothing.”
“Avah.”
“We’ve been hanging out because I’m helping him with a business thing. That’s the whole story.”
Not even close.
And there’s more to it than just incredible sex—although that part is legit incredible. The other stuff is what scares me. Like howhe remembers I like my coffee with oat milk after hearing me request it just once. And how he listens when I talk about the bakery, as though my plans for almond croissants matter as much as his billion-dollar deals.
“You’re blushing,” Piper observes.
“Premature hot flash.”
“I don’t think so. I think you’re thinking about a certain swinging dick.”
“Jesus, Piper. You’re worse than me.”
She preens. “I take that as a compliment. Now spill the tea, girl.”
“It’s not…” I shake my head. “I can’t make whatever’s happening between Jeremy and me the thing that fixes my life. I’ve spent way too long letting men define me. At this point, I need to know I can stand on my own before I lean on anyone. Because every time I’ve leaned, I’ve ended up on the ground.”
“I think I want to figure out how to buy the bakery. It’s silly, but baking brings me joy.”
Piper’s grip tightens. “Joy is never silly.”
“I’m going to get my money back, or I’ll find another way.”
“For what it’s worth,” she says, “you’re already a different person than you were with Jon. And joy often shows up in unexpected places, or sometimes unexpected people. I think you know that, even if you’re not ready to say it out loud.”
