Piper’s posture changes. She throws her shoulders back and gives me a confident smile. “I really could be, couldn’t I?”

I nod. “One badass step at a time.”

“Good. I’ll move in with you tomorrow.” She jumps to her feet and runs to her closet, dragging out three huge suitcases. “I already packed.”

My jaw drops to the floor again. “What?”

Seth

I’m half out of my mind with worry and jealousy as I channel surf. It’s not easy to be involved with someone who doesn’t let you know about the little things, like when she’s not coming home for the night. Rowan can be with anyone—any guy—right now.

My phone buzzes with a text alert and I scoop it up from the coffee table. “About fucking time,” I mutter.

Rowan: Houston, we have a problem.

Me: ?

Rowan: Piper is moving in with me tomorrow.

Checking the time on my phone, I grimace. Two a.m.

Me: It is tomorrow.

Rowan: Thanks, Captain Obvious, but seriously, she’s moving in. What do I do?

Me: Help her unpack?

Rowan: But you’re thinking of selling the house.

Yeah, I am thinking of selling it. I don’t need it, but Rowan might. Even if everything works out, she needs a place to live while I finish up my contract.

If everything works out. Rubbing my hand over my face, I text, Don’t worry about it.

My phone rings. I answer it immediately.

“ ‘Don’t worry about it’?” she screeches into my ear, except she’s whispering.

“Yeah,” I say just as softly. “Why the hell are we whispering?”

“Because I don’t want Piper’s mother to hear me.”

I should have known she was staying at Piper’s. “They don’t allow talking at normal levels over there?”

“They don’t allow their only daughter to move out.”

“You sound panicked.”

She makes the most adorable sound, sort of like a growl. “I am panicked. I don’t want to get into the middle of a power struggle with Piper and her parents, but she’s also my best friend. She stayed my friend when no one else would, Seth. People were cruel when you and Jase went to prison. Really, really cruel. She became an outcast for me.”

Pain slices through me as I imagine what Rowan must have endured as a sixteen-year-old girl from the wrong side of the tracks at our snobby-ass school. All because of things out of her control.

“Bring her home, baby.”

She’s silent for so long that I check to make sure my call wasn’t dropped.

“Where will she sleep? I don’t feel right letting anyone in Miss Myrtle’s old room,” she says with a little hitch to her voice.

“Your room or mine. Either way, we’ll share.”

“Don’t you have all the answers?” she replies, but the little dig is halfhearted.

“You’re welcome.”

“Piper and I will share until it’s time for you to go back to Jacksonville, then she’ll get your old room,” she says.

“And when I come back?”

“That’s not something I’m worried about happening. I don’t know why I called you in the first place,” she says and hangs up on me before I can respond.

I dial her number and get sent straight to voice mail. I try again and again, until I realize she’s turned off her phone. “Fuck me.” Falling against the cushions, I toss my phone to the side.

After everything I’ve done, she still doesn’t trust me to come back. I’ve put up with her bossy ass, taken her insults, left town and come back to show her I’m a man of my word, broken up a fight, and helped get her best friend away from Jase so she didn’t get her ass kicked by his vicious girlfriend. I’ve apologized until I’m blue in the face, fucked her, made love to her, and simply held her in my arms.

What more do I have to do?

Closing my eyes, I try to force my anger to leave my body. It’s not her fault. I screwed her over. I pushed and pushed until she had no desire to come back to me.

But it occurs to me in that moment that, once again, I was the first person Rowan called for help. She could have called anyone—her brother, Boyd….I frown.

Who else would Rowan call?

All she does is go to work and hang out with Piper, unless she’s out to celebrate with friends from work.

Is that all there is to her life? Yeah, it’s fulfilling, but what else does Rowan like to do? I know what she used to like, but—as she keeps telling me—she’s not the girl I used to know.

But maybe, just maybe, the girl she used to be is hiding behind that tough-as-nails façade I helped create.

Chapter 12

Rowan

Sunday morning, Piper moves six suitcases and two bags to my house. I struggle getting the last one through the door and into Seth’s old room.

“What’s in this—rocks?” I ask, hefting it on the bed.

“Shoes.”

“Can’t blame you.” Piper has an amazing shoe collection. She’s like the rock star of shoe collections. Only, she’s not allowed to wear three-fourths of them in public because, as her mother says, women of good breeding don’t wear hooker heels. If I were Piper, I’d be more offended by the comparison to animals than the hooker description. “I wish my feet were as small as yours.”

Piper’s eyes twinkle. “I might have added a few size elevens to my collection last week.”

I put my hands on my hips. “It’s incredibly rude to tease your new roommate like that.”

She unzips the bag and pulls out a pair of three-inch stilettos covered in crystals that make me sigh and drool.

“Here you go, roomie.”

“What?”

“They’re yours.” With a little grin, she shakes them at me. “You know you want them.”

Taking them from her, I hold them reverently and gaze at them adoringly. “If Cinderella had worn these at the ball, the prince would have taken her up to his bedroom instead of dancing.”

“Maybe they’ll help you find your Prince Charming.”

I roll my eyes. “No such man exists.”

“Give them back,” Piper orders, holding her hands out. “Only those who believe in the possibility of a happily ever after get to keep those.”

“I believe. I believe, Fairy Godmother Piper!”

She dissolves into a fit of giggles. “I like the sound of that. I’ve never been—”

“Hold that thought, lady. Only those who have complete confidence in themselves get to live here.”

Piper mimes zipping her lips.

“Rowan?” Seth calls from the doorway.

My heart bounces against my chest. As usual, Seth and I ignored each other at work, communicating only via email and Boyd. “Can I help you?”

Piper makes a face at me, then smiles at Seth. “Thanks for letting me move in.”

“You’re always welcome at Rowan’s house.”

My eyes narrow as I whirl around. “So it’s my house now?”

He gives me a sexy, crooked smile. “That’s what I want to talk to you about. In private.”

I tip up my chin. “Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Piper.” Yeah, I’m a huge coward to use my best friend as a buffer, but I don’t want to be alone with him. Well, okay, so I do want to be alone with him, and that’s the problem.

His dark gaze roams my face. “I talked to Shaw about the house yesterday.”

“And?”

“I’m deeding it to you.” Then he walks away, leaving me to stand there with my mouth open wide.