“Riley, dammit,” I curse, stumbling over my sister’s bag on the floor.
“What?” My little sister stops in the doorway, watching me with amusement. “Why are you shouting?”
“I’m not shouting,” I huff, massaging my ankle. “Your stuff is everywhere, and this isn’t a freaking mansion.”
“Well, Piper, if you were watching—”
“Nuh-uh.” I shake my head, cutting her off. “We’re not talking about me now. We’re talking about you. You need to do better.”
Riley sighs and leans against the doorframe, taking a bite of the apple she’s holding in her hand. “It’s just…” My sister hesitates; her eyes are locked on mine. “It’s nothing, sorry.”
“Is something bothering you? How do you feel? Did you sleep okay? Did you eat?” Questions fly out of my mouth at full speed, fueled by my worry for her. Images of Riley in her bed fill my mind in an instant, and I’m a mess all over again.
“Piper,” Riley chuckles. She winds her hands around my waist; her big crystal blue eyes glimmer with happiness as she smiles at me. “You heard the doctor. We know what’s wrong with me now, and I’ve been okay. My thyroid is under control, I promise.”
“Memories are a bitch, baby.” I tuck a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear.
The only two attributes we got from our mother are our hair color and our full lips. All the rest, we got from our fathers. At least, I can say Riley has a father. Her dad, Garret, was our mother’s husband the longest, for six years, until she got bored and kicked him out. He’s still here, ready to help support Riley and me whenever and however he can. Unlike my father…who I’ve never seen. I have no idea who he is. He’s the only man my mom doesn’t want to talk about. It’s as if he never existed.
“I know, Pip.” My sister buries her face in my neck, hugging me tightly. She’s fifteen already, but I often treat her as if she’s still a child. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to taking care of her, and it’s not easy to change my habits. “Sorry if I made you worried.”
“Don’t apologize.” I cup her cheek with my palm, caressing it with my fingers. “But you better tell me what you’re hiding from me. I’m all ears.”
Riley chuckles, stepping back. “You’re not letting me off the hook, are you?”
“Never.” I wink, grab her hand, and drag her to the living room. Hayden and his niece are going to pick me up in an hour, so I have time for a quick interrogation. “Is it a boy?”
“How did you know?” Her eyes widen, and I burst out laughing.
“Just a wild guess.” I nudge her with my shoulder as we slump down onto the couch. “Start talking, little lady. Maybe I’ll know what to do.”
“I wanted to talk to you about it, I just wasn’t sure how to start. Um…it’s Josh, my dance partner. Yesterday he told me he likes me,” she mutters, lowering her gaze to her feet. “It’s all good, and I’m excited, but…Lola likes him too.”
Snuggling in more comfortably, I peer at my sister’s face. Boy drama between two friends is the worst. Another reason I cherish my friendship with Hayden so much. Having a male best friend saves me a million troubles.
No boy will ever be worthy of ruining my relationship with Hayden Hale.
“Hey.” I climb inside Hayden’s Honda CR-V and glance in the backseat, instantly locking my gaze with a little girl’s. Her big green eyes framed by thick black eyelashes twinkle with mischief, and the next thing I know, she’s smiling from ear to ear.
“I’m Piper,” I say.
“Hey, Piper,” Hayden’s niece murmurs. “I’m Story. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” I grin in return. “Actually, we’ve already met. But you’ve grown so much! You’re such a beautiful girl.”
“That’s because I’m Mommy’s copy,” she says, and I register Hayden’s eye roll. “Though I have my dad’s eye color.”
“You’re a Hale, Story,” Hayden chimes in, and the little girl giggles. “Green eyes are our thing.”
I shake my head, looking out the window. Griffith Park is ahead of us. I should’ve guessed. Sometimes this guy is so boring and so predictable, especially for a true artist. There are tons of unique places in LA, and yet he chose an old classic.
“Any particular plans for our day in Griffith Park?” I ask sweetly.
Hayden glares at me, noticing my sarcasm. “We’re going to have lots of fun, Evans. Trust the process.”
“The process?” I lift an eyebrow, and he snorts. Last time I trusted his process, I ended up half naked, dancing on the table at the bar he was playing at. Some guy tried to give me five hundred bucks and something extra in a private room. “You and I both know nothing good comes from that.”
“Everything is going to be alright, Pip. I won’t let you down,” he assures me. His niece is with us, and Hayden is many things, but he’s always responsible. His family would disown him if he let something happen to his brother’s daughter.
Ten minutes later, Hayden parks, and we slowly climb out of the car. Story and I glance at each other, and she pads closer to me. Her long brown hair is collected into a high ponytail, and it bounces as she steps forward. Scrunching her little upturned nose, she smiles at me, and I grin in return.
Heading further into the park, we walk straight to the zoo. Story talks nonstop, telling Hayden and me about her life in London. I listen closely, and, for whatever reason, she’s not sad to leave the city behind. She sounds excited when she talks about Los Angeles and her time with her dad. He’s been focusing entirely on her since the day they moved here two weeks ago, and that’s not something she experienced while living in England.
We’ve spent more than two hours at the zoo, going from one animal to the other. It’s so fun, I often forget Story’s just seven years old. Her thoughts, the questions she asks, and her behavior don’t match her age at all. It makes me wonder what made her this way. Is it just because her parents were often absent? Or is it something else? She intrigues me, and her sunshiny energy fills me with happiness. I enjoy her company, a significant change from the days I’ve had this past month.
“Are you Hayden’s girlfriend?” Story asks as we sit on a bench.
“Nope. He’s my best friend,” I tell her, watching her uncle from afar as he strolls away to buy us ice cream. “He’s family.”
“Okay.” She giggles, playing with a strand of her hair. “I just thought—”
“We’ve been friends for fifteen years. I love him, but only as a friend.”
Story becomes thoughtful, avoiding eye contact. This reaction is weird, but I decide not to push it. The last thing I want is for her to be afraid of me or think I’m trying to invade her privacy. I lean closer, bowing my head. “Want to see my favorite animal?”
“Your favorite animal?” Story’s voice hitches in her throat, and she licks her lips. Her gaze darts to Hayden, who has his eyes glued to his phone while waiting for the ice cream.
“Fennecs. A fennec fox.”
“Should we wait for my uncle?” she asks, and I shake my head no. For a moment, her pupils widen, and I think maybe I’m asking too much from this child. She basically just met me, so she has zero trust in me. Maybe—
“Cool!” Story jumps to her feet and grabs my hand.
“You sure about this?” I ask.
“Yes.” She exhales. “I’ve never had as much fun as I am right now…with you and Uncle Hayden.”
“Well…” I squeeze her hand and lead us away from the bench and my best friend. “Get ready; we’re going to become lost girls. Hayden will need to think really hard to remember what my favorite animal is.”
