“How often do you and Scarlett have sex?”
Leo’s brows raise and Declan almost spits out his beer.
Ash cackles and rubs his hands together. “Finally, some good happy hour conversation.”
The five of us are at Wild’s after a meeting at the arena. Piper and Everly are still at school. Everly has had long rehearsals all week leading up to the theater performance tomorrow night.
“Hit a dry spell, Rookie?” Jack asks with a smirk.
“No, the opposite. I can’t keep her off me. We’ve had sex six times today.”
Ash chuckles and makes a low whistle. “Damn.”
Everyone else looks to Leo. Instead of answering my question, he deflects. “No wonder you were slow on the ice.”
He isn’t wrong. I was exhausted this morning.
“Look I’m not complaining, I just want to know if this is normal when you live together or if Piper is using sex to avoid talking.” I know the answer, or at least I think I do, but I need confirmation, which from the look on Leo’s face, I just got.
“That sounds like the perfect relationship to me. Keep your mouth shut and don’t mess it up,” Jack says.
Ash leans forward on his elbows. “Normally I would agree, but I feel like I have a vested interest in this relationship. What exactly is she avoiding talking about?”
“Going to Madison for grad school and me breaking up with her again.”
“What?” all four guys ask in unison. Their outrage makes me smile. They like Piper, too.
“Relax. I’m not breaking up with her, but I think she thinks I am.”
“I don’t follow,” Leo says.
I tell them about how I was giving her space after everything went down with Everly and River, and how I’ve been encouraging her to go to Madison because it’s the best. “She thinks I’m pushing her away like I did last time.”
They all still look angry on her behalf.
“I’m not.”
“So tell her that,” Leo says plainly.
“I’ve been trying all week, but she asked if we could have some time to just enjoy without all the heavy, serious stuff.”
“Ah, now I see. She’s using all this”—Ash waves a hand in front of his chest—“to distract you.”
“Shoot her a text,” Declan offers.
“And miss out on another opportunity for sex?” Jack lifts a brow. “This is why you’re single.”
Declan lifts his middle finger from around his beer to flip off our captain. “I’m single because I want to be.”
“At first, I didn’t understand, or I thought she just missed me a whole bunch, but once I figured it out, I decided to go along with it for a little longer.”
“Can’t blame you there. Six times a day. Props.” Ash raises his hand for a high five.
I slap his hand, but that isn’t why I’ve put off talking to her.
“No, not because of that. I needed a little time to get things in order.” I pull the ring box from my pocket and set it on the middle of the table. “I’m going to ask Piper to marry me.”
“Holy shit.” Ash chokes as he stares down at the engagement ring.
The guys congratulate me, and Jack decides we need another round to celebrate. I follow him up to the bar.
“I’m sorry about the house.” I officially withdrew my offer yesterday. It was hard to let go, but I think I made the right decision.
He shakes it off. “Don’t be. I can find another renter.”
“I thought a lot about it. Everly and I didn’t have people we could count on growing up. It isn’t easy for either of us to ask for help or even accept it when it’s freely given. I don’t want to take her away from that.”
A small smile tilts up one side of his mouth. “Admit it, you don’t want to give up the free homework help.”
I laugh. It feels good.
The drinks come and Jack pushes one toward me. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you and damn glad to have you as a friend and teammate. And the house will be waiting for you.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Shut up and drink your drink, Rookie. The house will be waiting for you. You decide you want a different one, then I’ll sell it, but until then, consider it yours in theory.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
He smiles as he tosses back the liquor.
An hour later, we head to the school to watch the Park Academy theater performance.
Piper waves from where she’s saving our seats. I go in first to sit next to her. We get more than a few looks from parents and students as we take up nearly an entire row.
“Hey,” she says with a shy smile on her lips. She hesitates and then leans forward and kisses me. She’s nervous and I don’t know if it’s for Everly or because after this she’ll have no more excuses to avoid talking to me.
I pull her closer and deepen the kiss.
She pulls back as the lights flicker. “It’s just about to start.”
I gotta admit, I don’t spend a lot of time watching what’s happening on stage. I’ve got a diamond ring in my pocket, and the love of my life sitting next to me. I’m a little bit distracted.
Besides, Everly isn’t actually on stage except between scenes where she helps move props and backdrops. I reach over about halfway through and take Piper’s hand, intertwining my fingers through hers. She seems to relax a little more after that.
As far as high school plays go, this one isn’t bad. At the end, when the stage crew finally comes out to take their bows, Piper and I stand and clap for Everly. All the guys join in, yelling and whooping. Making a damn scene, but I love that she has all these people ready to cheer her on.
Everly’s face turns red, and she gives a little eye roll, but she’s smiling.
As the applause dies down, Ash leans over. “Tell me why we came to see a play that our girl wasn’t actually in?”
“Because that’s what family does,” Jack says, eyes still on the stage. “They show up.”
The guys and I head back to the house with Everly in tow. Piper drove separately, and when I tried to get her to leave her car for the night, she gave me some bullshit excuse about needing to do something in her class.
The closer it comes to proposing, the more nervous I am that she isn’t actually afraid that I’m going to break up with her, and instead is about to break up with me. Maybe she wanted to wait until after Everly’s big night.
“I’m so proud of you,” I say to Everly when we get to the house.
She smiles. “I know, I know. Can I go celebrate with my friends now?”
“You’re not going to stay and celebrate with us?” Ash holds a hand to his chest and pretends to be shocked.
“Yeah, of course,” I say. “Do you need a ride?”
She bites her lip. “I was hoping I could take your car.”
Ash barks out a laugh next to me. “And so it begins.”
I hold up keys from my pocket.
“You’re really gonna let me take your car?” Her eyes go big with excitement.
“No way, but I thought you could take your car.”
Her brows furrow and then she whips her head around, finally noticing the little, red Mercedes at the curb.
“Oh my God!” she squeals so high that it makes my eyes squeeze shut in response.
She takes off for it, circling around with her hands over her mouth. Eventually she throws open the driver’s side door and sits inside. She runs her hand over the steering wheel.
I don’t think a gift has ever felt this good. I walk over and she rolls down the window.
“How do I look?”
“Dangerous,” I say. “Be careful.”
“I will. I will.”
“I’m serious. No speeding, no texting and driving, and wear a seat belt at all times.”
“I promise.” She gets out of the car and hugs me. “Thank you.”
“Nice wheels, Little Sharpie.” Declan steps up and eyes her car with a whistle.
“Want to be my first passenger?”
“Hell yes,” he says.
I step back and watch Everly and Declan take off. When they come back, Piper is behind them.
“Tyler bought me a car,” Everly gets out and runs to Piper, then drags her back over to see it.
I thought about taking Piper with me to pick it out, but then I thought it’d be way more fun and unexpected when I take her to pick out her own.
After Everly has shown Piper every inch of the car, she finally leaves to meet her friends.
“Be careful,” I yell after her.
“Ah, they grow up so fast, don’t they?” Ash tosses an arm around my shoulder.
Declan steps up on the other side of me. “You look like you need a drink.”
“Definitely,” I agree.
Inside we raid the fridge and then the liquor cabinet. I’m just about to pull Piper off to the side to talk to her when there’s a knock at the door.
“Arrested already, you think?” Ash asks with a big grin.
“I can’t even joke about it,” I say. I’m going to have a pit in my stomach until she makes it home tonight.
Laughing, Ash heads to the front door. Declan sets up for beer pong and Jack pours a row of shots.
“Got a minute?” I ask Piper.
Her bottom lip quivers as she nods. “Yeah. I need to say something first, though.”
“All right.” Fuck, I’m nervous all of the sudden.
Ash comes back in, a serious expression on his face. “Ty, the door is for you.”
“For me? Who is it?”
A woman steps into the room behind him. One I haven’t seen in far too long.
“Mom?”
