Piper was smiling at me. I wanted to bottle it up and keep it forever.
“Piperrr,” I sang out. “Say the words: It’s our problem.”
“It’s my problem; you’re just being very chivalrous.”
We were having a stare-off. Her back pressed along the wall, my legs moving slowly like I was on the prowl. There could have been a thousand people in the auditorium with us, and I wouldn’t have known the difference.
“That’s it,” I said, and her twinkling eyes grew wide. My strides were three times hers, so I took one long step and swiped the paintbrush over her cheek.
Her mouth fell open as a squeal came out. “Ollie!” She tried to run away, but I wrapped my arm around her upper body, and her back fell into my chest with a thud. Her hands came up and wrapped around my forearm, and I whispered into her ear, “Say it.” She wiggled so much I ended up getting more paint on her.
Her laugh echoed throughout the room, and I swore I felt my heart grow. What the fuck was she doing to me?
She fought me for a few more seconds as I swiped another bit of paint on her forehead.
“Fine! Fine!” she shouted, still laughing. “It’s our problem!”
I didn’t want to let go of her, but in the end, my arm dropped. She spun around quickly, her hair a chaotic mess in front of her face. A laugh erupted from my mouth as I took in the streaks of grayish-blue paint on her cheeks. Her smile was captivating, her eyes bright with humor. “I can’t believe you painted me!”
I raised my eyebrows. “You know very well I’m a man of my word, Piper. I said I would.”
She tried to hide her smile as she reached up and smeared the paint from her face. “So…” She eyed me closely. “Since it’s ‘our’ problem…” She used air quotes around the word ‘our’ that I completely ignored. “Does that mean I can come to the races on Saturday?”
A loud laugh came out of my mouth. “Nice try.”
She cursed under her breath. “You’re acting like you’re my father.”
I shrugged innocently. “Like I said, someone has to.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Fine.”
That was easy.
Before I knew what she was doing, the paintbrush was ripped from my hands, and something cold was coating my face. Her laughter floated around me, and I couldn’t even be mad.
I loved this side of her.
I liked making Piper smile, and I thought it was the best distraction yet.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Piper
“So…” Hayley walked down the aisles of the dress store, scrunching her face at every other gown she looked at. “How did you rope Ollie into helping with the decorations yesterday—and today?” She paused. “Actually, how did you get most of the football team to help?”
I laughed, running my hands down a blue dress that would likely look amazing on her. “He came on his own and rallied all those guys.” I smiled. “I’m glad, too. Mostly everything is done with their help and yours. Thanks again for helping today. I know it’s not your thing.”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “Ann and Headmaster Walton cornered me the other day during school hours to tell me that I needed to do more ‘teen-agey’ things, especially now that I was in a safer environment.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you loved that conversation.” I pulled a dusty-blue strappy dress off the hanger. “But it’s true.”
“What is?”
“You do need to do more teen-agey things. You missed out on a lot.”
Hayley’s shoulders fell. “I know, but we’ve all got our issues. No one’s childhood is perfect, right?”
Oh, she was right, alright.