ChapterTwelve
Piper
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I can’t maintain the eye contact. Heat creeps up my neck. I poke at the last few bites on my plate with a fork.
I can’t believe Oliver is eating out of a to-go carton from a food truck in a parking lot. I would have expected him to take me to one of those places where the rich and powerful go to see and be seen, with paparazzi right outside the door and plates with miniscule portions that cost three thousand dollars.
The man lives in his three-piece suit. I’ve never even seen him without a tie. He is always serious and fierce and threatens anyone who stands in the way of his endeavors. It’s hard to reconcile that image with this eating experience. This is so… normal and lowkey for a high-powered billionaire. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. He did come to our family home and decorate eggs then slept on our ancient couch without complaint. He could have left. He could have not come in the first place.
“You have a unique way of looking at things.” One corner of his mouth tips up in what I’m coming to recognize is the closest he gets to smiling.
A container is slapped down on the table between to us. The young teenage girl bearing it shoots me a glance and then says to Oliver, “Hey. Scarlett told us to bring you these.” She’s holding hands with another teen girl, but her companion does not seem happy about it. She’s grunting softly, trying to pull her hand away.
“You can let Emma go. I’ve got her,” Oliver says.
She does and the other girl throws herself over onto the bench seat next to Oliver and immediately pats him forcefully on the shoulder and head.
Emma. The name clicks into my mind, a puzzle piece slotting together, the overall picture coming into focus.
Emma? Emma is a child?
I don’t have time to process this new information.
“Who are you?” the other girl asks me.
The teens bear a strong resemblance to each other. They both have dark hair and the same heart-shaped face, but the girl smacking Oliver on the head and laughing has wider eyes and a more generous mouth.
“I’m Piper.”
Oliver slides off the bench, helping Emma stand next to him. “These are Guy’s sisters, Ava and Emma. Did you want to play with that?” He points at a giant Connect 4 game resting in the grass, and Emma claps her hands roughly. Then she grabs at him, rocking toward the game.
Ava follows them. “I want to do it too.”
A second later, Scarlett takes Oliver’s spot across from me. “Hi again! I hope we weren’t interrupting anything.” Scarlett’s voice is sweet with a subtle drawl.
“Not at all. Thank you so much for the cupcakes. You didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Her smile is warm and bright. “I’m Scarlett Jackson.”
“Piper Fox.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Piper.” She nods to the container Ava set on the table. “It’s my bestseller. It’s called ‘Guy Chapman is a Butt-Sniffing Douche Double Chocolate with Nougat.’”
A startled laugh breaks out of me. I peer through the clear plastic top, and my eyes widen at the frosting perfectly swirled into a rose shape. “This looks amazing. Almost too good to eat.” Then I remember what Oliver told me. “Isn’t Guy your boyfriend?”
Scarlett beams at me. “Fiancé.” She stretches out a hand.
I lean forward. “What a beautiful ring.” It’s a sapphire, maybe two carats, surrounded by an intricately etched band.
“It really is.” She draws her hand back and then calls out to Oliver, “Have you made a decision on whether you’ll be a part of the wedding? Emma would love it if you were there, and you can bring Piper too.”
He scowls at her. “I see Guy found someone even more devious than he is.”
“Why, Oliver, whatever could you mean?” Her tone is all forced innocence.
Emma hands him a blue circular game piece the size of a dinner plate, and he takes it for a second then hands it back to her. She grins and dashes back to the game board.
“I haven’t decided.” His voice is carefully light and deceptively soft, but his jaw is hard.