Page 59 of Captivated

“Does she have a record or something?” Cooper asks, turning to me now. But I can’t remove my eyes from the truth right in front of me.

I knew it. I knew there was something there, something under the surface telling me to trust my gut, that she was hiding something. Well, here it is—apparently she was hiding her real identity. Piper Davis is really Pfeiffer Winters, and I’m a fucking idiot blinded by a beautiful woman.

“It doesn’t look like it,” Luke answers Cooper for me as he reads the screen, clicking on a few buttons, searching through her information. “Then why change your name?”

“Maybe this isn’t that big of a deal. People change their names all the time, Cash. Maybe she didn’t like her old name, maybe she had a falling out with her family. I mean, I met the woman, and she doesn’t seem like she’s got demons.”

I want to hear what Cooper is telling me, allow his words to place a sliver of doubt about how brutal the truth could be, but my mind is racing with possibilities. I don’t think I’ve experienced this much emotional whiplash in such a short amount of time in my entire life. Piper or Pfeiffer—fuck, I don’t even know what to call her at this point. Piper (let’s stick with that) waltzed into my life here and made me yearn for someone for the first time ever. Then she shot me down, made my pulse race, and made me fight for an opportunity at a relationship, when I’ve always avoided them. Now, I’m bordering on contemplating ifloveis what I’m feeling, and I get hit with this tidal wave, wiping my feet completely from under me and slamming my ass on the ground.

I’ve never been in love, so it’s hard to name the ache in my chest when I’m not near her, the anticipation I feel every time I’m about to see her, or the calm that she gives me when there’s no one else around and we’re just two souls connected by time and space. But if that is in fact what I’m feeling—that I’m in love with Piper after only a few months of knowing this woman—then this is some fucked up shit.

“Cash… are you listening?” Luke pulls me from the catastrophe in my head as I finally move my gaze from the computer and acknowledge him.

“Sorry, no. What did you say?”

“I said, are you going to talk to her about it?”

And then irritation slams into me. “What? Why should I say anything when she’ll probably just lie some more?”

“Did she honestly lie to you, Cash? Or are you reaching for the truth here?”

“Omitting the truth, covering it up—they’re all forms of lying. This woman told me her name is Piper Davis, but she’s obviously someone else. Believe me, I’ve seen enough of it in my life to know what I’m talking about.” Instantly flashbacks of my parents come to mind—the arguments, the secrets, the cheating—and when it all came out, that’s when the shitstorm really started. It was watching how despicably my parents treated each other that convinced me love wasn’t worth it.

And as my eyes flick back to the screen, doubt creeps back in when I see the woman who made me leap has secrets of her own.

“You need to let her explain, man. Do you remember when Clara made the mistake of telling Liv and her friends the wrong information about us? Do you remember how pissed I was?” I just stare at him blankly, waiting for him to arrive at his point. “It was you who told me I needed to hear her out, that she deserved the opportunity to explain because people make mistakes and if I truly cared about her, I would stop punishing her for her poor choice in the moment.”

“Dude, this isn’t the same. The woman has an entirely different identity! This isn’t just her saying one wrong thing. This is me questioning everything she’seversaid to me!”

“Lower your voice, Cash, before the Captain comes out here and chews your ass,” Cooper grits through clenched teeth. “You need to calm down. You’re jumping to conclusions. Do some research. You’re a deputy, you know the drill. Collect evidence, find the facts, and then come to a conclusion. But if you can’t settle the fuck down, don’t speak to her until you do.”

Luke rests a hand on my shoulder. “Cooper’s right, man. You don’t know enough to react like this. I’m not gonna lie though, it’s shit like this that makes me weary of even trying to date again.”

Luke lost his wife a few years ago in a car accident, an accident he arrived on the scene of while on duty. His son was just a baby at the time and luckily not in the car with her, so he was left to do the single dad thing, but has never quite been the same. He hasn’t dated since he lost Hannah either—a fact I remind myself of as I put my own turmoil into perspective.

“Fuck. Okay, you’re right,” I let out on an intense breath.

“We’ve got your back though, man, okay? Always. Let us know what we can do if you need us,” Cooper adds as Luke shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

“Uh, I kind of need to speak to you guys about something, actually.” My eyes shift to Luke as Cooper’s follow. “I’m leaving the department at the beginning of the year.”

“What? Why?” And now I’m pissed again.

“I just can’t do this anymore. Every time we get a call to an accident, there’s a pit in my stomach. And it’s not just that. Grayson is going to be in school soon and my mom is getting older, so it’s getting harder for her to help. I need to be there for my son and my family and the hours are hard with a kid.”

“Fuck, this sucks, but I respect your decision, man. What are you going to do instead?”

His face lights up with that question. “Actually, I’m going to teach at the community college in Ashland. That was always my back-up plan. I have my master’s in English and my bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. A buddy of mine works over there and told me about a position opening up next semester. I’d be a fool not to take it. So, I’m leaving behind law enforcement…”

Cooper and I stand there, stunned. “Wow. Well, it seems like you’ve put a lot of thought into this. I hope it works out for you, man. But we’ll definitely miss you around here,” Cooper reaches to shake his hand before pulling him in for a manly hug.

“We will still see each other, I’m sure. Come on, we barely see each other at work as it is, but we still make time to hang out. I’m thinking of looking for a full-time nanny for Grayson, too. Someone to live with us so when I have to teach night classes, he’s not alone and I don’t have to rely solely on my mom.”

“Oh, dude. You just jinxed yourself,” Cooper chides. “Don’t hire someone hot, or you’re gonna be in trouble.”

“Please. It’s been years since I lost my wife, and I still can’t imagine being with anyone else. I think I’m good,” he waves us off. “Good luck with that whole situation, Cash. Let me know what you need from me.” He juts his chin in our directions before twisting around completely, headed in the opposite direction of where we stand in the station.

It’s at that moment when I realize where I’m at—the phones ringing, the muted conversations on the other side of doors, the desk drawers clanking against the metal posts holding them up all around us. I’m at work in an emotional crisis, but I still have a job to do.

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