Page 27 of My Best Bet

“Piper,” I held her shoulders, “this is fine. I’m in my independent woman era. This is good. I made it cute, right?”

Her eyes drifted over my place again. “Yeah,” she squeaked out in a high-pitched voice, telling me she was lying.

I rolled my eyes again.

“You’re sure this place is safe, Mer? I’m sorry, I’m just worried about you. You’re so… little.”

I choked out a laugh. “Sorry not all of us can be tall Amazonian queens, P, but I think I’m scrappier than you.”

She was still hesitating.

“I haven’t died yet, have I? C’mon. You wanted to stay over,” I pointed out, going over to my closet to pull out a blow-up mattress for her. I’d offer to have her share my bed, but I only had a twin size mattress. I wanted a queen, but that would have to wait until I had a bit more money coming in.

“Okay…” She took a deep breath. “You’re right. It’s… unique. But you need to get someone to fix that lock.”

“Will do.”

After setting her mattress up, we both changed for bed– Piper had totally planned to stay over because she had a bunch of overnight stuff in her big purse, including red silky pajamas.

When Piper’s eyes drifted over my chosen PJs– a ragged, old Bauer t-shirt that hit my thighs, she looked like she was about to say something, but I cut her off by muttering “not a word.”

Because I didn’t want to admit aloud that it was Colt’s. It long ago lost his scent, a tragedy, but it was still one of the comfiest shirts I owned. And secretly, this little piece of him made me feel not so crazy; it reminded me that I didn’t fabricate our love story. Itdidhappen. What we had was real and I wasn’t stupid for letting it impact me in such a big way. At one point, I was in love with him. And on those nights that I doubted he ever cared about me at all, this shirt proved it to me in a small way.

But now… I guess it was a little weird to be wearing something of his considering he could have a wife. Then again… this was just a piece of a memory. A piece of the boy I once knew. It meant nothing to the man I saw earlier today.

“Okay, my mouth is zipped,” Piper said, “but let it be noted that I wanted to say something about it.”

“Noted.” I smirked.

When we shut the lights and we were both tucked in bed, Piper turned to face me in the dark, her blow-up mattress squeaking with every movement.

“Hey Mer,” she said in a small voice.

“Yeah?”

“Tonight was fun, right?” she asked hesitantly. I could tell she was trying to pull out all the stops tonight to convince me to stay in Chicago. Maybe because she was sick of being alone, too.

I nodded. “I’m happy you’re here,” I said with a small smile, reaching out to hold her hand.

From the way her green eyes watered, I knew she needed to hear that. Sometimes you just needed one other person on this earth to tell you that you’re wanted.

“Yeah, me too.” She sniffled. “Jeez, the alcohol made me emotional.” She fanned her face with her free hand. “This’ll be good, okay?” She squeezed my hand before letting go.

A burning lump formed in my throat, and I knew if I opened my mouth, I’d cry, so I just nodded. I wanted things to work out here so badly. I was so tired of trying to find my place in life, and I was so sick of the suffocating loneliness.

“And if anyone threatens your happiness here, I’ll throat punch them,” Piper added. “I have zero cares about how much this city loves him for his stupid hockey,” she said fiercely. “This isourcity now.”

A wet laugh bubbled out of me. “Hopefully we won't run into them again,” I said.

Piper went quiet.

Lucy wouldn’t be figure skating at the Coliseum anymore, and apparently the back rink where the Whalers practiced was off-limits to the public. We wouldn't run into each other again unless we purposely tried.

Based on the pissed-off look on Colt’s face earlier today, that wouldneverbe happening again.

Deep down, I hated how much that hurt.

I sighed as I flopped on my back and stared up at the ceiling.

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