Page 107 of The First Time
"Piper—"
"I'm not changing my mind about this."
I expect him to fight me, to follow me, to insist I'm being a fool.
He doesn't.
He lets me go.
I should be relieved about that too, but I'm not.
* * *
I'm halfwayto the valet when I realize I don't have my purse.
I move into a boxer's shuffle (difficult in heels) and psych myself up to march back into the restaurant.
A tear rolls down my cheek. Mal is siding with our parents. Ethan is siding with Mal. Joel is loyal to Kit.
Nobody is loyal to me.
This boxer's shuffle is exhausting. My ankles are killing me. I lean against the concrete wall. It's cold against my butt and back.
Another tear rolls down my cheek.
This time, I wipe it away. If I'm going to cry, I'm going to do it someplace sensible. I have to hold it together for long enough to get someplace sensible.
Okay. I can do that.
I steel my nerves, turn the corner, and march to the door.
And there he is, stepping outside.
Kit.
He's holding my purse.
His other hand is in his back pocket.
His dark eyes are still filled with frustration.
He slides his arm around my waist and whisks me around the corner. A camera flashes in my eyes. A paparazzi. This placeisa celebrity hang out.
Kit ignores it. He leans in to whisper in my ear. "You want to talk?"
"Not here."
His grip on my waist tightens. He pulls me closer. Then his other arm is around me and his breath is warming my neck.
God those arms feel good.
I rest my head on his chest and soak in all the warmth of his body. A million questions fill my head— what the hell does this mean? Did he say anything to Joel? Does Mal know he's out here with me? Holding me?—but none of them seem as important as how good it feels in his arms.
"I can't go home right now." I press my lips together. "I can't even look at Mal."
He nods. "You can come home with me." His voice is caring, not seductive, but the words still set my body on fire.
"But Mal and Joel and—"
