Page 147 of Tangled Kisses
She lifts her brows, disbelief sharp in her tone. “You don’t smoke.”
“I do now.”
Her smile falters.
And then she says it—careless, casual, like it’s not about to tear the world in half. “Where’s Reese?”
Silence.
Her gaze flicks toward the bedroom, then back to me. “Wait, did she go somewhere?”
I stare at her, dry-mouthed, heart thudding. “Gone,” I say, the word like poison on my tongue.
“Gone where?”
“New York. Vander. Penthouse. Champagne brunch, probably.” I brush past her, grabbing the glass from earlier and tipping it back though it’s bone-dry. “Didn’t you hear? We broke up.”
Piper freezes. “What?”
“Left me a nice little parting gift, too.” I grab the envelope off the counter and wave it like a flag. “A hundred and fifty grand. Should keep me in whiskey for a while.”
“You’re lying,” she whispers.
“I fucking wish.”
“No, she wouldn't—" Her calm facade cracks as she takes a step back, as though someone knocked the air out of her. “She wouldn’t leave without telling me.”
“Oh, but she did.” I chuck the envelope down. “She left money, memories, and a handful of witty one-liners. Real generous.”
Piper’s already fumbling for her phone.
She paces a tight circle on the rug, phone clutched in a white-knuckled grip. “No, no, no. When she didn’t answer me all weekend, I just figured…” Her voice trails off as she scrolls. “I thought you two were busy fucking like bunnies and didn’t want to be interrupted.”
She taps the screen, holds the phone to her ear.
Frowns.
“It’s still going to voicemail,” she mutters. “I’ve sent her fifteen texts—nothing. All unread.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” I mutter, though the words taste like ash in my mouth. “She looked fine when she left. Right after assuring me that I was nothing to her.”
Piper looks up sharply, eyes wide and glassy. “You don’t understand. She didn’t take half of her stuff.”
I frown, but she barrels on, her volume increasing. “Her meds are still here. Her overnight bag is still tucked under thebed. Our grandmother’s necklace? It’s sitting on the bathroom counter.”
I drag a hand down my face. “I guess she didn’t need it. Maybe her fiancé plans to buy her a new one.”
“She didn’t takeChowder,” she says, like that’s the damning evidence. “She would never leave him.”
I don’t have a response to that.
I don’t have a response for much right now.
Although… she adores that ornery animal. Treats him like her damn child.
Why would she abandon him?
Piper presses a hand to her chest, anxiety crawling across her face. “She wouldn’t go back to him, Griffin.”
