Page 31 of Beyond the Blue Horizon

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You don’t know me, and I’m not your responsibility. Let’s leave it at that.

The deflection fired between us like darts.

Me

Maybe I want to know you.

Fuck. What was I doing? Pushing in a direction that I couldn’t go?

The promise I’d made screamed from the deepest recesses of my spirit. In the darkest place where my greatest regret would forever remain.

Where my duty laid.

I fucking knew better.

And there I was, tapping out words that I couldn’t afford to say.

Me

There’s something about you.

Piper

No, there’s not. There’s nothing about me that you need to know.

I hadn’t been so certain than right then that she was in something.

Up against something.

In danger or maybe just running from her past. From something she didn’t want to be or maybe she was just running toward what she wanted to become.

Me

Think I could imagine a few things I might like to discover.

Crossing lines seemed to be my forte tonight.

Piper

Like I said, it’s not going to happen.

Me

Now that’s a shame.

Piper

Is it really? One-Star, remember?

A grin quirked my mouth. Sweet little liar.

Me

I’m just messing with you, Pipes.

Clearly, I was the liar.

When she didn’t respond for a few minutes, I tapped out another text, figuring it was time to cut off whatever insanity she stirred in me.

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