Page 84 of Broken on the Mountain
But her mother's voice still echoes in my skull."Saturday plans." "Her gala gown." "You're a phase."
I shove the dark thoughts away, grabbing what we might need for a comfortable night exposed to the wild and unpredictable elements.
Two thick wool blankets, a bundle of seasoned firewood already split, matches wrapped in waterproof plastic. My hands move on autopilot, gathering supplies while my brain spins in circles.
Maybe Piper's mother is wrong. Maybe Piper really will choose this—choose me—over whatever Chicago expects from her.
Maybe she's not lying when she says she wants to be here.
My hands still on the blanket, because that's what I told myself about Mom, too. Right up until she packed Lily's suitcase and left me standing in an empty house.
I reach for the small storage compartment built into the wall, nearly satisfied with all the supplies that should keep my girl safe.
My girl. She's my girl.
My fingers brush glass as that thought strikes a beat in my chest. I pull out a bottle of whiskey, expensive-looking, with a handwritten label stuck to it:Emergency Use Only.
I smile. Jamie knows the people of this mountain too well.
When in doubt, drink whiskey.
I tuck the bottle under my arm with the blankets and firewood, taking one last look around the hut. Everything's in order. Everything's ready.
Just like I'm trying to be.
The walk back to the lookout takes maybe ten minutes, but each step feels weighted. The sun's dropping fast now, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose that make the whole world look like it's on fire.
Piper's exactly where I left her, sitting on the picnic blanket with her knees drawn up, staring out at the valley below. The dying light catches her blonde hair, turning it gold.
She's so beautiful it physically hurts.
"Hey, baby." I drop the supplies beside the blanket. "Got everything we need."
She turns, and her smile does that thing to my chest. The squeeze that makes breathing difficult.
"Including…" She nods at the bottle. "…contraband whiskey?"
"Jamie's emergency stash. He won't mind." I start arranging the firewood in the stone ring that's been here for decades. "Figure watching the sunset with you qualifies as an emergency."
I get the fire going, coaxing the kindling to catch while the sky bleeds from amber to deep purple. The temperature drops fast up here once the sun disappears, and I watch Piper shiver despite her hoodie.
"Come here." I settle onto the blanket and open my arms.
She doesn't hesitate. Just crawls into my lap, tucking herself against my chest while I wrap us both in the wool blanket.
"Better?"
"Mmm." She nuzzles into my neck. "Much."
The fire crackles as stars slowly start to appear, one by one, like someone's turning on lights across the sky.
I hold Piper close and try to memorize everything just in case this is our last night together. I let myself feel the weight of her against me, the scent of her shampoo, the way her breath warms my throat.
Then, as darkness falls over the mountain and the flames of the fire dance before our eyes, a striking thought hits me. A thought I haven't had about another human being in years.
I'm in love with her.
I love her.
