Page 43 of Great Pretender
16
Piper
“You’re in the papers,” Dad says with a little smile.
“Let me see.” I bite the inside of my lip.
Seeing myself inThe Gossiplast week was weird.A little exciting but weird.
Back when Chad used to play for the Gladiators, the press would go crazy for a story when they got any images of us together.However, because I wasn’t part of the airheaded, hair-twirling groupie types of women who followed him around, but more the nerdy girl next door, they mostly left me alone.
Dad sits up in his bed, showing strength he didn’t have two weeks ago, and hands me the newspaper he was reading when I came in.
It’sThe Chronicle, and sure enough,in the celeb news section, there’s a picture of me and Chad sitting on the terrace of Ristorante Belami eating and smiling.
It worked. The plan worked.
I was rushing around so much this morning that I didn’t stop to get the papers.I’m sure Chad will be happy about this.It feels like another touchdown.
Chad and his best friend dine out?
Not sure they look as friendly as they want people to believe…
That’s the headline.
I raise my brows and read on, intrigued to hear what the tabloids think.
We’ve been seeing them pop up a lot more recently following Chad Holdsworth’s rendezvous with Tiffany Carmichael.Here they are again. And guess what, folks?If there’s something brewing between these two, we’re gonna say we like it.They definitely get our seal of approval.
Piper St. Claire is an angel of a woman who is classy, beautiful, and sophisticated.Let’s hope that angelic flame of hers tames this bad boy.
I find myself smiling. Classy and beautiful are definite compliments—an angelic flame. No one has ever said that about me before.
“At least they said good stuff about me,” I chirp.
“Yeah, sure. He really does take care of you, doesn’t he?” Dad states with a pensive nod.
“Chad? Oh, Dad, you know he does.”
“That kid keeps proving me wrong.If not for him, I wouldn’t be here.I want to find a way to pay him back.I feel terrible about everything.”
“Don’t, please. Neither of us wants you to feel bad.We just want you better.”
“I know. That doesn’t mean I won’t feel bad.I also know that Heath wouldn’t have helped us.”
“No, he wouldn’t.”
I never expected Heath to help me last year with anything, but I don’t think the usual guy would have stood by and watched me suffer the way I did, knowing they could help.Heath earns a high six-figure salary with no responsibilities to anyone besides himself.He was aware that I had to take out loans to pay Dad’s debt and that I had to pay for the expenses incurred by Dad’s stay in rehab.Not once did he offer to help.
“Chad came by to visit on Friday,” Dad smirks.
“He did?” Chad never said. “I didn’t know.”
“I was asleep. The nurses told me he dropped off a pack.It was a copy of this month’sNew Scientistand a pack of beef jerky.I couldn’t believe he remembered I like those.I haven’t read theNew Scientistin years.Not since your mother died. It was refreshing to read it again.I felt like my old self.”
“That’s nice.”
It was nice, and what’s even better was that Chad did it naturally.At this point, I don’t think gestures like that are anything but genuine.We’re already at the height of our plans, and the press is right alongside us.From the look of Dad, too, I doubt he’ll be surprised when I announce my engagement in a few months.
