Page 156 of Perfectly Accidental

There was no way in an icy hell that Mason was going to let me and Piper be friends.

I scoffed. “Piper, he knows.”

She had no idea what I was talking about. “What?”

“You cannot be stupid enough to think Carter doesn’t see the way I look at you.”

“How do you look at me?” she whispered.

I’d bared my soul and got us into this mess, what was a little more honesty? I looked at her and, for once, let myself just feel it. Feel everything. Every longing. Everything I shouldn’t feel.

“I look at you like a lifer looks past the prison walls. I look at you like… Like you look at mud cake. Okay? You’re that something I need, but I can never have–”

“Roman, I’m standing right here! And I’m not asking for anything more than you.”

“Fuck.” I turned away from her, then right back to face her again “Piper, I care too much about you to let you hold onto me. I’m not the guy you think I am.”

I rearranged my bag strap on my shoulder and started walking away from her. Fuck school.

“Fuck that, Lombardi!” she yelled, making me pause. “You are exactly the guy I think you are! And I couldn’t care less! I’m just sorry I’m not the girl you wanted me to be!”

Oh, she better fucking take that back.

I was standing in front of her in seconds and ready to go to fucking war for her. “Don’t do that,” I snarled.

“Do what?” she sassed the ever-loving fuck out of me.

“Short-change yourself. You are exactly the girl I wanted. The girl I needed. The girl I knew you were. You’re perfect, no matter how much you wear that stupid mask for everyone else because you think you’re not enough. You don’t apologise for being who you are. Not to me. We don’t apologise, Piper.”

“Apologies might not be necessary, Lombardi, but they are polite.”

Oh, I was about to lose a very different control around her now.

My jaw clenched. “Fine. In the spirit of politeness, I’m sorry you can’t have what you want, Piper.”

I turned and walked away from her.

“You can be in a shit all you want, Lombardi! But I know you. I know you miss me as much as I miss you,” she called after me. “We’re friends, remember? That doesn’t just go away because Carter found his sack!”

I got into my car and sped off way too fast, but I had to outrun the knowledge she was right. I couldn’t know it. I couldn’t feel it. Letting myself feel for her had opened the floodgates and I couldn’t force them closed again.

My fingers itched to even just be near her.

I wanted nothing else.

I didn’t want a drink.

I didn’t want a fuck.

I didn’t want a smoke, although I had a lot because it was the only source of stress-relief currently available to me.

She was right.

We were friends first. We needed each other. We could put aside this fucking puppy love bullshit and move on with our lives. Not that I made a start until Friday, but no one had ever said my timing was great.

I waited for her, trying to look like I wasn’t waiting for her.

Matt came out and paused before continuing to his car.

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