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“Ashton,” I squealed. “Put me down.”
He laughed, placing me back on my feet.
I smacked his hands away. The hairs on the back of my neck tingled and I knew before looking that Jaron was watching the whole exchange.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.
“Just having a bit of fun.” Ashton winked. “You look good though, Piper. It’s nice to see you.” All amusement left his face as he stared down at me.
I sighed, that familiar flutter I had felt years ago whenever he looked at me, no longer there. I was glad for that because Ashton wasn’t the type to settle down. I wasn’t even sure he ever would be.
“Is she here? Is she here?”
I smiled, turning to find Luna Stone running toward me. I laughed, rushing toward her. We hugged and laughed some more and hugged again. “It’s been so long.”
“I know. God, I could cry,” she said into my hair.
“Please don’t.” I had done enough crying for the both of us put together.
“Is Jaron here too?” She looked around the yard.
Jaron was leaning against the far fence, talking to his cousin, Zach Porter, who was also Luna’s fiancé.
“He looks good,” Luna said softly.
“He does.” And he felt good too. Really damn good.
Jaron caught my gaze. He lifted his chin, giving me a wink.
My stomach tumbled, the desire I felt for him unfurling deep in my belly.
Luna giggled. “I know that look.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, looking away from Jaron’s gaze before our friends caught us eye fucking each other from across the yard.
“You good?” Gigi asked, coming up to us, followed by her sister, Meadow.
“Yeah.” I wished everyone would stop asking me that.
“How’s he doing?” Meadow asked, nodding toward Jaron.
“We have our moments.” I followed her gaze, my heart jumping when I saw that he was coming toward us.
Jaron glanced at the girls. “Ladies.”
Luna gave him a hug. “It’s good to see you, Jaron.”
“You too, Luna.” He returned the embrace. “You treating my cousin well?”
She laughed. “Always.”
“How’s your son?” Jaron stepped up beside me, slipping his fingers between mine.
My stomach somersaulted. Leaning the side of my head against his shoulder, I wrapped my other hand around his bicep.
“You good, babe?” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.
“He’s growing so fast but he’s good,” Luna said before I could answer Jaron’s question. “I don’t know if anyone told you, but we named him Benjamin after your uncle who passed away.”
“Piper told me. Uncle Benny would have been proud,” Jaron said. “I only wish I could have met him too.”
“I know.” Luna sighed.
While he continued talking to Luna about her son, I glanced around the yard. Ashton was standing on the other side of the bonfire with Zach. I wondered where Aiden was.
Zach gave me a small wave.
I waved back.
Ashton’s head snapped up. He scowled.
I frowned. Asshole.
I quietly excused myself from the group and made my way inside the house. I had only been in it a couple of times. I was thankful that the old house no longer existed. As much as I was sorry that it happened at the expense of almost losing Gigi and Vince, it was as if the house had been cursed.
Even though their home, looked nothing like the one I had shared with the girls, memories of that night came rushing back. It had been the last time I hung out with my friends. The last time I had seen Jaron before he was taken from me.
My feet carried me down a hall that led to the bathroom but before I reached it, I stopped in front of a closed door. Placing my hand on the doorknob, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Glancing into the room, I saw that it was Hannah’s bedroom.
My thoughts took a dark turn. It didn’t make sense as there was nothing there to trigger me. Memories shouldn’t have hit me like they did, but I had learned from the little research I had done, that anything could be a trigger. From a touch, to a scent, to something that happened so damn quickly, you couldn’t control it, it could all bring you back to that certain trauma.
When I closed the door, I was brought back to that night.
“I like you, Piper.”
I ran around him and jumped onto my bed when my feet were pulled out from beneath me. I cried out, struggling against him. I kicked and fought with all of the strength I could muster. My foot landed against Brody’s crotch, making him grunt, but it didn’t stop him from ripping at my clothes. His fingers dug into my sides, his knee pushing into the small of my back.
No matter how much I fought him, I couldn’t get him off me. It took Jaron breaking into my room for that to happen and even then, it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
Brody still touched me. He still put his hands on me when I never wanted him to.
“Brody, please stop this.”
But he never listened to me.
“I will make it so you never forget me.”
He was right. He was right this whole time. I never forgot him. I tried to. Lord knew I tried. But it never worked.
Even though the house no longer existed, I was still brought back to that night. Leaning against the wall for support, I tried to forget. A night that had changed everything. I had been pregnant with Brynlee at the time. Brody’s punches could have killed her, but they didn’t. She was strong and I knew once it was confirmed that I was in fact pregnant, that she was a fighter and would do amazing things for this world.
My mind was playing tricks on me as I continued making my way to the bathroom. Even though I knew this wasn’t the house I used to live in with Gigi and the other girls, that sense of fear still slithered over my skin like I was back there. Back in my old room. Back in my old bed with Brody on top of me.
The room that had held so many happy memories was tainted by one fucked up night. And then Jaron was taken from me and that night became even worse.
A sound at the end of the hallway made me spin around. Jaron stood there with his arms crossed under his chest and a deep scowl on his face. He was pissed. Not at me. I knew it wasn’t at me. But he was mad at the situation. He was mad that I went into the house without him. He was mad that I was losing myself and he couldn’t do anything about it. He was mad that the simplest things triggered a memory of that horrible night. He was mad. Period.
My heart raced, my blood pounding in my ears. “I just...I had to...I...”
I shook my head, Brody’s words from that awful night still ringing in my ears. My head suddenly started pounding, remembering the many times he had punched me in the face.
“Piper.” Jaron closed that final distance between us, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
“I had to pee,” I told him, a sob wracking through my body.
“Shhh...” With his arm around my shoulders, he guided me down the hall to the bathroom. We walked into the small room and instead of leaving like I thought he would, he shut the door and leaned against it. “Take all the time you need, Piper.”
I looked at the toilet, my bladder screaming for release.
“I’m not leaving,” Jaron said, tugging the thought right out of my head. “Tell me what happened.”
“I had to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think I would get a trigger, but something made me think of that night. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe it’s because I’m here. Maybe it’s because I’m with the same people as that night.” A sigh shuddered through me. “I thought maybe I was over it,” I told him, deciding to get used to the fact that he was there and went about my business. When I finished, I was washing my hands when his next words made me pause.
“How the hell do you expect to get over something like that, Piper? It could take years. And even then, you might not ever get over it.” Jaron came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
I shook my head, pulling away from him so I could dry my hands. When I was done, I turned toward him. “Do you get triggers? Anything that reminds you of whatever happened while you were in jail?”
His jaw clenched, a sharp exhale leaving him. “Yeah. I do.”
“How do you deal with them?” I asked, leaning against the wall opposite him.
“I have you, Piper.” He took a step toward me. “You help me deal. I know I haven’t told you every nitty gritty detail of what I did but...” He closed the final distance between us, reaching out and locking my chin in his grip. “I love you and without you, I would have done far worse shit than I did.”
I swallowed hard. “Really?”
His gray eyes darkened, something flashing in his intense stare. A stare that I could get lost in if I ever let myself.
“Really,” he murmured, placing a soft peck on my forehead.
My eyes fluttered closed at the gentleness coming from him. “I’m here for whenever you want to talk about what happened.”
“I know.” He pulled away, putting some space between us, but it wasn’t space that I needed. No. I needed him. Every inch. Every dark stormy stare. Every smirk. Every word. I needed him to tell me that this was going to be okay. That we were going to be okay.
When I went to walk past him, he grabbed my upper arm. I looked up at him.
“Did someone tell you that you should be over it by now?”
“What?” I pulled from his rough grip. “No. God no. I was thinking it myself. But no, everyone has been wonderful and supportive. Even though I haven’t seen people as often as I’m sure I should have...it’s my own fault that I haven’t been around. And I don’t know what Ashton’s problem is. He was a dick before. He caused problems for your cousin and Luna but he’s dealing with Aiden.” My stomach clenched. “Not that it matters anyway. It’s no excuse.”
“Piper, listen to me.” Jaron cupped my face, forcing me to look up at him. “What you went through was traumatic. And you haven’t been able to hang out with your friends since. Luckily, as sad as it is, you never have to go back to your old place. A trigger can be caused from anything. You don’t have to be in the location of where the trauma actually happened for you to get one. But I wish you would have come got me.”
“You followed me,” I reminded him. “And I only had to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think something would happen.”
“Of course I would follow you. I followed you to Paris remember.” He kissed my forehead.
A shaky laugh left me. “I still can’t believe you did that, creeper.”
Jaron chuckled. “I followed you to the bathroom to make sure that you were okay. Seeing as saving your life means shit to some.”
“What?” I leaned back. “What does that mean? You did more than just save my life, Jaron. I don’t know who you were talking... you were talking to Ashton. Did he say that?”
Jaron’s jaw ticked. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters.” I pulled away from him. “God, he’s such an asshole. I just want...”
“What do you want, Piper?”
“I want you. I want to move on with you. I want to spend my life with you. But I also want this shit to end and I’m going to kick Ashton’s ass.” I huffed. “I really am.”
Jaron smirked. “There she is. The little firecracker I fell in love with.”
I stared at him. Really looked at him. His beard had grown in some more. His light brown hair was longer on top, giving it a shaggy look. He was ruggedly handsome in a way I had never been attracted to before.
My core clenched, aching to be filled by him. Even though we weren’t at home, it was like my body didn’t care. I wanted him to fuck me. Didn’t matter where we were.
He tilted his head, probably wondering why the hell I was staring at him for so long.
When I took a step toward him, a knock sounded on the door. I jumped, our little moment ruined.
Jaron came up to me and leaned down to my ear. “Until later, Piper. I want to know where your thoughts went just now.”
“You, Jaron,” I whispered. “My thoughts were about you.”
He kissed the side of my head before heading to the door.
“Some of us have to take a piss,” Ashton grumbled from the other side of the door, banging it again.
“You say the word and I can make him disappear.” Jaron opened the door, pushing Ashton back. “Problem?”
Ashton shoved Jaron into me.
“Hey.” I stumbled back a step.
Jaron caught my hand, steadying me. “You can hit me, fight me, whatever the hell you want, but you sure as fuck better be careful when it comes to my girl.”
Ashton shoved past us. “Sorry, Piper,” he mumbled.
“It’s fine.” I closed the door, giving him some privacy. “Maybe we should go,” I told Jaron.
“You go outside.” Jaron smacked a hard peck on my lips. “I’m ending this.”
“But...” I looked between the door and him. “Now? Really?”
“I didn’t end this last time.” Jaron pinched my chin. “I’m ending this now. You and I have enough shit to deal with on our own. We don’t need Ashton’s jealousy or whatever it is that he’s dealing with, added to it.” He released me and leaned against the wall, waiting for Ashton to come out of the bathroom.
“Fine...just...”
Jaron’s hard gaze met mine. “What?”
I waited for Ashton to come back out into the hall, standing my ground. This shit needed to end.
“Piper.”
“I got this,” I told Jaron.
The door opened, revealing Ashton. “Problem?”
“I never came to see you all because I was upset. I missed Jaron and had to raise his baby on my own. Not that I need to explain anything to you. But you could have called, Ashton. You could have even shown up and checked up on me. But you never did. So this isn’t just my fault.” I stabbed a finger into his chest. “So stop being a dick.” Not waiting for him to respond, I spun on my heel and headed down the hall. “Don’t kill him. Whatever you do,” I called out and left Jaron to deal with the guy I had once considered a friend, but now, I wasn’t so sure.
***
