Page 86 of Missing Pieces
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The party wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The food was delicious, and the old, rich people weren’t nearly as intolerable as I thought they would be. There are a couple of girls here in their early twenties, so I was able to mingle with them. If only I could have a glass of champagne at midnight, I think I would call this evening a success. A huge improvement over the last few weeks of my life.
Getting out of the house felt good. It even got me thinking that I could start over tomorrow, let the new year bring in change and allow me to put this awful year behind me. I start to think about Easton. I know I need to talk to him, but I’m so scared he will be mad about the baby the way Drew was. Which is stupid. He wanted kids. Hell, he still wants kids. It was Ashton who kept that from him. Fuck, why did I have to think of her? Ivy did say there was nothing going on between them, but I would rather hear it from Easton. Maybe they did rekindle their love. Hell, they could be celebrating right now, ready to ring in the new year and start their lives over on a new foot. Maybe she is ready to start a family now. Why am I even thinking about this? God, I need a drink. Maybe one wouldn’t hurt. I look over at my parents. My dad’s arm is wrapped around my mom’s waist as her head is thrown back in a laugh. Her head snaps back up and she kisses him. How can my parents have so much love for each other after all these years? They look so happy. I know they are happy. Okay, I think I do need that one drink.
“Who the hell is that?” I hear one of the girls whisper to her friend. They have been waiting all night for young single guys to walk in.
“He is way too underdressed for this. How did he even get in?”
“I don’t care what he has on, I just want to take it off!”
I roll my eyes at that comment.
“Oh my god, he’s walking this way!”
I finally look up to see what the commotion is all about. “Fuck,” I mutter. What the hell is he doing here? And seriously how did he get in here? At least he threw on a sports jacket, but he has on those tight as sin jeans with his cowboy boots and I almost start crying because I missed those jeans so much. His signature cowboy hat is off, and his hair is slicked back. His eyes meet mine and a whimper escapes my lips.
“Girl do you know him?” I turn to look at the girl and shrug.
“I gotta go.”
I attempt to book it across the room, not that it would do any good, Easton’s already seen me, but my coordination is off, unsurprisingly, as I trip over my dress. Big warm hands wrap around my waist and arm as goosebumps overtake the skin he touches. “Careful Edy,” he says, his breath wrapping around all my senses. A sensual touch that almost makes a moan escape from my lips, but I manage to hold in. I tear away from his grip and see a server with a tray of champagne glasses near the doors to the outdoor terrace. My savior. I rush to the server, grab a glass, and hustle out the door as I hear my mother’s stern voice saying my name.
I take a deep breath as I run through the doors, breathing in the cool, salty air of the gulf. The terrace is lined with small trees covered in twinkling lights reminding me of Ivy’s rental and the work I did to the outdoor patio. It’s beautiful and romantic and everything I don’t need right now. Tears start to well up in my eyes as I hear that voice again that will bring me to my knees. “Harper, please.”
I keep walking to the farthest end of the rooftop and lean against the railing. The one person I wanted to see more than anything and somehow all I want to be is as far away from him as possible. I chug the glass of champagne I forgot I was holding and slam the glass on the railing, shattering it. I wince in pain as a few shards of glass cut my hand.
“Harper, stop running.” I clench my fist hard. How can he accuse me of running when he went running to her the first chance he got?
“I am a hundred percent sure I am standing still right now,” I mumble into the air.
I feel the heat of his body within inches of my back. “That’s not the kind of running I meant.”
I don’t know what comes over me but all the anger I felt when I found out he left for Ashton comes welling up inside of me. I push him and bang my bloody hand against his chest. “Running?” I yell. “You think I’ve been running? You went running to her and left me in the dust.”
“You never gave me a chance to explain—”
“What is there to explain? You should have told me before you even left. What was I supposed to think? You left me a note. A note, Easton!” My voice wavers as I try to hold back tears. “You could have woken me up and told me you were leaving. Told me what you were doing. Can you even imagine how I felt when Raelynn shows up at your door three days later and I thought you went to see her? You lied to me, Easton. You lied.”
I break down and start crying. I tried to be strong, but the damn hormones have taken over.
“Baby, I am sorry. Unbelievably sorry. It’s been hell the last month without you.”
“Oh really? It’s been hell? I am so sorry your life was so hard for you.” I push him again and wince as more blood starts flowing from my hand all over his white t-shirt.
“Shit Edy, your hand.” He tries to grab my wrist, but I pull back.
“You have no right to call me Edy.”
“You’re right. I don’t. But let me see your hand.” I try to pull back again, but he catches my wrist this time. “This looks bad. I think you might need stitches.”
“I’m fine,” I say, trying to pull back again.
He grunts as he pulls me closer to him, our faces within inches of each other’s. “No, you’re not.” He looks into my eyes, searching for something that’s missing. “God, I messed up so much.”
I don’t know if he’s talking about my hand or our lives as he stares into my eyes. My heart skips a beat as he looks at me the way he did when he told me he loved me for the first time. He pushes me back a bit as he removes his suit jacket and then his shirt.
“What are you doing?!” I screech. I cannot handle seeing his perfect body right now.