Always and Forever (8 page)

“Now?” she asks, a shocked look on her face.

I nod.

“Damn. At least let the drinks take effect because I wanna be able to blame the alcohol
if I say or do something bad.”

I roll my eyes and spin to walk to their table and hear Ryan holler, “Hold up!” and
turn to see her guzzling what’s left in her glass, set it down, smooth her sweater
out then head my direction.

“I’m just gonna ask if I can talk to her some time. I’m not doing it here,” I explain
as we walk.

“Well, just make sure it’s in a big enough place for me to use my Taekwondo skills
to their utmost.”

I roll my eyes again then we’re at Peyton’s table. She turns and gives me a snotty
look as do the other two women but Sarah smiles sweetly at me.

“What do
you
want?” Peyton asks, flipping her blond hair over her shoulder. She’s wearing a cute
glittery silver strapless dress and silver stilettos and has on evening makeup that’s
very dramatic and if she wasn’t such a witch, she’d be pretty.

“I wanted to ask if we could talk sometime,” I answer.

Her eyebrows go up and she looks condescendingly at me then at Ryan as if she’s a
queen and we’re lowly peasants who have dared enter into her presence. Gag.

“About?” She now looks around the table at her posse as if to say, “Look at these
idiots who have the nerve to approach me.”

“Well, I thought we’d discuss that when you’re not busy.”

“Piper.” She says my name as if it’s the most distasteful thing she’s ever had in
her mouth but I’ve seen some of the men she’s gone home with and know that’s not true.
“You can just tell me now or forget it.”

I turn to Ryan who shrugs and gives me a “go ahead” look then I face Peyton again.
“I wanted to ask what you know about Brody breaking up with me.”

I see the surprise on her face for a moment before she starts laughing then looks
around the table at her friends who laugh with her. Well, except for Sarah who has
the decency to look embarrassed for the way her tablemates are behaving. I feel Ryan
go stiff at my side but put my hand on her forearm as we stand there waiting for Peyton
to finish. And, boy, does she put on a production, milking it for all she’s worth,
especially when several men pass and smile at her and her giggles just keep coming.
I’m just about to tell her to forget it when she finally stops.

“Oh, that is rich,” she says, looking me up and down as if to say the reason Brody
broke up with me is clear if I’d just look in the mirror.

And Ryan’s had enough, stepping forward and getting in Peyton’s face. “Listen, you
stupid slunt, keep this shit up and I’ll break your fucking vagina to where you won’t
be able to go home and screw these assholes you pick up every night. Piper asked you
a question. The least you can do is answer her.”

Peyton sits back indignantly as if Ryan’s invading her space is against the law. “Slunt?”
she asks, looking down her nose at Ryan.

When Ryan starts to tell her it’s a cross between
slut
and
cunt
, I slap a hand over her mouth and tell Peyton, “It’s nothing. Just tell me if you
know anything about why he did it?”

She shakes her head to get her bangs out of her eyes which is amusing because it’s
all so hairsprayed her whole head of hair moves like a big helmet sitting on her head
when she does. Then she looks straight at me with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “He
broke up with you because he told you he wanted more kids than you do, right? I’ll
just say he’s well
on his way to making that happen.” She now throws her
head back and cackles then gives high fives to the two women at the table but Sarah’s
turned around on her barstool acting as if she’s looking for someone.

My hand involuntarily goes up to smack the shit out of her but Ryan grabs me by the
arm and tugs me away hauling my ass back to our table. When we’re seated she snaps,
“That pageant-haired bitch! Where’s fucking Karma when you need her to step in and
take a skank out? God!” She waves Martina down and orders two shots of tequila STAT.

Martina nods then asks me, “You okay?” I look at her and shake my head slowly. “Be
right back,” she answers and takes off.

I think I’m in shock because I can’t move. I can’t talk. All I can do is sit and stare
at Ryan.

“Hang on, honey,” she says. “Help is on its way.”

Martina rushes up and sets a tray of six shots, a shaker of salt and lemon wedges
on the table. She then places a shot glass in front of Ryan and me but I’m still not
moving. So grabbing my hand, she sticks a finger in my tequila, rubs it on the space
between my thumb and finger, shakes some salt onto it then moves my hand to my mouth.
“Lick,” she instructs and like a robot, I do. She picks up my drink and hands it to
me. “Drink.” I do what she says, sucking it down quickly but not tasting it or even
scrunching up my face like I usually do when it comes to tequila. She next puts a
lemon slice in my hand. “Suck.”

I watch as she and Ryan do the same. “Again,” she says and we go through the same
motions. After the second shot, I see Martina look at Ryan and shake her head. “I’ve
heard Peyton and her friends talking before. Didn’t want to say anything because who
knows if the shit she spews is true. I just wish you’d asked me first. I could’ve
saved Piper the trouble.” She looks at me with a frown. “Sorry, honey.” She puts her
hand against my cheek but I can’t feel it because my whole face is numb from the shots.
She gives me a small smile before collecting everything off the table then leaves
to take it to the bar.

“You know Peyton’s a liar, Pipe,” Ryan offers moving her head around to get my eyes.
“She’s a spiteful cunt who’ll say anything to hurt people. Don’t believe her.”

“I’ve got to know,” I mumble.

“What?”

“I have to know!” I hiss and jump down from the barstool and make my way through the
crowd and out the front door.

“Piper!” Ryan hollers from behind me. I hear her call my name again and then she’s
walking beside me up the middle of the street. “What’re you doing?”

“I have to know.” I’m a woman on a mission and this shit needs to be settled now.

Ryan walks with me for another block then she grabs me by the arm stopping me. “No,
Pipe. Nuh uh. No way.” She starts tugging me back and I jerk my arm from her grip.

I spin to face her, my hands balled into fists as I lean toward her throwing my entire
body into what I’m saying and screech, “I have to know!”

I turn and stomp toward my destination and throw open the door walking inside and
am met immediately by Jeremy Pitkin who’s sitting on a couch watching TV in the lounge
area of the fire station.

“Hey, Piper, what’s up?” he asks as he stands then I’m pretty sure he sees the crazed
look on my face because he frowns as he walks toward me. “Is everything okay?”

“Brody,” I answer.

“What?”

“Tell Brody to come here,” I state evenly trying to control my breathing.

I see him look at Ryan who shrugs. “Be right back,” he says glancing warily at me.

“Piper, you can leave now bef—” Ryan starts but I cut her off.

“I need to know.”

I hear her sigh but she stays with me, crossing her arms over her chest. A few minutes
later, we hear footsteps and Brody comes in, narrowing his eyes at me as he approaches,
Jeremy at his back.

I keep my eyes on his and when he gets within six feet of me, I ask, “Is it true?”

He comes up short then frowns. “Is what true?”

And that sets me off. “Is it true?” I snap and hear Ryan mumble, “Shit,” from beside
me.

Brody’s eyes go from me to Ryan and back as he tries to figure out what I’m talking
about.

“
Is it fucking true?”
I scream, all my patience gone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Piper. And keep it the fuck down,” he chastises,
the anger apparent on his face.

Oh, no. He does not get to be angry in this scenario. No way in fucking hell. I suck
in a breath and blow it out feeling my heart pounding like mad in my chest. “Gonna
ask you one more goddamned time, Brody,” I grind out.

“What the fuck’s she talking about?” Brody asks Ryan, his face screwed up in confusion
then he looks back at me as if I’m some fucking lunatic who’s just wandered in off
the street.

And that’s the last straw.

“Did you sleep with someone else when we were together?” I spit.

His head jolts back like I’ve slapped him and when I see guilt flash across his face
for just a second, I know. Shit.

Shit!

“Did you?” I scream again since I guess he’s gone deaf and can’t hear to answer me.

His eyes stay on mine as he shakes his head. “No.” But I see his jaw muscles jumping
and catch a flash of worry in his eyes and I know he’s lying.

Unbelievable.

“You did. And you got her pregnant, didn’t you? You have a baby, don’t you?” I feel
the bile rise in my throat and swallow it down bitterly. Then I feel like I’m going
to collapse until I sense Ryan’s hand on my lower back which stables me.

A few other guys have wandered in to see the show and I hear a couple of them mutter,
“Fuck,” but my eyes stay on Brody and by his reaction, or lack thereof, I know I’m
right.

I can’t help but snort. “That’s it, isn’t it? You broke up with me because you slept
with another woman and got her pregnant. I’m right, aren’t I?”

He steps toward me and I take a step back. “Piper,” he says quietly reaching a hand
out to me, an anguished look on his face.

My eyes move from his outstretched hand, up his arm to his shoulder then to his jaw
before landing on his. And now mine fill with tears. “Why?”

“Piper,” he repeats.

“Why would you do that, Brody?” I plead, my voice trembling as tears fall down my
cheeks. I look down at my boots, my kickass red stiletto boots, wondering when the
world’s going to stop so I can get off this crazy ride.

“Baby,” I hear him implore and he’s close to me now which makes my head jerk up and
I step back. “Hannah—”

“Hannah?” I swipe at the tears that are still falling and glance over at Ryan. “Hannah,”
I say, nodding as if confirming something then look back at Brody. “I hope you and
Hannah
have a wonderful life together. I hope you have your
five
children and you’re very happy.” Then my voice hitches before I say, “Goodbye, Brody.”

I turn, and latching onto Ryan’s arm to keep me from crashing to the floor, walk out
of the station as dignified as I can, or as much as someone whose whole world utterly
and completely crashes and burns right before her very eyes can.

~~~

Today I did something I’ve never done before—I called in sick.

After Ryan and I left the fire station, I’d walked straight home. She’d come along,
the whole time trying to talk about things, but I told her I’d had enough talk and
just needed to be alone for a while, hopefully without any thinking thrown in. She’d
left telling me to call if I needed anything.

I took a shower where I’d ultimately ended up crawling into the corner, knees pulled
to my chest, arms around them, and crying as the water sprayed down on me. I stayed
that way for so long I didn’t even notice the hot water had run out until I was shivering
so badly my teeth were clacking in my head. I’d gotten out, put on pjs, moisturized
my face and body then gone straight to bed.

The bad thing was sleep didn’t find me. Instead, I lay there curled into a tight
ball as bouts of sobbing wracked my body and I found myself wishing my heart would
just stop beating so the pain would go away.

But the honest-to-God worst part of it all were the moments when I’d finally become
calm, my body eventually quieting itself out of pure exhaustion and I’d think maybe
I’d sleep, and that’s when the images of Brody and another woman having sex would
flash into my mind threatening to make me insane. Him with his mouth on her using
his tongue in the way I liked it, the way that was only meant for me. Him executing
the double thrust thing he unknowingly did where he drove in deep then pulled out
quickly and surged back in again going even deeper which, swear to all that’s freakin’
holy, made me come every time because it felt like he was touching my very soul. His
body covering hers from behind as he slowly and methodically pumped his hips into
hers, plunging in as far as he could go whispering in her ear how good she felt.

The sobs that are torn from my throat at these visions serve to make my voice raw
and it’s also these thoughts that push me to the very edge making me want to seek
out a hypnotist who can erase every memory of Brody I’ve ever had. God!

So after getting zero sleep and being traumatized by the apparitions of all things
horrid going on inside my head, I get up and go to my store. At five-thirty I call
Darby Epperson, a woman who usually only works for me over Christmas, and she agrees
to come in and cover today. When I explain that I might need more time, she tells
me she can work tomorrow too and then goes on to say she’s actually available full-time
now since her youngest is in high school and driving. I tell her that’s awesome and
that we’ll talk soon about it.

When we hang up, I realize I’m sinking fast and need my family, so I head to Mom and
Dad’s letting myself in to see Dad sitting at the dining table drinking coffee and
reading the newspaper, Mom in the kitchen making breakfast. When Dad stands to get
more coffee he sees me.

“Hey, honey. You’re up awfully early,” he’s saying when I fling myself into his arms
and start, you guessed it, crying again. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong, sweetheart?” he
asks wrapping his arms around me tightly.

“Piper?” Mom’s come over now. “What’s going on, dear?”

I pull back from Dad and sob out, “Brody has a baby!”

The shock is apparent on both their faces and they simultaneously call out, “What?”

I nod. “It’s true. Peyton told me last night. So I confronted him. I asked if he had
an affair and he just looked at me. Then he said the woman’s name is Hannah.” I’m
still crying so
Hannah
comes out as
Ha-ha-nah-ah-ah-ah
.