The Lies Between Us (The Devil's Dust #4)(76)

Lip nods, he doesn’t disagree, and doesn’t try to stop me.

“Yeah, I think we just need a moment to decide where the f*ck we’re going in all this.” Lip looks down at his hands, and my eyes threaten to spill hot tears. “Tom’s death, you getting your kid back, and I killed my brother. Everything is just happening so fast,” he mutters.

I nearly sob in reaction. I have to get out of here or I’ll lose it.

Lip’s bloodshot eyes glance up at me. “I care about you, Cherry. I do. I just need some time to process shit. I don’t want to hurt you again, and I don’t want you to come back to me because you’re familiar with me. You know?”

I bite my lips together to keep from sobbing and nod. I get what he’s saying, but it doesn’t make it any easier. “I know what you mean,” I mutter, my head lowered to keep from looking at him. I lean down and kiss his cheek, and he grabs at my hand as I walk away.

***

Tyler shows Piper how to pluck the strings of his guitar, and I can’t help but take picture after picture. To see them together, in one room, it’s something I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to. Piper’s hair is braided over one shoulder, and the torn blue jeans and pink top she’s wearing looks adorable on her. She didn’t know what to think when I bought her clothes that actually had pink on them and fit. I wanted to cry and curse Eric at the same time at her reaction.

“There ya go, you got it.” Tyler laughs, placing the guitar fully on Piper’s lap. Looking the guitar over, it’s close to the one that was in Lip’s spare bedroom. I frown; I miss him so much. Everything reminds me of him. I heard a motorcycle yesterday, and I ran out the front door in nothing but a tank top and panties, thinking Lip was there to take Piper and me home. But it was just some old guy, although he seemed more thankful for the peepshow. I’m starting to question my sanity.

Grabbing my phone, I check my messages for the fifth time in the last hour, but there’s nothing. He hasn’t texted, hasn’t called, and it’s been days. Maybe he’s decided he can’t love me and Piper, that he just doesn’t have enough love in him for that. Glancing from the phone to Tyler and Piper, I notice Tyler smile as wide as I’ve ever seen it, but it fades quickly as he looks me over.

“You okay, Cherry?”

I sigh loudly and toss the phone on the couch cushion.

“Still hasn’t called?” Tyler purses his lips, and I shake my head.

“Screw him. If he can’t accept you and,” he looks at Piper, who is still playing the guitar, “then he doesn’t deserve you or her.” I bite at my bottom lip, because the thought of Lip not wanting to be in our lives after bringing us together is almost too much.

“He’s just going through a lot with Tom’s death and all,” I defend, and Tyler huffs in irritation. I roll my eyes. Tyler wouldn’t understand; he’s never been with a chick after a week let alone falling in love with another person.

“I mean, at what point do you say, ‘hey, enough is enough’, Lindsay? A couple can only handle so much bullshit.” Tyler shrugs, and I wince at my civilian name. I’ve grown to hate it compared to Cherry.

Cocking my head to the side, I narrow my eyes at Tyler’s flippant tone. I don’t agree with him, because I don’t think a couple that cares about one another should ever just walk away when things get tough.

“Never,” I respond. Tyler narrows his eyes in confusion.

“I think when two people love each other, you never get to that point. You never give up, and you never reach the point of enough,” I clarify. Tyler’s face looks like he was just slapped with reality, and it makes me smirk. One day, a girl is going to turn his world upside-down, and I hope to God I’m there for it.

“Hey, kiddo, let’s go raid the cookie jar,” Tyler suggests. Piper’s eyes go wide, and she hands Tyler the guitar. Watching them enter the kitchen, I pick my phone back up, my fingers aching to type his number into a message. My phone dings and my heart jumps with it. Opening my messages, I find a text from Dani.

DANI: Family get-together next week at the beach. You better be there with Piper.



I’m not sure if I should go; it feels weird not knowing where Lip and I are. My phone dings again.

DANI: You’re family. Be there or I’ll just come and get you.



I laugh. I love that woman. Piper told me how nice Dani was to her when they met, that doesn’t surprise me though. Dani is an amazing person, and family means everything to her. To know that I am her family no matter what, it’s refreshing. I sigh and tell her we’ll be there.





CHAPTER TWELVE


LIP


One Week Later

“Lip, you coming to the get-together?” Dani asks, stacking trays of food. The club decided to have a big BBQ, trying to lift everyone’s spirits after Tom’s death, but I just can’t wrap my head around it. Growing up, my mother was Catholic, and my father wasn’t so much. When someone passed who was close to us, my mother made us mourn religiously, while my father went to the club and got his dick sucked to grieve.

“You need to go, been moping around here for a f*cking week,” Bull scorns. “I get it, brother. We all loved Tom Cat, but he gave his life so you f*cking had one. Now get out there and f*cking live it,” Bull demands, his tone angry.