When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(16)

“You make it sound so forbidden. It wasn’t like that. I’d had a disagreement with Mother, and you weren’t home—you were with Seth—so Jase offered to get my mind off of things.”

“Piper, I swear to God if you’ve been lying to me about being a virgin all these years, I will kill you,” she says fiercely. “And if my brother was the one to sweet-talk you out of your v-card, I will kill him dead.”

“No, no!” I can’t get the words out fast enough. “It wasn’t like that at all. He was genuinely nice to me and only took me for a ride on his bike around the block a couple of times. Strictly platonic. I swear, if I’d given him or any other guy my virginity, you’d be the first to know.”

Slightly mollified, Rowan settles back down against the cushions. “Good.”

“Kinda hoped he’d be the one, though,” I whisper miserably as tears well up again. “Everyone else sees him as this villain, but I don’t, Rowan—at least not until tonight.”

“Men are stupid,” she says as I put my head on her shoulder and wipe away the useless tears I keep shedding over Jase. She begins to run a hand through my hair to comfort me. “Maybe you need to do that matchup thing your mom set up for you.”

I frown, but deep inside I know Rowan’s right. There’s no escaping what’s meant to be, and the only thing I’m meant to be in life is a trophy wife.

“And I completely lost my mind for suggesting that.” Rowan shudders. “Listen, I don’t think you’re down for the count when it comes to Jase. I think you threw him for a loop. Next time, if you want to take the chance on him again, back up your words with some action.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Rowan laces her free hand with mine. “We’ll talk more about strategy later.”

I let out a breath. “Why is this so important to you?”

“Because you’re my best friend and I love you. I want you to be happy and I think with a little push, you and Jase would be good together. You’d be better than any other girl.”

Since I know the reputation of the other girls he’s dated, I’m not sure her bar is set very high. “I don’t think—”

“Trust me, okay? Besides, do you really want your mother and her matchmaker to set you up with Mark Williams or someone like him?” she asks.

No, but I’m more than a little afraid that when I meet with Mother and Father that they will insist I use the service, and I won’t be able to say no because I won’t have a reason to say no—at least beyond my own wants and needs.

“Fine,” I huff.

“Good girl,” Rowan coos, and I roll my eyes, but I know she’s only teasing me.

“Thanks for being home,” I say.

“You’re welcome.”





Jase


“Shouldn’t you be out with Piper?” Emmett asks when I walk into the shop.

“Shouldn’t you be out f*cking whatever happens to land on your dick?”

Taking my bad mood in stride, Emmett flips me off and goes back to working on a design for one of his late-night clients. “I take it dinner didn’t go well.”

“Not exactly.”

“So did you break her heart before or after dessert?”

“Before,” I mumble.

He drops the pencil he’s holding and pins me with a steely gaze. “Damn it, Jase. If she quits before she gets started on our books, I’m holding you personally responsible.”

“Would you rather we get involved and then I break her heart? A lawsuit is more to your liking?” I’m grasping at straws trying to defend myself.

“What makes you so sure you’ll f*ck things up?”

“My life is one big f*ckup. I spent the past seven years in prison, Emmett. What do I have to offer someone like Piper?”

He scratches his jaw, his gaze knowing now. “Seems to me that if she wanted more than what you have to offer, then she wouldn’t have asked you to dinner in the first place. She’s hot as f*ck and comes from money—dudes are probably sniffing around her twenty-four/seven.”

Yeah, guys like Mark Williams. “Her dad’s a cop, and not just any cop, but the head guy.”

Emmett puckers his mouth and makes kissing noises. “Come to daddy, and give me some of that forbidden *.”

Irritated as shit at him, at me, and at the world in general, my hands ball into fists and I have to force myself not to lay his ass out on the floor. “Watch your mouth.”

“She’s not your concern, but now that I know how you feel, I can ask her out.” He moves to me, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Bet she tastes real sweet. And those tits—f*cking a, bro—I could motorboat them for days—”

Instead of hitting Emmett, I shove him hard. If he falls over something, I can claim he wasn’t watching where he was going and not get my ass carted off to jail for assault. “I said to watch your f*cking mouth.”

Emmett shakes his head. “You have it bad. Man up and apologize. Tell her how you really feel and let her make the decision. It’s not right you’re doing it for her—her entire life has been managed by her family.”

How he manages to go from sounding like a fifteen-year-old punk to Yoda is beyond me. “You best buds with some punk ass in The Oaks or something?”