When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(7)

“Piper, it’s me. Don’t hang up,” Rowan orders.

“Why would I hang up on you?” I ask, bewildered at her sharp tone. Normally, my best friend is the easiest-going person in the world.

“Because you haven’t answered your phone all day.”

“I’ve been busy moving.”

“Are you sure that’s all you’ve been doing?” she asks, her voice laced with accusation.

I purse my lips for a minute. “No, I’ve been doing your brother and he finally let me out of bed so he could go to work.”

Silence greets me.

“Holy shit, Piper. You had me going for a minute,” she says with a laugh.

“I’m so glad.”

“Don’t be that way. I was concerned for you.”

“Despite what you think, I’m not your brother’s type. He’s not interested in me,” I say.

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

Only with Rowan could I ever be so bold to say, “He had the perfect opportunity to kiss me and didn’t take it.”

Rowan makes a strangled sound. “Girl, you could do so much better than Jase. Yeah, he’s my brother and you know I love him, but the company he keeps—you can’t want that for yourself.”

“Are you trying to say that I’m not good enough for your brother?” I ask lightly, knowing full well she means the opposite.

“I’m saying you’re not bad enough for him. Baby girl, while I fully support this newfound independence and badassery you’ve displayed for the past seven months, this will not end well. You’re too soft and sweet for Jase.”

“Maybe he needs soft and sweet,” I counter.

“I actually agree with you, but I’m not the one you’d have to convince.”

“Are you saying that I need to convince your brother of that?”

“Yes. No.” She sighs. “I don’t want you to get hurt and then never speak to me again. I don’t want our friendship ruined over some stupid boy, even if he’s my brother.”

My heart flips a little at her admission. “I won’t let that happen.”

“Promise?”

“I promise…as long as you agree to help me convince Jase to take a chance on me.”

“Sweetie, when it comes to you, Jase is halfway there. I don’t think it would take much for him to fall the rest of the way. But that’s easy…when we fall…we don’t know how hard until we hit the ground.”

Hope blooms in my chest even as I choose to ignore the bit about hitting the ground. “Then help me give him a little push. That’s all I’m asking. If he doesn’t go for me, I’ll back off. Move out. Find another job. No big deal,” I say. I’m lying. It’s a very big deal. Maybe the biggest deal of my life at this point.

“Fine,” she says. “Seth said Jase likes how girly you dress, but you cannot tell him I told you.”

“He does?” My mind whirls even as I brake for a red light. “I thought he liked how Gis—”

“Fantasy. You’re the fantasy, Piper, not his reality.” She mutters something under her breath about not believing what she’s getting ready to say. “Give him the fantasy. Give him what he’s never had from a woman—kindness, sweetness, and love.”

I wrinkle my nose. “You make me sound like a greeting card.”

“Everyone loves greeting cards.”

I wrinkle my nose. “And everyone throws them away after reading them, too.”

“Piper Whitley Ross,” she says in a low tone.

“Fine. Anything else?” Like should I flash him when he comes home tonight? Wait, will he come home tonight? Or worse, will he come home with a female friend?

I almost give voice to my silent questions, then think the better of it and keep my mouth shut. The light changes to green and I’m off again, merging onto the outer loop that will take me to the exit for the main campus.

“Nope, that’s my advice—take it or leave it,” she chirps. “Anyway, I have to go. Overhaul in thirty.”

Rowan is part owner of a mechanic shop and can fix cars like nobody’s business. I’m in awe of her, and not just because of her skills. She’s so capable. So independent. I don’t think she knows how much I admire her.

“Don’t forget to moisturize after you get all that grease off,” I remind her.

“I will, Mother.”

“Ugh,” I say with a grimace. “Don’t call me that.”

“Sorry. I was teasing.”

“I know,” I say softly.

With a quick glance into my rearview and side mirrors, I change lanes and exit off the loop, making sure to use my turn signal.

Once the daughter of a cop, always the daughter of a cop.

I make a right onto the main road of the campus. Taking a left, I enter the small parking lot by the financial services building.

“Talk to you later?” she asks.

“Yes, I’ll text you later.”

Ending our call, I concentrate on finding a place to park. Since school hasn’t started and it’s early afternoon, the place isn’t too crowded. Once the semester begins, however, you can forget about finding a parking spot within a mile of here.