SWNOVELS Hale: Chapter 35
“Mrs. Kennedy?” I press my phone to my ear as I stop at a traffic light.
“Piper, hey,” Story’s teacher greets me in a hushed voice. “I’m incredibly sorry for calling you, but I couldn’t get ahold of Mr. Hale, so I thought I’d try you.”
“That’s totally fine. Is everything okay?”
“Story isn’t feeling well, and I thought—”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t worry.” I end the call and toss my phone on the passenger seat.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m carrying Story to my car. She smiled when she saw me, but it was short-lived. She has a fever, and Mrs. Kennedy said she was throwing up. I put her in my car and quickly slide inside too.
“I missed you, Piper,” Story mutters. I look at her in the rearview mirror.
“I missed you too, honey. How have you been? Having fun with your parents?”
“It’s been good. Mom and Dad are getting along, and we spend a lot of time together. We were going to get a kitten for me tomorrow.” She smiles weakly.
“I’m sure they’ll take you once you’re well,” I reassure her, driving away from the school. “I’m glad your dad gave in and agreed to buy you a cat.”
Story giggles quietly, shaking her head. “He didn’t have a choice. Mom can be very persuasive.”
I smile at her, but my chest is heavy. I’m not happy Hunter is spending time with his ex-wife. I hate that she’s staying in his house…even if I understand why he’s allowing it. The man will do anything for his daughter, and having her mom around is exactly what Story needs. She loves Amelia, and they have a very strong bond, even if they live so far apart.
Shooing away all my worries, I clear my throat. “Have you decided what you want to name your cat?”
“No, I was hoping you’d help me…will you be at my birthday party?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” I notice the tiniest smile light up her face. “Your uncle is planning something huge for you.”
“I love Uncle Hayden. He’s the best,” Story murmurs, cocking an eyebrow at me. “Have you been spending time with him?”
“Well, he still has classes, so mostly I’ve been home with Riley. But he wants to hang out tomorrow.”
“I hope you have tons of fun. You deserve it, Piper,” she says. Then she presses her palm to her mouth. “I might throw up.”
“That’s okay. Use the plastic bag I gave you, and don’t worry about anything.” She nods, grips the bag, and just sits there with her mouth shut.
My poor little girl. I truly wish I could help her.
She spends the rest of our ride with her eyes closed, clutching the plastic bag to her chest.
I park in Hunter’s driveway and take Story into my arms. She lowers her head onto my shoulder as I make her lock her legs behind my back. Her scorching forehead is pressed to my neck, and worry washes over me. She needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. I just hope her father is home. He’ll know what to do.
Taking the keys from my pocket, I quickly open the door and walk inside. When I look up, my eyes land on Hunter and Amelia on the stairs. My cheeks heat up as soon as my mind registers what I’m seeing. The only clothes Story’s mom has on are her swimsuit bottoms. Her hands are covering her full breasts.
“Sorry for barging in,” I mutter as Amelia scurries up the stairs. “Story’s teacher called me. She didn’t feel well. And I was near the school, so…”
“What happened?” Hunter storms over to me. Deep wrinkles appear on his forehead.
“She has a fever.” I let him take Story. “She’s been throwing up. Looks like some sort of virus. It might be good to call her doctor.”
“Of course. Thank you so much, Piper.”
I nod, glancing at the stairs again. “I better go.”
“Piper, it’s not—”
“Your daughter needs you, Hunter,” I say through gritted teeth. Once I’ve closed the door in his face, I stomp away from the house.
I can’t believe I let myself be so stupid.
In my car, the sounds of “Die For Me” fill the whole space. I turn up the volume. It’s fitting, even if I’m being overly dramatic. Hunter doesn’t owe me anything. We aren’t together. We just fuck…and now he and his ex-wife fucked my mood up. I take a deep breath, let my shoulders relax, and drive away from his house. I’ll text him later to ask about Story. The rest? I’m not interested.
“Why are we here?” I ask Hayden as we stroll into the nightclub hand in hand.
He glances at me. “Did you forget why people go to clubs?”
Laughing, I smack his shoulder. “I remember just fine. I’m surprised we’re here alone. Where are the guys?”
“Well, Bo is with Jennie. Thanks to you, I barely see my drummer.” I beam at him. The music becomes louder as we move further and further onto the dance floor. “All the other guys are here, waiting for us. They miss you, just like I do.”
“Aw, who knew you were all such softies?”
“Pip, call my bandmates that again, and I’ll make you pay for it. I mean it.”
“Sounds promising,” I tease him, wiggling my eyebrows. I wouldn’t mind getting punished. A good spanking might help me get rid of that one image in my head. It’s been haunting me since yesterday, and so far, nothing has helped me forget about it.
Hayden looks me up and down; a smile plays on his lips. “I love this side of you. When you’re uninhibited and ready to have fun. I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I confess, putting my head on his shoulder. “And I’m ready to let loose a little. I’ve been a good girl for far too long.”
“I like the sound of that.” Hade kisses my forehead, and I lean away, finally noticing the guys from his band. There are several girls at their table already. Some I’ve met before, some I haven’t, but I don’t let it bother me. I’m here to dance, drink, and have some fun. The rest doesn’t matter.
Three hours later, I’m ready to scratch my eyes out. Hade’s been making out with a girl for the last twenty minutes, and I want to gag. He’s totally into her, and I’m having a hard time deciding what to do. I want to stay, but at the same time, I want to leave and go home. When her blond hair brushes my face again, I stand up.
“Pip?” Hayden finally breaks their kiss and stares at me wide-eyed.
“I’m going home. Have fun.”
“Wait.” He untangles himself from the girl and jumps to his feet, invading my personal space. “Why don’t you stay?”
“Why should I? You’ve been busy—”
“I’m not busy.”
“I think…” I sneak a glance in the girl’s direction. “I don’t think…um, Sabrina would agree with you.”
“That’s Stella.” He laughs, instantly pissing me off.
“Bye.” I twirl around, but he grabs my elbow and pulls me into his chest. “Let me go.”
“Why?” he whispers in my ear, and my body goes rigid. I’ve never noticed it before, but his voice and his brother’s are extremely similar. “You can stay and have fun instead of sulking.”
“I’m not sulking, Hade.” I slowly turn around. “I don’t like being the third wheel.”
He sighs, tugging on my elbow again. “I’m sorry, Pip. I should’ve realized. Do you want me to—”
“No. You look really into Stella. I don’t want to ruin it for you.” I take a step back, and he lets go of my arm. “I’m going home. It’s for the best.”
“I hate this. It’s the first time in months when you’re not busy, when my brother isn’t around, and I’m failing you.”
“You’re not failing me.” I shake my head. My chest is heavy. He shouldn’t have mentioned his brother. “We’ll see each other soon. I’ll be spending less time at Hunter’s house since he has his break.”
“Promise?” Hayden extends his pinkie to me.
I curl my own pinkie around his. “I promise.”
He pulls me to him for a bear hug and then steps back. “You better be ready for Story’s birthday. I plan to be super clingy and not let you out of my sight.”
“Sounds scary.” I giggle, waving to everyone at the table. “Bye, guys.”
“Bye, Piper.” The choir of voices makes me laugh as I make my way through the crowd.
Under other circumstances, I would’ve stayed. I would’ve found myself a guy and stayed. But tonight that’s not possible, because I’m way too deep in my feelings for Hunter. Even if I hate his guts right now.
Outside the club, I take out my phone to call an Uber. I’ve just launched the app when a car stops in front of me. I look up, and my jaw drops.
The window rolls down, and my eyes meet Hunter’s. “Need a ride?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Waiting to give you a ride home.” He shrugs. “Get in.”
I take a step back, narrowing my eyes. “No. I’ll call an Uber.”
“Get in the car, Piper.”
I shake my head, focusing on my phone again. If he thinks I’m going to do—
“Get in the car, Piper, or I will drag you inside myself.”
I glare at him, chewing on my bottom lip. I could make a scene. There would be a commotion, and Hayden would hear about it. He’d have questions. A lot of questions…and I’m not ready for that talk.
I scoff and get in the car. Fastening the seat belt, I look directly in front of me, not even glancing at my boss.
“Whatever you want to say to me, I’m not interested.”
He chuckles. “Good. I’ve got nothing to say to you anyway.”
I scowl, balling my fists. Hunter drives away from the club as I slowly stew in my seat. What does he mean he has nothing to say to me? I need something to calm me down, because I’m risking making a scene for real.
“How is Story?” I ask, settling on the safest option.
“She’s a little bit better. You were right; the doctor ran some tests and confirmed she has a virus,” he says slowly. “She fell asleep, and I left. Amelia is looking after her.”
Amelia…dammit, I hate that I care. “What did you tell your wife? Does she know where you were going?”
“My ex-wife,” he corrects me. “I don’t need to explain myself to her. I said I was going to meet a friend, and she didn’t ask questions.”
“A friend?”
“A friend,” he repeats, and I turn my head to look at him. “Amelia and I are divorced, Piper. We don’t tell each other what to do.”
“You just sleep together.”
Hunter gawks at me, and then bursts out laughing. “You’re hilarious.”
I set my jaw hard, my eyes narrowed to slits. “I saw you two on your way upstairs. She was wearing nothing but bikini bottoms. Do you think—”
“Do you think I want her, or anyone, after I’ve been with you?” he asks. “Amelia tried to seduce me. She was flirting with me—that’s correct. But I couldn’t care less about her. You’re the only girl I want. The only girl who gets my dick so hard it hurts. If you think I could be with anyone else after I’ve been with you, then I need to remind you who your pussy belongs to.”
No sound leaves my parted lips as I gape at Hunter. My heartbeat is so loud in my ears, I don’t hear anything else.
“How long were you waiting at the club?”
“Two hours,” he says nonchalantly. “Hayden called me earlier to check on Story, and I asked about his plans. I knew where he was taking you.”
“So you told your ex-wife you were going to meet a friend…at midnight?”
“Amelia never questions me, and the reasons she was flirting with me were superficial. She loves a good fuck, and she was hoping she’d get one with me. Nothing more.”
He’s so calm about it, while a green-eyed monster purrs in my chest. “How would you have felt if you’d seen me walking out of the club with someone?”
A smirk curves his lips as he pulls into my mom’s neighborhood. He parks, unbuckles his seatbelt and mine, and then pulls me onto his lap. His hands immediately grab my ass in a firm grip.
“I would’ve seen red. I would’ve dragged you inside my car…and fucked you in the nearest parking lot.”
“And how is that any different from what you’re doing now?” I murmur. He lifts his hips, making me feel his hard dick.
“Now you’re going to enjoy it,” he states. His palm is on the back of my head, and he pulls my face toward him. Our eyes lock for a moment, and then I smash my lips onto his.