Blue Lines(47)

Sometimes he wanted to ask her questions. He wanted to know if she wanted a boy or a girl. He wanted to know about her job. It blew his mind, and he didn’t understand his feelings, because even with the fact that he wanted to strip that dress off her and have his way with her, he also wanted to know if she had been dating anyone before him, and if she had ever loved them.

Why?

She would be gone sooner than later, and wasn’t he, not even an hour ago, wishing he was in bed with another woman? He wanted anything, anything that would get his mind off Piper. She was driving him insane and he didn’t know how to handle it. He didn’t know what that meant, and he didn’t know where that would lead. To top things off, he couldn’t go to his brother, or Cooper, the two people he confided in for help. He had to keep this to himself, deal with his fucked-up feelings all on his own.

He also wanted to know if what Audrey had said earlier was true.

I know you’ve loved him for, like, ever but I thought he didn’t feel the same.

What the hell was that about? Love him? Piper didn’t love him, she hated him. He was a dick. He had left her. Why would anyone love someone after that? Erik was the last person that Piper would ever love. Yes, he knew she cared about him. If she didn’t she wouldn’t be helping him like she was. But there was no way she loved him. People don’t love people for the hell of it; there has to be a reason, and there was no reason for her to love him. Not even a baby could make one of them love the other. That was insane, crazy talk.

“I hate cupcakes,” Phillip stated as he walked up to where Erik was standing.

Erik laughed. “They’re okay.”

Really, Erik didn’t care for the mini cakes but everyone in the store seemed to.

Glancing over at Piper from where he stood he saw she was looking over at him. Without really thinking about it he chucked his chin at her. She smiled and he saw the little gap between her teeth and for some fucking reason his heart kicked into high speed.

What the hell was wrong with him?

“Things are going well, I see,” Phillip said.

Erik rolled his eyes at Phillip.

“She got mad at me because I didn’t help her out of the car. I mean if I didn’t call her after we have sex all night, then what made her think I’m gonna help her out of the car?” Phillip laughed.

“This is true, but you did ask her to marry you, and also, she is carrying your kid. You might need to help her out a little.”

“Yeah, I guess. I told her I would.”

“That’s good,” Phillip said with a slap on Erik’s shoulder. “Moving in the right direction. Soon you’ll be wrapping your arms around her, telling her you love her.”

Erik grunted. “Cold day in hell.”

Phillip laughed as he said, “You never know.”

“No, I do know, and I have three months tops before I am out that door and I’ll have to see her every other weekend when I get my kid.”

“Actually four, but ah, who’s counting right?” A small voice said from beside them.

Phillip’s eyes went wide as Erik looked over to confirm who had spoken: Piper. Erik wanted to be anywhere but right there at the moment. He never meant for her to hear that, and with one look, he knew that his stupid statement had hurt her feelings.

Fuck.

“How are you, Phillip?” Piper asked, ignoring him.

Phillip glanced up at Erik, giving him a sympathetic look, before looking back down to Piper and saying, “Great, Piper. How are you?”

“Ah, pregnant, and tired. I was actually coming over to steal your best friend away and ask him to take me home.”

Phillip smiled.

“He’s all yours.”

“This is true, but only for three more months, and then you can have him back,” she said with a little sass in her voice.

She turned to look up at Erik with cold eyes and said, “I’ll be outside.”

Both men watched as she made her way to Audrey, probably to say goodbye. Phillip was shaking his head with a stupid grin on his face.

“You’re stupid, dude.”

“Why is that?” Erik asked, taking a swig of his beer.

“Because that girl is not only smoking hot, but also real. You aren’t going to meet another girl like her. She doesn’t deal with your shit, she is a nice person, and even though you are a complete dick, she still has those girly feelings for you.”

Erik shook his head, wishing he could put his fingers in his ears and sing out, lalalalalala.

Knowing he couldn’t, he said, “She doesn’t have any feelings for me.”

“She has more feelings than you could ever fathom. Like right now, even though you just cut her down to size, she is still looking over at you, longingly.”