Page 18 of Finding Romance (Romances in the Building #2)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kasen

I knock on Cornelia and Margie’s door the next afternoon. I’d texted Piper in the morning and she claimed she was fine, but I need to see it for myself. Margie opens the door.

“Well, hello there. Kasen’s here!” she calls out as she ushers me inside. I walk into the living room, where I find Cornelia sitting up with one boot-clad foot and leg propped on an ottoman.

I frown. “Is the chair not working?” I walk over to examine the footrest of the chair.

She waves me away. “It’s fine. I just wanted my good leg to feel normal for a few minutes. Next week, I’m allowed to start putting a little weight on it,” she says with a big grin.

“That’s good news,” I reply as I look around for Piper but don’t see her.

She had quite a few hives after the hot tub last night and insisted she just needed some allergy meds and a good night’s sleep.

I had given her some allergy medicine but then she had said she didn’t want to bother me if she needed more, and before I could protest, she left.

“She’s resting in my room,” Cornelia says. “Quite the allergic reaction she had. Good thing you gave her that allergy medicine right away. I fortunately still had some cream for her to put on it.”

I don’t move, unsure of what to do. If I run down the hall, will I look desperate? This is all supposed to be for practice, not for real.

“Why don’t you go check on her?” Margie suggests. “I’m filling in with our patient out here.”

She motions to Cornelia, who rolls her eyes. “I’m fine. This ankle has so much metal in it, it might as well be made of titanium.”

I give them a nod and head down the hall, stopping at Cornelia’s door.

I knock, but there’s no answer. I crack open the door and find a very passed-out Piper.

I walk into the room and sit on the edge of the bed.

Her hair is fanned out over the pillow. Her skin looks better but she still has a few hives on her chest and arms. I feel awful.

It’s my fault she’s hurting. I start to stand but her hand flies out and grabs my arm.

“Kasen, don’t go,” she whispers as she opens her eyes.

I kick off my shoes and crawl onto the bed, pulling her against me gently. I kiss the top of her head as she snuggles into my chest. “You OK, little escape artist?” I ask.

“I’m better now,” she sighs as her body relaxes. I stroke her hair.

“When did you last take medicine?” I ask.

“An hour ago,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible.

“Go to sleep,” I urge because she clearly needs a nap.

I sit there in silence as I watch her fall back asleep, wondering what I should do next.

I haven’t wanted more with a woman in a long time.

But right now, holding her, I feel free from all my nightmares.

Every past trauma has melted away. I’m calm and I’m never calm.

It’s only been a few weeks since I met her, and I can already feel the ways she’s changing me.

I hold her tighter, afraid if I don’t, she’ll disappear. Eventually, her soft breaths lull me to sleep too.

* * *

“Wake up, sleeping beauties. It’s happy hour time,” Margie’s voice calls out from the door.

I open my eyes and realize I fell asleep. Piper stirs in my arms. I look down and see her welts are lessening. I only see one or two left. Her face is completely back to normal.

“How do you feel?” I ask.

She’s quiet for a beat as she assesses herself. “Better,” she finally says as she sits up and looks around.

“I…I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“For what?”

“I fell asleep on you,” she says quietly.

I chuckle. “I fell asleep too.”

She smiles. “Shall we go up for drinks?”

I brush some hair away from her eye and tuck it behind her ear.

Fuck. The way she looks at me makes me feel things I shouldn’t.

An entire life that I know I can’t have flashes before my eyes.

Waking up with Piper every morning. A house full of kids.

Christmas at my grandmother’s house. I wipe away my thoughts as I rub my eyes.

That’s a future that won’t exist. Not now, not ever.

“What?” Piper asks, cocking her head a little to one side. Her lips are puffy from sleep and her cheeks rosy. The urge to kiss her overwhelms me.

I lean in and place a soft kiss on those lips. Her eyes fall closed.

“Is this what it should be like with a real boyfriend?” she asks against my lips. “Am I…doing this right?”

“You’re a natural, little escape artist. Now, come on, let’s go,” I say as I place another light peck on her lips and then crawl out of bed.

“You two were out like babies. I didn’t have the heart to wake you,” Margie says as we emerge from the bedroom.

“Guess I was more tired than I thought,” I say as I rub the back of my head.

“You look better, dear,” Cornelia says to Piper. I look over and notice her last two hives are nearly gone.

“Yeah, I feel better. We’re going up to happy hour. You want us to bring you anything?” Piper asks her aunt.

“Nah. I could use a nap myself,” she says with a yawn.

Margie collects bowls of soup the two of them clearly have been eating and takes them to the kitchen.

“You hungry?” I ask Piper. She shakes her head. I pull out my phone and text Cam.

Me: Can you bring over some pastries for happy hour?

Cam: Yep. Can do. I’ll send them over with Drew. I’m working late tonight.

Me: Thanks.

“Come on,” I say to Piper. I look back in the kitchen. “Margie, you coming?”

“I’ll be up in a few,” she calls out.

We walk upstairs and find Hutch and Bray at their usual seats at the bar. Al’s serving them. Carly is talking to Bray and Ava is coloring at the table near the bar.

She pops her head up and smiles at me. “I’m drawing you,” she says with a smile.

“Oh?” I mutter, half paying attention as I motion to Al for a drink.

“Let’s see,” Piper says cheerfully as she walks over to her. Ava holds up her drawing.

It’s a pool or a tub or something and two people.

Oh, God. Is that…did she draw Piper and me in the hot tub?

Piper looks back at me, her eyes wide.

“That’s very nice. You want me to draw you,” Piper says, seemingly pulling herself together so as not to draw attention to what Ava likely saw in the hot tub. Crap. Have I taken this pretend dating instructor thing too far? Probably. Do I want to take it further? Yes.

Fuck. I’m so screwed.

“Sure,” Ava says excitedly. She hands Piper some paper and slides her giant crayon and colored pencil set across the table.

“Piper, you want a drink?” Al asks.

“Just some club soda for me, tonight,” she says as she begins drawing.

He pours her some while Hutch tells about his latest attempt at trying to catch the Guardian of Hearts Lane Park.

“I was thinking about getting a drone,” he says.

“It’s heavily wooded back there. You won’t see anything,” I point out as Al hands me Piper’s drink. I turn to give it to her and stop as I set it down. Her drawing of Ava is…amazing.

“Wow,” I manage.

She holds up the drawing next to Ava. “Not bad,” she says with a smile.

“Let me see,” Ava says as she grabs the paper. “It looks just like me!” she squeals and shows Carly.

“You’re really good,” Carly agrees.

“Thanks,” Piper responds.

“I think you should draw all of us,” Hutch says as he looks at the sketch and then looks down at Ava’s drawing. “What did you draw, Ava?”

Oh fuck.

“Mr. Kasen and Miss Piper,” she says without looking up from her next drawing.

“Oh? Here?” Hutch asks.

“Yeah, over there,” Ava says, keeping her head down as she draws, but raising a single finger to point to the hot tub.

“Huh, interesting,” Hutch states as he looks from me to Piper. I give him a pointed look and he smirks.

I flip him off and go back to watching Piper.

“You should do that professionally,” Carly interjects as she leans over the table.

“I’d love to, someday,” Piper says as she finishes a sketch of Al serving Hutch and Bray. “I’ve always wanted to illustrate kids’ books.”

“I can see that. You have an eye for detail,” Carly says.

“I guess so. My mom always says that I was an observant child, that I saw things most adults overlook,” Piper says as she continues to draw without looking up at anyone.

I glance down and see she’s drawing me. But unlike the other drawings where she kept looking up at the people, she doesn’t look at me. She’s drawing me completely from memory as if she’s memorized every line of my body. Has she been watching me as much as I’ve been watching her?

“There,” she says as she finishes, pushing the paper toward me. I look…good. Even the scar above my eye looks…well, like a distinguished mark of a gentleman. Is this how she sees me? My gaze finds hers. “It’s how I see you,” she confirms quietly for my ears only.

And for the first time in a long time…I feel seen.