Page 29 of Finding Romance (Romances in the Building #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Piper

It’s Kasen’s finger running lazily up and down my back that wakes me.

For as un-practiced as I was with sex before these last five weeks, I now feel comfortable and confident about it.

Last night, we spent nearly zero time sleeping and most of the time touching, kissing, and checking everything off a list I shared with him.

While we ate at Joe’s Tavern, he asked me what else I wanted to practice.

I was embarrassed to share my list with him.

Heck, I’m sort of embarrassed I have a list. But ever since I discovered romance books as a teenager, I’ve sort of kept a list of things I wanted to try someday.

There were only a few of them left on the list, but Kasen spent all night making sure I experienced each and every one of them.

He had told me that I needed to come up with a new list after we checked off the last one.

But coming up with a new list means it won’t be with him and that made me sad.

His finger stops as I blink. The sun is up but I can tell it’s still early by the angle of the sun streaming through the blinds.

“Don’t stop,” I murmur as I snuggle against him, trying to memorize the feel of his body.

But he does. I start to look up at him, but he rolls me over, so I’m underneath him. He wedges himself between my legs and slowly sinks inside me.

I release a long breath as I spread my legs to make room for him. His gaze stays locked on mine as he begins to move at a languid pace. I wrap my legs around his waist and he leans down and kisses me.

Everything about this seems so real. This moment doesn’t seem like practice at all. It feels as if we’re really together and he’s making love to me. I try not to come because I don’t want this to end. I don’t want him to stop looking at me like I’m the sun in his world.

“Hey,” he says softly and wipes a stray tear away from the side of my face.

“I’m going to miss you,” I admit.

He closes his eyes as if in pain. “I’ll miss you too, illustrator,” he finally says as he slowly opens his eyes.

He pushes deeper inside me, and I thrust up to meet him.

He uses one hand to reach between us, gently circling my clit until I can’t hold back any longer.

My eyes squeeze shut involuntarily as my release takes over just as Kasen grunts an expletive and pushes inside me deeply one last time.

He stays there and I can feel him pulse as my muscles undulate around him.

He presses his forehead to mine and we stay like that for a while. Neither of us speaks, yet it feels like we’re saying goodbye. Is this how relationships end? Is this practice for the next time I break up with a guy or he stops calling me?

But then Kasen pulls out of me and gets out of bed. “Come on, let’s shower,” he suggests.

I follow him into the bathroom where we take our time washing and shampooing each other. He dries me off as if I’m made of glass and will break if he presses too hard.

Then I throw my clothes back on and walk to his door. Turning, I look up at him. He reaches out and caresses my cheek with the back of his hand.

“Safe travels, Piper,” he says. He leans forward and kisses my lips. But instead of deepening the kiss, we both just stand there with our lips touching, neither of us moving for long seconds.

When he pulls back, he gives me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Goodbye.”

I swallow a lump in my throat. If he’s saying goodbye, then he means it. Our practice relationship is over.

“Goodbye, Kasen,” I say in a barely audible voice as I quickly turn and leave, forcing myself not to look back as I open my aunt’s door and grab a change of clothes from my bag before locking myself in the bathroom to change and to let my tears flow freely.

“How was your night?” Aunt Cornelia says from her chair where, from the sound of her voice, she’s clearly just woken up.

“Fine, thanks. I’m just going to get ready for my flight,” I manage.

I furiously wipe at my tears, angry at myself for falling for a man who only promised to teach me to date. He never promised me his love in return.

I should be happy to have had him, to have had a friend like him. But instead, my heart is broken into a thousand little pieces. I should have just told him. I should march my ass back over there and tell him that I’ve fallen for him.

Placing my hand on the doorknob, I contemplate it. But then I chicken out. I focus on changing and brushing my hair, pulling it into a messy bun on top of my head.

I exit the bathroom after brushing my teeth and quickly pack my suitcase. Then, taking a deep breath, I walk into the living room and try to give Aunt Cornelia a big smile.

“You need anything before I leave?” I ask.

She looks at me suspiciously and then at my neck.

“Oh, oops. I almost forgot. Guess what I found last night. We got stuck in the elevator and uh…anyhow, I found your necklace,” I stammer as I take it off and hand it to her.

She doesn’t accept it. Instead, she wraps my hand around it. “You keep it, Piper. Your uncle Bob would have loved seeing you wear it.”

I frown as I open my hand and look down at it. It’s so tied to her. “I—I can’t. It’s yours,” I splutter.

“Come here,” Aunt Cornelia says in her crackly, old voice.

I take the seat next to her. “Are you sure you want to leave?”

I press my lips together because deep down, my mind is screaming “No!” but instead I just nod.

“I see. Well, if you change your mind, you’re always welcome here, Piper,” she says as she pats my hand.

“Thank you,” I reply and I secure the necklace back around my neck.

“You off to the airport?” Margie asks as she walks in from the kitchen.

“Yeah. I should probably head over there. Thanks for letting me keep my car here and tell Al thanks for letting me use the extra parking spot,” I answer. Standing, I lean down and hug my aunt.

“I’ll miss you, beautiful girl. Just remember, trust your instincts. You see more than you think,” she whispers in my ear, and I have to fight back tears.

“OK,” I reply. I walk over, hug Margie, and order a car.

Instead of taking the elevator, I start down the stairs with my suitcase. Hutch is coming up the stairs and sees me.

“Can I carry that for you?” he asks and then looks past me as if he’s expecting to see someone.

“That’d be great. Thanks,” I say as I hand him the bag. We start walking down the stairs and Hutch acts like my fifty-pound bag weighs nothing.

“So, you’re heading to Seattle?” Hutch asks as we walk outside.

“Yeah, hopefully I’ll be able to see my dad a bit,” I say but my voice makes me sound unsure of myself.

“Oh,” Hutch says with a sad smile. “I’d sort of hoped you’d stick around here.”

I return his sad smile with one of my own. “I…no, I should go. Thanks, Hutch.” I lean up and give him a big hug and he lifts me off the ground.

“Be safe, Pipes. I’ll let you know if I find the flower person,” he says as he motions toward the park with his head. He sets me down and I laugh.

“OK, you do that. I’ll see you around,” I say, not able to tell him a proper goodbye.

“Hey! Are you leaving?” Roxy’s voice calls out from her store’s door.

“Yes. My car should be here in a minute,” I say as I check my phone.

“I’ll text you later. A few more authors said they were interested in working with you,” she says with a bright smile, her ponytail swinging behind her head.

“Thanks, Roxy. That’s awesome news. I guess I’ll see you guys next time I visit,” I say because that makes this parting feel less permanent which makes me feel less sad.

“Of course,” she says as she walks over and hugs me.

“Why are you all hugging Miss Piper?” Ava’s voice calls out from a window above us.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?” Hutch yells.

“It’s a teacher something day. So no school,” she replies. I look up to see her leaning out her window alongside a stuffed donkey.

“Ava, so help me, if you fall out of that window with Mr. Pickles, I am going to beat your ass,” Hutch yells.

Ava giggles. “You said ass!”

“Ava, what in the…” We all hear Carly.

She joins her daughter in leaning out the window. “Where are you going?” Carly asks.

“To stay with my dad,” I answer just as my car pulls up. Hutch starts loading my suitcase.

“We’ll miss you,” Carly says.

“Will you come back and blow bubbles with me?” Ava asks.

Hutch starts laughing silently and Roxy and Carly fight grins.

“Of course,” I say, my cheeks turning bright pink.

I wave to all of them and get in the car.

I can’t look back as we drive away just like I couldn’t look back when I said goodbye to Kasen.

My gut tells me I’m making the biggest mistake of my life by leaving, but I also feel like a ship bobbing in the night if I stay.

I have no real direction. What would I even do?

And so, I slide my phone into my backpack and watch the city disappear as we drive out of town to the airport, memories of my last five weeks play like a film in my mind and tears slide down my cheeks.