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I took my place back at the wall. "All the more reason. Go. It’s okay."
I could see her getting ready to argue with me in real-time, that same kitten anger that I knew all too well from my girlfriend—ex-girlfriend—ready to prove she was right. But I wouldn’t let her miss the chance.
"I’m going to be at Gianna’s," I said before I even realized I said it. "We can…talk there."
It was a good choice, neutral ground between us, in a public place. Nothing was going to cloud my judgment. We would have our conversation, I’d tell her what I needed to tell her, and that’s it. Done.
Finished.
"Okay," she whispered.
I nodded and watched her leave.
112
Piper
They Know About You
Agreeing to meet up with Adam was probably the dumbest thing that I could’ve agreed to do.
Dumber than jumping into a pit of rattlesnakes or getting into an argument with my parents about the last twenty years of sedimentology research. It just wasn’t smart. But after the presentation—the amazing presentation that I floated through in an out-of-body experience—and after witnessing that man single-handedly put together the audience needed for it, I was feeling sentimental and stupid and I missed him so much.
I forgot just how much I missed him until he was three feet away from me with bloodshot eyes and a rumpled shirt, telling me his dad called. I had to be there for him. There was no other choice.
I didn’t see him at one of the tables at Gianna’s. I craned my neck, which was weird. Six-foot-four football players didn’t blend into a crowd.
Where is he?
"Piper!" Sloane waved me over from the hostess’s stand. "Adam’s upstairs. Waiting."
"Upstairs?" I blinked.
The rooftop of Gianna’s was always packed full of people like they had a fire safety hazard to achieve. Getting a table upstairs was impossible. The best Kassie, June, Zariah, and I had done was just hang out by the railing. And even that was touch and go.
But Sloane didn’t offer an explanation, she hurried to seat a family, and I was left to my own devices.
"Okay…" I whispered under my breath.
I had two options. Go upstairs and fight back the rooftop crowd to talk to Adam—preferably at a table—or go home and crack open the cookie dough that I returned from Oklahoma with.
I shook my head and headed towards the back of the restaurant, carefully walking around the busy tables.
Usually, the stairs were packed but not one person walked up or down there. I faltered for a moment at the door. Taped with neon duct tape was a sign for a private party on the rooftop. I stared at it for a moment. Was everyone behind the door? All the people we usually hung out with?
Gently, I pushed it open, and for a moment I didn’t understand exactly what I was seeing. There were no drunk college students and no half-empty beer bottles. Sitting at the only table set out on the entire rooftop, Adam stood up from his seat with the bouquet in hand.
"Hey," he called out to me.
I blinked. "Hi."
With every bit of hesitation I had, I took a step forward but even that felt like too much. It felt like I was walking out into an alien planet.
"Um…" I cleared my throat. "Who—who else is here?"
"It’s just us."
A blush blossomed across my skin. Of course it was just us, Adam had wanted to talk, I just didn’t think he’d rent out the entire rooftop of Gianna’s to do it.
