Audrey went to the front desk and after finding out where Allison’s dance room was, she made her way over there. Along the way, Audrey took in the décor. The walls were filled with pictures of Reese, in costume, dancing various rolls she had performed. Audrey always wondered why Reese decided to open a studio instead of staying with the dance company she was in, in New York. She was obviously good; maybe something had happened to bring her home.
Spotting Piper standing in front of a large window, Audrey smiled and went over to her. When Audrey was beside her, Piper glanced over and smiled before wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly.
As they parted Audrey asked, “What’s wrong?”
Piper shrugged her shoulders, “I’m a mess.”
“Why?”
“I’ve been helping a lot with Allison, and running Time Standing Still, and I’m tired, Audrey, but I won’t say anything because Harper is having such a rough time and Jakob is always gone. Reese won’t help me because she has the studio. I haven’t been able to work on my drawings in weeks and I know I’m not hurting for money since I get paid from the studio, but I’m just worn out.”
“Okay,” Audrey said, “I’ll help with Allison if you need me; just tell me how you want me to help?”
“No, it’s not that. I love Allison and I love keeping her, it’s just…. okay… so,” Piper stuttered, and Audrey could tell she was holding something back.
“What? Tell me.”
Piper looked over at Audrey, her eyes pooling with tears before she said, “Erik said he didn’t want to be with me.”
“What?” Audrey asked surprised, “But I thought everything was okay, y’all were happy and all that jazz.”
“I thought so too, but when he was gone, he never called or texted me back, and when he came home, I went over to see him and he told me that he had made a mistake, that he should never have gone home with me, that he doesn’t like me like that. He apologized and said he didn’t mean to hurt me. But Audrey, I love him and I don’t understand what I did wrong.”
Audrey wrapped her arms around Piper when she started to cry. She had never seen Piper cry and it broke her from the inside out to hear Piper so upset. “Oh, Pipe.”
“I don’t understand, I was a giving lover, he was amazing, and so intense with me. He honestly would look me in the eyes and tell me how gorgeous I was while we were in bed. So why doesn’t he want me?”
Audrey shook her head, “I don’t know, hun. I have no clue what to say, I’m so sorry.”
“How does something that felt so right not be what he wanted?” Audrey continued to shake her head as Piper broke down beside her. “Do you think I did something wrong?” she asked.
“Never Piper, you are amazing, it has to be him. Maybe he just doesn’t want a relationship right now?”
“Then why did he lead me on? Why wasn’t I good enough?”
“Oh, Piper, don’t do that to yourself. You will find that person. Erik just wasn’t him.”
Piper nodded as she wiped her face. When Piper didn’t say anything, Audrey looked into the room where little girls wearing cute little pink tutus ran around the room. Spotting Allison Titov, Audrey smiled. The little girl was too cute for words with her thick brown hair in braided pigtails that had fuzzy hair bows at the ends. She wore the biggest and brightest pink tutu, and she was the only one paying attention.
“Ally really likes this huh?”
Piper nodded a small smile on her face, “Yeah, she wants to be just like her Reese Pieces.”
“Aw, it makes Reese seem less like a bitch seeing her in there with the kids.”
Piper giggled as she shook her head, “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” Turning to look at Audrey again, she said, “Thanks for rushing down here. I guess it was kind of pointless, huh?”
“No, I would do it again if you needed me. Just keep your chin up; everything is going to work out.”
Piper eyed her for a moment and then smiled, “You’ve been getting laid.”
Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes, “Jeez, really?!”
“Oh yes you have! You are all sunshine and roses!”
Audrey continued to laugh, “If you’d answer your phone you’d know.”
“Oh please tell me something good, at least if I know you’re happy, maybe it will cheer me up.”
Audrey smiled shyly while wanting to burst with the news. It had been so long since she had been extremely excited about a relationship. She hadn’t told anyone because she wasn’t sure if Tate wanted to tell people. If he didn’t, oh well, she needed to tell Piper. “But if it starts and ends with Levi, please walk away now,” Piper added, still eyeing Audrey.
She shook her head, smiling as she said, “Has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Tate Ooooodder.”
Piper did a little hop before bouncing up and down, “Yes! That is fantastic news, I am so happy for you.”
“Oh, Pipe, it is. He is fantastic, amazing, so freaking hot, and Lord, I’ve never been this happy. It’s only been a week I know, but it feels like months. He makes me feel so good and I just like him, a lot.”
Piper looked pained but she still smiled, and said, “Good, I’m glad he does. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, but now I feel bad because I want you to be happy too,” Audrey said sadly.
Spotting Piper standing in front of a large window, Audrey smiled and went over to her. When Audrey was beside her, Piper glanced over and smiled before wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly.
As they parted Audrey asked, “What’s wrong?”
Piper shrugged her shoulders, “I’m a mess.”
“Why?”
“I’ve been helping a lot with Allison, and running Time Standing Still, and I’m tired, Audrey, but I won’t say anything because Harper is having such a rough time and Jakob is always gone. Reese won’t help me because she has the studio. I haven’t been able to work on my drawings in weeks and I know I’m not hurting for money since I get paid from the studio, but I’m just worn out.”
“Okay,” Audrey said, “I’ll help with Allison if you need me; just tell me how you want me to help?”
“No, it’s not that. I love Allison and I love keeping her, it’s just…. okay… so,” Piper stuttered, and Audrey could tell she was holding something back.
“What? Tell me.”
Piper looked over at Audrey, her eyes pooling with tears before she said, “Erik said he didn’t want to be with me.”
“What?” Audrey asked surprised, “But I thought everything was okay, y’all were happy and all that jazz.”
“I thought so too, but when he was gone, he never called or texted me back, and when he came home, I went over to see him and he told me that he had made a mistake, that he should never have gone home with me, that he doesn’t like me like that. He apologized and said he didn’t mean to hurt me. But Audrey, I love him and I don’t understand what I did wrong.”
Audrey wrapped her arms around Piper when she started to cry. She had never seen Piper cry and it broke her from the inside out to hear Piper so upset. “Oh, Pipe.”
“I don’t understand, I was a giving lover, he was amazing, and so intense with me. He honestly would look me in the eyes and tell me how gorgeous I was while we were in bed. So why doesn’t he want me?”
Audrey shook her head, “I don’t know, hun. I have no clue what to say, I’m so sorry.”
“How does something that felt so right not be what he wanted?” Audrey continued to shake her head as Piper broke down beside her. “Do you think I did something wrong?” she asked.
“Never Piper, you are amazing, it has to be him. Maybe he just doesn’t want a relationship right now?”
“Then why did he lead me on? Why wasn’t I good enough?”
“Oh, Piper, don’t do that to yourself. You will find that person. Erik just wasn’t him.”
Piper nodded as she wiped her face. When Piper didn’t say anything, Audrey looked into the room where little girls wearing cute little pink tutus ran around the room. Spotting Allison Titov, Audrey smiled. The little girl was too cute for words with her thick brown hair in braided pigtails that had fuzzy hair bows at the ends. She wore the biggest and brightest pink tutu, and she was the only one paying attention.
“Ally really likes this huh?”
Piper nodded a small smile on her face, “Yeah, she wants to be just like her Reese Pieces.”
“Aw, it makes Reese seem less like a bitch seeing her in there with the kids.”
Piper giggled as she shook her head, “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” Turning to look at Audrey again, she said, “Thanks for rushing down here. I guess it was kind of pointless, huh?”
“No, I would do it again if you needed me. Just keep your chin up; everything is going to work out.”
Piper eyed her for a moment and then smiled, “You’ve been getting laid.”
Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes, “Jeez, really?!”
“Oh yes you have! You are all sunshine and roses!”
Audrey continued to laugh, “If you’d answer your phone you’d know.”
“Oh please tell me something good, at least if I know you’re happy, maybe it will cheer me up.”
Audrey smiled shyly while wanting to burst with the news. It had been so long since she had been extremely excited about a relationship. She hadn’t told anyone because she wasn’t sure if Tate wanted to tell people. If he didn’t, oh well, she needed to tell Piper. “But if it starts and ends with Levi, please walk away now,” Piper added, still eyeing Audrey.
She shook her head, smiling as she said, “Has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Tate Ooooodder.”
Piper did a little hop before bouncing up and down, “Yes! That is fantastic news, I am so happy for you.”
“Oh, Pipe, it is. He is fantastic, amazing, so freaking hot, and Lord, I’ve never been this happy. It’s only been a week I know, but it feels like months. He makes me feel so good and I just like him, a lot.”
Piper looked pained but she still smiled, and said, “Good, I’m glad he does. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, but now I feel bad because I want you to be happy too,” Audrey said sadly.
