The Secrets We Keep

Broken

Piper sat on the playground set and looked up to the sky. The stars shining she found comfort. She was ready to be with Dante more. Stay in town for him and work. But he couldn't tell his parents the truth. His plan was to become a doctor but he wasn't sure he wanted that. He needed good grades, football scholarship, and then he'd go to medical school. He had other ideas. Becoming a teacher. Or even a police officer. So influenced by his own teachers he considered it and becoming a Police officer in hopes of making a difference. She questioned it all now.

She bought the test. She took the test in the bathroom of the drugstore. It gave her an answer she wasn't prepared for.

A baby would ruin his plan. But despite it, all Piper loved him and wanted to protect him. She couldn't stand fighting. Hearing his fight with his parents after losing the only parent she knew. She didn't want a child raised in a home with fighting and telling Dante would do exactly that. His parents would fight with him because of that. She couldn't hurt him to help herself. Sitting up as her phone rang she saw his picture. She ended the call and brought up the messages telling him to meet her at his house in thirty minutes.

Her mother once kept her from her own father to protect her. Piper felt she needed to keep her child from Dante to protect him.

Piper drove thinking about everything she needed to say. How she would make sure he would leave her be. How she would say goodbye. She didn't want to hurt him. She cared for and loved him too much. Not hurting him would then only hurt her. Dante had been the one her mom wanted her to be with. Dante made her mom laugh and helped her with everything. In his arms, she felt safer and loved than she had in years.

She pulled up to his house seeing him sitting on his porch head in his hands. She parked and walked on the lawn. When he heard her he shot up and ran to her wrapping his arms around her. Her tears building once again and falling she tried to keep herself composed but failed."I was so worried."He said.

"I know.."Piper pulled back."I had to get out of there and think."

"Annie called me, everyone was worried."He grabbed her hand but she pulled away. Looking up at him she saw pain. She wiped tears away and looked away for a second forgetting everything she thought of on her drive over. "Piper?"

"I can't...do this." She looked back at him. "I'm going to live with my aunt...and go back to school. But not with you in my life." She watched as tears built in his eyes and step back the wind knocked out of his chest. "I have to be on my own for a while."

"Piper...I love you." Piper didn't hold back the tears that fell from her eyes. She took a deep breath and continued.

"I have to be on my own. Figure out who I am. What I want to do. But I also need to learn how to live without my mom. But this...has to be over." She watched as tears fell from his eyes and she realized she's never seen him cry. "You...Changed my life in so many ways and I will be forever grateful but I need this." Dante didn't fight back. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"Just promise...if we find out way back." He looked up at her. "We'll try again." Piper didn't want to say it. She just stepped forward pressing her lips to his. He put a hand on her waist and one of her face. She wanted to tell him the truth but knew she couldn't. She pulled away and walked away trying to breathe as tears ran down her face.

She drove back to the apartment where her family waited. She texted her aunt to meet her outside and watched as she left the apartment while Piper walked to the top of the stairs. Sitting on the step she felt as her aunt put a hand on her back and rubbed. Piper leaned on her aunt. "I ended things with Dante."She said. She felt her aunts surprised. "And I'm pregnant," Annie stopped rubbing Piper's back and made her look at her.

"What?"

"I heard him arguing with his parents. He didn't...stand up for me or himself. His parents have this plan and he can't do the plan. But a baby messes up the plan. So I ended things with him and didn't tell him. If I didn't...there's just be fighting. Between him and his parents. Me and him because I caused the fighting." Annie dropped her head surprised she was put in the position again but happy her niece came to her. "I think it was the best thing to do." Annie didn't say anything as she just put her niece in her arms.

"I can't make these choices for you. But know I'm here for you. If you want to stay here or-"

"I wanna go with you. I wanna go back to school." Piper looked up at her aunt. "Please."

"Of course," Annie hugged her and let her cry into her shoulder. She felt tears of her own and held them back for as long as she could. Eventually, they went back inside and let Piper sleep.

The rest of the family prepared for the trip they'd be making in a few days. A trip Piper knew she questioned but for the moment she cried in her bed. Losing her mother and losing the person that grounded her she felt tired and whipped out.

She closed the small truck that held the rest of her mother's belongings and shook the driver's hand. She thanked him for taking care of everything and getting it in the storage locker. Then she looked to her car that Dylan and Wyatt were putting the last of her things in. "Piper," She turned at the voice of the woman who'd been in her life since she was a child. Over time she's watched her become a mother and a caregiver. A woman who never questioned to help her and her mother. A woman who became her mother's Best friend. "If you think you're going to leave without a goodbye you've lost your mind."

"Diana." Piper walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"I expect visits with that baby of yours. Call me when it comes so I can meet them. You're always welcome here." Diana rubbed her back.

"I promise. I'll see you soon then." Diana kissed her cheek and walked over to the cars.

"I call shotgun with Piper!" Dylan said walking over to her passenger side. They got into the car as Piper handed her phone to Dylan to play music. "We'll be home soon." He smiled.