It was five am and I was soaking wet. My clothes were drenched, and droplets of water fell from my hair.
Mentally, I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was settle down with a nice Jack and Coke.
Unfortunately, Piper had other plans. She'd calmed down slightly, but she was still high as a kite.
Currently, we were laying in the bed. My arm was wrapped around her waist, purely to keep her from getting up.
"I'm bored," She huffed.
"Then go to bed," I replied. I was so done at this point. It had been hours since we left the club and she still hadn't calmed down.
"No," she whined, "I want to have fun." Her voice lowered and she turned to face me.
"We should have fun."
Her implications barely registered before I felt her cool hands snake under my shirt. Her fingers curled against my abdomen and I tensed. I wanted her so bad, yet I knew I couldn't have in that moment.
She was intoxicated and under the influence of my drugs. It didn't get more fucked up that this.
"No, Piper. Not tonight."
"But..why?" Her doe-eyes looked into mine and it took all of my restraint to not take her right there. She was so gorgeous, even in her drugged-out state.
"You're high."
She looked confused. "I am?"
"Yes, Piper. You are."
"Oh." She frowned and looked as if I'd burst her bubble of happiness with a machete.
"Why don't you go to sleep?" I redirected instead.
She seemed to weigh the option in her head for awhile before finally laying back against the pillows.
"Will you stay?" she asked, Her voice sounded incredibly vulnerable and small. Even if I wanted too, there was no way to resist her plea.
"Yes, I'll stay with you. Always."
As she drifted off to sleep, secure in my arms, only three words went through my mind. Three words that I'd been dying to say to Piper Mickelson for a long time.
I love you.
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Piper's POV
The first thing I registered was pain. My head throbbed. It felt as if a million nails were being pounded into my temples, and the area behind my eyes was sore and weary.
On top of that, my body felt like it had been hit by a freight train. My muscles ached and my skin was hot, drenching me in a layer of sweat.
Gasping, I sat up. I opened my eyes to slits and immediately, they were assaulted by the bright Miami sun.
No wonder why I was so hot. The balcony doors were open, letting in the sweltering Miami heat.
Thankfully there was a cool breeze coming up from the beach. The cerulean ocean and crashing wave weren't what captured my attention, though.
Instead, my eyes fell on the man standing on the balcony with his back to me.
He only wore swim trunks, exposing his tanned back and well-defined deltoids. His trunks were board shorts, made for surfing and they hugged the lower half of his body in all the right places.
For a moment, I thought I was still sleeping because surely no man that sexy existed outside of dreams.
As his feeling my stare Chance turned around and met my eyes. His hair was wet and messy, and beads of saltwater glistened on his cheek.
"Good morning," he said, his voice rougher than I expected.
A sudden wave of confusion hit. How did I get here?
I racked my brain for any recollection of what had happened last night, but my search came up empty. The last memory I had was Chance leaving the dance floor to go help drunk Cooper. After that, everything else went dark.
"What happened last night?"
Chance's grim expression only confirmed my suspicions. Shit definitely went down.
"You were drugged."
I froze. That wasn't what I expected to hear. "By who?"
"Miguel sent a man. Don't worry about him. He's dead—I killed him."
I didn't know whether to be thankful or worried for Chance's moral well-being. Killing someone took a toll on your mind, but I was sure Chance had already dealt with the feelings.
"Why did you kill him?"
Chance shot me a look. "He hurt you. He had to pay."
"Death is an awfully high price. Why not just call the cops?" I asked.
For a moment he looked angry. "Look, I did you a favor. That guy had every intention of hurting you. It's best for all of us that he's dead now."
I knew Chance wasn't telling the truth. I knew there were other reasons as to why he killed the man, but my mind was telling me to drop the topic. I could ask him later when I'd gotten a couple of drinks in him.
"What was I drugged with?" It better not have been anything harmful that could have repercussions later on in life.
Chance hesitated for a moment. "Platinum."
For some reason I laughed. It contained no humor, but was as bitter as a bee sting. "How convenient."
"That's not the word I would use to describe the situation," Chance muttered. His eyes darkened and he sat on the bed. "I'm sorry."
Now I was really confused. "Why are you apologizing?"
"Because you got hurt and it was my fault."
Why was he blaming himself? I wasn't some damsel who couldn't take care of herself. "You can't protect me from everything, Chance. I knew that when I took this job that danger was inevitable. You made that point very clear."
"Things are different now."
My brow furrowed. "Why are they different?"
"Because," Chance paused. The words were on the tip of his tongue, and I knew he was dying to let them go, but he didn't. "They just are."
"I hate it when you're vague." My voice was bitter now. I was hungover as hell, my mouth felt like a paper sack, and all I wanted to do was take a hot shower. "Get out."
It was Chance's turn to be confused. "Get out?"
"Yes. Leave. I need some time alone."
A moment later he was gone, leaving me space to question every decision I'd made in my life.
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I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please comment your thoughts and remember to vote!
-Katherine