Reconcile by Nicole Dykes
A foot nudges me awake,and I hear, “How fucked up are you right now?”
I glare at Asher as I look up from the lounge chair in my backyard. I’m sure what he sees looks bad with an empty whiskey bottle and a half-smoked joint next to me.
Okay, maybe it is a little bad. Fuck, my head hurts.
But it’s not like the bottle was full when I started drinking last night.
Still, Ash is looking a little blurry as I pry my eyes open, cursing the sun.
“I’m fine.”
“Right.” Asher takes the seat next to me. “Your message was weird.”
I turn to look at him. “What message?”
He chuckles and leans back in his chair. “You left me a message, asking whether I know a good lawyer. And saying that Piper lives in a shithole.”
Christ, I don’t remember that.
“What time is it?”
“Six. I have to get to school soon.”
I look at him, dressed in his preppy uniform for the private school where he teaches. “Ah, that’s the reason for the douche outfit.”
“What’s up, Sawyer?”
I don’t dare move because I don’t remember the last time I was this hungover. “Piper has a kid.”
I hear him shift in his chair but don’t turn my head to look at him. “With who?”
“Me.”
Now the sound is much louder as he sits all the way up and turns toward me. “Holy shit! How?”
I groan and force my head to turn. “When two people are hot for each other, their bodies respond—”
“Shut the fuck up,” he cuts me off, and I’m actually grateful because I’m close to puking.
“When did this happen?”
I turn my head back so it’s lying flat against the chair and close my eyes. “Apparently in high school.”
“No fucking way. You didn’t know?”
“No.” I swallow, fighting the urge to puke. “I had no idea. She didn’t tell me.”
“Holy shit.”
“That’s how I feel.”
“What are you going to do?”
I don’t say anything because I have no fucking idea, other than I’m going to be a father to that kid whether Piper wants me to or not. I had no interest in being a father, so I can’t really explain it, but now that I know she exists . . . Yeah, I want to be her dad.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to do something.”
“That’s ominous.”
“Fuck you.” I manage a smile.
He stands, and I feel his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t do anything stupid, okay? I have to get to work, but promise me.”
“What stupid thing could I do?”
I look up at him and see him staring at me like that was an idiotic question. “Just don’t, okay? She . . .” He slides his hand over his chin. “Fuck, Sawyer, for a woman to keep something like that a secret, . . . she had to be scared. And hurt.”
I hate how blunt he is sometimes.
“I know I hurt her. That doesn’t mean she gets to hide my fucking kid from me for six goddamn years.”
He doesn’t argue with me, but he also doesn’t agree with me, which pisses me off. He can’t possibly think Piper’s betrayal was warranted, can he?
“I have to go. But please just sleep this off, and I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yeah,” I grumble.
“It’s going to be okay,” he tries to assure me before he leaves, but I know it won’t be.
Piper may think she hates me now, but we’re only just getting started.
