“Hey, I was sleeping, are you alive?” Audrey asked, trying to rush off the phone.
“Yes, and boy am I glad I am. I’m sorry, buddy, but you’re gonna need to get up. I have amazing news.”
Audrey groaned, rolling over to cuddle against the pillow Tate had slept on, “What’s up?”
“I slept with Erik.”
“What?”
“Yeah, and Audrey, it was fantastic, amazing, oh my God! I can still feel him on top of me!” Piper was gushing, and Audrey could imagine her doing twirls around her living room like a child.
“You’re kidding,” Audrey said, shocked.
“Not at all. You would have been so proud. I told him I had been lusting over him for the past year, and he said he hadn’t noticed but he was glad he had now, and the next thing I know we were almost having sex in the taxi.”
“Wow.”
“I know, right! It was so freaking awesome, A, so good. I’ve never felt like that. He awakened all kinds of dirty things inside me, and Lord, I can’t wait for him to come home at the end of the week.”
“I’m so happy for you, Pipe,” Audrey said, tears gathering in her eyes.
“I just did it, you know? I gotta make myself happy, I can’t be scared. I have to try, right? He’s gorgeous and sweet, and Lord, he makes me feel good. He made me so happy last night, A. So freaking happy.” Audrey could only nod as she held in a sob while Piper went on. “I can’t wait to see where this goes.”
Even though she would rather have hung up the phone and thrown it out the window, she knew she had to be there for her friend. She had to put on her big girl panties and be supportive. Even if she felt like her world was falling apart.
“It’s going to be great,” she said. “You’re amazing, Pipe. He’ll fall head over heels for you in a week.”
Piper giggled. “Man, a girl can dream, huh?”
“Sure can,” Audrey agreed.
“I just feel so good. I feel like I’m gonna cry, I’m so happy.”
Audrey smiled, wiping away a stray tear. She wanted to be happy like that, but like Tate said, she wouldn’t let herself be happy. “Then cry, girl. I’ll call you later and we can gush some more. I’m sorry but I am dead tired.”
After hanging up, Audrey let out a loud frustrated cry. What the hell had she done? She missed Tate so much, and it had only been a few hours since he left. She wanted to call him, tell him he was right and that she was sorry. But she knew in her heart that even though he said he didn’t care about her not being able to have children, he would. Maybe not right now, but later he would. When they had their house and white picket fence, with four dogs, he would look at her and decide that she wasn’t enough anymore. Maybe she was overreacting and putting herself through unnecessary pain, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was right.
Rubbing her nose against the pillow, she took a deep breath, taking in his scent just as her phone rang. She brought it up so she could see it, and a picture of her and Lucas stared back at her. Why was he calling her? Did something happen to Tate? Or Fallon? Aiden? Ignoring the fact that she thought of Tate before her sister and nephew, Audrey hit the Answer and said, “Hello?” She hoped to God that Lucas couldn’t tell she had been crying. She didn’t want to explain that to him.
“Hey you,” he said in his low voice. “Just checking in on you.”
Oh, Thank God, she thought, letting out the whoosh of air she was holding.
“Oh, I’m good. Everything okay with you?”
“What’s going on with Tate and you?”
Audrey paused. “What do you mean?”
“Tate is a very close friend, so whatever is going on between you guys, I need you to make sure it’s worth it.”
Audrey didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Lucas let out a long breath and then asked, “So what is the problem?”