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blush. Don’t give her the satisfaction. I couldn’t figure out what she wanted or why she would even care. But I wasn’t about to discuss my personal life with her. “I don’t know what you mean.”
    Her normally polite smile looked almost wicked. “Please, he barely looked at anyone but you all night.”
    I thought that was probably true, but at least she didn’t realize it was because we were getting frisky underneath the table. Nosy or not, Ellie seemed to know Drew really well, and I realized she could probably be helpful—fill in some blanks for me. I obviously missed a lot the ten years I was gone. “Do you know what that was about in there?” I didn’t think she would tell me but figured it was worth a shot.
    She rubbed her baby bump. “Ancient history. It’s cold, so I better go back inside.” She turned abruptly and hurried into the house.
    That was the most I could recall Ellie ever talking about anyone but herself. My granddaddy honked the horn, and I turned towards the car. Ellie was certainly acting strange, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. The only thing I cared about was Drew. Last night was fun and hot, but he might never want to take it any further than that, although the mutual groping under the dining room table was probably a pretty good indication he wanted to take things further. But in the end, I still treasured our friendship the most. He still held a place in my heart no other boy had ever occupied.

CHAPTER FOUR
    DREW
    I looked down at my old work boots, thankful I always kept them in my truck. I’d been so pissed off at Rob that I’d stormed out of the house barefoot and coatless with no keys, and it was freezing out. I could do without the coat, but I was glad I had shoes. I blew some warm air on my hands then stuck them in the front pocket of my jeans. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been walking, but I knew exactly where I was—Piper Harper’s grandparents’ street. I rode my bike here every day for years.
    Looking up at the second story window, I wondered if that was still her room. Just like the rest of McAdenville, the Harper house was ready for the holidays, and I could tell Piper had a hand in the decorations. The house wasn’t decorated in the typical holly and lights. Instead, the house was decorated in red and white stripes like on a candy cane. The wreath was constructed of red and white striped ribbons, and the pillars wrapped in red ribbon. Huge peppermint decorations flanked the front steps. The place looked like a Christmas candy wonderland, and I was sure it had to be Piper’s doing.
    I leaned against the old tree in her front yard, watching her window. This was our tree. We used to climb it and sit and talk for hours. Its branches had shaded us in the summer and hidden us when we got in trouble. It was also the spot where we said goodbye over ten years ago. That day was burned into my memory, my very first heartbreak.
    “ I wish I didn’t have to leave,” thirteen-year-old Piper said, hugging my neck as her tears soaked my blue t-shirt.
    I held her tighter to me than I had in years. We were the best of friends, but I had started to feel strange about hugging her when she got boobs—holding her didn’t seem as natural as it had when we were younger. But I didn’t care on this day. In fact, I wondered why I ever stopped. I could feel her bra strap under my hands, her new breasts against my chest. I cursed at myself for not doing this sooner. But I wasn’t going to chicken out on what I came here to do, what I’d wanted to do for at least a year now.
    “I’ll write to you every week,” Piper said, pulling away slightly. “I promise.”
    “This is so unfair,” I said, wiping a few tears from her cheek as her mother yelled it was time for them to go. Piper lowered her head, looking at her sandals. I tilted her head up, not wanting to miss my chance. I slowly leaned forward and softly pressed my lips to hers. It was my first kiss, and I was pretty