Empty Net Read online

  Which, she was, but still.

  “Exactly, so I need to find someone my age, someone who wants a long term relationship and someone who doesn’t mind me having so many shoes,” she added when really she wanted to say, ‘someone who didn’t mind adopting.’

  “You’re crazy,” Piper said with a shake of her head.

  “Eh, true, but you still adore me.”

  “Very true.” Audrey smiled as Piper ran her finger along the top of her beer. When she looked up, Audrey stopped smiling. “You haven’t heard from Levi have you?”

  Audrey looked down, picking at the label on her beer, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah, I have.”

  “Blah, what in the world could that low life want?”

  Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know, he said he needed to talk to me, and I didn’t answer him back.”

  Piper shook her head, “Please, babe, just stay away from him. He’s nuts.”

  “I know,” Audrey agreed. She looked over at her friend and said, “Speaking of nuts, are you still lusting over Erik?”

  Piper let out a long, distraught breath, running her hands through her hair before nodding. She looked over at Audrey with a look of failure. “Sure am, it is disgusting too, because I’m pretty sure that he slept with Reese.”

  Audrey made a face, “Ew, please say it isn’t true.”

  “Yeah, I think they did. I haven’t asked her yet, she has been crazy busy with the studio.”

  Audrey didn’t understand Piper’s obsession of Erik. Yes, he was insanely gorgeous with dark, dark hair and dark sexy eyes, but he kind of gave off a dick vibe. Piper was such a sweet and funny girl and Audrey really didn’t think that they would be good together. But apparently, Erik Titov did it for Piper and who was she to question it? Audrey was in love with an asshat and lusting over a child. She was in no place to judge anyone on their lusty needs.

  “Well, let’s hope they didn’t. Have you said you’re interested in him? Flirted at all with him?”

  Piper shook her head, sadly. “No, he doesn’t really look at me. I’m shorter than Reese, and I guess he just doesn’t see me.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes, “You’re gorgeous, Pipe. He’s probably too blinded by your amazing awesomeness and can’t handle it, so he goes to Reese.”

  “Audrey…”

  “What?” Audrey said innocently.

  “Be nice, she’s my twin.”

  Reese was also a bitch.

  Reese Allen was not Audrey’s favorite person. She walked around like her shit didn’t stink and Audrey was quick to tell her it did. So what if she had legs up to Audrey’s head, and who cared if she could put those said legs above her head. Audrey sure the hell didn’t.

  “I know that,” Audrey said with a smile just as Aiden came barreling down the stairs.

  “AA! Tate is outside!”

  “Who?” Piper asked.

  Audrey looked out the window and didn’t see anything, but it wasn’t like she could with Aiden’s head blocking the window.

  “He’s making a fire! We should go out there!”

  “Who’s Tate?” Piper asked again as Audrey got up and went to the window.

  “See, AA!” Aiden yelled.

  “Yup, I see,” she said as she watched Tate throw a log on a small fire.

  What was he doing?

  “Can we go out there?” Aiden asked as Piper came up beside her.

  “I don’t know,” Audrey said.

  “Oh, hot hockey-goalie-lay!”

  “Piper!” Audrey shrieked, smacking her on the arm. “Little ears!”

  Pipers giggled while Aiden paid them no mind. He was too busy slamming his fist against the window.

  “TATE!”

  “For goodness sakes, Aiden!” Audrey complained, pushing his hand from the window, “You’re gonna break my window! Bad enough you leave hippogriffs here! Sheesh!”

  Aiden shot her a toothless grin before running to the door and throwing it open. “Hey, Tate!”

  “Why is hot hockey-goalie-lay making a fire outside your condo?”

  Audrey shrugged her shoulders as she made her way to the door, “I have no clue.”

  She threw a coat on as she walked outside with Piper on her heels. Tate had made his fire in the same place she had made hers. He sat in a chair, with Aiden in his lap, putting a marshmallow on the end of a metal stick.

  “AA, we’re making s’mores!”

  “Ooo! S’mores!” Piper gushed as she ran past Audrey to get a stick. Before grabbing the stick, Piper held her hand out to Tate. “Hi, I’m Piper, Audrey’s best friend.”

  Audrey had to smile at Piper’s proclamation. They really had gotten close over the last couple months, and she did love Piper with all her heart, so the ‘best friend’ status fit. Audrey looked up just as Tate flashed Piper a full on grin.

  “It’s nice to meet you. Tate Odder.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Piper giggled before dropping down in an empty chair. Tate looked confused but when he looked up and his eyes met Audrey’s, they both froze. She really needed to stop looking him right in the eyes. It was like he was a basilisk, freezing her in place. She felt like she couldn’t move or think. She was lost in the sea of his eyes. A slow, sexy grin came across his lips, bringing her attention from his eyes to his full lips. When he pressed his tongue against his teeth, she swore she came.

  Seriously?!

  “Hey, Audrey.”

  The slow way he said her name sent tingles down her spine. She swallowed loudly, bringing her gaze from his lips to the ground. She waved awkwardly and then looked away, “Hey.”

  “Want a s’more?”

  Audrey was never one to turn down sweets and it wasn’t like he was asking her to sleep with him. So she nodded eagerly, sitting in the chair beside Piper. Once there, Tate handed her a stick with a marshmallow already stuck on the end.

  “Thank you,” she said, placing her stick over the fire.

  “Anytime,” he said in a low voice.

  Audrey refused to look over at Tate; instead she cuddled into her jacket, holding tight onto her stick. The temperature had dropped again and everything was dying quickly. It was probably the worst thing about winter. She hated when everything went from orange to dead. Tennessee was much prettier with color on its rolling hills. The only thing good about winter, Audrey decided, were the Christmas decorations, which she just loved.

  “So, Tate,” Piper said in a cute little voice. Audrey knew the voice well. It was Piper’s ‘pick them up’ voice.

  Who the hell was she trying to pick up?

  Audrey glanced over to see Piper giving Tate a wide smile as she bent into the fire, showing off her skinny figure.

  What the hell was she doing?!

  “What made you want to make a fire in the middle of your yard?”

  Tate chuckled as Audrey stewed with anger. She didn’t understand Piper’s game but Piper needed to cut it out.

  Holy crap, am I jealous?!

  “I was in the mood for s’mores.”

  Piper giggled, “You can’t just go making fires on your front lawn! What if the cops come by?”

  “Apparently, as long as it’s not higher than five feet and you are only burning wood, you are okay. But when you burn say, furniture, or an Xbox, there is a hefty fine.”

  Laughter escaped Audrey’s lips causing everyone to glance over at her. She swallowed her laughter, shrugging her shoulders while Tate gave her a knowing grin. “What?”

  Piper glanced between Tate and Audrey and then shrugged her shoulders, “Nothing.”

  “My mom and dad are coming home in two days, Tate! Isn’t that awesome!?” Aiden exclaimed with a big grin.

  “Sure is. I bet you are excited to see them,” Tate said. He took Aiden’s burnt marshmallow and squished it between the two graham crackers and chocolate before handing it back to him. It was weird seeing someone else who was so great with Aiden.

  “I am! I’m gonna miss my AA though, and W