AN: Thanks to everyone who left feedback and is still reading this ongoing piece; I really do appreciate it, especially since I know it keeps taking me long periods to update. I do apologize for that, but life gets crazy...something always comes up when I think I'm going to get a chance to write, and sometimes I just have writers block. I know this is a short chapter, but it's setting up for something I know you guys are gonna love...and I've already got part of the next chapter written, so hopefully it won't take me a month to update again. Once again, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
When Piper woke up the next morning and found herself on the couch next to Leo, she smiled before carefully disentangling herself from him and going to take a shower. When she came out of her bedroom fully dressed, she found Leo waiting patiently. He handed her one of the cups of coffee he was holding with a smile. "Thought you might want some of this," he grinned.
"Thank you," she said, taking a sip before kissing him quickly.
"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" he asked her then.
"Because your's is such a long 2 minute walk away?" she teased him. "Sure, go ahead," she giggled, heading toward the front door then to get the morning paper she had delivered there every morning. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see her little sister there, ready to open the door with the hide a key. "Phoebe! What are you doing?" Piper asked her, picking up the paper before moving aside to let her sister enter.
"Laundry day!" Phoebe announced, dragging in two large bags almost overflowing with laundry.
"Isn't it a little early for you to be up, much less doing laundry?" Piper had to ask.
Phoebe just raised an eyebrow. "It's almost noon...are you just getting up?" she asked, a smile starting to form on her lips.
"I was up late last night," Piper shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee just as Leo appeared in the same clothes he'd been wearing last night and his own cup of coffee. The fact that his hair looked like he'd just woken up as well didn't help matters any.
"Yeah, I can see that..." Phoebe grinned. "I guess I'll have to start knocking before I come in from now on," she added as she dragged her laundry bags through the kitchen and back to the laundry room.
Piper sighed and gave Leo a small smile. "Thank you for putting up with that one...I only do it because she's my sister and I have to," she apologized.
"Don't worry about it. There's something I want to ask you. A friend of mine has a beach house down in San Diego...he said I can use it this coming weekend if I want. Would you like to go with me?" Leo asked her a little nervously. "I mean, there's no pressure...no assumptions about anything. There's 3 bedrooms, so you'd have your own space. I just thought it would be nice to have a little weekend getaway...get some sun...what do you say?"
Piper had to smile at his nervousness; he really was cute when he stumbled over his words like that. "Why don't you let me think about it?" she suggested. She of course knew he wouldn't expect sex, especially since he'd already made a point of letting her know she'd have her own bedroom, but it was still a big step to go away for a weekend with someone, sex or not. "Can I let you know tonight?"
"Yeah, that's fine. And Piper, it's really okay if you don't want to go. I just thought you might like some time to just relax," he told her. "But I need to go now. I've got some patients at the hospital to check on."
"Well I promise I'll think about it. And thank you for understanding last night," she said, kissing him softly and going to pull away, only to be pulled back against him for a deeper, more passionate kiss goodbye. "Ok then..." she breathed once he'd finally relinquished his grip on her.
"I'll call you later," he promised as he handed her his now empty coffee cup and left.
"So...you and Leo...last night...dish," Phoebe said with a huge grin plastered on her face as Piper walked into the kitchen where Phoebe was sitting on a counter like she owned the place.
Piper rolled her eyes and placed Leo's cup in the sink before pouring herself another cup of coffee. "There's nothing to tell."
"What?! I come over here at noon...noon Piper...and find you just getting up...you who never sleeps past 8:30...with Leo who is still in the exact same clothes he wore last night...and you tell me there is nothing to tell?!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly.
"We fell asleep on the couch, Phoebe, there's really nothing to tell," Piper shrugged, taking a drink of her coffee as she sat down at the table to look through the paper. "Aren't you supposed to be doing your laundry?"
"Don't change the subject," Phoebe said quickly. "So you did it on your couch, huh? Glad you told me before I went and sat down there," she added teasingly.
Piper just shook her head. "Look, I'm telling you that nothing happened. The only thing we did on that couch last night was share some wine, share a few kisses and fall asleep. I'm not ready to just jump into bed with another man yet. That's why I'm not sure if I'm going to San Diego with him this weekend or not," she let slip out.
"Woah...back up. He asked you to go on a trip with him?! Piper this is huge!"
"Yeah...yeah I know. That's why I don't know if I'm going. I mean, yes, he made it very clear that I'd have my own bedroom if I wanted it, but I know he's a guy and he still is really hoping for sex on this trip," she sighed.
"Piper, what are you so scared of? That you'll sleep with him and actually like it?" Phoebe had to ask.
"Yes! I mean no...what I'm scared of is that I'll fall in love with him even more than I already am...and then he decides he doesn't want me anymore. I've been through that once, Phoebe. I'm just now getting my life back together...I don't want to go through that again," Piper admitted quietly.
"Sweetie..." Phoebe started, sliding down off the counter and hugging her sister. "Riley was an asshole, ok? He was stupid. I know he hurt you...but you can't go through the rest of your life too afraid to let yourself be happy again. You owe it to yourself to take this chance on love. Look...it all comes down to this. Do you trust Leo?" she asked. Hearing Piper say of course she did, Phoebe continued. "Does he make you happy?" Getting an affirmative answer once again, she gave her sister a reassuring smile. "Then go to San Diego with him and play it by ear. If it feels right, you should go for it. If not, you already said he understood, right? Don't let what Riley did to you make you miss out on something great with Leo," she advised. "And on that note...I'm off to do laundry."