Over the next week, Piper saw Jared every night. He made her happier and more confident than she'd ever felt before. Her sisters noticed the change in her, and were ecstatic for her. Their grandmother, however, was less pleased.
"Piper, where were you last night?" she asked while she was feeding the girls breakfast one morning.
"With Jared," she answered. "I told you he was taking me out for dinner, remember?"
"Yes, but dinner dates don't usually last until midnight," Grams pointed out.
Piper shrugged. "We went to the park afterwords. We were just walking around, and we lost track of time. It's not a big deal."
The old woman sighed. "I'm worried about you, Piper. Staying out all night, with some guy you've just met, this isn't like you."
"Maybe that's because Jared is the first guy to ever take an interest in me," she replied. "He's the first guy to tell me I'm beautiful. The first guy to make me feel beatiful."
Grams frowned. "That's exactly what worries me. Piper, are you sure you can trust this guy?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "Grams, he's a good guy."
"All right," Grams said, still not completely satisfied. "Just promise me you'll be careful, darling."
"I will," she promised. She got up and kissed her grandmother good-bye before grabbing her back-pack and heading out to the bus stop. For the first time, she didn't even mind going to school and enduring the taunts of her classmates. She had thoughts of Jared to content herself with. Tonight was going to be a very special night for them. Jared had been a perfect gentlemen on each of their dates, doing more talking than kissing and never going beyond what Piper was comfortable with. He didn't complain, but she knew he was getting impatient. Now, she decided, it was time. Tonight, she was going to sleep with him.
The school day went by in a blur. At three, when the bell rang, Jared was in the parking lot sitting on the hood of his car, waiting for her. She ran into his arms.
"Let's go for a drive," she whispered in his ear. "I want to be alone with you."
He nodded in agreement, and they got in the car. They wound up driving for about two hours, until it was starting to get dark out. They stopped at the nicest hotel they came upon, and Piper followed him in without hesitation. It wasn't until they were in the room itself that Piper felt nervous.
"Hey," he said, touching her hip gently. "I don't want you to do this if you don't want to. We can wait."
She shook her head. "I'm ready. I want to."
"Okay," he said. He slid his arms around her waist, and suddenly his mouth was covering hers. She kissed him back, letting him lay her gently on the queen-sized bed. There, in a hotel room far from home, she gave him all of her.
~*~
Piper woke up at sunrise the next morning, at first unsure of where she was. Then, when she saw Jared lying next to her, she slowly remembered the events of the previous night.
Needing some time to think, Piper got up and went out to the balconey, where she could watch the sun rise. Jared joined her a few minutes later, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her.
"Any regrets?" he asked, kissing her ear.
She shook her head, even though she wasn't quite sure, and answered, "No. You?"
"Not at all."
She could tell that, unlike herself, he genuinely meant it. She thought this should give her comfort, but oddly enough it only made her more anxious. "We should get home. Grams is going to freak if she wakes up before I get there."
"Sure, babe. Let's go get dressed."
Since they only brought the clothes they'd been wearing, it didn't take long for them to get themselves together and check out. Jared payed for the night with a credit card, not allowing Piper to use any of her own money. This subtle, gentlemanly move left her somewhat reassured that maybe things wouldn't change as drastically as she'd feared. Still, the ride home was filled with long stretches of silence, as opposed to the usual endless stream of banter between them.
They pulled up in front of the Victorian manor at seven in the morning. Piper started to open her door when Jaden reached over and put his hand on her wrist.
"Hey," he said gently, "Nothing has to change between us. I don't want you to think I'm only using you for sex now. You're still the most beautiful, funny, intelligent girl I've ever met, okay?"
She nodded, smiling. "Okay. Thanks, Jare, I needed to hear that."
He smiled back, then leaned over and kissed her before undoing her seatbelt and letting her out of the car. She ran back to the house, only looking back at him once before she slipped in the door.
"Piper, where were you last night?" she asked while she was feeding the girls breakfast one morning.
"With Jared," she answered. "I told you he was taking me out for dinner, remember?"
"Yes, but dinner dates don't usually last until midnight," Grams pointed out.
Piper shrugged. "We went to the park afterwords. We were just walking around, and we lost track of time. It's not a big deal."
The old woman sighed. "I'm worried about you, Piper. Staying out all night, with some guy you've just met, this isn't like you."
"Maybe that's because Jared is the first guy to ever take an interest in me," she replied. "He's the first guy to tell me I'm beautiful. The first guy to make me feel beatiful."
Grams frowned. "That's exactly what worries me. Piper, are you sure you can trust this guy?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "Grams, he's a good guy."
"All right," Grams said, still not completely satisfied. "Just promise me you'll be careful, darling."
"I will," she promised. She got up and kissed her grandmother good-bye before grabbing her back-pack and heading out to the bus stop. For the first time, she didn't even mind going to school and enduring the taunts of her classmates. She had thoughts of Jared to content herself with. Tonight was going to be a very special night for them. Jared had been a perfect gentlemen on each of their dates, doing more talking than kissing and never going beyond what Piper was comfortable with. He didn't complain, but she knew he was getting impatient. Now, she decided, it was time. Tonight, she was going to sleep with him.
The school day went by in a blur. At three, when the bell rang, Jared was in the parking lot sitting on the hood of his car, waiting for her. She ran into his arms.
"Let's go for a drive," she whispered in his ear. "I want to be alone with you."
He nodded in agreement, and they got in the car. They wound up driving for about two hours, until it was starting to get dark out. They stopped at the nicest hotel they came upon, and Piper followed him in without hesitation. It wasn't until they were in the room itself that Piper felt nervous.
"Hey," he said, touching her hip gently. "I don't want you to do this if you don't want to. We can wait."
She shook her head. "I'm ready. I want to."
"Okay," he said. He slid his arms around her waist, and suddenly his mouth was covering hers. She kissed him back, letting him lay her gently on the queen-sized bed. There, in a hotel room far from home, she gave him all of her.
~*~
Piper woke up at sunrise the next morning, at first unsure of where she was. Then, when she saw Jared lying next to her, she slowly remembered the events of the previous night.
Needing some time to think, Piper got up and went out to the balconey, where she could watch the sun rise. Jared joined her a few minutes later, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her.
"Any regrets?" he asked, kissing her ear.
She shook her head, even though she wasn't quite sure, and answered, "No. You?"
"Not at all."
She could tell that, unlike herself, he genuinely meant it. She thought this should give her comfort, but oddly enough it only made her more anxious. "We should get home. Grams is going to freak if she wakes up before I get there."
"Sure, babe. Let's go get dressed."
Since they only brought the clothes they'd been wearing, it didn't take long for them to get themselves together and check out. Jared payed for the night with a credit card, not allowing Piper to use any of her own money. This subtle, gentlemanly move left her somewhat reassured that maybe things wouldn't change as drastically as she'd feared. Still, the ride home was filled with long stretches of silence, as opposed to the usual endless stream of banter between them.
They pulled up in front of the Victorian manor at seven in the morning. Piper started to open her door when Jaden reached over and put his hand on her wrist.
"Hey," he said gently, "Nothing has to change between us. I don't want you to think I'm only using you for sex now. You're still the most beautiful, funny, intelligent girl I've ever met, okay?"
She nodded, smiling. "Okay. Thanks, Jare, I needed to hear that."
He smiled back, then leaned over and kissed her before undoing her seatbelt and letting her out of the car. She ran back to the house, only looking back at him once before she slipped in the door.