eastside

chapter twelve

It gets a lil steamy kids. just a warning lmao

It was late afternoon and the store was quiet as Piper finished up sorting the boxes of books when Pops called her from the back room. She stuck the last book into its new home on the shelf before getting up from her knees and dusting herself off. It was almost closing time, thankfully, as Piper felt her body aching even more from being on her feet and knees all day. She followed Pops voice to the back room where she found him sitting at his desk, scribbling away at his notepad.

"Hiya Pops, you need something?" She leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed as she waited for his answer. "There you are... there's something I need to give you, missy." He said as he opened the top drawer of his desk, rummaging through it before swiveling around to face her. "The lady that came in here the other day.... she came back yesterday asking for me to give you this when I saw you again.."

He held out an envelope towards Piper when she walked over and took it from his hand, confused as to what it could be. "I was hesitant on if I should give it to you or not, based on your reaction to seeing her... but that isn't my place to decide." She gave the envelope a once over, a lump forming in her throat as she read her mother's handwriting on the front. "To my little Ramona" it read in her distinct cursive writing. Piper blinked back tears as she thanked Pops when he told her to go wait in the front, that he was almost finished with his work and they could leave soon.

Piper headed back out and took her place in Pops seat at the front desk as she waited. She laid the white envelope in front of her, staring down at it blankly as her eyes filled with tears. She watched as they fell from her eyes, dotting wet marks onto the paper as they landed. She wanted to open it but a part of her didn't, she was trying to leave that life behind her.

Piper sighed as she grabbed it, hesitating for a moment before she started to open it when she heard Pops shuffling towards the front room. She decided to wait until later when she was alone to open it as she grabbed her bag and crammed the envelope down inside. "You ready to head out, missy? I'm ready to get my butt home." He jokingly asked as he flipped the lights off and headed for the door. Piper nodded and quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, flinging her bag over her shoulder as she stood and followed Pops out the door.

~

Pops dropped her off at her apartment after she gave him directions but not before he gave her his phone number in case she needed him. He could tell something was wrong as she was silent for most of the car ride, her eyes gazing down to her bag where the envelope awaited. Pops decided not to pry, he knew it was something deeply personal she was going through and frankly, none of his business.

She thanked Pops profusely and told him she'd call if she needed anything as she closed the door and waved him goodbye, his old car sputtering away as she watched. It was nice to have an older male influence in her life, that was something she lost when her father began to abuse drugs.

She was now alone on the sidewalk in front of her apartment building, suddenly remembering who she saw earlier in the day as a chill went up her spine. She scoped out the area in the front and around the side, the beat up old car nowhere to be seen but she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched as she hurried inside and up to her apartment.

Walking into her bedroom, she flung her bag down onto the floor beside her bed as she headed straight for the blinking phone, signaling that she had unheard messages. Pressing play, she sat down on the edge of her bed as her face broke into a smile when she heard Eddies voice blare out through the speaker.

"Hey baby... I know I just dropped you off... but I miss you and I don't think I'm gonna be able to go days without seeing you... I miss you so much." The phone beeped before playing the next message. "Piiiiiiipes..." Eddie whined out causing Piper to laugh. "I wanna see that cute face and hear that sweet laugh.... maybe hear some other noises too, come back to meeeee." Piper continued to laugh as her face blushed, shaking her head at his antics. She missed him too but it was for the best. They were basically with each other every minute of the day since they had met and his band needed him, as much as it killed her.