Seb and Piper sat and talked well into the evening just like old friends. There was no awkwardness, no expectations and he seemed so relaxed which he hadn't been in all the time she'd been home.
She noticed he was still guarded whenever she tried to turn the topic onto his time in the Army. He wasn't hostile, he would just start looking uncomfortable and then start directing the conversation elsewhere. She also noticed his face would light up whenever he talked about working on his boat and he talked endlessly about it. She loved listening to him and watching him smile so naturally. His skin was gently sun-kissed, but not enough that he looked too tanned and the hairs that were poking through his top were just the right shade of blonde.
These were things that Piper was just observing without any kind of hidden agenda or lustful thought. She was done with men for the time being - it was time to finally focus on herself.
Her thoughts were broken by Seb "Fancy s
By the time Piper got home, it was past 11 pm and both her parents were asleep. She carefully crept up to her bedroom and quietly got changed into her pajamas. Easing into bed she reminisced over the night and how perfect it was. Seb had walked ger home, said goodnight, and left. He was a true gentleman and Piper loved him even more for it.When she checked her phone she realised there was a text message on her phone. Opening it she stared in horror "You can't keep ignoring me you BITCH! Hiding won't protect you! Escaping London won't protect you either!".It was from an unknown number and she knew enough to know that they'd used an online text service in order to remain anonymous. She started shaking and her heart rate quickened. All she wanted was to be left alone, to forget her past and look forward to her future. There were times she wished she'd just stayed in Porthleven where she was safe and then none of this would've happened.Telling her parents w
Will was starting to get annoyed at Piper giving him the silent treatment, anyone would've thought he'd cheated or something with the way she was carrying on. So he told a little white lie? It was for a good reason and with the best of intentions. He just wanted time alone with her. Well, enough was enough - today he was going to go and confront her, and bring her a nice bunch of flowers to help sweeten her up. Flowers bought, he made his way up to her parent's house and rang the bell. Hopefully, Piper would answer the door as he didn't feel like trying to explain to her parents why he'd turned up bearing flowers. They weren't naive enough to believe he was just being kind. For all, he knew she might've already told them of the events of that night. A shadow came into view and as the door opened Will held his breath but put on the biggest smile he could muster. Piper stood there with a look of complete annoyance "What do you want? Generally when someone
When Seb called and asked Piper if she fancied lunch, she'd jumped at the chance. She'd spent all morning researching her options about starting work but was still none the wiser. She still couldn't decide whether or not being self-employed was the best way to go. "What's the situation with work?" Seb asked, "Have you made a decision on what you want to do?". "Nope, I feel like I'm just waiting for the penny to drop. I never thought it would be so hard just to make a decision. I'll have to do something soon as my savings are starting to dwindle. Are you glad you're self-employed?". "I like not having anyone to answer to and being my own boss is always a positive. It does have its disadvantages though; work is practically non-existent through the winter months so I have to always make sure I've saved enough money to see me through". Seb answered honestly. "But if you were to go self-employed your work wouldn't be seasonal, so straight away you have an advantag
Dale Ridgeley sat in his office staring at his computer screen like it was miraculously going to type up his student report for him. Since Piper had left he hadn't been able to focus on anything, especially work.How dare that bitch up and leave him without a word! He'd come home from work to find that all the stuff Piper kept as his flat missing, and when he'd tried to call her the number had been disconnected. When he'd contacted her work, they'd politely advised him that she no longer worked there and refused to give him a forwarding address or telephone number. He'd even gone in and tried to sweet-talk the stupid fat receptionist into giving him the information, but she wouldn't budge and hadn't even fallen for his charms. He wondered what Piper had told them about him before she up and did a moonlight flit?Well, it was all lies! Whatever she'd said, she was a liar!When he'd realised her mobile had been disconnected, he'd tried calling everyone she k
The previous day had been a welcome distraction for Seb, and spending time with Piper had solidified their friendship and got it back on track. He was still suspicious of why she was being so coy about her reasons for coming home so abruptly. But pushing the issue might inflame whatever emotions Piper was already feeling. He hadn't heard from Will either which was a good thing. No doubt Will would spit his dummy out when he found out they'd spent yesterday together and even though it was platonic Will would still act like he was hard done by. He seemed to have this misconception that every woman was in love with him and would follow him to the ends of the Earth if need be. Well, there were women out there like Piper, who wouldn't fall for his charms and he knew the kiss they'd shared had meant nothing to Piper. Seb wanted to call Piper and arrange another meet-up with her. Calling it a date brought with it expectations that neither of them wanted, especially Pi
Growing up in the small harbour town of Porthleven, Cornwall, Piper Fawkner had always dreamed of bigger adventures. Not that she hadn't loved her upbringing, especially growing up side by side with Sebastian and William Clemens. Born at the same hospital a day apart, to then end up living on the same street, they had become firm friends. Especially when they all then started at Porthleven Community Primary school. Endless summers spent playing in the harbour and causing mischief to the local fishermen. Some locals would even describe them as rascals - but purely as a term of endearment. Sebastian was the eldest of the two by 7 minutes and he was known to his nearest and dearest as Seb. His hair was a beautiful shade of honey blonde with piercing green eyes that always seemed too old for his years. He was always a deep thinker with quiet confidence to match - some would even describe him as brooding. William or Will, on the other hand, was the p
As Piper navigated the long journey home from London, she began to reminisce about a time just before she had left for University. Piper, Seb, and Will had decided to go for one last blowout at their local The Ship Inn. It was a 17th-century pub that overlooked the picturesque harbour of Porthleven and was a firm favourite amongst the locals. Many a night the fishermen's wives had watched their husbands take a tumble down the steps after one too many pints of the local brew. Piper always loved the beer mats and brasses that adorned the walls and ceiling making the quaint pub a home from home. As always Seb had sat quietly drinking his pint of Tribute, listening to the dulcet tones of the fishermen telling their sea-worthy tales. Will as ever, was joining in on the camaraderie, reveling in the stories of bygone years. Piper sat drinking her pint of cider, noticing that Seb was much quieter than usual. "Earth to Seb," Piper said.
As Piper pulled up in her Fiat 500 outside her parent's semi-detached cottage thoughts of her life in London disappeared. Her parents were George and Merryn Fawkner and they were born and bred in Porthleven. They were married at the tender age of 19 and Piper followed 3 years later. When Piper was 5, her brother Miles was born. Sadly Miles died of Leukemia at the age of 7 which completely devastated them all. It was something that her parents never spoke about and Piper never pushed the issue. But there wasn't a day when she didn't think of him. He was born with baby blue eyes and a mop of blonde hair and he had the most adorable nature. He would have been 22 now, and Piper had no doubt that had he have lived, he would've been an exceptional human being. It was early evening in May and Piper could feel the gentle breeze coming through the window gently teasing her face. "Right, move your backside maid!" Piper said as she wound up the window and exited her car