Chapter 16 Parker
Parker
I almost kissed Lily and I have no regrets.
I know I’ve perpetuated my reputation around town.
I’ve never denied it, and honestly kind of embraced it.
I never correct anyone, and I never do anything to fix it.
It’s never bothered me, except when Lily believes it.
I know that’s part of her problem with me.
There’s more I’m clearly missing, but I’m getting to her.
After Ethan and Lily leave, I join my coworkers, and Jameson gives me a look.
“What?” I question.
“You’re really trying, aren’t you?” He shakes his head.
“Oh please, like you didn’t do everything possible to win Sutton over,” I scoff.
“And look how well that worked out for us. Maybe if you weren’t such a fuckboy, it would work for you too.”
“It will,” I tell him confidently.
After my shift is over, I go home and find Franki perched up in her cat tree cleaning her paw. I didn’t know a cat could narrow their eyes, but she does.
“I would think distance would be good for us, but you seem to hate me even more,” I tell her, kicking off my shoes.
She doesn’t do much to reply, just lays down, facing away from me.
“I’m not giving up on you, or Lily. You both need to realize how determined I can be.”
Especially Lily. She should know by now that I’ll never give up when I want something. And I want her. I’ve always wanted her.
It’s been a couple days since the almost kiss, and I haven’t been over to Lily’s house since. I’ve had to stop myself from texting her a million times. I’ve had to stop myself from doing a lot of things with her, and it’s getting harder and harder to manage.
The one cold glass of water dumped over my head that brings me back to reality is the reminder of the man that joined her in town.
I tried to convince myself that if one day I saw her with someone else and it was clear she was happy with him that I could accept it.
I thought maybe that would be the one way I would get myself to move on.
But that’s not the case with Aaron. He’s not good for her. He’s not even a good guy. I can see how she isn’t herself around him. I’m surprised she’s even with him. The Lily I’ve known would never let anyone dull the sparkle she has in her. But he does, and I don’t know if she even notices.
Ethan asked me to come over, and I’ve noticed he’s been doing that a lot more since Lily and Aaron got here. I know Lily works a lot, and night shift is a tough one. I’m sure Ethan still feels alone without her to hang out with him all the time.
Plus, he likes me more. Let’s just be real. I’m the best.
Work has been on the tamer side, and we haven’t had to bring very many patients to the hospital lately. I’m still more than willing to take any paramedic shift I can on the off chance I’ll get to see her.
But going to her house gives me an even higher chance to see her again. And after the last time, I really want to. Maybe we need to talk about what happened. Or almost happened.
Either way, I say goodbye to Franki, who ignores me as usual, grab my keys, and drive over to the Baker’s house. Parking my truck out front, Ethan comes out of the front door almost immediately.
“What’s up? I thought you wanted to play some video games?” I ask, stepping out of my truck.
“I do, but Lily and Aaron are fighting.”
I hardly hear anything else he has to say because I’m storming into the house to check on Lily. There’s loud yelling as soon as I’m inside, and it doesn’t take long to realize it’s coming from the basement. I don’t waste any time, rushing down there.
I’m not thinking about anything other than getting to Lily and making sure she’s okay. I didn’t wake up today thinking I was going to commit a murder, but I guess that could change if Aaron has hurt her in any way.
I rush down to the basement, not even pausing when I get to Lily’s bedroom door and pushing it open. Aaron is mid yell, and I see red the second I catch sight of Lily with tears streaming from her eyes.
“Parker, what’re you doing?” she gasps.
“Get the fuck out,” I tell Aaron. I don’t yell, keeping my voice deep and low.
Aaron scoffs. “That’s what it is, right? He’s the reason you want to stay in this shit hole town? I fucking knew it.”
“No, he has nothing to do with it,” Lily pleads, but I guide her to stand behind me.
“I said get the fuck out,” I tell him again, and I hope he can read on my face that I won’t be telling him a third time.
“Yeah, okay.” He scoffs and starts to walk out. Before he leaves completely, he makes the biggest mistake he could and continues to talk. “Lily, really think about if you want to ruin your life sticking around here, slumming it with the trash you left behind.”
That does it.
I rear my fist back and send it flying right into Aaron’s smug little face.
I feel the crack of his nose under my knuckles, and hear Lily screech my name.
Her arms are around my middle, pulling me back, like she’s not half my size and could actually hold me back.
But she doesn’t need strength to do that with me.
Feeling her tight hold is enough to ground me into reality.
That, and the satisfaction of seeing Aaron holding his rapidly bleeding nose while he stumbles, doing everything he can not to fall onto the ground.
“Get. The fuck. Out!” I call out.
For a second I think he may punch me back but must realize what a bad idea that would be, and he leaves.
Lily pushes me to turn toward her. Though her eyes are still red, and the tears are still on her cheeks, she looks pissed.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?” she screams.
“Yeah, I have. No one talks to you like that. No one makes you fucking cry, Lil.”
“I can handle myself.” She wipes her cheeks, clearly trying to hide the evidence of her tears.
“I know you can, but you don’t have to. Fuck that guy.”
She looks down at the ground. I can see the defeat on her face. I hate it. I cup her cheek, even with my knuckles burning from the punch I fight through the pain, guiding her eyes up to mine.
“Don’t do that, Lil. Anyone who says they love you should encourage whatever you want to do, even if they don’t like it.”
I swallow roughly, remembering exactly how that’s what I did, and how that ended for us. But I don’t regret it because Lily’s not someone who can be held back.
She sniffles and wipes her nose on her sleeve. “You didn’t have to punch him,” she mumbles.
“I disagree. He had that punch coming for a while. Even Jerry Lee hates the guy.” She tries to hide her smile, but I move her face back to look at mine again. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Hide that beautiful smile from me. You don’t ever have to hide anything from me, you know that.”
Her eyes shine up to mine. They flick down to my mouth, just for a second before they’re back on mine. So blue, so beautiful. So perfect, just like she always has been. I rub my thumb against her cheek softly, and she reaches up to hold my wrist.
The warmth of her skin on mine feels so perfect, so natural. But then she’s pulling my hand away from her cheek and breaking our eye contact.
“You’re cleaning the blood up that you caused,” she grumbles, refusing to look at me as she walks toward the stairs.
“Lil,” I call out, and she pauses. I catch the sniffle she tries to hide from me. “Tell me you’re not going to stay with him.”
“That doesn’t concern you.”
“Yes, it does,” I insist. “Leave him.”
She doesn’t say anything else and walks up the stairs. I watch her go, and hope that she’s done with that fuck face. He better hope the same thing because if I have to see him again, he’ll wish I just punched him again.