Chapter 38
Lily
I don’t even bother to pretend like I’m going to bed because I know Parker’s going to be back. Since apparently, he’s obsessed with pretending like we’re teenagers sneaking out again.
Even if it is fun.
And exciting.
Okay, maybe I like it too. But still, it’s my birthday and I hoped we would just go back to his house and not leave his bed until one of us absolutely had to go to work. Of course, he has other plans, and as usual those plans include driving me insane.
Tulips is lying on my bed with her head on her paws, watching me pace back and forth.
“Why’re you just staring at me?” I ask her.
She perks her head up and tilts it to the side, her ears flopping with the movement. “Do you want to go stay with Ethan tonight?”
She rolls over, her head hitting her stuffed duck she must have forgotten was there because she immediately bites it, shaking her head so it squeaks.
“I’m going to take that as a yes.” I shrug, opening my bedroom door. She jumps down, hardly keeping the toy in her mouth as she follows me to Ethan’s room. I open the door just enough for her to walk in.
I don’t waste time racing back down to my bedroom, hoping Parker will have appeared in the two minutes I left. He didn’t, and I flop onto my bed with a groan. I reach for my phone, about to text him to tell him he has five minutes before I lock my window, but then I hear his truck approaching.
Without wasting much time, I push open my window and lean outside of it. Parker crosses the front yard, and smiles when he sees me.
“Eager?” he taunts.
“Well duh, you’ve kept me waiting here practically all night. And on my birthday, no less.” I sigh dramatically.
“It’s not even that late.” He chuckles.
“All. Night,” I express even more dramatically while climbing out the window. Parker takes my hand in his to help me out. As soon as I’m on my feet and standing in front of him, he hauls me against his chest hard enough I let out a whoosh of air.
“So sorry for keeping you waiting. I promise I’m about to make it up to you.”
“You better,” I challenge with a smile.
He teases his mouth over mine but stays just out of reach. Even when I raise up onto my tip toes, he evades my kiss and I let out a low growl of frustration.
“We have to get going. I have a lot of birthdays to make up for.” He steps backwards, tugging on my hand to follow.
Our hands remain intertwined the entire drive to our spot. I didn’t want any distance between us so I sit pressed up against him with my head resting on his shoulder. I love how his hand feels in mine, it’s rough with calluses, so much bigger than mine and yet we fit together perfectly.
“Are you going to tell me what you wished for yet?” he asks and I shake my head.
“Nope, because I want it to come true.”
“Does it have to do with me? Because if it does, I can ensure that it happens.”
I bite my lip, thinking about what it is but refuse to answer him. All I can say is, “I know you would.”
We get to our spot, and after parking instead of getting out right away to fill the truck bed with blankets and pillows like normal, he pulls out a Bluetooth speaker and his phone.
“What’re you doing?” I question.
“You’ll see.”
We get out of the truck cab, I follow Parker to the front where he’s kept the headlight on so we have a spotlight on us.
He scrolls on his phone before a soft song I instantly recognize plays through the speakers.
It’s one of my favorites by Spencer Sparks and I smile as Parker pulls me into his arms and we start to sway.
Wrapping my arms around him, I rest my head on his chest and let him move us as the music plays.
“Do you remember prom?” he asks, his chin resting on the top of my head.
“Of course I do.” I smile at the memories.
“Do you remember afterwards?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, we came out here because I complained how boring it was and it would be better if it was just the two of us.”
“And it was.”
I nod in confirmation. “It was.”
The song ends, flowing into the next one and Parker moves his hands to cup my face, forcing me to look up at him. “I remember how beautiful you looked that night. You had that light blue dress on that matched your eyes.”
I suck in a sharp breath and am unsure of what to say.
He continues, “You had your hair up, but didn’t like how heavy your head felt, and took it down.”
“What else?” I squeak.
“You were going to wear heels but knew you’d end up taking them off, so you wore your boots instead because you didn’t want your feet hurting and ruining the night.”
“I stand by that.”
“Of course you do, because you’re always unapologetically you,” he states. “You’re Lily Baker. You know who you are and even if someone tries to change you, it’s impossible. You’re perfect just the way you are, and you’re perfect for me.”
I run my hands up his forearms, resting my hands on his that are holding my face. “How do you always know the perfect thing to say?” I practically whisper.
“I don’t, not by a long shot. But I do know what I need to say.”
I swallow roughly; my heart is pounding in anticipation as I tighten my grip on his hands. Especially as his eyes search mine, his smile is soft on his chiseled face.
“I love you, Lil. I always have. It doesn’t matter if we’re together or apart. I never stopped loving you. I fall more in love every single day.”
My jaw drops at his confession and the words I’ve been dying to hear from him since the day I left for college.
Even when I was mad at him, if he would have said these words to me, I may have forgotten about everything completely.
It may not have solved everything, but damn would it have been nice to hear.
Though hearing it right now is even better. “I love you, Parker.” I throw myself into his arms, kissing him like he’s the air I need to breathe. I pull back with a gasp to tell him one more thing before I completely lose my mind. “That was my wish.”
“What?” he breathes.
“My birthday wish was for you to love me again.”
He smiles, dropping his forehead onto mine. “Well then, happy birthday.”
I kiss him again; my tongue teases his lips and opens instantly. He groans when I lick into his mouth and the world around us fades. Nothing matters except him and me. But he breaks us apart and I could cry from the loss.
“Let’s go back to my house. I want to make sure I fuck you properly for your birthday and not in any part of my truck.”
I chuckle. “But I like fucking in your truck.”
“Trust me, I know you do, but I can do a lot better in my bed.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. “Prove it.”
He hauls me up into his arms and doesn’t waste another second carrying me back to the truck, grabbing the speaker before we get back inside it. I can hardly wait and try to straddle him on the bench seat, but Parker lifts me and sets me down next to him.
“Patience, baby. I’ll make it worth it.”
“You better. It’s my birthday, I expect the best orgasm of my life,” I huff.
“How about multiple?” He winks and I just about combust on the spot.
I know I’m in for a fantastic birthday night.
One thought pops into my mind, and I blurt it out. “We aren’t doing any butt stuff.”
Parker sputters out a laugh. “Wasn’t planning on that.”
“Good, because some guy came into the ER the other day claiming he ‘fell on a shampoo bottle.’”
He laughs loudly. “Thank you for that, Lil. That really sets the mood.”
“I’m a pro at that.” I smile widely. “Especially if you wanted to try butt stuff, but I would use something better than a shampoo bottle for you.”
He laughs even louder. “Fuck, I love you.”