14. Parker
Chapter fourteen
Parker
I stand in the empty hallway long after Chloe’s left, my heart pounding in my chest. Her scent lingers in the air, making my head spin and my stomach churn. I run a hand through my hair, regretting each harsh word I’d thrown at her.
Why did I let my temper flare up like that? None of what’s happening is her fault.
A part of me answers the question instantly: because I’m being a coward. I’m afraid of letting her see my vulnerabilities, my problems. So, I pushed her away before she got too close and saw just how messy my life really is.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I replay her shocked expression when I’d snapped at her. God, I really made a mess this time, didn’t I? It was as if I could still see each flicker of confusion and hurt in her eyes. Feeling like a lowlife, I begin to pace anxiously up and down the hallway.
What have I done? Chloe didn’t deserve to be treated that way. She didn’t deserve it at all. I can tell that she was here out of concern for me, not to be a busybody or lecture me about the importance of family and forgiveness, like others have done.
Minutes turn into hours, and yet, I can’t get over how easily and quickly I hurt Chloe. She had only offered to help, and all I did was lash out at her like an enraged beast. Her teary-eyed expression haunts me while guilt gnaws at every part of my being.
By the end of the day, I know I have to talk to her and apologize. It’s late by the time I leave the building, but I make my way to a nearby market that’s open twenty-four hours and buy her a bouquet of flowers. Maybe it’s a little cheesy, but I don’t feel like I can show up at her doorstep empty-handed. I choose yellow roses, because I know they’re her favorite.
I drive to her house and park on the street outside. It’s only then that I remember that I can’t just show up in the middle of the night with flowers and knock on her front door. How in the world would I explain myself to Lauren? My sister would tear me apart, not only for sleeping with her best friend, but also for treating her so harshly.
I sit in my car for several minutes, the flowers sitting on the seat next to me while I try to figure out what I should do. Just leaving isn’t an option. I have to talk to her. I have to make this right.
But how?
With a determined huff, I grab the flowers, get out of my car, and sneak to the backyard. I look up and breathe out in relief when I see a light is on in her window. She’s still awake!
Quietly, I creep to the trellis that runs up the side of the house adjacent to her window. A foolish idea, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Cursing under my breath, I hold the flowers in my mouth and start to climb, praying that the old, wooden structure holds me. Every rustle and creak of the trellis feels blaringly loud in the silence of the night. The vine-covered lattice is rough against my hands, and I keep scraping my knuckles as I climb.
Finally, I reach her window and tap gently on the glass pane. I see her silhouette shift behind the curtains, and my heart thumps loudly in my chest. The curtain pulls back, and there she is, her eyes wide and surprised as they find mine.
“Chloe,” I whisper after taking the bouquet out of my mouth and holding it up so she can see it better.
She stands frozen for a moment before realization dawns on her face, and she unlatches the window.
“What are you doing here, Parker?” she asks.
“I came to apologize,” I say while leaning the upper half of my body on her windowsill.
There’s an uncomfortable pause where neither of us knows what to say or do.
“You scared me earlier,” she finally murmurs.
“I know,” I admit and run a hand over my face with a sigh. “I shouldn’t have said those things.”
“But you did.” Chloe looks down at her hands, and she starts biting the corner of her bottom lip. Seeing how upset she is just makes me feel even worse for snapping at her like I did.
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” I say. “Truly, I am.”
Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, I say it again, “I am truly sorry.”
There’s an earnestness in my voice that even I hadn’t expected. She glances up at me, her face unreadable, but I see a glimmer of hope hidden deep within her gaze.
She doesn’t speak for a while, seemingly gathering her thoughts, but then, she finally breaks the silence. “Barging into someone’s room in the middle of the night holding their favorite flowers doesn’t make up for what you did.”
“I know. I don’t expect it to. But I wanted to let you know how much I regret my words. It was totally uncalled for to talk to you like that.”
Chloe frowns slightly, scrutinizing my face, I’m guessing for any sign of insincerity. I dare not break away from this stare-down. It isn’t about winning or losing—it’s about opening up to someone who means more to me than I’d like to admit.
“Then why did you say them?” she asks after a moment.
The words hang in the air between us, and I can’t help but feel a lump forming in my throat. I’ve never been one for baring my soul, not even to the closest people in my life. But Chloe, she has a way of breaking down my walls, making me want to share every raw and painful part of myself with her.
“I was scared,” I confess while looking down at the roses clasped tightly in my hands. They’re wilting slightly now, just like my bravado. “I am scared.”
“You’re scared?” she echoes, and her eyes widen with surprise.
“Yes.” I admit. Meeting her gaze once more, I sigh as a weight lifts off my shoulders for having said it out loud.
Then, there’s silence again, which is only interrupted by the distant sound of crickets and the rustle of leaves.
“Come inside,” she murmurs. That simple invitation brings a wave of relief. I nod, stepping down from the windowsill and into her room.
Chloe looks at me, then glances at the flowers. She reaches out and takes them, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she studies them.
“They’re beautiful,” she murmurs and sets them on her desk. When she turns back around to face me, there’s a vulnerability in her eyes that matches my own.
“I’m sorry for hurting you,” I say again. This time, the words don’t sound hollow or rehearsed. They’re simply the truth. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
Chloe looks at me for a long moment, her gaze heavy with uncertainty. Then, to my surprise, she laughs softly. “You know, Parker, you have a very romantic and cinematic way of apologizing.”
I can’t help but chuckle at her observation. There’s still tension in the air, thick and palpable, but her laughter lightens it somewhat.
“What can I say? I’m a man of grand gestures,” I reply, my tone teasing as I maneuver around the room to sit on the edge of her bed.
She shakes her head slightly at my flippant response and sits beside me, maintaining an appropriate distance that I respect. Just because the tension between us has lightened doesn’t mean she’ll just magically forget what I said. She gazes down at her fidgeting fingers in her lap.
“Promises are easy to make,” she murmurs after a few moments of silence. “But they’re not always easy to keep.”
I nod. “I know. But I mean it, Chloe.”
Chloe finally turns to face me, and our eyes meet. She appears contemplative as she studies my face before letting out a small sigh.
“Alright,” she says softly. She holds my gaze for another moment before breaking into a small smile.
“Alright?” I ask hesitantly.
She reaffirms with a nod, her smile growing a bit. “Alright. I forgive you.”
I release a long breath, my shoulders sagging.
“That’s such a relief,” I tell her. “I felt so awful, and none of it was your fault…”
Before I can finish, she takes my face in her hands and pulls me down to her. She swallows my words with a kiss.
Surprise registers in my mind for a split second before I give in to the warmth of her lips on mine. I let her take the lead, and Chloe deepens the kiss, her tongue slipping into my mouth without hesitation. Her hand slides under my shirt, her fingernails raking gently across my skin. I can’t help but moan against her lips as my own hands find her hips, pulling her closer to me.
It’s a desperate, urgent kiss. Heat pools in my stomach as she tugs at my shirt. She pulls it off and tosses it aside, then runs her hands across my chest. I’m already growing hard as she pushes me onto my back and straddles my hips, leaning down to kiss me with more fervor.
She grinds against me, the fabric creating a delicious friction that only heightens my arousal. I slide my hands under her shirt, caressing her back and then up to cup her breasts. Chloe moans into my mouth as she grinds harder against me, seeking more friction.
Before things can escalate further, though, she suddenly pulls back and gazes down at me with flushed cheeks and swollen lips.
“We should stop,” she murmurs. “We shouldn’t do this here. Lauren is just down the hall.”
“Okay,” I manage to get out, my breath coming in ragged gasps. She’s right, of course. We don’t want to risk getting caught by Lauren. Chloe rises from my lap and straightens her shirt while I sit up and put mine back on.
“I’m glad you came over tonight,” she admits while giving me another small smile.
“Yeah, we should do this more often,” I reply in an attempt to lighten the mood. She chuckles softly.
“Not the making out part, Parker,” she retorts and rolls her eyes playfully. “The talking. The clearing things up.”
“But the making out part wasn’t bad, either, right?” She blushes a bit but doesn’t deny it. “Go home, Parker.” Then, she pushes me lightly toward the window with a smile on her face.
“Just remember,” I say as I climb onto the window sill, “my promises are not just words. They mean something.”
As I jump off and land on the ground below, I hear her voice above me, soft in the quiet night air.
“I’ll remember that, Parker.”
As I walk away from the house, a sigh of relief escapes my lips. Tonight went better than I’d anticipated. Coming clean about my feelings and apologizing to Chloe was the right thing to do.
“Promises are easy to make,” her voice echoes in my head.
I intend to keep mine. I won’t hurt Chloe again—not if I can help it. As I turn around for one last look at my sister’s home fading into the distance, warmth fills my heart. I’m going to make sure she doesn’t regret giving me another chance. I’ll deal with my family stuff without letting any of it touch Chloe and taint what we have.