23. Chapter 23
Chapter twenty-three
Laiken
“Your agent?”
Pain shines in Parker’s eyes as he turns his face from mine.
“Yeah.” He shakes his head. “I was so fucked up, Laiken. Dad officially deserted us. Mom was sick. She was on the verge of losing the house.”
My heart cracks. I had no idea.
“You were the only good thing I had. You and riding.” He turns to me with glassy eyes. “When I found out he was pressing charges, and I was facing jail time, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do.”
I squeeze his arm, hopefully giving him a silent dose of encouragement.
“Then Jet Jackson contacted me. I had heard his name milling around and knew he was an agent everyone wanted to land. He said he knew I had a delicate situation and he wanted to help.”
My stomach sinks.
“He said he could make the assault charges go away. All I had to do was sign with him. I had been winning. I was just at the break of my career and he knew it.”
My mind races back in time, sifting through the memories. The postcards that trickled down to nothing. The way he started to shut down.
“How was I supposed to help my mom if I was behind bars? How was I supposed to keep my promises to you?”
His voice grows hoarse and tears build behind my eyes.
“So I did what any twenty-year-old kid would do. I made a choice. One I regret every single day. He paid off Rhodes to keep quiet so I was able to keep doing what I loved while making sure Mom got the care she needed. Had a roof over her head.” He tenses before he says his next words.
“But there was a catch. A catch I wasn’t aware of.
If it’s too good to be true, it usually is. ”
That sinking feeling creeps in again. “What do you mean?”
He puffs out a humorless laugh. “After we signed the contract, he had me sign an NDA. Which I was willing to do to keep out of jail. But I guess I missed the fine print in his contract.” He practically breaks a tooth with how hard he clenches his jaw.
Then it hits me like a wave of pure dread.
“Tori,” I whisper.
Tears pool in his eyes. “Being publicly attached to his daughter was nonnegotiable. Apparently, she had gotten herself into some trouble and Jet Jackson is all about appearances. Whatever she had been involved in had been interfering with business. Sponsorships were leery about working with him. Another thing Jet holds above all else. Money. He knew I was trapped and she didn’t have a choice either. So he manipulated the fuck out of us.”
“So what? You had to date her?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intended.
But talking about her grates on my nerves. Truth be told, I’m jealous. So jealous it’s painful.
“That was his initial request. But I shot it down. Threw a big fit and told him I was in love with you. That there was no way I would do it.” He gently tugs away from me and pushes to his feet.
“He boastfully reminded me I already signed a contract and an NDA. If I told you anything about what was written in either, I was breaking the law and he would make sure I was punished accordingly.”
His shoulders hunch, his posture full of defeat.
“Fuck, Laiken.” He runs a hand across his face before he turns to look down at me still on the ground.
“I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you everything, but I was scared. He had me right where he wanted me and I felt I had no choice. I agreed to public appearances, but that was it. I was not dating her. Period.”
It’s my turn to push to my feet.
“So you never looked back? It’s been seven years, Parker. You really want me to believe you haven’t been with her?” I step up to him. “I’ve seen you. Pictures, articles.” I close my eyes. “She’s beautiful, and there’s no way that you—”
“I’ve never touched her.” His voice rumbles out, hoarse and strained. “Never. I’ve never kissed her. Held her hand. Nothing. I was very clear from the beginning. I had no interest in her. My heart was here. With you.”
His words shock me. Almost to the point of disbelief.
“But you…you never came back.” My eyes leak as I blink away the moisture. “You forgot me. Us.”
He takes my hands in his as they tremble.
“At first, I was on the road. Tori was nowhere in sight and I thought maybe I was getting out of it. But she showed up in Tulsa. It had been about a month since I signed with Jet. Apparently, we were photographed even though I did everything I could to avoid her.”
I know what picture he’s referring to. The one that shattered my heart into a billion pieces. She was smiling next to him. Her hand resting on his chest.
“I had no idea that picture was in the media.” His rough thumbs caress the skin on my hand. “I had been riding like shit and trying to avoid Jet and her as much as possible. I had stopped sending postcards because I felt like a fraud if I kept writing while keeping something so important from you.”
The sun finally ascends over the ridges. The sunlight glistens against his hazel eyes.
“At that point, I had been on the road for three months. My last stop was in Wyoming, but I had made up my mind. NDA or not, I was coming back to tell you. I couldn’t live without you. I wouldn’t.”
I can no longer stop the tears from streaming from my eyes.
“By the time Wyoming was over, I learned it had already been a couple of months since that picture leaked.” He leans his forehead down to mine. “I came back for you, Firefly. But when I got here…you were…” He trails off.
Oh, God.
“I was pregnant,” I whisper, tears pouring slow and steady.
He leans back, the simple move like he is putting miles between us, not inches. “With Rhodes’s baby.”