9. Parker
9
PARKER
W hat the hell was that? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dylan try to get away from me that fast. One minute, we were fine, and the next, she couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I don’t usually take phone calls when I’m in social settings, but the minute I saw Olivia’s name light up on my phone, I knew that the only way to get her off my back was to take the call.
Olivia and I dated for about two years, and we broke up three months ago.
She was the first girl I was serious about after Dylan and I ended things. I wanted forever with Dylan, but I burned that bridge and knew I needed to move on. It took time, but eventually, I let my guard down–a decision I unfortunately have to live with for the rest of my life.
When I met Olivia at a bar in Venice, I thought she was cute–in an LA kind of way. Before her, I was drawn to the more down-to-earth girls. The ones who enjoyed spending their weekends hiking and camping rather than going out to the hottest clubs. Olivia was the antonym to that. But my typical type wasn’t working, so I figured, why not try something new ?
Our first date at Griffith Observatory turned into us spending almost every single day together. I couldn’t get enough of her, and one day, without realizing it, all of her stuff ended up moving into my small one-bedroom apartment in Silver Lake. It was perfect. Almost too perfect. I spent every day waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Olivia made me think that maybe my move to California wasn’t the biggest mistake I had ever made.
I was the one to end things with Dylan, but it had nothing to do with my feelings for her and everything to do with the distance I unintentionally put between us. I think that’s the worst kind of break-up. The one where you have nothing but love for the person, but the timing isn’t right.
Anyway, it turns out that my gut was right about Olivia because I found out she cheated on me with one of her coworkers—the one she repeatedly told me “not to worry about.” Go figure. The worst part is that I caught them together.
I had been working long hours at work and decided to cut out early one afternoon to surprise her with wine and our favorite neighborhood takeout. The last thing I expected to find was her riding him, practically screaming his name for the entire complex to hear. Needless to say, I may or may not have had to clean chow mein off my walls for a week after. The sorry prick is lucky he didn’t walk out with a black eye. Or two. Since then, Olivia has been blowing up my phone nonstop, begging for a second chance.
After I found out, I kicked her out, got the job at Blue Bird lined up, and got the fuck out of there. Nothing says running away from your problems like moving across the country. Although distance played a very big role in Dylan and I going our separate ways, I learned to love my life in Los Angeles, so I wasn’t thrilled about making the move. But when I saw Dylan on that flight, my entire perspective changed.
My phone vibrates, pulling me out of my daze. I warily pull it out, almost positive that I’m going to see Olivia’s name again. My palms go clammy when I see Dylan’s name. I open the text, and my heart stops in my chest.
“I spent years without you in my life, and I don’t plan changing that any time soon. I’m happy to be civil, as my job depends on it, but that’s where I draw the line .”
My breath catches in my lungs, and the blood roars in my ears. I grasp the phone tighter, unable to look away from the screen. If I don’t loosen my white-knuckling, it’s going to snap in half, yet my mind can’t seem to register the intensity of my grip.
What the actual fuck does this mean? For all intents and purposes, I thought we were having an enjoyable lunch. She seemed to hate me a lot less than at the office. I know that’s not saying much, but we were at least taking small steps in the right direction. Now, I feel like we’re even further behind the starting line. I replay our entire conversation in my head, trying to figure out where things went wrong. Everything seemed fine up until the phone call.
Shit.
I throw my phone down on the table and splay my hands out in a wide stretch before relaxing them, doing my best to swallow the anger rising with every passing second. Fucking Olivia. Still managing to ruin things from 2,500 miles away.
But why would that upset Dylan? She didn’t see who I was talking to, and even if she did, it doesn’t explain the hostile text. Unless she’s jealous, but Dyl’s never been the jealous type. She’s not one to jump to conclusions, either, especially over something as small as a phone call.
Without giving myself a moment to question my sanity, I shoot Blake a text asking him to meet me at the deli. He responds in seconds, letting me know he’ll be here in ten. This could be a misstep, but I don’t know what else to do. I have no clue how to fix this, and although Blake may not be the relationship type, he does have a way to get girls to forgive him for even the most despicable mistakes. I’ve witnessed it firsthand and hate to admit that it is impressive.
As I gape at my hands in shock, I hear the deli door open and my name called. I finally lift my eyes to see Blake striding in my direction.
This is one of the many reasons we’re best friends. There are many things we may disagree on, specifically how to treat a woman, but he’s always there for me, no questions asked. When Olivia and I broke up, he booked a flight back to California within minutes and numbed the pain with too much whiskey and a Game of Thrones marathon. There’s something about watching a grisly battle scene that will make your problems feel exponentially smaller.
He slides into the still-warm seat that Dylan occupied only moments ago.
“What’s up? Why the urgent text? Lunch with Dylan go to shit?”
I grimace, though he’s not entirely wrong. “You could say that. We were actually having a good time. She agreed to work together in more or less words. I could see her getting more comfortable around me.”
He steals my soda from me and takes a swig. “So what’s the problem?”
“Olivia called.”
“For fuck’s sake. What did she want?” His lips press into a thin line.
For someone who has commitment issues himself, Blake has always been very supportive of my hatred for my ex. It may be naive, but it gives me hope that one day he’ll settle down himself, though I don’t imagine that will happen any time soon. It’s not looking promising at this moment, but I consider myself an optimist .
“The usual. Begging for me back, telling me how sorry she was.”
He snorts. “She’s only sorry she got caught.”
I wave my hands in agreement and steal my drink back, draining the last of it. “I know. I shut down the call immediately. Unfortunately, I think Dylan saw who was on the other end of it.”
“Why would she care?” Blake asks.
“I wish I knew. That’s why I called you. I have no idea what to do now. We were finally making headway, and now we’re back to square one. She sent me a pretty nasty text after she left, too.”
I pull up our conversation and hand him my phone. He skims it quickly before placing it back down on the table. He leans back and throws one leg over his other, crossing his arms. By the look on his face, it’s clear the puzzle pieces are clicking in his mind–and with him, that’s never a good sign. I can tell from his body body language alone that he’s about to say something stupid. I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for it.
“Dude, she’s jealous. This is your chance,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Did you read the text I just showed you?”
“I did. And it’s clear. Now’s your window to get her back.”
If I had been drinking the last of my soda, I would’ve spit it out onto the table. Instead, my eyes widen, and I let out a small nervous laugh. This is not the perfect opportunity. And I don’t want her back…or do I? That ship sailed a long time ago. I stood on the upper deck of the boat, waving goodbye to a second chance years ago. Based on how she ran away from me, it doesn’t appear she’s hoping to rekindle things either.
“Absolutely not.” I shake my head in dismissal. “Not happening. ”
“Why not?” Blake leans forward, resting against the table. He grabs the bag of potato chips in front of me and pops one into his mouth. Unbelievable. I shove the bag in his direction in defeat. It’s not like I can stomach eating anymore, anyway. “Think about it. The jealousy clearly means there are unresolved feelings there. Now, you can swoop in and show her what she’s been missing all these years. You’ll be her knight in shining armor.”
“Or she wasn’t jealous in the first place and realized that working with me is going to be a logistical nightmare.”
“As someone who knows women like the back of my hand, I’m telling you, she thinks you have a girlfriend. You should use it to your advantage.”
Now I know he’s lost his damn mind. “How do I use that to my advantage?”
“You make her fall in love with you again without realizing it. She thinks you have a girlfriend? Act like it. She’ll think that you’re just being friendly because you’re taken when, in reality, you’re showing her why she can trust you again. Reminding her of all you have to offer without her thinking you have ulterior motives. It’s foolproof.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Answer me this. Do you still love her?”
“Yes,” I blurt out before I can think about my answer, surprising the both of us.
We both freeze, stunned by the admission. After he gets past his momentary speechlessness and shuts his jaw, which had dropped the minute the one-word answer was out of my mouth, he says, “I wasn’t expecting that answer right off the bat. I figured you’d at least put up some fight. You’re making this a lot easier for me.”
I sigh, resigning to my answer. There’s no point in trying to retract my answer. I’ve already dug my own grave. Once Blake has his mind set on something, there’s no convincing him otherwise.
“I’ve never stopped loving her. But that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to end up back together.”
“That’s exactly what it means. Starting today, Operation Get-Dylan-Back is a go, my friend.”