AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Parker, I’m sorry. I just…”
“It’s none of your business,” he snarls.
Feeling the sting of his words, I swallow back the lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t expecting this kind of response, and I don’t know how to react to it. The tension between us is palpable, and I feel like I’m drowning in it.
“I…” I start to say, but my words come out as a whisper.
“You should probably go, Chloe.” His voice is harsh, but his gaze is not on me anymore; it’s unfocused, lost somewhere between the worn-out floorboards and the freshly painted ceiling. “I don’t want you to get in the way here.”
I blink back at him. My mouth opens and closes, but no sound comes out. He continues to glare at our surroundings instead of looking at me directly, and I can tell he’s not going to give me the option to try and reason with him. Nodding slowly, I turn around and begin to walk away, feeling his eyes on my back.
The air feels heavy as lead as I retreat down the corridor. The echo of my footsteps in the empty halls is deafening. I manage to reach my car before the dam breaks and the tears start streaming down my face. Right now, I feel like an intruder who barged into a realm she wasn’t supposed to enter. I crossed an invisible line, and all I want to do is go back and pretend it never happened. I didn’t mean any harm or to be nosy. I just wanted him to know that I’m here if he ever wants to talk.
I feel my heart swelling painfully in my chest. My jaw clenches as a sob escapes me, echoing in the quiet of the parking lot. After several long moments where I can’t seem to catch my breath, I finally manage to calm down enough that I can safely drive home. Still, I sit there, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white, staring blankly at the outdated building. The sight of it makes my stomach churn, and I’m suddenly so desperate to leave that it feels like a physical pain.
With a jerk, I put the car in gear and peel out of the parking lot, ignoring the startled look from one of Parker’s crew members as I speed away. My driving is reckless and far too fast, but right now, I don’t care about anything other than putting as much distance between me and that building as I can.
I reach home feeling numb and hollowed out from crying. Inside the house, everything looks eerily normal, like a stark contrast to the chaos inside me. I make it to the couch, where I drop down heavily and bury my face in my hands, overcome by an exhaustion that seems bone-deep. A knot of unease tugs at the edges of my heart as I realize that it might take more than a simple apology to mend things between Parker and me…and I’m not sure who it should come from. I’m confused, hurt, and tired, so I curl up on the couch and cry myself to sleep.
Chapter fourteen
Parker
Istand 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.
