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I follow him through the front doors of the beach house and freeze. It takes me a second to realize what he’s done. I inhale sharply and my palm covers my mouth. I’m in shock.
“Parker….”
“Do you like it?”
Of course, I like it. I love it. The room is filled with Bianca’s order. Every corner and every surface are blanketed with the white peonies that we delivered to her on the beach today. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. They scatter the countertops, the coffee table, spilling from the mantel and hearth, even the floor. The house is barely visible underneath the hundreds of flowers. It’s breathtaking. But it doesn’t change the fact that he cheated on me.
I can feel Parker’s eyes on me, looking for my reaction. I want to tell him how beautiful the room is. I want to ask him how he did this, how he knew peonies were my favorite flower? How did this happen? But I can’t. Not yet.
“It’s okay, Livy. You don’t need to answer me. All I ask is you hear me out.” Parker steps further into the room and I follow hesitantly. His eyes find mine, a crease forming across his brow.
I look away because I have to, focusing on the explosion of peonies covering the coffee table.
“Shit, I had everything I wanted to say to you in my head but then I saw you and I’ve forgotten it all.” He pauses, inhaling a deep breath.
My eyes find his again, my heart aching at the sight of him.
“Livy, I know now what you saw, or at least what you think you saw.”
“Your mouth on some woman in a hotel lobby bar is exactly what I saw.”
“You’re right, you did see that, but I promise it’s not what you think.”
“Parker, I know what I saw. It was pretty clear.” I press my lips together, trying to steady myself. He shakes his head, his gaze falling to the floor then back to me.
“Let me finish, Livy, I can explain. What you saw was a very aggressive woman that didn’t want to take no for an answer. All I wanted that night was a quick drink at the bar before heading back to my suite to Facetime you. I definitely wasn’t looking for company when she sat down on the stool beside me. I was trying to leave when she literally assaulted my mouth. It made my skin crawl, Livy.”
I laugh a little. ”You really expect me to-”
“Livy, why is that so hard to believe? When have I ever intentionally hurt you? When?” His voice is firm. My heart riots behind my ribcage. “I can answer that for you. The answer is never.”
“Well, I guess there’s a first for everything. Breaking hearts all over Manhattan wasn’t enough for you, you had to come home and break mine too.”
“Livy, you know that’s not true.” The air suddenly shifts in the room, the temperature in my body spiking to what feels like two hundred degrees. “Who picked you up from White Harbor when you called needing stitches in your knee? Who drove halfway across town to pick you up from that bar that you had no business being in when you were too drunk to drive yourself and thought you were dying? Who took you home from school in the middle of Spanish class the day the news hit that your dad had been arrested, so you wouldn’t have to walk out to whispers? Who, Livy? It was me.”
I blink twice, the memories flooding back one by one like a tsunami barreling at full force towards me.
“Me, Livy. How can you not see that I am the constant here? I have always been there for you. I would do anything for you. I always have. I’ve never hurt you and I never will. That hasn’t changed.”
Parker rubs a hand across the back of his neck as I realize what I’ve done. I feel dizzy, my mind is muddled. My knees go weak, and I reach for the armchair to latch on to.
“I swear on my life, Livy. I know what it must have looked like, but I wanted nothing to do with her. I would never do that to you. You have to believe me. I love you. I love you so much.” Parker’s voice is full of emotion.
One thing I know for sure, what I’ve always known, deep down: Parker would never lie to me. The truth hits me, and I realize that I if only stayed a few more minutes or given him the opportunity to explain himself, this could all have been avoided.
“Do you believe me? Say something. Please.” His chest rising and falling waiting for me to say something. To say anything.
“I believe you.” There’s relief in his eyes and he’s smiling when I look at him. “I’m sorry I never gave you the chance to explain. I shouldn’t have ignored your messages. This is all my fault. I was just so scared when I saw you with another woman.”
He reaches for me, his hand catching mine, “It’s okay. It’s all in the past. I just want to move forward with you, Livy. These last two weeks without you have been the worst days of my life. I don’t want to spend another second of my life without you.”
“I’m sorry, Parker. I’m just so sorry,” I say.
“It’s not your fault. I would’ve reacted the same way if I saw what you saw. Scratch that, I would have pummelled him on the spot. I’m not mad, Livy, I’m just happy I have you back.”
He takes my cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing over my edge of my jaw. I feel every ounce of tension drain from my body.
“I do have you back, right, Liv?”
