Overcome (14 page)

Chapter 30

Parker

Parker knew Carly didn’t want to talk about it, but he couldn’t help but think that if she heard it from someone else, she’d hate him. She might even hate him once he told her, but at least he had the chance to tell his side.

Carly sang along to the pop music thumping through the radio. Her feet were on the dashboard and she tapped her fingers, now without polish, on her knees to the beat. She swayed her head back and forth and he tried to hold back his laugh, but he failed miserably.

There was the snarl, she whipped her face toward him.  That only made him laugh louder.

She placed her feet on the floorboard, reached forward, and cranked down the volume. “Sorry.”

“Carly,” he said, trying to keep an eye on the road, and on her at the same time. His eyes flicked back and forth. “I’m not making fun of you. I’m laughing because I think you’re cute.”

Parker wished he could stare when her lips twitched up. He hated he had to look back at the road.

“I think you’re cute, too, and sweet.”

Parker cleared his throat and a semi whooshed past them. “Well, see, guys don’t really like being called cute or sweet. If you’re going to describe me, I prefer to be manly and sexy.”

“Maybe I prefer beautiful to cute,” she quipped back.

“You are.” He scratched the back of his head. “You are beautiful, that was what I thought when I first met you.”

“No, you didn’t. You thought I was a bitch.”

Again, he cleared his throat though he really didn’t need to.

“That’s okay. I thought you were a redneck farm boy.”

“What?” he glanced her way, she was staring at him, her mouth in an amused grin.

“You had on those burly work boots and your shirt was faded and wrinkled. Not to mention your hair.”

“What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Nothing if you’re a homeless person, I mean really when was the last time you had a haircut, junior high?”

No other girl could make him smile while dissing him; only Carly.

“You like my hair. You grab it every time I kiss you.”

“Clearly you’re misjudging my intentions.” She smirked.

“Yeah …” he ran his hand over his hair and coughed. “Anyway … you need to me to stop?” He nodded toward the blue rest area sign.

“Probably,” Carly said.

“Does that mean yes?” Parker quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“So why didn’t you just say yes? It would have been clearer.”

“Oh whatever.” She pushed on his shoulder and even that simple touch made his insides warm.

“It’s not good communication skills.”

“Why do I need good communications skills? I’m sixteen.”

“That’s exactly why.” He pulled into the loop leading to the rest area past the truckers and the families on vacation, toward the pink-orange glow of the setting sun.

Carly hopped out and stretched her arms in the air. Her back arched and that little piece of skin peeked out again. Parker waited on her to finish then placed his hand on her back as they headed into the dome building.

*****

“I have to tell her about Haley, but she doesn’t want to know about Haley, but if she finds out and hears the other side of the story before mine …” Parker stared at himself in the cracked mirror above the sink. He ran water over his hand and patted down his hair that he was more aware of than before, even if Carly may have been just teasing him.  “She could hate me … that would be a long drive back.” He gripped the sides of the sink.

A round man waddled in and wrinkled his brow at Parker.

How many times would he be caught talking to himself today? His dad asked him earlier if everything was all right, because he was thinking out loud while moving the patio furniture.

He wished he didn’t care what Carly thought of him, but he didn’t want her to hate him.

When he walked out of the restroom, he noticed Carly outside the big windows. How did she make it out before him? How long was he talking to himself? She was sitting on a picnic table, leaning back on her elbows, staring up at the sky. Her hair blew behind her with the breeze her mouth was in a slight smile.

Before he made his way outside, he stopped at the vending machine and bought the candy bar she’d eaten earlier then one for himself.

She didn’t move as he climbed up on the table and sat beside her. Maybe they should be getting back on the road, but he wasn’t ready to leave. A light golden glow fell across Carly’s face as the sun slipped further down toward the horizon.

He sat the candy on the table beside him, and reached his hand over Carly’s.

She smiled up at him. “I’m sorry, just got a little distracted. I’m sure you’re ready to get going. You still have to drop me off and turn and around and go back.” She leaned up.

“No, I’m okay.”

Her eyes flicked toward the pink sun. “It’s just so peaceful here.”

Though Parker enjoyed his view of Carly he turned to what she was watching. The rolling green hills seemed to go on to infinity. The rose colored sun dipped down highlighting the peaks of the trees.  Even though it was a Sunday evening at a rest stop for travelers, there weren’t many coming in and out. And the ones that did, didn’t stay long, only a quick stop before they were back on the road to their destination. What was the fun in traveling if you weren’t going to enjoy it while it was happening?

The hand that lay under his flipped over and Carly thread her fingers through his, keeping her gaze on the sunset lifting their hands to her lap. “Thanks for today.”

“What do you have to thank me for? You’re the one that helped me not be a ‘super-chicken-geek’ and face my mom.”

A small giggle came from her, and she leaned her head onto his shoulder. He loved the way it felt and that fruity smell that came along with it. “It’s been a long time since I’ve just … been. Since I’ve not had to prove anything to anybody. It feels like everyone is always watching and waiting for me to crack.”

Parker slid his thumb over the back of her hand. He wanted to know why she thought people were waiting for her to crack. He wanted her to know about his past. “Because Colten?” he asked, but immediately regretted it. Her body went rigid, and she turned toward him, her lips pursed and eyes narrow.

“Did Bree …”

“You said his name … earlier … when you were sleeping.” He nodded toward the Jeep.

Carly removed her hand from his, sat up and looked at her nails. Parker wanted to tell her the obvious, that there wasn’t any more polish there for her to scrape off, but he didn’t feel this was a good time to be cracking jokes.

“He died.” Her whisper was barely audible over the rushing traffic from behind them.

“What?” Parker wasn’t sure he heard her right? If he was her boyfriend … he died? Sure he knew teenagers could die, heard it on the news or on Twitter or Facebook every day. But it wasn’t like he thought it ever happened to anyone he knew or knew of.

Carly swiped her hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand and tilted her face back up to the darkening sky. “Colten died saving my best friend, your sister, and everybody walks around me like I’m some piece of fragile glass ready shatter. I just want to forget, you know?”

“I don’t know.” Parker surprised himself with his honesty. Wasn’t he supposed to tell her he was sorry or that it was going to be okay or some lame line like that? He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“For not treating me like everyone else does.”

He wrapped his free hand around her waist and squeezed her against him.  Her hair tickled his nose when he pressed a kiss on the top of her crown. Questions filled his mind. Colten died saving Bree?

Parker resisted the urge to ask, or he’d ruin the moment. Someday … maybe when he felt her guard come down a little more he’d find out. Or maybe he’d just ask Bree to fill in the blanks. He knew her boyfriend died. He knew her dad beat her mom, but she never talked about it. She never expected pity. She didn’t want pity. And she never let it show that it hurt her. But Parker saw through what she wanted everyone to believe, and he wasn’t going to press it.

The sun finally disappeared and the only light came from the big spot light on the outside of the building. Carly’s breathing slowed and her body went limp against him. He hated waking her up. She’d barely slept all weekend because of him.

Chapter 31

Carly

“Stephanie is 22 years older than Jeremy. In 2 years, the sum of their ages will be 76. How old are they now?” Carly read from her text book. She looked up at her laptop screen and nibbled on the pencil in her hand. “Why should I care how old Stephanie and Jeremy are?”

Parker’s face took up the whole screen and his laughter crackled from the speakers.

Carly sat Indian style in the middle of her bed, her laptop open and text book in her lap.

“Okay, so Jeremy’s age is x and Stephanie’s age is x plus 22.” Parker said as he wrote in his teeny block handwriting. He held the paper up to the webcam, the problem filled the screen.

“I like the other view better,” Carly giggled.

“Focus, Snarly,” he smirked as he lowered the paper. “Did you get that?”

“No,” she whined and nibbled her bottom lip.

“C’mon, you need to get it. I know you can,” Parker said in his most encouraging voice like he’d been doing all week. She had to admit his patience with this drew her to him even more.

“But it’s stupid. If I want to know how old somebody is, I’ll just ask them.” Carly held her hands out palm up.

Parker shook his head. “Okay … how about this … you pay attention and I’ll reward you.”

She lowered the pencil to her lap. “Go on.”

“I’m thinking you do this for me, and I’ll come down and stay tomorrow night.”

“At the hotel?”

“Well … I’d much rather stay at your house, but I don’t think your mom and dad would like that.” His eyebrows lifted.

Carly leaned forward as if she was getting closer to him, not a computer screen. “I wish I could kiss you right now.”

He let out another low chuckle and scratched the top of his head. His floppy hair fell into his eyes. “Let’s focus on algebra.”

Carly puckered out her lips like she was posing for a selfie. “I thought I was cuter than algebra.”

“Uh …” he looked down. “Hey, I’m not the one who’s going to fail if we don’t get back to work.”

She flopped back on to her bottom. “You’re no fun.”

“You can kiss me tomorrow …if …”

“I don’t like your ifs.” She pouted to her book.

This only rewarded her more laughs from the computer screen.

*****

Carly didn’t care if she was at work, it’d been four whole days since she’d seen him last. When Parker waltzed into the hotel, his blue duffle bag over his shoulder, she jumped off the counter and ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. Once she was wrapped up in him, she realized how much she actually did miss him.

His bag made a thump as it hit the floor and his arms enclosed around her waist picking her up. She squealed.

“Carly, please keep it professional. You don’t need to be all over your boyfriend while you’re on the clock,” Judd grumbled.

When she pulled away from Parker, keeping her eyes on his, she didn’t correct Judd and neither did he. Was it some unspoken understanding between them, that they indeed were more? As much as she tried to deny it, as much as she tried not to wait around for his calls or video chats or even the anticipation of knowing she would see him today, school was torture. Earlier, Jake called. He wanted to meet up despite how she’d irritated him Saturday night. It felt good to tell him no. It was liberating, not being someone’s booty call.

“Let’s get you checked in.” Carly threaded her hand through Parker’s and led him to the front desk.

“How’s your mom?” Judd asked as he gathered the end-of-the-day paper work.

“As good as anyone dying I guess,” Parker responded too quickly.

Carly squeezed his hand.  He squeezed back and she hated letting him go to get on the computer, but just knowing that he’d be checked in for the night was enough to hold her over. She was already thinking of excuses to not go home. She could probably say she was staying at Bree’s even though she hadn’t since Bailey was born. Would her mom even care if she was lying? She’d been so consumed with whatever she was sneaking around doing that Carly wasn’t even sure her mom would notice her gone. Being a typical week night, her dad would probably be passed out drunk in his recliner before Carly made it home from work.

She struggled with keeping her smile back as she typed his information into the computer. She couldn’t wait until her mom and Judd were gone.

Parker would be checked in and back out to help her with her homework, though her homework was the last thing she wanted to be working on.

“Go drop off your stuff and come back out” She winked at him as she slid the keycard across the counter.

His mouth quirked in a grin, he leaned forward and her stomach fluttered. “Algebra first, Snarly.”

Carly stuck her lip out in a pout and he walked back to his room.

“Carly, I need you to type these reservations in.” Her mother’s voice brought her from thoughts of Parker … and after work … and Parker.

When she reached for the papers she couldn’t help but notice the extra open button on her mom’s shirt. Her mom was always professional at work. It wasn’t like her to have missed a button.

“Can I stay with Bree tonight?” Carly asked, hoping her mother would be in such a hurry to get out of there she wouldn’t put it together.

“See you all later.” Judd called out as he made his way toward the door.

Her mom’s cheeks turned pink. “Bye Judd.”

“So can I?” Carly dared ask again, but if she didn’t get a clear yes, she couldn’t say she had permission when she was asked where she was.

“Carly…” Her mom shook her head at her. “First of all, it’s a school night for you. Second of all, your boyfriend just checked in and-”

“Do you not trust me?” Carly huffed, working up to a fit.

Her mom looked behind her, at the big glass doors. Judd’s SUV pulled out of the parking lot. “I’m not stupid. It’s best if you come home tonight, you can stay with Bree next week.”

“But mom,” Carly whined, tilting her head and bouncing her leg.

“I don’t have time for this. No.” Her mom slipped her oversized purse over her shoulder and adjusted her hair around the strap.

Why didn’t she have time? It wasn’t like she was going home.

“See you later. Don’t forget to put those reservations in for me, it’s for Fourth of July weekend and you know how busy we are that week.”

“Okay mom.” Carly rolled her eyes as her mother hurried out the door.

“You have your homework ready?” Parker asked.

Parker was back. Carly threw on her most flirty smile and turned to him. “I can’t concentrate on homework when I haven’t seen you in person for days.”

She pulled herself up on the counter and dangled her feet over Parker’s side, closing the distance between them. Her hands slid over his shoulders and she pulled him down to her, pressing her mouth to his.

Her lips rattled as he chuckled against her. “Algebra first, remember? Get it out of the way and we’ll have the rest of the evening.”

She sat her forehead against his. She kept her hands planted on the back of his neck, holding him to her level. “I want to stay the night … but my mom …”

Parker cleared his throat and ducked out of her grasp. “I didn’t ask you to stay.” He stepped away from her.

“Wow, you don’t have to act like that … I just thought …” She looked down and slid around to the other side of the counter again. “Nevermind,” she mumbled, trying not to let on that she was disappointed. Didn’t he tell her last night he wanted to stay at
her
house? Every other guy would want her to stay. Why didn’t Parker? She opened up the cabinet and pulled out her backpack.

“Carly …”Her name hung in the air, and she couldn’t look at him. How many more times could she humiliate herself?

She walked back to the counter, sat her backpack beside the computer, and retrieved her text book.

“Carly …” he said again.

Finally, she looked up.

“What?” She put on the smile she was used to faking.

“Are you mad?”

“No.” She placed her book on the counter then hopped up beside it.

“Are you sure?” His voice was soft.

Carly turned her face toward him, “I told you I wasn’t that girl who stayed at home waiting on a guy to call. Well, I’m not the kind of girl who gets upset over something stupid either. Why should I be mad you don’t want to spend the night with me? It’s not like you’re my boyfriend.” She flipped open the text book. She pushed her hair out of her face and plastered on a smile before looking up at him.

He wasn’t smiling.  His eyes flicked off her onto the book. "Guess not," he mumbled and leaned over the counter. He placed his elbows beside the book far enough away to not be touching her. “What’re you working on today?” His voice was flat when he spoke toward the book.

Carly wished she could take it back.

*****

Before the study session was over, she became that girl she didn’t want to be when she asked him, “Are you mad at me?”

She’d focused as best as she could, though Parker did most of the work and she didn’t argue. Algebra was the last thing she could focus on as his hand darted across the paper. His voice was low and clipped, but she still loved hearing it even if he was clearly irritated with her. All she wanted was for him to smirk up at her and call her Snarly. Even though Snarly wasn’t the cutest name, it was his name for her, and he always had a smile when he spoke it.

“Nope.” He scratched the back of his head with the end of the pencil before pointing the eraser at the next problem. “So Joe …”

And he lost her when he started talking numbers again, scrawling more digits that made no sense to her as he talked way too fast. This was taking half the time it normally took. He didn’t make her do any problems on her own or stop to make sure she understood.

She finally leaned forward on her elbows, her legs folded under her. She touched his forearm.

“Pay attention.” He didn’t look up. The pencil still moved across the paper.

“Parker ...”

He stopped, looked up at the ceiling and shook his head.  “Let’s … can we just get this over with?” He pointed to the paper.

Carly sat back without saying anything and Parker began to write and talk again.  “So seven x plus sixty minus sixty equals five x plus one-twenty minus sixty.” The problem swam in Carly’s brain, but didn’t register. Parker didn’t slow down either, he kept on rattling off each step like she wasn’t completely lost.

“I need a drink.” Carly gripped the side of the counter and hopped off.

The hotel phone rang before she could make it around the counter. “Cambrooke Lake Hotel.” Carly answered with her professional voice.

“My family and I always come to the lake for Fourth of July, but it seems I waited too long this year. I need three rooms, enough to sleep ten. Possibly all together with two adjoining, but if you can’t that’s okay.”

“Hold on let me check.” Carly still held the pep in her voice, and Parker continued to work on her homework.

She typed the information in. “Yeah, we have just enough to accommodate you.”

Carly felt silly talking like that in front of Parker, but it was part of the lingo for the hotel she had to speak while working. After taking the information she needed from the caller, she headed down the hall toward the vending machine.

Parker didn’t speak and, at this point, she just wanted to see how long it took him to.

She bought a drink for her and one for him, hoping to maybe make things better between them. Did she regret saying he wasn’t her boyfriend? Yes, but they never did make it official, and her stupid mouth sometimes ran faster than her brain.

The carpet was cool under her feet. She rounded the corner, keeping her head up and shoulders back. She didn’t want Parker to know that he was getting under her skin.

She sat his pop beside his elbow. He was still hovered over the book talking to himself quietly. Hers made a hissing sound as she twisted the top off, walking around the counter. Parker stood up looked at his soda, then at Carly.

“I remember seeing you with Mountain Dew a few times, thought maybe you might want one.” She shrugged and sat her diet soda on the counter before hopping back up on her perch.

“Thanks,” he said, but still didn’t smile and looked away before he opened it and took a drink.

He sat the pop down, but didn’t get right back to the homework like he had been. “Who’s Jake?”

“Huh?” Where was this coming from? Carly folded her legs, Indian style.

“Your phone went off, and I … I wasn’t looking or anything … but it was kind of hard to miss.” He pointed the sharpened end of the pencil toward her phone, sitting screen up, beside the textbook. “I mean it’s okay … I just … I kind of thought we were … guess I probably should have made sure.”

“Parker.” Carly reached for him. Like things couldn’t get any worse. She’d waited four days to see him. She should know never to get her hopes up.