cherry flavoured

25

JACKSON FALLS ASLEEP pretty quickly once I read to him, and I step out into the hallway, closing the door quietly. It's silent. The lights are off downstairs, so I'm assuming everyone has gone to bed.

I know I shouldn't but I find myself outside Parker's door. I knock gently, but no one answers. I knock again. Nothing. Becoming impatient, I push the door open.

Parker is sat at the end of his bed, his head in his hands. The room is only dimly lit by the moon, but I can see the blood covering his knuckles.

"Hey." I close the door behind me quietly, leaning against it.

"Go to bed Kinsley." he mumbles without looking up.

I ignore him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Go to bed." he repeats.

"If you wanna talk I-"

Parker sits up, looking over at me.

"I don't want to talk, Elena."

There it is. It's as if I just watched the wall go back up like a sliding screen.

"Why do you keep doing this?" I sigh, leaning my head back against the door.

He looks at me now, his face emotionless. As gorgeous as he is, I hate that face.

"Every single time I think we're getting somewhere, you push me away." I sit up, taking a step forward.

Parker looks at me for a moment, before laughing. Not the laugh that makes my heart beat a little faster. A short, bitter laugh.

He pushes himself to his feet, walking towards the back door.

"Not everything is about you, Kinsley." he latches his hands behind his head.

I feel the anger creep up my neck.

"I'm not trying to make this about me." I step forward again.

"Please, just go Elena." he says, his back to me.

"You can't just suppress every emotion you feel, Parker."

"Elena." he warns.

"It's okay to feel things." I press.

He turns around. "Leave."

"Why won't you just talk to me?" I begin to raise my voice.

"Please, shut up Kinsley!" he yells, pushing his hands through his hair.

"Come over here and make me!" I yell back.

Parker brings his eyes to mine. My heart beat quickens at the intensity of his eyes. As if it was smashed, the wall breaks down and every emotion he was feeling comes flooding through.

He steps towards me and I step back, until my back hits the door. He towers over me, eyeing me for a moment. The only sound is my breath as I begin to struggle for air. The smell of his harsh aftershave invades my lungs as replacement, making me feel light headed.

Parker places each of his hands on the door beside my head, bowing his own.

"Fuck, Elena." he whispers.

Hesitantly, I stroke the hair back from his forehead. I take his face in my hands, tilting it up to look at me and he closes his eyes, melting into my touch.

"Open your eyes Parker." I say quietly.

He shakes his head no.

"Open your eyes, please."

His jaw tenses as he slowly opens his eyes, them meeting my own. He looks between them for a moment, tucking my hair behind my ear, his nose brushing against mine as he cups my face.