Find me in Stonebrook

Thirteen

*Parker's POV*

"Come on." I pulled her hand out of the truck, pushing my fingers between hers and walking an exhausted Tessa around to the back of my truck. I should probably get her home but I really really didn't want tonight to end before it absolutely had to. I let go of her hand, lifting her up into the make shift bed with ease, going back to my side of the truck and grabbing the hoodie I'd put back here and climbing into the back with her. The playlist she'd had playing all evening on our aimless drive was running quietly on the speaker, windows down so we could hear it without it ruining the peace out here. "Here." I rolled the sweater pulling it down over her head before she could refuse. "Arms in."

"I don't need-"

"Shh." She pushed her arms in, pulling the sleeves up until her tiny hands peeked out of them. It was miles too big to her, the hood over her head swallowing her whole. I laid her down, pushing my arm under her head until she was laid on my bicep, look up at the stars.

I don't care if there's some other guy 4 hours away. I don't care if she's been his for 3 years. I don't care if in just over 2 weeks she goes back to him. Right now, she's mine and I'm going to do everything I can to remind her what life with me was like and how it could be now. Even if she doesn't want this when she leaves, I know I'll be sending her back to him with memories of me that aren't tainted with my stupid mistake.

"Do you ever think about parallel timelines?" She whispered.

"Like going through a worm hole?"

"No. Space is essentially infinite right? There's only so many alternatives of atoms that can happen and if space is never ending, it's almost a guarantee that somewhere out there, there is other versions of you. Some of them will be laid just like this having this exact conversation with alternative me, thinking the same things, doing the same things, breathing the same with the same blood pressure and the same cold legs." I pulled the blanket over us from beside me, kicking to cover her entirely.

"I can't say I have." I turned my head to face her, watching as the stars danced in her eyes, moonlight and the hint of orange from the light in the truck. I need to turn that off before the battery dies. "I'm just gonna turn the engine off or we're gonna get stranded." I pulled my arm out from under her, jumping out and turning everything off, getting back beside her as quickly as it was possible. She settled right back into me, eyes fixated on the sky.

My entire world was right here in my arms right now. I wasn't going to forget how lucky I was to even know Tessa, let alone to have her this close. We're older now. I can take her to do things I always wanted to. We can stay out here all night with no consequences. We can go Wednesday night dancing, go to a drive in movie. I can drop her off home after spending the day with her and call her the second I get home just because I don't have anyone else telling em to be quiet. I can bring her ice cream at 1am because she really wanted some. I need to get her favourite ice cream in. Just in case.

"Tess?"

"Mhm."

"Are you happy? In New York."

"Who isn't happy in New York?"

"I don't know. I just want you to be happy. No matter what or where you are. Is there anything you want to change up there?" She thought for a moment, forehead crinkling just a little as she thought.

"I love my job. I have amazing friends. I get a good income. I don't have my own place though. Not technically. I'm working on it. I guess that's one thing I'd change."

"You have roommates now?"

"I live with Wells." The best friend. The guy I'd love apparently. He's not the boyfriend so I'm sure I would. "It's hard to find a good size place close to where I need to be though. The closer to Broadway I can be the better but they're super expensive. I'm saving on rent though because Wells owns his place so I don't have to pay that. I just split the bills with him which isn't a huge amount really. The rest goes into savings. If things keep going well I'll probably have my deposit in 2 or 3 months."

"That's good going." She nodded. "Anything else you'd change?" She sighed, eyes almost closing.

"I don't want to talk about him Parker unless you want to go home?" I knew it. I knew she'd change him. She didn't need to say anything.

"Okay. I'll drop it." She nodded slightly. "Got any more plans whilst you're here?"

"Just the wedding. Why?"

"I'm just wondering."

"Just wondering?"

"I really want to spend every possible minute with you Tess. There's not as much to do around here as you're probably used to but there's a bar not far away where we can go dancing on Wednesday night and there's a drive in cinema about 30 minutes away. Monday nights we usually sit at Jayde's and have a game night. I just want you this close until I have to watch you go." She turned her head to face me, my heart pounding in my chest. "I always want you this close."

"Parker- I've got Ben."

"I don't give a damn about Ben, Tessa. Ben's not here. Ben is one of 2 things you'd change about being in New York and he's why you're here in my arms tonight and not in his on some beach on the Caribbean. Right now, you're mine and he doesn't exist and it's just us two in the whole universe. I love you Tessa. More than I did the day I last told you, more than I thought was possible. That's never going to change." Her eyebrows lowered barely an inch. "No matter who else is waiting for you Tess, you're always going to be mine."

"Kiss me Parker." She turned onto her side, grabbing a hold of my tee shirt, wrapping it tight around her fist. "If I'm yours kiss me like I'm yours." She pulled me ever so slightly but I needed a moment. I needed to look at her right now and memorize how she looks and her heavy breathing and that dark red of her cheeks and the matted waves in her hair. I pulled my free hand up to her cheek, pushing some hair behind her ear, tracing down her jawline gently and looking into those starlit eyes, the whole universe opening up for her. "Park-"

I pulled her chin up ever so slightly, placing a soft kiss on her lips, wrapping my fingers into the hair at the base of her neck, sweeping my thumb across her cheek.

"You are out of this world Tessa. If somewhere in this everlasting universe, there's a girl identical to you. I can promise you she's still got nothing compared to you. Because you're my Tessa." She let out a shaky sigh, grabbing onto my forearm as I pulled myself down and kissing her properly. Like she was mine. Like she wanted me to. Like I've wanted to for years.

Slow and steady, holding my breath as the tip of her nose pressed into my cheek. I waited, kissing her gently until she seemed comfortable and I slowly laid her down on her back, pressing myself deeper into her until she broke it, letting out a shallow gasp of air, panting before I reclaimed them as mine. Every single drop of me was going into this right now. I couldn't tell her all the things I wanted to say it would take me years to put it all into words even though they were running through my mind like a marathon.

"Mine Tessa." I breathed out against her lips, pressing my forehead into hers. Her eyes were glued shut, breathing so much heavier than I'd imagined it being.

"Yours." She nodded.