You belong to me

Chapter 9 - Charlotte

I feel like I've just had the best sleep of my life, I don't think that has anything to do with the fact Parker snuck his way into my bedroom and chose to spend the night wrapped up with me or anything. I roll over, fully expecting to find Parker still sound asleep but he's not there and the beds cold indicating he hasn't been there in a long time. I'm so stupid, of course that decision had to be down to the vodka Parker was drinking and not his own decision, I knew it was too good to be true, but now I'm stuck with him for another week or so. I'm not actually sure when he has to go back to New York but I'm assuming it will be soon. I don't even want to think about the fact Parker doesn't live anywhere near me anymore. "Fuck my life," I hear Jake groan in the hallway. This causes me to laugh, I knew he would not be feeling all too well today. I pull myself out of bed and follow a very fragile Jake downstairs for breakfast. Everyone appears to be rough this morning, Julie is sitting in the living room wearing a pair of sunglasses and my mum looks the same colour as the beige walls. I can't seem to see Parker anywhere though, did he leave the cottage all together? I need to talk to someone about this, and just like that Georgia texts me, 'Parker is in Cornwall, just saw pics on twitter xxx,' I decide I should just call Georgia and tell her everything about what's just happened between me and Parker.

I slip out the backdoor and sit down on the garden swing outside, I don't even care if it's cold, I just need to get away from all the hungover zombies inside. "Alright, I love you but just be careful Char," Georgia says before hanging up. Talking to Georgia is always so refreshing, and I feel a lot better now I've got it all off my chest, especially telling Georgia I have always loved Parker but maybe what Georgia said about being careful is something I need to listen to. Especially, now I know there is paparazzi in Cornwall and on the lookout for Parker. Maybe I'm living in my head a bit here with Parker and my feelings, I should actually still be mad at him for not staying in touch with me once he moved, but here I am in typical Charlotte fashion already forgiven him, kissed him and let him share my bed all because he finally showed me emotions I wanted him to show me for years. "What are you doing out here? In the cold and alone?" Parker asks me, walking towards me and occupies the space on the swing next to me. "Where did you go last night?" I blurt out before I could even stop the words from coming out. Parker wraps his arm around my shoulder and takes in a deep breathe, "I went back to my bed around 7ish, I didn't want Jake to wake up and realise I wasn't in my bed, I'm sorry I left without saying anything, you were just sleeping so heavily that I didn't want to wake you." Parker explains, but I can't help but feel like he wants me to be a secret. All I can hear in my head is Georgia telling me to be careful, and I can't seem to shake my gut instinct right now that I need to protect myself from Parker. I don't even respond to him, I just nod my head and give him a half smile and make my way into the house, leaving Parker sat on the swing, now he's the one outside alone, in the cold.

You would think by 6pm a houseful of adults would have begun to feel better but Julie has taken herself off to bed, I don't think she's once taken off her sunglasses. "Does anyone want to make a run to the shops for me? We don't have any milk for the morning," Nanny yells from the kitchen. "I can go," I shout back, again my mouth seems to open up before I actually think about it but maybe this is what I needed, a break from the house. I put on my coat, a black beanie and my ugg boots and grab the car keys and make my way towards the car, "Wait!" Parker shouts as he's falling over attempting to put his boots on. I roll my eyes and get into the car and wait for Parker. "Thanks, I thought I'd come with you, y'know so you're not driving in the dark alone," he says with a sweet smile. I know he's trying to be sweet, and make up for the fact he got up and left me in bed alone all because he didn't want Jake to know he slept in my bed last night, even though Jake was 100 percent still drunk when he woke up, so it wouldn't have mattered anyways. "I'm twenty two Parker, I can do things by myself," I snap back, not even meaning to, he's only being nice.

Awkward car rides are becoming my and Parker's thing, not intentionally of course, it just seems to happen now. I'm being a bitch, I know I am but is it messed up of me to want Parker to work harder for me even with this attitude. The car ride to the shop is full of Parker humming to whatever songs are on the radio and still not really talking to me, even when we get to the shop we still aren't talking. Until Parker grabs my hand, I don't fight him off. "Charlotte Ivy Gray get out of your strop," he says sternly looking at my face. This makes me laugh and Parker leans in for a kiss. Out of the corner of my eye I see a flash, then another. This is my worst nightmare, not only is it the paparazzi but our little secret isn't going to be much of a secret anymore. Parker hides me behind his back, there's only three photographers but that's three more than there needs to be. Our mission to get milk was quickly handled, just as we were about to checkout a flock of teenage girls swarm Parker. I'm not quite sure it has settled in with Parker that he's famous now and that every single teen girl is in love with him. He smiles with the fans and has a quick conversation with them. I can see his eyes frantically searching for me, I decided to hang back a bit and let Parker have this moment. "Nice talking to you, but I really have to go now," Parker politely says, gesturing for me to follow. One girls shouts back, "Is that your girlfriend?" I can almost hear the disgust in her voice, ouch. "No comment," Parker grins back and pushes me in front of him.

"You do know by saying no comment, that everyone is now going to think I'm your girlfriend right?" I say once we get back into the car. "So?" Parker remarks. He's so carefree, he hasn't even given it a thought about me, "It's not as if they know who you are Charlotte," he's right, they won't know who I am, neither will the paparazzi which calms my nerves, only for sudden realization that my family know who I am and they will see the pictures, "But Parker our families don't know," I say and Parker detects the worry in my voice, "Don't worry I've thought about that, and we'll deal with it once we get back home." I don't ask any more questions, I decide to just trust Parker, I already have enough running through my mind and especially that girl asking if I was Parker's girlfriend and the disgust in her voice. Parker grabs hold of my hand and walks towards the cottage, he usually lets go of it by now, in fear that our families will see. Oh, I see what he is doing. This is his plan, his way of showing our families that there is something going on here. "Jesus, you two took your time, I'm dying for a cuppa," Jake snidely remarks, not even noticing the firm grip Parker has on my hand. I feel completely in the dark as I have no idea what Parker is about to do as he coughs to clear his throat, "I have an announcement," he says firmly. "Let me go get your mum first," Nate says standing up, not hiding his worried expression. Still no one has noticed that me and Parker are holding hands, our families are completely oblivious. Julie makes her way into the living room, without her sunglasses. "Well here it goes, me and Charlotte are together but not together officially and we may or may not have just been photographed kissing, just thought you should know before the rest of the world," Parker rather bluntly says. Jake laughs, then my dad does, this must have caused a chain reaction as Nate begins to laugh. "Awk, that's lovely," Nanny says, giving us both a hug. My mum is being quiet, which is both surprising and worrying before Julie's sigh breaks my worries, "Urgh you were right Angie, here's a fiver," she says throwing money towards my mum.