Chapter Four : when do we face the music?
Parker
~ After Effects ~
She plopped next to me, "We were just talking," she muttered.
"No, we were using each other's biggest insecurities against each other," I commented, "which might have just helped me come up with a plan about your problem and mine," I let out a long sigh.
"Are you saying I'm right about you?" she looked at me surprised.
"I can see where you're right at points and I also see where I can let go without going back with this plan," I looked forward, "but if you're not down then I get it and we can go back to being us."
"Just say it Parker," she pushed, getting impatient.
"I help you with the Connor thing by making it seem like there were never feelings there to begin with and it was just a weird drunk night, and you help me keep in check and help me move on from Haylee," I looked at her waiting for some form of reaction.
"Well how do we do that?" she looked at me waiting.
"You set the plan out to make it seem almost effortless for people to get the 'hint' that there's 'something' between us. Since you kissed me in the hallway there's been rumors all day and we can make those rumors true," she didn't let me finish.
"Parker you literally just told me that no one would be attracted to me and now you're trying to ask me out? Did you hit your head?"
"No Paige, I'm not actually asking you out. But what if we faked it, helped each other out and once both of us are satisfied with how it went we break up and go our separate ways?" I watched her first instinct which was a direct no to then question in her eyes.
"So if a problem accrued with Connor you'd drop whatever you were doing to help fix it? Say he came over continually asking for answers, you'd shut him down?" she looked at me in the eyes then.
"Whatever it takes for you to be comfortable then yes, and same goes for you if I'm being stupid and about to go make up with her you stop me," I waited for a response and she sighed.
"Okay wait, what will Malcolm think of this? Do I tell him?"
"I'm sure he'd understand and I feel like the less people that know the better," I shrugged, "if we just stick with a lie and roll with it we won't have to worry about who knows and who doesn't," I wondered if she was actually going to agree to it.
"But Haylee, what are you going to say to her, are you going to break up with her?" Paige looked at me with a million questions probably spilling in her head.
I sighed pulling out my phone knowing it was a dick move to break up through text but also knowing if I did it face to face I'd go back to her because being around her made me fucking stupid.
"Are you about to break up in text?" she grabbed my phone from my hands.
"Yeah, I'm not in the right mind to break up in person at her house," I looked at her surprised by her reflexes.
"Call her and tell her you need to see her here right now, I'll be in your car and trust that you do it, if you don't then that's unfortunate and the deals off. She'll believe it in person versus through text. Worse comes to worse text me and I'll come save your ass," she handed my phone back and got off the ground.
"Wait so you're agreeing to this?" I looked up at her surprised.
"Only if you break up with her, plus Malcolm left with the car so I need a ride home, we should start hanging out a lot more to make it believable after you break up with her and we'll announce us being together in a week or something? I don't know we'll talk more about it in the days to come," she held out her hand and I took it and she tried to pull me up but I did most of lifting myself off the ground.
"Wait in the car, make sure you're not seen when Haylee gets here, duck and I should be in the truck in ten," I dialed her number and Paige was off to my car with my keys in her hand.
This'll work, this has to work.
I sat on the bleachers for a good ten minutes before I saw her car pull up next to mine and she got out of the car two minutes later walking back onto the now empty field.
"I got your text, Parker what's wrong?" she walked towards me with concern filled in her eyes.
"When is this going to end?" I looked up at her knowing if I released all the pain and let her see I might be able to get that closure I never thought I'd want or even need.
"What?" she sat next to me and grabbed my hand, something I had to fight to not cave back in. Her touch made me want to stay, her being close to me felt like everything was going to be okay but it always had in these situations. Like everything would go back to the way it was but here we were again for the third time and I guess third times a charm.
"I went to your house this morning, I got there early and went inside to come and get you. I called your name Haylee and you didn't answer, I thought you were hurt or something and I came to find Noah in your room and I heard the shit you were saying in your room, I'll lose my shit if I found out you were sleeping with him again? Fuck yeah I would but I was too damn tired of catching you that I was waiting for you to just fucking tell me so we could move past it Haylee," she interrupted me apologizing.
"I'm sorry, I started back to sleeping with Noah but it's because shits been going on in my house again Parker and I don't want to stress you out because you have your own family problems. Noah means nothing to me, not like you mean to me, please Parker. I'm truly sorry baby," she wrapped her arms around me and I wanted to forgive her, it was so easy to forgive her, so easy to go back into something you've been around for so long.
"How long are we going to do this Haylee, ruin each other but stay? When do we face the music?" I looked at her in the eyes and she shook her head.
"No Parker, no please baby don't leave me. I need you like you need me! Who's making you think like this, we have our mess ups and breakdowns but we always make up, we always stay, so stay. Stay with me Parker," she watched me carefully and sat on my lap knowing me too damn well, "I'll be better," she traced my jawline as she was seducing me. How easy it would be to give in. So. Damn. Easy, "I'll love you," she kissed my cheek, "every," then my other cheek, "single," my nose, "day," and finally my lips and I gave in instantly kissing her back hungry for that desire that was burning inside hers.
I suddenly thought back and remembered who was in my car waiting, who I made a promise too. Paige wanted to see if I was strong enough to fulfill my role and maybe a break between Haylee and I would be needed. She'd get her shit together and I'd get mine, more or less. All I've known is Haylee, only woman I've been with and maybe having a different set of eyes from someone I care about no matter how much we fight and bicker and yell and hurt each other we might grow as individuals. Learn coping mechanisms for our lack of dealing with our shit.
"Parker I'm not going to make you regret deciding to be with me," she got off and placed her hands on my thighs before getting on her knees with desire running in her eyes.
I stood up knowing distance between the two of us was needed or else I'd be a fucking liar to Paige.
"Haylee time off between us I think would be really beneficial, to get ourselves back on track. I mean look at us right now?" I stood ten feet away from her and she shook her head.
"No, no Parker it's not fair, please baby," she stepped towards me.
"Haylee I can't look at you without seeing Noah at your beckon call, we need time off," and she nodded.
"I'll give you time, but I won't stop fighting Parker. I'll never stop," she shook her head and hugged me before kissing me which surprised me.
I pulled away, "I need to get going," I grabbed my bag and hurried to my car knowing how easy it would be to go back and be reckless and stupid.
I got in my truck and Paige popped up from the back.
"Stay there until I'm out of the parking lot," I mentioned and she stayed hidden.
"I didn't think you had it in you, I'm impressed Greyson," she said my last name and I smiled. No one said my last name ever, "I mean she was making a deal I was sure you weren't about to shut down on but you did. Haylee on her knees just for your benefit," I saw her smile in the rearview as I pulled out of the parking lot.
"I remembered I had an audience in my car and I'd rather not have one."
She climbed over the seat to sit in the passenger and I was tempted to slam on the breaks before doing so and grabbing her arm before she'd fly towards the dashboard or the windshield.
"Parker!" she yelled as my hand was still on her.
"Don't do dumbshit like that then and just stay in a fucking seat, you know how bad it would be if a car came out of nowhere and I slammed on them without knowing you were coming up here?"
"Asshole!" she snapped before shaking her head like being mad at me would accomplish nothing, "we need to make up a story, things people would ask Parker. And we need to hang out at your house because Malcolm would find it fishy to think you'd actually want to hang out with me, you also need to make it sound like you're showing interest in me. Make nice compliments about me and I'll do the same for you even if it kills me," she shook her head like she should've thought about this more, "we need to lessen the fighting to a minimum," she looked up and smiled like she had a plan flash through her mind, "like a code word, if you piss me off or I piss you off then we'll go somewhere private and either hash it out or talk it out whatever we are feeling at the moment," she looked at me like her plan was the best thing shes said all day about this agreement.
"We aren't going to my house," I shook my head, "and think of a code word that we both tend to use and it's realistic, not like a fruit or some shit. But the other plan about compliments and shit should sell this," I nodded agreeing.
"Parker why can't we go to your house?" she crossed her arms, "I've been there before what's different about it?"
"I said no Paige," I raised my voice at her but that didn't make her drop it.
"I'm not a dog Parker, treat me like a fucking human you peice of shit. We are hanging out at your house whether or not you like it. Your house it almost always empty so more chance to talk freely," she wasn't backing down and I hated how fucking stubborn she was.
"We're remodeling the house, constructions going on and it's loud and just a hassle right now," I needed her off the house idea,
"No there's not, I talked to your mom a couple days ago when we brought cookies over, she would've mentioned it. What are you hiding Parker?" she crossed her arms at me.
"Nothing I just don't want you at my house," having her know my life inside was not something I needed the Porters to know about.
"Right but there has to be a reason for you not wanting me over," Paige wasn't getting the hint, she kept pushing and had no care in the world. Haylee knew never to ask, we never went to my house, it was always hers. She never met the man who was dating my mom. Paige saw him once and he said shit about the Porter sisters that made me sick to my stomach. My mom gives him an excuse saying he's just drunk, he doesn't mean it but I knew damn well he meant it.
"I just," she interrupted me, not caring about my next excuse.
"Parker I'm coming over whether you want me to or not, I'm showing up," she looked at me dead in the eyes saying she wasn't scared of me.
He's usually at work after school anyways as long as I get her home before work ends for him she should be fine.
"Okay," I nodded, giving up on trying to not get her to want to come over.
I pull up to her house a few minutes later and see Connors car parked on the side of the road ready to get him off her back but Paige stops me from getting out of the car.
"We need a plan Parker, I can't face him today, not like this," she looked at me like I had an answer. The only answer I had was to punch him in the face for not taking the hint she didn't want to talk about it.
"Can you walk me to the door? You can come in too, I just can't face him alone," she looked at me with hopeful eyes. I checked the time knowing he was still at work. I rushed to get the door for Paige before she could get it herself, I usually always got the door for any woman that's been in my car, common courtesy.
"Right, I forget you usually do that. It's been awhile since you drove around," her cheeks reddened as she got out of my truck with little struggle, usually Haylee pretended to struggle just for me to help her. But Paige was not Haylee, she was independent and capable of doing things by herself if they didn't involve anything to do with emotions or feelings.
"I got your back Porter, no matter what," I held out my hand for her to take and she looked at it before shaking her head.
"Not yet Parker, we need to hang out to make it seem as if there is interest and then after we can fake it till we make it," she looked up into my eyes before looking away behind me.
I followed her eyes and Connor came towards us.
"Paige," he looked at her differently than before, like feelings suddenly appeared but I wasn't having this shit right now. He knew before and yet he chose her sister. She should never become a second option, "Parker," he then looked at me like I shouldn't be there right now, I shouldn't be around her.
"Connor, I know you want answers to your questions but I need time to process everything too. I don't even really know what I said in that voicemail and I don't want to face it yet. There are so many things going on in my head that adding another thing might make me lose it a little so please give me time and let me come to you. I know it's selfish of me to ask you but I need to be able to find what I need to say that's better for the both of us instead of what I want to say," she looked at him in the eyes and I was impressed she hadn't looked away yet.
"Kayla broke up with me the day before her flight left, Paige I'd like to talk to you about it but I'll give you that time. I want to let you know that I want to hear what you want to say too," he grabbed her hand and I was hesitant of his forwardness. I wasn't going to let him manipulate her because he was hurting from the break up.
"Thank you for understanding Connor," she didn't pull her hand away and she then couldn't keep eye contact with him.
He kissed her cheek and then looked at me worried that I'll punch him, "I'll see you later," before walking to his car.
Paige touched her cheek and smiled, "Maybe," she started off and I grabbed her arm to get her out of that thought.
"No, no Paige. Did you not hear him. Kayla just broke up with him. He might not have the best intentions right now and I'm not letting you make a fool out of yourself," I walked her to the front door.
And she nodded getting her head screwed back on, "your right, your right," and then looked up at me, "thank you for taking me home. I'll see you tomorrow and we are hanging out tomorrow and getting things in order," she opened the front door and gave me one more look.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I nodded getting back to my truck.