AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Parker nods and then Kurtis’s hurried footsteps descend the staircase.
I step closer to Parker. “Are you doing okay?”
Parker huffs, rubbing his hands over his face. “I’m done pretending for the night.”
I flinch. “Oh, okay. I can call my mom to pick me up.”
He grasps my hand. “No, I still want to spend time with you. Just not around people we have to put on a show for.”
My shoulders relax. “What are you thinking?”
He nods at the door. “Let’s go for a drive.”
Twenty-Four
“Parky,” Mrs. Kellyrushes to meet us at the bottom of the staircase. “Honey, I’m so sorry for what happened. Will you both come back to the table?”
“No, Mom,” Parker says flatly. “Kylie and I are heading out.”
Mrs. Kelly’s eyes water and her face elongates. “Oh, please. We can wipe the slate clean and try again.”
“Not tonight,” Parker replies.
“But we still have cake,” she pleads.
Parker moves toward a door, which leads into the garage. “It’s okay. You guys eat it.”
I hesitate to follow Parker. His mother looks so broken. Even though I’m so mad at her past actions, it’s undeniable how much she truly loves Parker. She is his mother in every way that counts.
I take her hands and give her a kind smile. “My mom wants to have you and Mr. Kelly over for dinner. Or, perhaps, we’ll go to a restaurant. It could be a do-over.”
She smiles, sniffing back her tears. “Really? That would be wonderful.”
I release her hands. “Umm, just so you know, Parker showed me a photo of, umm, his other mom.”
She jerks back with surprise. “He did?”
