Page 184 of Twisted Needs

Parker slowly retreats, genuinely throwing his hands up in the air to surrender. I scoff at that, my mouth dropping open. “What the fuck are you doing?” I say to Parker now as I slide off the counter. “You hate me? Is that it?”

He tuts, rolling his eyes.

“No, seriously,” I taunt. “It’s like you’re so disgusted with me. You can’t even touch me⁠—”

“Sweetheart, please,” he sighs before not so subtly looking to Luca. “Now’s not the time.”

“Oh, great. Now you can’t even look at me. You’d rather look at my brother, wouldn’t you?” Parker gives me a look of disbelief for a moment before he grabs me, scooping me up and throwing my body across his shoulder. “Dude—Pet’ka.”

“Goodnight,” he mutters to Luca and Em.

Neither of them say anything, but right as we reach the hallway, Luca clears his throat. “Yeah, you better learn to control him.”

“I’ve been trying!” Parker snaps back, still walking.

“Well, try harder!”

My heart swells because that feels like acceptance, which is a whole lot better than tolerance.

Parker drops me onto the bed, sitting down beside me with a dramatic huff. “What the fuck is your problem?”

I throw myself into his lap. “So when are you gonna propose?”

He exhales softly, sliding his arms around me. “I told you. When you’re ready.”

I exhale dreamily, quiet for a stretch. “I don’t want a big wedding,” I tell him a moment later. “I was thinking France for the engagement. Somewhere tropical for the wedding.”

“I dunno, baby. That sounds expensive.”

I raise my brows and grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll be marrying into some wealth pretty soon.”

“Oh yeah?” He laughs.

“I’m just waiting on you to give me your credit card. You can also go ahead and put me on your insurance…y’know…to seal the deal.”

His expression turns soft. “If I give you a credit card, you’ll have to promise me you won’t bankrupt me over some baggy jeans and iced coffees.”

I lean in. “That might be a dealbreaker, Pet’ka. And besides…I have something else I want a lot more.”

We just stare at each other for a beat like two idiots in love. Just by the look I give him, Parker immediately guesses. “We can go to the shelter when we get back.”

My stomach drops. “Seriously?”

He nods. “Yeah, sweetheart. You can get your dog.”

My dog. I’ve wanted one for so long, but I’ve always pictured it being our dog. Even before we got together. Truthfully, it makes me tear up, because it feels like all my dreams are coming true. I’m gonna have the life I’ve always wanted. “Our dog,” I whisper.

Parker swipes his thumb gently beneath my eye. “Why are you about to cry?”

The tears spill over. “Because…I’m so happy. All of this makes me feel so…” I don’t finish my sentence because I don’t think there’s a word that can properly measure how happy I am. Instead, I just pull him in for a hug, nuzzling my face into the curve of his neck.

“Happy, happy, happy,” he breathes, smoothing his hand across my back while leaning his head against mine. “Thank you for being my happy.”

I choke out a sob, my emotional restraint thinning entirely. “Thank you for being mine.”

Parker presses his lips to my head, letting them linger. When I pull back to look at him, his mouth twitches into the smallest smile. Saying nothing, I kiss him. And he kisses me back like he already knows we're going to spend the rest of our lives doing this.

PARKER’S EPILOGUE