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“Did you see the news today?” I asked, almost inaudible compared to the thorough chews of sturdy sourdough bread.
“I did,” he replied.
“I don’t think it’s true… what they said about Alejandro. Do you?” Suddenly his opinion mattered a great deal. Parker became quiet, licking sweet pepper jam off his thumb before answering.
“I think this Miguel guy has a defamation suit coming his way. But no, I don’t think it’s true. I know a lot about Alex, but this accusation seems unlikely. Maybe it’s worth looking into his family, something I hadn’t considered until now.” He carefully folded the napkin in his hands, only to wring it. “Gemma, I’m afraid I said too much… that night at the bar. I shouldn’t have mentioned anything about the lawsuit he’s involved in. I do consider Alex to be liable for a lot of things, but I don’t consider him as the direct cause of them. The people he’s hurt are the ones that got caught up in his lifestyle and already had their own issues. Those he actually hurt, the assaults, are from fights between other men.”
“Like the DJ out in Bushwick,” I added.
Parker paused.
“Yes… just like him, but that’s a different story. Trust me, Gem, if I ever suspected that he was capable of anything like that, I would’ve never let him anywhere near you. I know you don’t need to hear that, and I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but I don’t think I’m so disciplined to do anything other than keeping you completely safe. Honestly, that’s been my biggest challenge,” he admitted.
“What has?”
“Holding back. I know I’ve been difficult, but worse, I’ve been hurtful and wrong. Guess losing control makes me ugly, and you don’t deserve ugly. I know what you’re worth, and it’s not what I’ve given you. I could have done better. No, I should have done better.”
“That’s too kind—” I started, but he was quick to correct.
“It’s not. Not for someone who deserves the world.” He looked down at his thumb, rubbing the corner of his nail. “Is that why you came back? Because of the news?” he asked, and the thought of admitting it out loud was too hard, so instead, I nodded.
“I think he needs a moment to process this,” I said, picking crumbs off the crust. “As do I. Adjusting to a different personality is new for me, compared to what I’m used to.”
“Adjusting’s never easy, especially if you’ve been adjusting for the wrong reason. Believe me, I recently figured that out, and now I’m ready to fix it,” he said reluctantly, glancing down the hall and back to me, pivoting the conversation. “You know who would make you feel better? Mama Meg,” he said, almost in a cute rumble. “We’re driving up to meet the parents tomorrow; annual Hamptons trip, remember?”
My heel slipped off my foot, smacking the floor when I eagerly stood up from the stool. The sheer opportunity of going back home, to the place and family that accepted me as their own, was far too exciting.
“We’redriving up?”I asked, assessing the way Parker asked the question.
“Parker,do you have a shirt I can sleep in?” Camilla’s voice appeared through the hall as she stepped out in a towel that wrapped around her bust. She stopped as she saw me, her hair still damp from the shower. “Gemma?” she barked out my name. “I thought…” She looked between Parker and me, and then down at the sandwich in my hand.
My stomach turned, knowing how our last interaction ended.
“Hi Camilla,” I choked out, the bread caught in my throat as I expelled her name in a brute cough.
Parker interjected. “Camilla’s coming too. One of her pipes broke at her apartment, so I told her she could stay here while it gets repaired.” Parker half-smirked, uncomfortable like the rest of us. Camilla didn’t have a post-sex glow, but rather a disappointed frown, clueing me in that nothing had happened between them before my arrival. She glared at me, as if I were the shit-flavored cherry on her already awful sundae.
“I don’t want to impose,” I shrugged.
“You wouldn’t be. If anything, you’d be expected. Like you said, you’re Mom’s favorite.” Parker shook off the ridiculous notion, “Your room is still there; Mom and Dad miss you, and I know you miss them.”
Camilla shot a weird look, a new one of threatened emotions. As much as I wanted to spare her, I was tired of saving others at the cost of my own feelings. I did miss being with my family, and I wanted so desperately to leave the city—Camilla or no Camilla.
“Ok, sure.” I nodded. Parker wasted no time in showing his excitement, his smile beaming as he stood up.
“Perfect, I’ll let Mom know,” Parker headed towards the hall to grab Camilla a shirt.
She faked a smile, turning to follow suit, scurrying close to Parker’s side.
I took another bite of the crispy grilled cheese, accepting that the trip would be weird, but not caring, nonetheless. Tomorrow I’d be back in the Hamptons, and nothing could take that away.
Chapter25
Parker
South of the Montauk Highway and sheltered beneath the sparse elms of a secluded road, I cranked up the A.C. inside my stifling, hot Range Rover. Mila dug her hand into a bag of salt water taffy whose label read, “Sag Harbor,”the place where we stopped to load up on cheap candy and cold sodas.
“That’s the new Continental GT.” Mila chirped, noticing the fifth luxury Bentley to pass us by. She placed a yellow banana taffy out of the bag and into the cup holder, removing it from her favorite flavor of choice: watermelon. “That’s the one I’d want, completely pearl-white, but as a convertible instead.” She tugged on her NYU sweater, stretching its sleeves to the base of her thumbs. Despite hating the cold air that I finally turned on, Mila maintained that she still wanted to sit in the front.
