AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I highly doubt they will," I say, sighing.
"Believe me, they will. And we'll be free again, to live our lives however we please."
His lips give me a smile as his hand takes mine. Another sigh of uncertainty escapes my lips.
"It's ironic that the dreams of my adolescence have turned into a nightmare."
"Why do you say that?" he asks.
"I told you before, I used to be in love with you,” I mumble without looking at him.
"I know, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"I always dreamed of the day we could be together, and now that we are, even if it's fake, well, I don't know. All this chaos is overwhelming. I wish it would stop,” I whispered.
"I'm sorry you're going through that," Parker says, in a measured voice. "But I promise we'll work it out. In the meantime, maybe we can enjoy our time together."
"How?" I ask with a raised eyebrow and the feeling of my heart hammering forcibly against my chest.
Parker drives on in silence, getting closer and closer to the harbor.
Finally, he pulls into a dark parking lot and gets out of the car without saying anything. After a moment, he opens the door for me; his hand takes mine and his smile finds me as he helps me out of the car.
"Not everything has to be bad when you're with me," he says.
Guiding me with precision and confidence, Parker starts walking as we leave the car behind and head toward a beautiful boat with white sails that seemed to glitter amidst the surrounding darkness like a star.
"What's all this?" I ask him, dumbfounded.
"I thought maybe you might fancy a little get away from the noise of the city, and we can have dinner in a slightly more intimate location."
He guides me to the bridge, helps me onto the sailboat, and gives me a moment as I settle in. A crewman approaches us and offers a sparkling apple juice with a smile as the sailboat pulls away from the harbor.
"This way, please," a waitress says as she leads us to the stern of the ship, where a table is set with an opulent candlelit meal.
"When did you have time to prepare all this?" I ask Parker in awe.
He shrugs, downplaying the whole thing as if it is no big deal. "I'm an event planner, remember? I do this for a living. I like surprising people."
Without being able to help myself, I look at him, wondering if he is sincere and if his attentions are really focused on me.
Where is the arrogant Parker from the past, who had made my life miserable when we were teenagers?
Some of the same determination is still present in his character, but he seems to have changed.
Has he changed for the better?
"This is amazing," I whisper. Looking out at the views of the receding city, I feel the sea breeze dance through my hair.
Parker quietly walks over to me to drape the jacket he is wearing over my shoulders, to ward off the cold. As I watch his face, highlighted only by the light from the sailboat, I wonder if he is even real.
"Tell me, do you do this to impress all the girls?" I ask with a sort of forced smile.
"No," he says. "I've never brought anyone here."
"Are you serious?" I ask him in disbelief. Parker nods solemnly.
"It's a very personal place. I usually come here when I want to think, so it's not the kind of place I'd bring a girl."
