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Clenching his jaw, he debated telling her what Parker had said, but he didn’t want to hurt Hannah.
“Just tell me so I’ll be ready when I see him,” she pressed.
“He said to say you could stop lying to him, and it was clear you’d made your choice.”
Her gasp had the same impact as a sucker punch.
“He’ll never forgive me,” she said.
“He won’t need to. He’ll be the one apologizing to you when I prove Mariah lied,” he said, hoping he could get Mariah to meet with him and confess, praying that one little voice in his head that said he might have actually slept with her was wrong.
“Right,” she said.
But he could tell she didn’t believe that was possible, and he wasn’t sure either anymore.
Chapter Nineteen
Dread sat heavyin Hannah’s belly after talking with Conner. Her instinct was to rush to him at the hospital, but at the same time, she needed to speak to her brother. Every minute of the drive to Parker’s house just outside the city gave her more anxiety. He still lived in their hometown of Alexandria. She wasn’t sure he’d be home or talk to her, but she had to try.
Parker’s house was a few blocks from the one they grew up in, where their dad still lived. It was a quiet, old suburb with small craftsman homes in a working-class area. The streets showed signs of the next generation of homeowners: major add-ons, complete teardowns, new homes being built on the old, spacious lots. Parker’s was still the original 1946 brick craftsman on a corner lot, but he’d done a lot of work to modernize and upgrade. She wasn’t surprised to find him outside in his garage, tinkering with his tools. There were the makings of a large bookcase on his workbench, and his talent was obvious in the style and seamless joints of the shelves.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d hear from you, or if you’d hide out for a few more days with your boyfriend,” Parker said, not bothering to look up at her.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
Parker’s laugh sounded bitter and mocking. “Is that supposed to be better? You’d humiliate me just for a meaningless hookup? You always disliked Mariah, but come to find out, you two seem more alike than I originally thought.”
“That’s not fair,” she said, crossing her arms. This conversation was only going to get worse.
“Fair?” Parker’s eyes met hers.
She could see the anger and disappointment swirling together in a storm aimed at her.
“Fair to who? The one guy I despise is also the one man you can’t live without. Am I supposed to just turn the other cheek and pretend he didn’t stab me in the back? Should I just assume he’s a better person now, and he won’t break your heart the minute you let down your guard?”
“He didn’t sleep with her.”
“I found them in his bed. Mariah was draped all over him naked.” His scowl mixed with a mocking sneer. “How can you be so blinded by his bullshit charm?”
“It’s not charm. I just don’t believe that after fifteen years of friendship, he turned into such a dirtbag that he betrayed you and lied about it. I don’t believe he is a liar.”
Parker scoffed and gave her such a judgmental look it was as if he struck her.
“Then I don’t have anything else to say to you.”
“So you’ll what, just cut me off now?”
“Don’t put this on me. I didn’t choose this scenario, you did. Do you plan to stop seeing him?”
“Yes. As soon as the gala is over, I won’t have to work with him anymore.”
Her heart was pounding, and her stomach tightened. She could let Conner go for the sake of her family. Even if she knew her heart would break again.
Parker turned back to her and looked her right in the eyes. “That doesn’t sound like you. Why even bother with him if you knew it was just a fling? Unless it’s more. I think your crush on him got the better of you.”
She backed away from her brother and turned to stare off down the street.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you. I shouldn’t have spent so much time with him. I let things get out of hand, but it’ll end now.”
