AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I start to pant, my eyes pinch closed, my lungs squeeze, and my feet falter backward a few steps. I’m not sure who wraps their hands around my rib cage, but I’m hauled over to my chair, and I slowly sit down in it. When I open my eyes, I see Wells crouched in front of me and a worried Allison standing behind me.
“Married?” she asks as her gaze finds mine.
Opening my mouth, I start to tell her no when Wells speaks for me. “Engaged. Married. Yeah.”
There is silence. A silence that is almost deafening. I wish I could scream, but nothing comes out. I wish I could speak, but nothing comes out. I suck in a breath in an attempt to calm myself. Releasing it slowly and focusing on Allison.
“Not married. Not engaged,” I whisper.
Wells lets out a laugh, lifting his hands to cup my cheeks. “Yeah, cupcake. We are.”
WELLS
I’m notsure what Parker thinks is going on, but she and Iaregetting married. I’ve declared it, but before that, my father demanded it, and my father always gets what he wants, especially when it comes to his boys and the family.
He’s also scared—something I’ve never seen in my entire fucking life. So, I’ll do what he’s demanded because I can’t stand to see him like that.
I’ve never even imagined my fathercouldbe scared of anything, but I suppose he is of being pinned for the murder of Parker’s parents. Taking her hand, I lace my fingers with hers as the elevator climbs up to my mother’s office.
She is breathing heavier and faster with each floor we climb. I almost stop the car to check on her but decide she needs to keep going. I’ve already seen what happens when she is too stressed out too quickly. I want her in my mother’s care when she has another panic attack. I don’t know how to handle that shit. At all.
If it were up to me, I would have killed that motherfucker dead. And I would have done it publicly to make a fucking point—Parker is mine. Not anyone else’s. She’s not even available for their viewing pleasure.
She doesn’t fucking exist to them.
When the elevator dings and the doors open, I step out, keeping Parker’s hand in mine. She shuffles forward, although I think that if it were up to her, she would have stayed in that car and gone back down, then run the fuck away.
But she won’t be doing that because she’s got to get her shit sorted so we can get married. There is no choice in it. As I reach for my mother’s office door, Parker tugs on my hand. Turning my head, I look back over my shoulder at her.
“You ready?” I ask.
She shakes her head without saying a single word, her eyes wide and her lips pressed together in a short line. Tugging the door open, I take a step inside without giving her the option of verbally answering or walking away.
She’s going inside.
As soon as we step into the waiting room, I turn to her to say something, but my words fall flat because I hear my mother’s door open and her voice calling out for Parker. My eyes search hers for a moment, trying to gauge how she’s doing, but I can’t tell. Either she’s completely fucking shut down, or she’s about as good as I am at hiding her emotions. Which I don’t think she is.
“Parker, please come inside,” she calls out, sounding so sweet and happy.
“Wells, you can stay out here,” she deadpans.
Stepping to the side, I turn around to face her. “Mom,” I murmur.
My mom’s eyes narrow on me, and her lip curls. She doesn’t say anything, although I can tell she’s waiting for Parker to walk into her office. I watch as the door closes, then she takes a step toward me, and I can tell she’s going to scold me.
“What is happening?” she hisses.
“We’re getting married,” I state. “Dad’s orders.”
Her eyes widen as she sucks in a breath. “Dad’s orders?” she asks.
There is a moment of silence as she stares at me. She leans forward, extending her finger and poking it into my chest. I stay where I am. My face stays expressionless as I stare at her. I can see the wheels turning, and I’m sure she has a million questions, all of which she will make sure to ask.
One by one.
Torturingly so.
I inhale a deep breath. “Sit right there,” she snaps as she extends her finger and points to one of the chairs in the lobby. Jerking my chin in her direction, I brush past her and sink down onto the sofa.
