Page 284 of Untouchable

“Mindyyyy,” he whines, and she tickles him gently. He heaves a sigh. He can’t bear the heaviness a second longer. He is so tired. He feels so weak.

“So, um, how are things going with Adam?” he says, desperate to lighten the mood.

Mindy snorts.

“Oh, you know,” she says airily. “He’s really good at oral sex and he likes taking me out to expensive restaurants, but he was kind of a dick to the waitress last night so that was a pretty big red flag. I think I’m gonna dump him next week.”

“Does he like you?” Parker asks, frowning, and she laughs.

“I mean, he likes that I’m hot and also good at oral sex, but it’s hardly a whirlwind romance. Besides, there’s this new guy at the smoothie shop that’s super cute and he looks like he probably is really nice to animals.”

Parker laughs.

“Go get ‘em, tiger,” he says.

“I always do,” Mindy says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

They lay there for a little while longer. Parker doesn’t feel good, but he doesn’t feel quite as bad as he did before.

“Hey Mindy?” He says. “If I... don’t break up with him, are you gonna... I dunno, are you gonna think less of me or something?”

"I want you to be careful with your heart and think about what you're doing. But... you know I don't judge. And, like, if the dick is as good as you say...?"

Parker smiles weakly.

“I mean, it was... Mindy he ate me out for like... three goddamn hours I swear.”

"Damn,” she says with a laugh. “I can't believe I'm going to say this but... That might be worth putting up with a bratty kid brother for...

Parker laughs but after a moment sighs again.

“Thanks, Mindz. I feel... a little better, I guess.”

He pulls out his phone again, but there’s still no text message from Harp. He sighs.

>>PARKER: make it home ok?

He adds an emoji he hopes can sum up his feelings, as though a few brightly colored pixels can convey the sadness and doubt and regret and want and longing and love that are currently tumbling around Parker’s chest.

He snuggles in a little closer to Mindy.

“Wanna watch a movie and sleep over?”

* * *

Harp wakesin the middle of the quite literal dogpile sometime before dawn because his phone is chirping at him.

It takes him a moment to remember why he’d set an alarm for 4 a.m. on a weekday, and another moment to make any sense of the text message that is waiting for him from Parker.

>>PARKER: make it home ok?

Harp hastily taps out a reply.

>>HARP: I’m so sorry. Yes, we made it home safely.

He wants to say more. There's much more that needs to be said. But Harp isn't ready for that yet, and he sends the bland text message without another thought.

The night slides back to him in reverse order. He remembers being thoroughly, regrettably drunk and smoking alone outside as his stomach churns, saying goodbye to Parker for what felt like the last time.

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