Page 109 of Someday You Learn

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Penn chimes in. “God, you’re naïve if you think that one failed relationship means you are a failure, Parker, let alone that one.”

“Two relationships, actually,” I correct him. “Don’t forget about Ashley in high school.”

“Okay, two relationships. You’veonlyhad two and you think that makes you a failure because neither of them worked out? Do you realize how many times people start dating someone only for it to end up…ending?” Penn scoffs.

“Well, it’s not like you two have failed at it. And Mom and Dad…”

“Do you know how badly I messed up with Willow in the beginning?” My older brother asks me.

“Yeah, but that was just because you were mad about the house.”

He points a finger at his chest. “It wasn’t just the house. It wasmyfucking feelings that I didn’t know how to manage, especially when I found out how we were connected. I fucked up royally, and I still do shit wrong sometimes, but loving someone isn’t about being perfect, and it isn’t about saving them.”

Penn shoves my shoulder. “Look at me and Astrid. We tiptoed around each other for years because we were afraid of getting things wrong, and as a result, we lost time together, but transitioning from friends to lovers was still difficult. And we still argue. It’s never going to be perfect, but it’s worth it with the right person.”

Grady clears his throat. “Need I remind you that I was too chickenshit to tell Scottie that I liked her back in high school, and it took seventeen years and a surprise pregnancy for us to get it right?”

“Well, I mean—”

“You are not a fucking failure, Parker,” Dallas adds, cutting me off as I focus back on him. “You loved Sasha and did everything you could to help her, but she was never yours to save. You two were not meant to be, that’s the truth of it all. And it’s time you let that relationship go.” He stands from his seat and walks over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“You’re right, and I’m starting to understand that,” I say as the ground below starts to grow blurry. “But I just want to get this right with her, do this relationship differently. Three months ago, I was hell-bent on keeping this platonic, but this woman…she’s this light I didn’t know I needed, and now I wanther.” I lick my bottom lip. “I don’t want to live without her and it’s killing me that I could potentially fuck it all up with one wrong choice.” Burying my hands in my hair, I groan. “I should have never agreed to this. I should have just pushed her to be honest from the beginning and then I wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“Do you love her?” Penn asks, and I pop my head back up.

“What?”

“You heard me.” His jaw is tight as his eyes remain locked on mine. “Do you love her?”

But I don’t get the chance to respond because shouting from the other side of the room startles us all.

“Parker Eric Sheppard!”

All four of us spin toward the entrance of the back room to find my mother standing there with her hands on her hips, her face contorted in that look she gave my brothers more than me growing up because I was the good one—but it seems it’s my turn now.

“Mom?”

She waves her phone in the air as she walks into the room.

“Hi, Mom.” Dallas kisses her on the cheek, but she waves him off and comes to stand right in front of me.

Fuck. This can’t be good.

“Do you think I’m stupid, Parker?”

“Absolutely not,” I answer quickly.

She smacks me upside the head. “Did you forget that your mother also has a phone and social media?”

“Uh, no,” I say, rubbing my head in the spot where she just smacked me. “But I guess you’re about to remind me?”

“Then why did it take me this long to figure out that my son is a liar and Cashlynn O’Neil was just a cover to get these crazy stalker women away from you?”

Dallas leans in toward us both. “Uh, Mom. You might want to lower your voice a bit.”

She spins around and points a finger at him. “Did you know about this?”

“We all did,” Grady says just as Penn shoves him. “What?”

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