Page 77 of Someday You Learn

“There’s no proof for him to find. We wouldn’t have a marriage license yet since we haven’t even picked a date…”

“Yeah, true.”

She takes a few steps forward, getting so close that her breasts graze my bare chest. And even though I just fucked her, my dick is eager for a second round. “We can handle this.”

“Sure.”

“Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” she asks, her eyes roaming all over my face, her hand shaking just slightly.

She’s giving you an opening, Parker. She’s asking for you to be honest with her.

“No, that was it.”

Her shoulders fall with defeat. “Oh. Okay.”

“I’m going to go shower,” I say before turning away from her and heading inside. And as I scrub my body and prepare for bed, the self-loathing I’ve been dealing with for the past four years magnifies tenfold.

I fucked up. And I have no one to blame but myself.

Chapter fourteen

Cashlynn

“Thank God you’re here. I’m starving.”

Hazel opens her door, peering at me with one eye barely open as I stand on her doorstep with bags of food in my hand from Astrid’s bakery and coffees from Keely’s Caffeine Kick.

“Sorry it’s so early, but I’m freaking out. I snuck out before Parker woke up.”

Hazel yawns loudly as I walk past her. “Well, your text last night said this was an emergency, so as soon as the caffeine kicks in, I’ll help put out the fire.”

Walking into Hazel’s apartment reminds me a lot of my place back in Philadelphia. There are tons of framed photos on the wall, mostly of her family, but some of the Carrington Cove beaches. Everything is decorated in browns and greens, very earthy tones with pops of white and blue for color. It’s welcoming and homey, but still very modern.

“Did you take all these pictures?” I ask as I set the bags of pastries on the kitchen counter and move closer to admire the display.

“I did—except that one.” She points to a photo of her entire family. “This is the last one we took before Dad passed.”

Thefrail man in the middle of the photo catches my attention instantly. “How long ago did he pass?”

“Almost two years now,” she says, melancholy in her voice.

I turn to look at her and see tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, I just…”

She brushes a tear from her cheek. “It’s okay. I prefer talking about him instead of trying to pretend like he never existed. It keeps his memory alive, and I was lucky to have him as my father. In fact, if you ask my brothers, I got the best version of him, so I won the lottery in that respect.” She turns away from me and goes over to the coffees, plucking one out of the tray for herself.

“Parker doesn’t talk about him.”

Hazel huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, well, I think we can agree that Parker isn’t big on talking, period.”

I join her at the counter, holding the other coffee like a lifeline, and then blurt out, “Parker and I slept together last night.”

Hazel spews her coffee all over the floor. “Hot damn! You did it? You got him to snap?”

“Yes, but I think he knew what I was up to.”

Her brows draw together. “Why do you say that?”

“Because he told me as much—while he was fucking me.”

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