Page 85 of Someday You Learn

I nod. “And you’re coming with me.”

She bites her bottom lip again. “What are we going to tell your siblings?”

I blow out a breath, not having thought that far ahead. “We don’t have to tell them shit. But you know they’re going to ask questions.”

She nods. “Hazel is going to drill me the second she sees me. In fact, I’d be surprised if she hasn’t already sent me several text messages.”

Leaning back against the headboard, I stare at the blank TV screen across the room. “Sometimes I hate how involved my siblings are in my life.”

She stares up at me, searching my face. “They just care about you, Parker. Especially Hazel. Do you know what she told me when she was pushing me to keep pushing you?”

“What?”

“That she just wanted her brother back.”

I peer down at her as my heart twists. “Fuck, she said that?”

Cashlynn nods. “She hates how much your relationship with Sasha changed you. You can’t be mad at her for that.”

“I can be mad at her all I want,” I retort, but I know that Hazel’s heart was in the right place. That girl has a way of driving all of us boys nuts, but our lives would be dull without her.

She gives me a knowing look. “Parker…”

I sigh, rolling my head on my neck. “I know she means well —they all do. But when you’re drowning in anger and resentment, it’s hard to appreciate that kind of attention.”

“You have no idea how lucky you are to have them, and your entire family for that matter. It’s only been me and my dad for so long, and I’ve barely seen him since I moved up north for school then settled in Philly.” Her eyes start to fill with tears. “Everything between us changed when my mom died, and I’d give anything for him to support me and encourage me the way your family does for you.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry, sweetheart. Come here.” I pull her into my chest.

“The longer I keep this from my dad, all of this, the more afraid I am to tell him the truth. He’s going to blow up either way, and I—”

I place my finger over her lips, silencing her. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay? That’s all we can do since we’ve already committed to this plan.” She nods but doesn’t speak. “For now, let’s just enjoy this little shift in our relationship.”

“Oh believe me, I am enjoying it,” she mumbles against my finger, making me smile.

“Me too.” I bury my face in her neck again as I roll over on top of her. “Fuck, I can’t get enough of you.”

“I feel the same way.” I lift my head and look down into her eyes as her hand comes up to stroke the side of my face, a look of hesitation in her eyes. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, we can fuck now if you’ve changed your mind.”

She tries to shove me away, but I’m immovable. “Jesus. It wasn’t that!”

“Sorry. My mistake.” She rolls her eyes. “What do you want to know?”

Her thumb rubs over the scar above my eyebrow. “How did you get this scar?”

I know exactly which one she’s talking about because I look at it every day in the mirror, remembering the moment I thought my life might have turned out very differently if it weren’t for my two older brothers.

“I took a steel pole to my face.”

Her eyes widen. “Oh my God! How? Why?”

Sighing, I prop my head on my hand. “My brothers and I were playing on our jungle gym in the backyard. Me being the youngest, they always tried to get me to do stupid shit. That day, we were pretending to be firefighters, sliding down a metal pole we’d leaned against the side of the monkey bars. It wasn’t secured, obviously.”

“So how did it end up hitting you in the face?”

“Dallas was arguing with Penn about moving the pole, and I was standing too close to him at the top of the equipment while Penn was down on the ground. Dallas yanked the pole to his side and the top of it hit me right above the eye.” The memory floods my mind. “I just remember seeing red and then screaming. When my mother came outside, she thought my eye was gone. It wasn’t until I took my hand off of my face that she realized the cut was on my eyebrow, but it was deep and needed stitches.” Chuckling, I continue, “My brothers were in so much trouble after that day. I think that was the first time I realized that I really shouldn’t listen to anything that they tell me to do.”

---