Page 111 of Mother Parker
“I-I heard you,” he muttered.
I watched him pull away from me, shrink away from me, searching for something on the kitchen counter but not finding it.
I wanted to speak. To ask him if he’d heard me again, to ask him if he had anything to say to me or a response to what I’d just told him, but nothing came out.
“Should we eat?” he asked without looking at me and walked away to sit at the dining table.
“Aren’t you…aren’t you gonna say something? I just said—”
“I know what you said,” he replied. “I…don’t know what to…”
He sighed and put his fork down, staring at his plate of carbonara but not tucking in even though he’d said he was hungry only moments ago.
My fingers flexed into fists that I didn’t know what to do with. I didn’t know what to do with my whole body.
I’d just poured out my heart, and that was all he could say to me? Nothing at all?
I couldn’t go through this again. Not again. Not when I thought I’d found the one person I truly loved. Not when I thought I’d found myself in him.
“Forget it,” I said and threw the bowl on the counter before walking out.
I didn’t even stop to take my jacket, and God knew I needed it considering the temperature drop, but I wasn’t going back now. I couldn’t.
I’d gone and done it again. Ruined everything. Moving too fast. Leading with my heart instead of my head.
And once again, it’d be me who would be left heartbroken and with nothing.
“For fuck’s sake!” I growled.
A man who’d been walking ahead of me jumped out of my way, and I didn’t even bother apologizing.
I just walked ahead in the cold. Hopefully, it would numb the pain of losing yet again.
But I wasn’t counting on it.
How could I be so stupid? Why would I tell him that? Why would he be different? Why would this time be the one?
My mind was busy beating me up, so it was my legs that took me to the Outpost.
It was quiet inside. A group of guys played pool in the corner. Another group of girls was gathered around a booth on the other side, flirting with the pool players, and I ignored all of them, walking to the bar where Maddox was serving a couple.
“Hey, what brings you here?” he asked, seeing me.
“Is Wyatt here?” I asked as he appeared from the kitchen, carrying two plates of burgers and fries.
Before he walked away to whoever had ordered those, I put my hand on his chest and stopped him.
“Someone needs to replace me at the bubble tea shop. I can’t do it anymore,” I told him.
Wyatt’s bushy brows furrowed, and he cocked his head.
“What are you talking about?”
“Hwan, the shop, someone else needs to watch out for him. I can’t-I can’t do it anymore. I won’t,” I repeated, this time with my usual growl that turned a few heads.
“I don’t know what’s come over you. Sit your ass down, and I’ll be right over to find out,” he snapped, and the SEAL in me naturally obeyed. I sat at the bar. The couple Maddox had been serving walked off, and Maddox turned his attention to me.
“What happened?” he asked.
