Page 18 of Only Ever You
Blessedly, the waiter stopped by our table. “It’ll be about fifteen minutes for your pizza. We’re slammed,” he explained, gesturing around the packed dining area. “Can I get you anything to drink other than water?”
Parker tilted his head as he glanced back over at me with an arched brow. “Just water.” I cleared my throat because my voice sounded squeaky.
“That’s it for me as well,” Parker replied.
After the waiter had walked away, Parker added, “Dinner is on me. I invited you.”
“I know, but—” I twisted the napkin as I tried to gather some courage.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his gaze concerned.
Before I could think it through, my words tumbled out. “I’m afraid that you’re gonna be mad at me for telling you my name was Jane, but that was the name I went by back when we met because my parents were, well, theyareRV influencers. They have a whole channel online, and that was my life then.”
His eyes went wide. “What? RV what?”
Although this wasn’t how I had planned to explain everything, I was relieved to talk about it. “So when I was about—” I paused, mentally counting. “Eight years old. My parents decided they wanted to take off in an RV. My dad had started repairing one and was posting about it online. You know how people do that. Anyway, so they wanted to make enough money with ads to live off it, so they started a whole channel and that became my life. They didn’t protect me from much, but they decided to have me go by Jane online and they straightened my hair. When you met me then, that’s why my hair was straight and why I said my name was Jane.”
Parker stared at me so long, I shifted restlessly in my seat. “Uh, wow,” he finally said slowly. “I know that’s a thing, but are you for real?”
I was mortified, just miserable, inside. “Oh, it’s a thing. There are lots of families who do it. Do you watch any of those online short video channels?”
He shook his head slowly. “It’s not like I don’t see stuff online, but it’s not a big part of my life. I have email, but I’m not on social media at all. At the time you met me, I didn’t even have a cell phone because—” He took a deep breath. “You go ahead, and I’ll explain my life afterwards.”
“There’s not much else to explain. Do you hate me for lying?” Anxiety swirled inside, a restless storm in my chest.
“Luna, no! I knew I sort of recognized you and something felt familiar, but I couldn’t figure it out. I never forgot you. I guess I’m relieved now that I understand why you went by a different name and why your hair was straight.” He smiled slowly. “Your curls are pretty.”
Heat flared in my cheeks as I held his gaze. “Well, that’s good because I’m never straightening my hair again.”
Parker threw his head back with a laugh. “I love your curls. So what happened after that time we met?”
“I was seventeen and in my last year of high school. As soon as I turned eighteen, I found a job in Juneau. I’m still in touch with my parents, and I love them, but I’m never living that life again. Ever. I was so tired of it. I’m just so relieved you don’t hate me.”
I hadn’t realized how much I’d worried about this until now, when the tension I’d been carrying inside started to ease. “I lied to you that day. I didn’t want to tell you the whole thing at the time because I was afraid of what you might think. When I first saw you here, I wasn’t sure it was you either. You didn’t seem to recognize me and so it seemed best to leave it alone.” I took a quick breath, needing the courage from a blast of oxygen. “I wanted you to like me for me.”
“I did,” he said softly.
That two-word reply sent a jolt of joy through me. We smiled at each other. I felt a little goofy, a sense of giddiness rising inside. “So, um, tell me your story.”
Parker’s shoulders rose when he took a deep breath. “For what it’s worth, you might not wanna talk to me after I tell you my story.”
“Parker, I doubt that. You’re friends with all my friends here. I know you’re a nice guy.”
He was quiet as he held my gaze for a long beat. Just then, our waiter arrived to set plates down in front of us. “Five more minutes for the pizza,” he announced before hurrying off.
“I didn’t have a cell phone when you and I met because I’d just gotten out of juvenile detention,” Parker said flatly.
“You mean like jail for teenagers?” I asked.
“Exactly that,” he said. “I haven’t even gotten a parking ticket since then. I ended up a hotshot firefighter because the vocational program my probation officer set me up with included volunteering for community service at a fire station and training to be a hotshot firefighter. I went to detention because I got caught dealing drugs in high school. I have all kinds of reasons for why that happened, including that my dad did it at the time, but in the end, I still have to be accountable. He doesn’t do illegal things anymore either. I promise you. Me and Stella share a dad. He’s doing good now, he’s walking the straight and narrow, but—” He paused, taking a slow breath as he leaned his head back. He leveled his gaze with mine again. “Are you ready to run away now?” He gestured his thumb toward the door.
I rested my elbows on the table and leaned toward him. “Absolutely not. Life happens, Parker. I’ve heard Stella’s story about how she connected with you, but I didn’t know all of this. Hudson’s pretty open about what happened to him. Mygrandmother always tells me the mistakes we make are the lessons we need.”
Parker stared at me for a long moment before he reached for my hands. The warmth of his grip felt so good I almost sighed over it.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice gruff.
“For what?”
