by Unknown
“Maria,” Robert replied as he stood back up.
“Can I get you a coffee?” Maria asked looking at Robert expectantly. “Or something else to drink?”
“No thank you, Maria,” Robert replied. “Eleanor told me I needed to cut down on the caffeine. She said she’s tired of me tossing and turning all night.”
“I don’t blame her,” Maria laughed before she turned and looked at Parker. “Is there anything I can get for you?”
“No thanks, Maria,” Parker replied and gave her a grateful smile before she left them alone once more.
“So, you have talked to your lawyer?” Robert asked as he sat forward in his chair, giving Parker a worried look. “You need to make sure this never happens again. You’re a married man now, Son. You need to protect this girl.”
“I know that, Dad,” Parker sighed impatiently. “And I have, I have a restraining order in place against the scumbag that hurt her, and the photos he got will never see the light of day…”
“You really care about her,” Robert said, sounding surprised and stopping Parker mid-sentence. “Don’t you?”
“Of course I care for her,” Parker sighed once more. “I married her for Christ sake.”
“I have to admit,” Robert said as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes not leaving Parker. “I thought this was another one of your stunts; I didn’t think you would ever really settle down.”
“Of course it wasn’t a stunt,” Parker replied, surprised by how angry he felt by his father’s comment. He knew that his father was totally correct on what he said, even if he would never admit it. Still, he was bothered by his remark nonetheless. Parker knew it was more than just being called out on his bull shit. He felt protective about Alice, and he had no idea why.
He remembered how she looked when he arrived at the hospital and he saw her unconscious. She looked so pale and lost that it almost broke his heart. Parker could instantly feel anger course through his entire being that someone had hurt her, and it was because of him.
Parker reasoned that was the only reason he was so upset, but deep in his heart, he knew it was more than that. Over the past couple of weeks, he had grown to care about Alice, though Parker would never admit that to anyone.
“Parker,” Robert called, and Parker realised he had been miles away.
“Sorry,” he said as he shook his head and tried to clear his mind. “I was just thinking. What were you saying?”
“I was just saying that your mother wanted to come over,” Robert explained. “She is worried about you, about you both, but she wasn’t sure that you wanted her coming around.”
“Mom is always welcome here,” Parker said, feeling a pang of guilt that his behaviour had made his mother feel unwanted. “She knows this.”
“No, Parker,” Robert replied. “She doesn’t. She feels like you have pushed her out. You got married for Christ sake, and you didn’t even ask her to be there. How do you think that made her feel?”
“That’s not what we wanted,” Parker sighed, as the pang of guilt grew inside him. “It just happened so fast.”
“Then I can tell her that you aren’t angry with her for siding with me on this marriage thing?” Robert asked.
“You can tell her that she is always welcome here,” Parker replied. “She is my mom, and nothing will ever change that.”
“Good,” Robert said as he stood up. “I will leave you to take care of your wife. Make sure you keep her safe, she is your responsibility.”
“I know, Dad,” Parker replied, this time with a smile.
“Maybe you should consider some extra security around here,” Robert said as he made his way towards the door. “At least till things settle down.”
“I will think about it,” Parker nodded.
When he said his goodbyes to his father, he made his way down the hall to his office and switched on his laptop. He needed to try and focus on something other than Alice, and how he was feeling about her.
“Mr. O’Neill,” Maria said from the doorway a couple of hours later. “If there isn’t anything else, I am going to head off now.”
“Okay, Maria,” Parker said as he looked up from his screen and smiled at her. “And thank you so much for today.”
“You’re very welcome,” she replied warmly. “Mrs. O’Neill’s clothing delivery arrived earlier, I have put them in her room, but I will put them away properly tomorrow.”
“Sounds great,” Parker said as he powered off his laptop.
“Your dinner is in the chiller,” Maria continued. “I checked on Mrs. O’Neill. She is still sleeping. I was going to wake her, but maybe it’s best leaving her to sleep.”
“I think so,” he said as he stood up, and walked towards the door. “I think I’ve got it from here.”
“I will see you in the morning then,” she replied with a smile before she made her way down the hall.
Parker walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He looked at the food, but for some reason, he didn’t feel hungry, so he closed the door again.
He stood there for a moment and considered what he should do. Parker looked towards the exit and knew that just down the hallway, Alice was sleeping. He was surprised by the longing he felt inside him to see her.
He walked down the hallway and stopped when he reached the door. He hesitated before he slowly lifted his hand and reached for the handle.
As Parker stepped into the dimly lit room, he took great care to be quiet as not to wake Alice. He carefully closed the door behind him, before he took a step closer to the bed, and smiled to himself as he watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful.
Still, he was worried about her. He knew his father was right. It was his job to protect her, and so far, he had failed miserably.
He slowly walked to the armchair that was sitting in the corner of his bedroom and sat down. His eyes fell back to Alice as he silently sat there and watched her sleep.
For the first time since he had met her, he looked at her; truly and honestly looked at her.
She was beautiful; inside and out.
Parker felt a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach knowing that he had taken advantage of her, without ever truly looking at her. This was all wrong, and he knew it, but the thought of just walking away from her felt wrong, too.
Suddenly he felt tired. He slumped back into the chair and closed his tired eyes. When she woke the next morning, he would do the right thing. He would let her leave if that were what she truly wanted, but he would make sure nothing would ever hurt her again.
He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Alice swirling around his mind.
Chapter 14
Alice
Alice woke with a start, and for a moment she was surprised to find herself in Parker’s bed. But as the memory of what had happened the day before came crashing into her mind, she sighed as she turned over. Her head was banging, but at least the dizziness seemed to have past.
As she sat up, unsure of what had woken her, she froze when she saw Parker fast asleep on the armchair in the corner of the room. She stared at him for a moment, taking in every inch of his gorgeous face, thinking just how handsome he was, but she quickly shut those thoughts down. She needed to keep her feelings for him clear and straight in her mind. This was not some happy ever after romance; this was business, nothing more.
Still, it was nice to have him there. Alice knew the day before she should have told him no in the emergency room, but it felt good to have someone take care of her, so she found her resolve folding like a cheap tent.
Suddenly a shout from the hallway woke him, and he instantly darted up straight in the chair.
“What was that?” He asked as he looked over at Alice, and gave her a worried look.
“I’m not sure…” she began to say, but before she could finish her sentence, the bedroom door swung open, and a very angry looking Jenny appeared in the doorway.
“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND?” Jenny yelled as she came thundering i
nto the room, followed closely by a very angry Maria.
“I’m sorry, Mr. O’Neill,” she said looking at Parker, as her face flushed with embarrassment. “I tried to stop her, but she pushed right past me.”
“It’s okay, Maria,” Parker said as he stood up from his chair and walked towards Jenny. “I’ve got this.”
He stepped in front of Jenny and spoke in a low, calm voice.
“You need to calm down,” Parker warned her. “Alice is hurt, and she doesn’t need you upsetting her.”
“ME UPSETTING HER!” Jenny exclaimed as she glared up into Parker’s eyes. “I wasn’t the one that had her sobbing two nights ago because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants, and I wasn’t the one that got her into this mess in the first place. That is all on you.”
Alice could see Parker’s shoulders drop a little and she knew that Jenny’s words had bothered him.
Before he could respond, Jenny stepped around him and walked to the bed.
“Come on,” she said matter of factly as she pulled back the bedclothes. “Let’s get you dressed and out of this place.”
“You’re taking her nowhere,” Parker insisted as he spun around to face the two girls. “This is where she lives, this is her home, and I would be grateful if you minded your own damn business.”
“This is your home, not hers,” Jenny laughed as she turned back to Parker. “You might have managed to get back in her head, and even managed to get her into your bed, but it doesn’t mean anything…”
“That’s not what happened!” Parker cut her off. “She was hurt and scared, and I took care of her. Where the hell were you when she needed you? I called and called but you never even answered one of my messages.”
“I thought you were calling to get her to come back to you,” Jenny retorted as her face flushed with embarrassment. “If I’d known she was hurt, I would have been here. But I’m here now, and she’s coming home with me…”
“Over my dead body,” Parker growled back angrily.
“That can be arranged,” Jenny shot back.
“I’d like to see you try,” Parker replied as he glared down into her eyes.
“Don’t tempt me, O’Neill,” Jenny spat back. “I am not afraid of you!”
“ENOUGH!” Alice suddenly screamed, unable to listen to anymore. They both stopped and turned in unison to look at her. “Are you listening to yourselves? Do you know how ridiculous you both sound? Do you know how much my head hurts right now?”
“I’m sorry, Alice,” Parker said, and she knew by the look on his face, that he meant it.
“Yeah, I’m sorry too,” Jenny said, but Alice knew her friend was still upset.
“Jenny, sweetie,” Alice said as she looked up at her friend. “I know you are worried about me, but I’m okay, I promise. Parker has taken care of me…”
“I will take care of you,” Jenny butted in, but Alice smiled before she continued.
“I know you will, Sweetie,” Alice replied. “But I’m okay, I promise.”
“You can’t stay here,” Jenny said as she sat down on the bed next to Alice. “You don’t belong here. The other night, you were so upset…”
“I know,” Alice sighed as she briefly glanced up at Parker. She was surprised to see how bothered he seemed by what Jenny had said. “But I over-reacted. Parker and I have sorted things out, and we are going to give this another try.”
“Why?” Jenny asked giving her friend a worried look. “He is only going to hurt you again. Gram wouldn’t want you to do this for her. If she found out…”
“But she won’t,” Alice said with a reassuring smile. “Besides, I am not just doing this for Gram. Not anymore.”
“I just think this is such a huge mistake,” Jenny sighed, but Alice knew from the tone of her voice that her friend knew she was not going to convince her to leave.
“I know you do,” Alice sighed once more. “But I am asking you to trust me this once.”
“Fine,” she replied then released a deep sigh as she looked up at Parker. “But you do anything to hurt her again, and I will kill you with my bare hands. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” Parker replied just as there was a soft tap on the bedroom door. They all turned to the door as it opened slowly and Maria appeared once more.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you,” Maria said as she looked at Parker. “But Doctor Green is here to check on Mrs. O’Neill.”
“Thanks, Maria,” Parker replied and gave the woman a grateful smile. “You can show him in.”
“I should be going,” Jenny said as she reluctantly stood up from the bed. “I need to get to the coffee shop.”
“Okay,” Alice smiled up at her friend.
“Is it okay if I stop by later to see how you’re doing?” Jenny asked as she looked from Alice to Parker. “I could bring some of your things.”
“You’re Alice’s friend,” Parker replied before Alice could answer. “You’re always welcome here.”
Alice smiled once more. She knew that Parker didn’t really like Jenny, but she also knew he agreed because he wanted to make her happy.
Jenny said her goodbyes just as Maria arrived back with the doctor. Alice released a deep sigh as they all left the room, relieved that this latest drama was over.
“How are you feeling today, Alice,” Doctor Green asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I have no freaking idea, Doctor,” Alice replied honestly.
Alice woke slowly, and for a moment she felt a little confused by her surroundings. She had the strangest dream about Parker, and waking up in his room was a tiny bit unsettling.
Suddenly she got the sense there was someone in the room with her. She sat up slowly and was surprised to see a pretty teenage girl, sitting in the armchair, staring at her. Alice instantly recognised her from the photograph in Parker’s living room.
“Hi,” Alice said as she straightened herself up in the bed. “You must be Nicole.”
“You know who I am?” She asked, still just staring at Alice.
“Of course I know who you are,” Alice said, giving the girl a nervous smile. “Parker talks about you all the time.”
“He never mentioned you,” Nicole replied in a flat, unreadable voice.
“Well, we haven’t really known each other that long,” Alice offered unsure of what she should say to this girl.
“But you married him,” Nicole said, and as she said the words, Alice could hear how ridiculous this whole thing sounded.
“Yes, I did,” she replied honestly.
“He told me that he was never going to get married,” Nicole said, and Alice thought she sounded almost hurt. “But I always knew he would. I just thought he would want me there.”
“Of course he wanted you there,” Alice said as she pushed the bedclothes back and climbed from the bed. She walked to the bottom of the bed and sat down once again. “If there was anyone he wanted there, it was you. It just happened so quickly. I know he didn’t mean to hurt you or make you sad.”
“I’m not hurt,” Nicole insisted, but she instantly dropped her eyes to the floor, revealing that she was indeed, very hurt.
Alice smiled as she stood up and walked to where Nicole was sitting and kneeled down in front of her.
“It’s okay to be upset,” Alice said giving her a warm smile. “It’s okay to say that you feel hurt, but I want you to know, Parker loves you so much. I think…no, I know you are his favourite person in the whole world.”
Alice reached up and took the girls hand.
“He loves you very much,” Alice continued.
“He loves you too,” Nicole replied, surprising Alice. “He has never let us meet his girlfriends before. Though I did meet a couple, and they were nothing like you.”
“I see,” Alice said not really knowing what else to say to the girl. She could feel a pang of guilt rise inside her that she and Parker were deceiving this girl; that they were deceiving everyone.
“You’re prettier
than those girls,” Nicole continued. “They were all fake looking and weren’t very nice. Once, I caught one of them stealing money from Parker’s wallet. When I told him, she said I was lying.”
“Well that’s not very nice,” Alice said, but she couldn’t help but smile. She could see why Parker loved this girl so much. She was sweet and very likable.
“I’m glad he has met you,” Nicole replied as she gave Alice a warm smile.
“I’m glad he has too,” Alice replied honestly.
“Does your head really hurt?” She asked as she looked up at the dressing that was on Alice’s forehead.
“It’s a lot better today,” Alice assured her, just as the bedroom door opened and Parker popped his head around it.
“There you are,” he said as he came into the room and gave the two girls a nervous smile.
“I just wanted to make sure Alice was okay,” Nicole replied as she gave Parker a nervous look.
“She is supposed to be resting,” Parker said, as he glanced at Alice.
“Actually, I’m feeling a lot better,” Alice replied, giving Parker a warm smile. “And I’m a little hungry too.”
“Well Mom and Dad are here,” Parker said giving Alice a nervous look. “Maybe you could come out and say hi.”
“But I am just wearing pyjamas,” Alice replied feeling a wave of panic wash over her.
“I don’t think they came to see what you’re wearing,” Parker laughed as he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Besides, I think you look beautiful as you are.”
His words threw Alice a little. He never talked to her like that, and she didn’t know what to think. But then she remembered that Nicole was there in the room with them, and she knew he was putting on a show for his sister.
“I agree,” Nicole said from where she was sitting on the armchair. “I think you’re beautiful just as you are.”
Alice couldn’t help but smile at Nicole. She knew she would have to face his parents; she just wasn’t expecting it to be right then, while she was still wearing her pyjamas.
“Just come and say hi,” Parker pushed, giving her hand another soft squeeze and a smile the pulled at something deep inside her. Alice couldn’t help but smile back at him.
