Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2)

by Statham, Mayra

  “How did you know?”

  “I heard you. The apartment was small and had thin walls.” I admit to him for the first time and he swears under his breath and shakes his head.

  “Still Parker, I shouldn’t have turned my back on you. You were my best friend in London.”

  We sit in silence a little longer, there are questions itching to be asked. I wait as long as I can, until I can’t wait any longer.

  “How is she?” I ask glancing at him as I drink from the water bottle. His jaw is tight.

  “Three bruised ribs. One eye swollen shut, bruises fucking everywhere, scrapes and cuts....” Jake’s voice is slightly ragged, “The skin at her wrists is shredded but bandaged up,” he finishes telling me quickly and clinically.

  I close my own eyes, bile threatening again, I breathe in deep, trying to keep my cool.

  “She let Matt be there, she didn’t pick him over you. Lucy told me she was worried about him. She didn’t pick him over you. I could bet money that she doesn’t want you or anyone to see her like that. Shit, she doesn’t even want Lucy and the girls to see her, but thankfully all three of those women are like bulldogs and freaking stubborn, no way they would leave her alone. If they weren’t, I’m pretty sure Liz would have kicked them out.” I nod, he’s right, but there’s one thing bugging me about that.

  “Why Matt though?” I ask, feeling like a child, getting emotional and feeling slightly jealous of a guy who’d been nothing but good to my angel.

  “They were brought up the same way. They were both in the system, you know foster kids… Lucy said she was worried about him. She saw him on the floor before the asshole took her. Stone, Liz was scared he was dead.” I blow out a breath and shake my head.

  It makes sense, even if I don’t want it to.

  I want her to hold on to me and only me. I want to be her rock, her anchor, her everything, because that’s what she is to me, but that isn't going to happen with me drunk off my ass sitting in my house and her in her apartment. Standing up slowly, making sure my feet find are solid on the ground. I look at Jake and he looks at me questioningly.

  “After I get dressed, would you mind taking me over to her place? I don’t think I can drive.” I ask Jake.

  He smiles and nods, taking his phone out as I walk to my room. He’s probably giving Lucy a heads up. Liz’s girls probably won’t want me there, but they’d have to deal.

  I need my angel and she needs me. Only way for us to get to the other side is for us to hold onto one another, because doing simple things like breathing are harder to do without her.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Liz

  “What are you doing here?” I hear Lucy ask and even without hearing his voice I know. I know he’s at my door. I knew before the doorbell rang. My hands move to my lips.

  I’m still in my painting room, in the recliner that Matt brought in for me last night with a bright orange blanket over me. The only light that filters into the dark room comes from the living room. I look around the room and even though he’s at the door, I think about my apartment.

  I should move. This place held too many memories. Good and bad memories that all swirled together. I close my eyes.

  Tess had left to get dinner. Lucy and Carrie are in the living room. Matt’s close by, but I know he isn’t in the apartment. Do I want to see Parker? Yes. God yes, I want to see him more than I want to breathe. I just wish there’s a way for me to see him, without him having to see the bruised up mess that I am. I don’t want him to blame himself. I know him. I know he will.

  “I need to see her.” I squeeze my eyes shut at the deep pained sound of his voice. My heart is aching in a way that I didn’t even know was possible. My entire body hurts. The pain is sharp as it radiates through me, my nerves are raw and completely on edge, but hearing his voice added in a whole other layer of pain. I want to reach for him, but I’m too much of a coward. There is no way he would still want me.

  “Please, Lucy…,” the sound of his voice pleading with Lucy makes my eyes sting.

  “Give her time… maybe…,” I hear Lucy start to say.

  “What are you doing here, Stone?” Tess.

  Dinner’s here.

  The girls are hurting too and seeing Parker is only going to make them angrier. They want someone to blame, and he’s the one who they’d chosen. If I didn’t hurt so much, I’d stand and go see him myself and ask him to leave to somehow help them feel better. Only I know, that the moment my eyes fall on him, it would be over. I’d hold onto his strong body and never want to let go. Even if I know it’d be better if I didn’t. He needs someone who has something better than I have in me to give.

  “Tess, please. I need to…,” he pleads, breaking my heart.

  “You need to go.” Tess snaps back. By the tone in her voice, I know there is no reasoning with her when she’s this angry.

  “He’s been arrested. He…,” Parker starts to plead and I close my eyes, tears rolling down my face.

  “Do you really think she wants to see you? Jesus Parker, do you have any idea how they left her?” I hear Tess ask him. I can’t make out what they say after. I just close my eyes and drift into pain and darkness.

  Parker

  “I’m not leaving until I see her. Please, Tess.” I plead with her trying to keep my cool, but failing miserably.

  “Tess, maybe….” Lucy starts to say, and hope fills me.

  “You have got to be kidding me, Lucy! Seriously?” Tess hisses at Lucy.

  “Tess….”

  “You think she wants him to see her? She doesn’t even want us around her. Only one she has let close to her is Matt, and that’s because….” I wince at the mention of her letting Matt around, but I have to get through to them.

  “I get it, but I love her, Tess. I swear, if I could go back….”

  “But you can’t.” Tess spits out her eyes angry, “Don’t you think I would take it back?”

  “What?” “Tess?” Lucy and I ask at the same time. Tess’ lip trembles as she looks down. Shaking her head, she walks into the apartment, bags in hand. I watch her walk towards the kitchen, wiping away at her face. She’s feeling guilt too.

  “Please, Lucy…,” I beg. Lucy’s light brown eyes are wide and unsure. “I promise I won’t upset her….”

  “She’s in really bad shape, Parker.” Her voice says softly, “You can’t go in there and lose your mind.” She warns me, her voice sad.

  “I won’t.” I promise.

  Lucy bites her lip, steps back and nods her head. I walk in and watch as she closes and locks the door behind me. The TV is playing softly, more as background noise than anything else.

  Lucy’s worried eyes meet mine.

  “Don’t make me regret this...please.”

  “I won’t.” I promise.

  “She’s in her painting room.” Lucy tells me and I look at her.

  “Shouldn’t she be lying down?” I ask her.

  Shaking her head, Lucy looks at the ground. “She didn’t want to be in there… she tried… but…,” shaking her head as if she’s trying to take away the memory of something, then Lucy keeps talking, “Matt brought her recliner into the room. It’s a little more comfortable for her back…I’m going to see if I can help Tess in the kitchen.”

  ***

  I walk to the bedroom that has the door slightly ajar. It’s dark, but with the light behind me I can see her slightly. Her eyes are closed, but her face is black and blue. A white bandage is on one of her small wrists are peeking out of the grey sweater she’s wearing. My grey sweater! From the chest down, she’s covered in a thick bright orange knitted blanket.

  I watch her lips part, her eyes are still shut and her face is wincing slightly as if in pain.

  “They let you in,” she whispers hoarsely and I walk closer into the dark room.

  “Yeah,” I say my heart at my throat. Fuck. My angel is hurting. Why hadn’t I been here earlier?

  Her eyes still shut, I walk closer to
her. I kneel in front of her. The room is dark, the smell of paint in the air slightly comforting in a way, but as my eyes adjust to the lack of light, I can start to make out more bruises over the small amount of skin that’s showing.

  I reach for her hand gently, slowly lacing my fingers in hers. I look down at her hand, kissing her knuckles that are red and swollen, scratches I can feel on the palm of her hand. All the blood in my body heats up at how the hell my angel might have got them, but I try to block away the anger.

  “Is this okay?” I ask her, and she gives me a tiny watery smile, her eyes still closed.

  “Yeah,” she mumbles softly.

  We stay silent in the dark room, my knees on the carpeted floor, holding her hand. I don’t know what to say, and like my angel she somehow knew this.

  “I’m glad you came.” She whispers into the darkness.

  “No other place I would want to be, angel.” I tell her, meaning it with my whole heart and her breath hitches. A tear rolls down her face and I bite my lip. My hand goes up, my thumb wipes it away as gently as possible.

  “Everything hurts,” her voice cracks the silence of the room, as she squeezes my hand. The knot at my throat tightens, choking me, my eyes are wet.

  “I know, angel.” I tell her, my voice hoarse as I try to keep my shit together.

  “Are they…?” She starts to ask, but I help her out.

  “Duke’s in jail.” I spit out, afraid that I’ll either start to cry like a baby or stand and punch a hole in the wall.

  “His guard… the creepy one, Marco...,” panic is rising in her voice. My beautiful angel is still scared. Right then and there I know I will do anything, work myself to the bone to make sure she never feels like this again.

  “He’s dead. He can’t hurt you.” I feel her nod. We stay like this in silence, my beautiful angel in front of me.

  “I think…,” she starts to say but falters only to squeeze my hand. “I think this is when we need to say goodbye, Park,” her voice is soft but strong, and I sit up, my body frozen.

  “No…”

  “Yes,” she sniffles. “I’m scared of my own shadow,” she whispers with a sarcastic chuckle. “You deserve someone better. Someone that is stronger. Someone who can give you everything they have without being scared shitless. You deserve that. I know myself well enough to know… as much as I’d want to give that to you, I don’t have it in me to give, honey.” My heart is sinking. She hates me. She has too. This is my fault. I’d fucking failed her.

  “Ellie….” I start to say but her fingers find my lips in the darkness. She opens her eyes. One swollen shut. So fucking swollen that I can’t even see the color of her eye, but the other dark chocolate staring at me softly, a kindness in her eyes I don’t deserve.

  Liz

  “I’m going to fall asleep...when I wake up you’ll be gone. It’s easier that way. Please…,” I whisper into the darkness, feeling his full lips against my fingers.

  He doesn’t answer. My eyes feel too heavy, and as much as my body hurts, my heart hurts worse. I close my eyes, letting myself drown in the darkness around me. I listen to the faint murmur of noise in my apartment and I zero in on his breathing and only his breathing. That’s all I want to hear. I feel him put his head on my lap, his arms around my legs, and I can’t keep my fingers from tangling into his soft, disheveled hair.

  “I’m not leaving,” his voice is clear and full of steely determination.

  “You will…everyone eventually leaves me, Park.” I tell him my voice a little less raspy than last night. My hands still in his hair, probably soothing me more than him, because there’s no way he can be comfortable the way he’s sitting.

  Eventually I let sleep claim me, the heat of his head on my lap keeping me warm. Warmth that I fills my entire body, even if for just one more time.

  ***

  Morning comes too quickly like it always does. Without opening my eyes, I know I’m in my painting room. The scent of paint in the air mixes with the scent of morning coffee one of the girls must have made this morning. I briefly let my senses kick in to see if I feel the weight of Parker’s head on my lap, but it’s no longer there, as if he’d never been there. I could have imagined him for all I knew.

  What I feel is the huge knot that my body seems to think it’s in. My body more than aches it hurts. It really, really hurts. I purse my lips, quickly regretting it, feeling the cut on my bottom lip. Fuck my life.

  Every part of my body hurts, and as much as I want to sit in my chair in this room and wither away, I can’t. It isn’t in me to get kicked, literally in this case, and not fight my way back. I have to get up today. I have to fight to try to get my mind right, not for anyone else but for myself. I have to fight to figure out what my next step should be. I’m still breathing, the girls are all okay, the bakery is seemingly out of imminent danger of getting shut down and I have an apartment to search for. I need somewhere new to call home. I do all this thinking and assessing still lying on my recliner with my fucking eyes closed.

  Opening my eyes slowly, I take in my painting room. The room is softly lit up, the blinds only letting in a small amount of sunshine. Sunshine that’s filtering right to the painting I’d been working on last. I’d started it the night Parker and I had come back from Miami. We’d been at his place and I’d woken up with the idea for it. Unable to push it away, I’d sketched it out on a scrap piece of paper I’d found in his kitchen while he’d slept.

  The Miami shore is facing me. I look at the lock hidden in the waves I’d painted. The painting was going to be for Parker when I finished it. Maybe I would have it sent to him one day if I ever finish it. Taking a deep cleansing breath, I wince as I breathe in. Pain is radiating from my sides, slowly I straighten, grunting as my feet touch the floor.

  I shuffle my body slowly to the window, wincing as I reach up to open the blinds a little more. Sunshine filters through the window, brightening up the room.

  “You should be resting,” a deep voice says, but I don’t have to look to know who it is.

  “I should be doing a lot of other things. Resting can wait.” I say, noticing my voice was a little more like normal.

  “Lucy would be pissed at me if I let you leave.” The male voice says and I smile.

  “When have you ever been able to control me, Matt?” I say, still smiling I turn to look at him.

  His face turns lethal the moment he takes in what I must look like in sunlight. My smile falters and I look at the ground suddenly unsure of my own strength. Maybe I should just wither away in the darkness?

  “Once, if I remember correctly,” he says and I look up at him, a fake cocky smile on his lips.

  “You think you were in control that night?” I ask, knowing that I really shouldn’t be flirting. I’m not good for anyone. Not Matt or Parker.

  “You tell me?” He says walking to me, with my favorite bright green oversized coffee mug in hand his hand.

  “We had fun.” I tell him, my voice soft. Would I ever let myself have fun again?

  “Yeah...I never understood why you just turned away after that,” he says, standing next to me, his hand at my hip. His blue eyes look at me.

  “You started seeing Vikki the next day.” I tell him, sipping the warm sweet coffee, curious as to how he knew how I took my coffee.

  “No, I didn’t.” He says his eyes narrowing.

  “It’s okay, Matt. Really…”

  “No. I’m telling you I didn’t start to see Vikki till like three months later, after you just kept ignoring me.” He says sounding sincere.

  “No. I...I saw you the day after you and me... Candy and Ginger both said you’d hooked up with her and you came into Shine together… you kissed her.” His serious blue gaze is on me as his mind remembers the past.

  “No, babe, I came into Shine with her because her car broke down. She kissed me, I told her not to even think about doing it again.” He enlightened me and my eyes went as wide as they could.

  “Oh
.”

  The room is silent as I look out at the sky through the window.

  “Fuck, are you kidding me right now?” He asks sounding surprised, a little smile playing on his lips.

  “What?” I ask, focusing on the view in front of me from the window. It’s a beautiful spring day.

  “That’s what kept you away? Why didn’t you talk to me about it?” Matt asks sounding like he really wants to know. Why hadn’t I asked him about Vikki? Why had I shut him out?

  I look away from the clouds in the sky to look into the beautiful clear blue pools that are Matt’s eyes and smile.

  “Does it even matter now? It’s not like you came to me and tried to get more from me. Plus, it was a long time ago….”

  “Damn,” he says putting his arm gently on my shoulder. I lean my body into his. He feels warm and solid. I let my head fall onto the warm hardness of his solid chest. Safe, he felt safe and it felt good.

  “Who’s here?” I ask, not knowing if I’m hoping that Parker had left or not.

  “It’s just us. Girl’s went into work.”

  “Oh...good…,” I say, sounding as distracted as I feel. My heart is aching a little that....

  “Stone went to get you lunch.” I look up at Matt.

  “What?” I whisper as a silly shred of hope lights up from a hidden place inside me.

  “He stayed all night. He left when I came over this morning. He had some office shit to take care of, said he’d be back later.”

  “No, he won’t”, I tell him shaking my head a little. Hope is a ridiculous thing to have.

  “Liz….” He starts to say, his eyes are kind and I know what he’s going to say.

  “Take me to your place.” I blurt out, not sure where the sudden need to leave my place is coming from, all I know is that I had to go.

  “What?” He asks sounding confused.

  “He doesn’t know where you live. It’s close to the bakery and I can go there tonight to decorate….”

  “Decorate cakes? Are you fucking kidding me?” He asks, completely pissed off at my suggestion, taking a step away from me.