Page 70 of Parker

“Quinn, I’m not going to say it again. I’m not in the mood to talk! I need you to go. Now!”

“I love you, baby. I’m not leaving until—”

He’s not listening. He’s not hearing me.

I snap.

“I’m surprised you’re not enjoying this more!” I cry. “Parker, the butt of another prank.”

“What? Park! I had nothing to do with that video—”

“Yeah, but youloveteasing me. Youlovepranking me. You mustlovethis! This is the ultimate Parker take-down! Tell me how much you’re loving this!”

“I don’t like anything about it! And it’s fucking unfair for you to even say that!” He bangs on the door. “I’m worried about you! This is—this is bullshit, Park! Come out!”

“No!” I yell, feeling furious with the Joneses, with myself, and yes, with Quinn. “You want to know about bullshit? After a lifetime of youtorturingme,bullshitis me taking a chance on you! Onus! Oh my god, it’s soridiculous, I can’t even believe it! I mean, in what universe do Parker Stewart and Quinn Morgan work out as a couple?! None!” I take a breath, and my fury assures me that it’s deep and crystal clear. No sobbing jagged pants. No stuttering. No breaking. “I wanted to be strangers, but you wouldn’t leave me the fuck alone! I didn’t ask for any of this! I don’t want to be with you, Quinn! It was all a fucking mistake. The worst mistake of my entire fucking life!”

“Parker, it wasn’t a mistake…” Quinn’s voice is soft and hurt when he finally speaks. I imagine his palm flush on the door, his eyes shiny with tears. “Don’t say that…I mean, I—”

“Get out, or I’m calling security!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

I listen for the sound of his retreat and the suite door opening, then latching shut. Only then do I open the bathroom door to find the room empty.

And I feel so excruciatingly alone, I physically hurt. More tears fall, punctuated by the kind of sobs I wouldn’t wish on Skylar Jones.

My phone rings.

HARPER.

I don’t know if she’ll be pissed or sympathetic, judgey or compassionate. I only know that I need her.

I take a deep, shaking breath and answer.

***

Quinn

As I throw my shit in my suitcase, I talk myself out of knocking on Rick and Skylar’s doors and punching their lights out. I want to. Oh god, I want to mess up Rick Jones’s smug, condescending face so bad…but the reality is that an assault charge won’t help anything. And if Skylar films it, I’ll be giving them the perfect Part II to their Stewart-Morgan smear campaign.

Besides, if I’m honest, I’m far more hurt by Parker calling us a “mistake,” than I am by Rick and Skylar’s heartless video. After the week we spent together? After last night and this morning? I wassurewe were on our way to someplace amazing. I even thought that maybe Parker was falling in love with me, too.

My heart twists and clenches because now it all seems lost. And—oh my god—I’m so pissed and frustrated, I just want to release this fury inside, hit something, hit someone…Fuck.Maybe Ishouldfind out where Rick and Skylar are staying. I could knock on their door and—

Buzz. Buzz, buzz.

My phone, sitting on the bedside table, has a call coming in.

SAWYER.

My breath catches.

Oh, fuck.

I pick up the phone, sit on the edge of the bed and grimace, wishing I didn’t have to have this conversation with him right now. I’m broken-hearted over Parker’s rejection of me and our budding love affair. I don’t want to talk to Sawyer. There’s too much to explain, too much to make him understand. It feels utterly exhausting to even contemplate.

Don’t be a coward. You need to face this.

I press Talk and hold the phone up to my ear.