Part 41 (1/2)
I rolled them. ”Everyone says that. It's such a cop out.”
”I mean it,” Parker insisted, now tracing my tattoo. ”Not just because they're pretty, even though they are.” Pretty. Now that was a word no one had ever used to describe me. ”I saw such pain behind them. Such misery. I knew you had a story, and I wanted to hear it. From the moment I met you, I...” She trailed off, and when I looked down at her, she blushed. ”I wanted to save you.”
A slow grin spread over my face. On one level, that was absurd. I was a big boy who'd seen more violence than Parker could ever dream of. I'd been through h.e.l.l and back all on my own. Sure, maybe a few years ago I'd needed saving, but I wasn't that f.u.c.ked up kid anymore.
But on the other hand, it was sort of... romantic. Maybe Parker wasn't going to physically come to my rescue, but she had saved my soul. I'd been broken before she found me, and as much as my male ego hated to admit it, she was the one who'd started putting all those pieces back together.
”Let's make a deal,” I said, drawing her against me under the water. G.o.d, she looked hot wet. ”From here on out, we'll always be there to save each other. Agreed?”
Parker smirked. ”Agreed. As long as you're also willing to forget the past. It's time to move forward, Kellan. We can't let fear, or guilt, hold us back. Is that something you can commit to?”
That was one h.e.l.l of a question. I knew, if I was being honest with myself, that I took things hard. I shouldered burdens that were never mine to bear. I carried the weight of the world, even when no one had asked me to. I let s.h.i.+t get to me, let it work way too deep under my skin. I also knew that was a pattern I had to break, but old habits, and all that.
Parker was worth it, though. She was worth all the fight and struggle in the world. As long as we were struggling through this together, it would be worth every ounce of effort.
”Anything for you, baby,” I told her, smoothing her soaked tresses back so I could look into her eyes. ”From now on, we don't look back. Only forward.”
The longer the idea settled with me, the more I liked it. Maybe because I knew with Parker in my life, I had a h.e.l.l of a lot to look forward to.
~ Eighteen ~
Parker
”Thom, stop poking at it. You'll only make it worse.”
Thom made a face at me from his hospital bed, an expression somewhere between a glower and a scowl. He was holding up a hand mirror and inspecting his staples for the umpteenth time since I'd arrived at the hospital, fiddling with them as he lamented the loss of his beautiful hair.
”You're like Samson,” I muttered, watching him as he ignored me. ”You know that, right?”
”Let's just hope I haven't lost all my reporter powers,” he said, finally setting the mirror down on his food tray. ”You know, web-slinging, scaling tall buildings, disguising myself with nothing but a pair of gla.s.ses-that sort of thing.”
”I think you're mixing up your comic book heroes,” I replied, unable to suppress my smile. After Thom had taken such a terrible blow to his head, I'd worried about brain damage, but he seemed just fine on that front, at least. He was still sharp as ever, if a little depressed. Andy, his fiance, had a.s.sured him time and time again that he was still just as s.e.xy as ever, but Thom disagreed. Without my hair, he'd grumped, I'm nothing.
Of course, that was before the worst of the morphine wore off, so maybe he'd seen the light now.
”Kellan says hi,” I said, checking my phone at the same time. It was past six o'clock, and Kellan's fight would be starting in just a couple hours. I didn't want to be late, but I also knew Thom needed company. He was the epitome of a social b.u.t.terfly, and I was pretty sure he'd go insane without someone to talk to, and Andy had to work. ”He also says 'sorry.' He feels like this was his fault.”
”He's an idiot,” Thom said. ”And I mean that in the nicest possible way. You can tell him I said so-it's not his fault at all. It's his manager's. Victor Dallas has got all those guys brainwashed. They're completely under his thrall.”
I blew out a sigh, thinking of how just a few days ago, Kellan had been just as defensive of Vic as the goons who'd beat up Thom were. Kellan was a smart guy, but even he'd been taken in. I guessed when you were at rock bottom, the simplest display of kindness could end up meaning the world.
At least you know he's loyal.
”Well, Kellan's out of it, now,” I told Thom. ”Or at least, he will be after this one last fight.”
”He's fighting tonight?” Thom asked. I nodded. ”Then what the h.e.l.l are you doing here with me? Shouldn't you be there supporting him?”
I smiled. ”I will be, though having your blessing means a lot. I've still got some time until I have to go. I figured I'd get you up to speed on everything that's been going on.”
”I can't wait to put this guy's a.s.s in a sling,” Thom groaned, leaning back against his pillow. ”If he thinks getting my head split open is going to make me turn tail, he's a moron. And by the time I'm done with him, I'm hoping he's a moron in jail.”
”As soon as you're feeling better, you and I will go in for the kill,” I a.s.sured him with another smile. ”And I'm sure Kellan will help however he can, too, providing he doesn't beat Vic to death as soon as he hands Kellan his money.”
I'd meant it as a joke, but soon realized that scenario was a distinct possibility. Vic had betrayed Kellan on every possible level, and Kellan had a temper. What was to keep him from bas.h.i.+ng Vic's brains out once he had his winnings in his hand?
I bit my lip. I hoped that wasn't the case. Kellan could walk out of this free and clear, if he could just keep his anger in check. He could start fresh. We could really build something together. But not if he was in jail for a.s.sault.
I sent him a quick text as Thom fussed with his in-room TV. Keep your head in the game. No revenge plots! <3 kellan=”” texted=”” me=”” back=”” just=”” a=”” few=”” moments=”” later.=”” aww.=”” :(=”” ur=”” no=””>
Satisfied, I shook my head and turned my attention back to Thom. ”Is there anything you need from me, Thom? Anything at all?” The truth was that I, too, felt a little responsible for his predicament. I had, after all, pulled him into all of this for the sake of a story. More and more, I was realizing there were way more important things in life than making the front page. Thom's wellbeing was one of those things, and our friends.h.i.+p was another.
”Stop making puppy dog eyes at me,” Thom replied, finally settling on some primetime drama. ”You're as blameless in all this as your boyfriend is. Which reminds me: how did you two finally make up?”
I blushed. ”He came over after he found out what happened to you. Said we were right and he was sorry about everything. And then... well, then we made up in the usual way.”
”So glad my cracked skull is bringing people together,” Thom said, but smiled nonetheless. ”I really am happy for you, Parker. And I think if we play our cards right, in the end, we're all going to get what we want.”
”I just wish I could've gotten the senator,” I sighed. ”Even though the worst will soon be behind us, Kellan's going to have a long way to go. It would make things easier if he had a safety net he could rely on. Something like that veterans' bill.”
”You did your best, didn't you?” Thom asked. I nodded, and he shrugged. ”Then you've done all you can. And I think Kellan will understand that, no matter how hard-headed he is about everything else.”
”I think you're right,” I agreed, standing up. ”If you're all set, though, I'm going to head out. Is Andy coming by later?”
”Yes, and he's sneaking me in some sus.h.i.+, so don't tell anyone.” I made a face and Thom laughed. ”Don't worry, it's not from that new place. I wouldn't want to go the way of Melanie Cartwright, on top of everything else.”
”From your lips to G.o.d's ears,” I said, stepping around the side of his bed to kiss his cheek. I caught him on the temple, and he grunted a little. ”Please get some rest, Thom. The story will be here when you get back. You don't have to worry about me cutting you out.”
”I know you'd never dream of it,” Thom said, then reached over and clasped my hand. ”And thank you for that. It's not often you find integrity in our world.”
”You're welcome,” I said, squeezing his fingers softly. ”I'll see you later, Thom.”
”Call me when it's all over,” he replied, and I nodded on my way out.
I was just about to take the elevator to the hospital's parking garage when my cell phone rang. I a.s.sumed it was Kellan checking up on me until I saw the number on the screen. I had to do a double-take. This person wasn't in my contacts, but I knew that number like the back of my hand. It was Senator MacFarlane's office.
I moved out of the way of the elevator doors to let the people behind me in and returned to the hall. ”This is Parker,” I said as I picked up the call.
I'd expected the senator's secretary, but the voice on the other end was distinctly male. ”Ms. Jones, this is Senator MacFarlane returning your call. Or should I say 'calls'? You've given my voicemail a run for its money, that's for sure.”