When We Fall

by Madeleine Labitan

  “I can’t have the party spilling inside the house. Mom will be disturbed.”

  “I know,” I repeat, rounding the corner of his king-size bed and slipping my arms around his waist. I rise up on my tiptoes and kiss his delectable lips. “Believe me, I understand. I didn’t before, but I do now.”

  He grins. “You’re fucking awesome, do you know that?”

  I give him a smug smirk. “That I’ve always known.”

  *******

  Giovanni didn’t lie. A raging party is waiting for us downstairs. While most of the crowd are outside the main house, a few managed to sneak in. But one snarl from Parker and they’re quick to return outside. It’s actually amusing to watch—and quite a turn on.

  Once the main house is cleared, Parker and I head for the main balcony where Jamie had invited me all those weeks ago during one of Parker's parties. Parker and I were barely talking then. We've come far from that night.

  Stepping out onto the balcony, I’m surprised to see both my best friends there. Quinn is dancing with Giovanni, along with two other cheerleaders. I don’t miss the way Bennett is staring at her a few feet away, as if he can’t take his eyes off her even if he tries. Brayden is seated in one corner, engaged in a conversation with a guy I recognize from our Foreign Language class. The guy’s whispering something into his ear and making him laugh.

  I mentally file the scene away to ask him about it later.

  “Where’s Jamie?” Parker asks Bennett, taking the seat across the coffee table. And before I can react, he pulls me down to sit on his lap.

  My cheeks flame but I don’t move, telling myself he’s plenty comfortable to sit on compared to a chair.

  “Probably hooking up with Mystery Girl again—who the fuck knows?” Bennett shrugs, taking a pull of his beer without glancing away from Quinn.

  If I have to hazard a guess, I’d say Jamie is with Carson. But I don’t voice it out. There’s a reason Jamie isn’t telling his friends about her, and whatever it is, it’s none of my business.

  “I’ll grab us some drinks,” Parker whispers in my ear, kissing the side of my head before I can stand to let him rise from the chair.

  “Don’t you two look domesticated already,” Bennett snorts as Parker heads for the cooler sitting in one corner. “You gonna put a ring on the big guy’s hand any time soon?”

  “You gonna stop screwing around and ask Quinn out any time soon?” I shoot back.

  That makes him scowl. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I have eyes, you know. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has a working pair.”

  “Well, gorgeous, it’s clear that your eyes are dysfunctional. I suggest you get them checked before they get worse.”

  “Please. Everyone knows you got it bad for Quinn Peters,” a female voice interjects with a scoff. It’s Aria. Snatching the beer from Bennett’s grip, she takes a few gulps before putting it on the table and plopping down on the chair next to him. “It’s not some big secret like you think it to be.”

  Bennett glares at her, his cheeks reddening a little, but doesn't say anything. There’s no use denying it, anyway. He knows she’s right.

  Aria is about to guzzle down the beer again when Parker returns and deftly snatches it from her. “You’re not drinking this.”

  “Because I don’t drink when you’re not looking, right?” She rolls her eyes at her brother, who simply ignores her jab and settles on the seat next to me before handing me a Corona.

  I take a small sip, secretly disappointed that he didn’t reclaim his old seat. Then jolt a little when I feel his lips on my ears.

  “If you want to sit back on my lap, feel free to do so, Peaches.”

  My cheeks flame. How can he read my mind so easily? “I’m comfortable here, thanks.”

  Parker just chuckles, obviously not believing it for a second. Then steals a kiss from my lips

  Aria groans. “Can you two tone down the PDA? At least while I’m here?”

  Parker turns to his sister and narrows his eyes. “Why are you here? Why aren’t you with your friends?”

  Aria inspects her nails. "Is it illegal to hang out with my brother and his friends?"

  "Aria," he growls, making the hair on my arms stand on end.

  She rolls her eyes, clearly not the least bit intimidated. "They're busy hooking up with guys, okay? That's why I'm here. Or do you want me to go join them?" She moves up from her seat.

  "Sit your ass down."

  She grins. "Thought so."

  Parker glares at her.

  I smother a laugh. Clearly, he has his hands full dealing with Aria alone.

  "Remind me to thank my parents for not giving me a sister," Bennett snickers, clearly thinking the same. "They sure saved me the headache."

  "Like you'd know how to handle one if they did," Giovanni interjects, a beer bottle in his hand, apparently done with dancing.

  "Right?" Aria giggles, tucking her hair behind her ear. The gesture piques at my curiosity, even more when she shoots him a long look.

  Does Aria have a crush on Giovanni?

  But before I can dwell on that thought, Quinn drops on my lap unceremoniously, startling the hell out of me. "Sawyer, you're here! What took you so long?"

  I bite back a laugh when I smell alcohol on her breath. "You're already drunk, aren't you?"

  "Just a tiny bit," she slurs, motioning with her fingers.

  I glance over to Brayden. He’s now full-on making out with his new guy. Which means he’ll be preoccupied the whole night. Which means I'll be the one to drive Quinn home later.

  She reaches for my Corona, but Bennett grabs her arm to stop her. "I think you've had enough, Peters."

  "I think you should mind your own business, King,” she snaps. “Also, get your damn hand off me. Fuck knows where it’s been."

  Bennett’s jaw ticks and he pulls his hand back. “Whatever. Get your ass drunk. I’m not your keeper.”

  “Is it just me or is it like watching some sort of foreplay?” Aria interjects, looking intrigued as her gaze flips back between Quinn and Bennett.

  “Just you,” the two of them reply at the same time before glaring at each other.

  Aria lets out a delighted cackle. “I knew hanging out with you guys wouldn’t be boring.”

  “Who said we’d be boring?” Giovanni chuckles.

  Parker mutters something incoherent under his breath. He definitely has his hands full.

  Wanting to ease his frustration, I take his hand and encase it in mine on my lap.

  He shifts his gaze to me, the furrow between his brows disappearing, his eyes softening.

  My heart flutters in my chest. I'll never get tired of seeing that look on his face. A look only reserved for me. A look that I hope will never go away.

  Here's to hoping that nothing will ever change that.

  CHAPTER 26

  Parker

  Making my way to the kitchen, a chuckle escapes me as I read Sawyer's last text. It's a GIF of a little girl sticking her tongue out. I never thought I'd be amused by something so silly, but here I am.

  But then, it's Sawyer. She can send me all the silliest GIFs in the world and I'll no doubt be amused by every single one of them.

  I'm such a sucker for that girl. My girl.

  The words turn my chuckle into a full-fledged grin. Something that rarely happened in the past. Something I realize I've been doing a lot lately. And it's all because of her.

  She makes me smile, and she makes me so goddamn happy I'm starting to wonder why the hell I ever denied myself of this, why I waited for her to make the first move—that last part I'll never live down. And now that we're finally together, damn if I'll let her slip through my fingers a second time.

  Perhaps I'm being selfish by being with her, for going after something I'm not sure I'm allowed to have. But just the mere thought of not being with her has my chest tightening in protest, making it hard to breathe.

  Letting h
er go will never be an option. I'll just have to learn how to juggle my responsibilities along with having a girlfriend. It shouldn't be that hard, considering I've done it before.

  Besides, Sawyer knows where my priorities lie. She perfectly understands my situation, unlike Peyton. That's one of the things I love about her.

  Tension rises on my shoulders at that thought. Is that what I really feel for her? I know I've always wanted her, but love?

  I don't get the chance to dwell on it. My attention is drawn by the scene in the kitchen. It's a scene I thought I'd never see again.

  "Parker, look! Mom cooked dinner," Ethan exclaims, beaming as he shovels food into his mouth.

  "Ethan inhaled most of the beef, but there are some mushrooms left," Aria snickers, earning a toothy grin from Ethan.

  I ignore them, my eyes shifting to the woman sitting at the head of the kitchen island.

  Mom gives me a warm smile. "Parker, sweetie, join us. Dinner's already getting cold."

  "You cooked," I say slowly.

  Even as those words leave me, I'm not entirely sure that my mother is really in the kitchen, looking the most sober she's been in years. Instead of the silk robe she usually wears, she's in a dark green dress, and her light brown hair is swept up in a tight bun.

  How is this possible? Why does she suddenly look put-together? People with addiction don't magically go back to their old selves. So, what's going on here?

  She lets out a timid smile. "I just missed cooking. It's been a while."

  "Tell me about it," I mutter under my breath, pulling up a chair and sitting next to Aria.

  Conversation flows easily—at least between the three of them. I remain quiet, merely observing as they talk. It doesn't escape me that Aria and Ethan are hanging on to Mom's every word, eager to hear what she's going to say, looking the happiest they've been in years. It's the only thing that's keeping me from firing questions at our mother. Because this is too good to be true, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.

  I get the opportunity a couple hours later, when my siblings finally distance themselves from her. A damn good thing, too. Because I catch her in her room staring at the pill bottle in her hand.

  "What are you doing?"

  I knew dinner was too good to be true. I knew she'd fall back to her old habits. But as much as I hate to admit it, there was a part of me that hoped. Hoped that she truly changed. Hoped that she was back to the way she was.

  Now, that hope has effectively died down.

  Startled, Mom jerks her head up. But instead of guilt—which I expected to see—there are tears in her eyes, her features distraught.

  In two long strides, I'm right next to her. And that's when I notice that she's trembling. "It's okay," I say gruffly, prying the pill bottle from her shaking hand.

  "Take it away. Flush it down the toilet. Get it away from me, please," she sobs, gripping a fistful of my shirt.

  The desperate plea in her voice squeezes my chest, making it hard to breathe. Seeing my mother looking so small and broken makes me want to tear down the walls in this house. It makes me want to hunt my bastard of a father down and give him a piece of my mind.

  He did this. He made her like this. Because of him, Mom became broken and turned into a shell of her former self.

  "It's going to be fine, Mom. I got you." I draw her into my chest, giving assurances I don't feel, making promises I don't believe in.

  The helplessness I've always felt when it comes to her hits back in full force, clawing at my gut, refusing to free me from its clutches.

  How the hell am I going to fix this?

  CHAPTER 27

  Sawyer

  Shutting the door of my locker, I notice the group of junior girls staring at me a few meters away. I'd say I have no idea why, but that would be a total lie.

  Everyone has finally caught on to the fact that Parker and I are dating. So once again, we're thrusted into the center of Holy Oaks Prep gossip mill. People stare and talk about us like we're the latest 'It' couple.

  "So, it's true that they're dating now."

  "I bet they're not gonna last. They're just doing it to make Liam and Peyton jealous."

  "Trust me, by the end of the week, they'll be back together with their exes."

  In the past, I would've been angry at what I was hearing. But like I told Parker, I don't care anymore. Their opinions don't matter, and I refuse to be affected by them any longer.

  He seems to share the same sentiment, but then Parker never really cares about these things. Not about the aftermath of Liam and Peyton cheating on us, and not about the student body knowing about his mom's addiction. He simply let all those crap roll off his back. And that's the same thing he's doing right now.

  He's even sitting with me at lunch—well, he and the guys are sitting with me and my friends. Quinn isn't happy about it though. Not because she doesn't like Parker, but because she can't stand to be around Bennett. They refuse to form a truce, but the others don't mind at all. Their endless bickering provides great amusement to our table.

  Liam often sends wistful looks our way, and during those times I can't help but feel sorry for him. One mistake had cost him everything. Peyton, on the other hand, still keeps shooting daggers at us—oftentimes at me. As if it's my fault that Liam dumped her.

  But I'm too happy to care about her and her tantrums so I simply ignore her. Eventually, she'll get tired of antagonizing me.

  At least, I hope.

  I'm too wrapped up in my thoughts that I almost bump into someone as I make my way up the second floor for my next class.

  "Hey, watch where you're going."

  An apology is about to escape my lips, but then freezes when my gaze darts to the person in front of me.

  "You." Peyton's lips curl into a sneer.

  I hold back an eye roll and brush past her, not wanting to engage. I still intent to ignore her.

  But her voice, tinged with bitterness, stops me. "How does it feel to have two guys worshipping at your feet? Are you happy now that Liam dumped me and you got Parker?" Her features gleam with malice. "But don't forget that I had them both first. So, if you think—"

  "Oh my God, shut the fuck up!"

  Peyton jerks back, her eyes widening in shock at my outburst.

  So much for ignoring her. Then again, she asked for this. I had no intention of engaging but she just couldn't keep her mouth shut. Maybe it's time I give it all to her straight. Maybe then she'll finally leave me alone.

  "I'm so sick and tired of hearing your bullshit. You are so full of it, you know that? You keep forgetting that you're the one who betrayed me, not the other way around. You ruined my relationship and broke our friendship. So stop acting like this whole thing is all my fault, because if there's anyone to blame, it's you." I draw in a shaky breath. Is it just me or does it really feel good to let out everything inside your chest? "Yeah, it's true. You had Liam first, but what did you do? You took him for granted. You didn't fight for him. Instead, you let him go after me."

  She shakes her head, her eyes wild. "That's not true. You stole him from me!"

  "Sure. Keep telling yourself that," I scoff, my voice dripping with condescension.

  She scowls.

  "You had him then you let him go. That was on you. You know that damn well. And it was your fault that you failed to hold on to him the second time around." I bark out a laugh. "Isn't karma a giant bitch?"

  Maybe I'm being cruel, but if there's anything that this girl needs, it's a big dose of reality check.

  Her face crumples, agony contorting her features. "Because he still wants you. I thought I could make him mine. I thought we could pick up where we left off." She lets out a rueful smile. "You're right. I screwed it all up." She hangs her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

  Something akin to sympathy crawls up my chest, surprising me. I'm feeling sorry for the girl I used to call my best friend. The girl who threw away our friendship all because of a boy.

  I s
earch for the anger inside me, but I find nothing. I guess just like Liam, I've forgiven her. She hasn't apologized for what she did—and maybe never will—but I'm done holding on to my resentment toward her. If she wants to continue hating me, then that's her choice. But I refuse to deal with any kind of negativity any longer—especially from her. It hasn't done me any good in the past; I don't think that's ever going to change. And, seriously, who wants that kind of stress in their life?

  "Maybe you can still salvage it," I find myself saying.

  She lifts her head and whispers, "How?"

  "Well, for one thing, you can stop being a hateful bitch and start on being a better person. Instead of projecting your issues on other people, learn to deal with them. Take full accountability of your actions."

  Her cheeks heat up, shame stealing her features. Then grudgingly, she nods. "I'll work on that."

  "Good." I start to trot up the stairs again before remembering something. "Oh, and Peyton? Try pulling the same stunt you did with Liam on Parker, and I'm going to make sure you'll regret the day we met."

  There's no way in hell I'm letting her take Parker from me. If she thinks I'm going to step back the way I did with Liam, she has another thing coming.

  Her eyes widen at the threat, her mouth hanging open. Once again, I shocked her with my words.

  "Don't you have a class to go to?" I say sweetly.

  She's already scurrying downstairs in the next second.

  I watch Peyton go, satisfied with myself, knowing full well she'll never bother me again. Maybe she'll listen to my advice. Or maybe she won't. Whatever. I don't care just as long as she stays away from me.

  Not wanting to bump into anyone else, I glance up as I reach the last step—only to stop dead when I see Jamie smoking at the landing. How long has he been sitting there?

  "How long have you been listening?" I ask, stopping in front of him.

  "Long enough." He lifts a shoulder carelessly, taking a long drag of his cigarette, not giving a crap about the fact that smoking is not allowed inside the school. "That was good on you to tell her off, Pretty Girl. She needed to hear that."