When We Fall

by Madeleine Labitan

  I don't respond. But instead of heading to class, I drop down beside him. "I saw you and Carson together." I see him tense up from my periphery. "Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone. Not even Parker. Care to tell me what's going on with you two?"

  "It's complicated," he simply says, exhaling a cloud of smoke over our heads.

  I let out a dry laugh. "Isn't everything?"

  "You and Parker don't have any complications."

  "Not anymore. But in the beginning..."

  "No shit," he scoffs. "That guy had no idea how to deal with you, especially after he let Liam take what was his."

  My stomach twists with jealousy. "Are you talking about Peyton?"

  He looks at me as if I'm dumb. "No. I'm talking about you."

  I should be offended by the idea of being claimed by someone—and maybe if it was any other guy I would be. But hearing from Jamie what I already know—that Parker has always wanted me to be his—makes my heart explode with happiness and satisfaction.

  I've always been his.

  CHAPTER 28

  Sawyer

  The next few weeks pass by in a bliss. At least that's what it feels like to me. Not a day goes by that Parker and I are not spending time together. We're together in and out of school.

  Sometimes he takes me out somewhere to eat. Like a couple days ago, we went to a Japanese restaurant right outside Holy Oaks. But most of the time, we're holed up in his house—watching movies or playing video games in his gaming room or swimming around in his pool. His friends often join us—and sometimes Aria, too—which annoys him.

  He says he wants me all to himself, his teasing words making my stomach explode with butterflies. But then everything he says gives me the same feeling. Hell, his mere smile wreaks havoc on my insides. That's how bad I've got it for him.

  But tonight we're doing things differently. Instead of me going to his house, Parker is coming over to mine to officially meet my family. It's only fair, considering I've already met his. Besides, Avery has been casually mentioning his name around Dad, and I knew it was just a matter of time before he started getting suspicious. The last thing I wanted was for him to find out the truth from other people—so here I am, nervously glancing at my phone to see if Parker is already on his way. Although I don't remember asking him to let me know.

  But it's the polite thing to do, right?

  "Will you relax? You're making me dizzy with all your fidgeting," Avery hisses from the loveseat.

  I glare at her. "You know this is your fault. If you had kept your mouth shut about Parker, I wouldn't have been anxious about him coming over here right now."

  She rolls her eyes. "Oh, please. I haven't told Dad anything. And are you seriously telling me you had no plans of introducing your new boyfriend to us?"

  "Of course I had. It's just," I exhale a long breath, "isn't it too early to bring him here? I mean, we haven't been together for long—"

  "Yet you're a lot happier than you ever were with Liam," she interrupts with an arched brow.

  I blink at her. "How do you know that?"

  "Because it shows. You basically glow whenever his name gets mentioned. Like hearing his mere name literally lights up a stick inside you."

  I feel my cheeks burn. "Shut up."

  My sister smirks then turns serious. "It's true though. So, yeah, now is the right time for us, especially Dad, to officially meet Parker."

  A grin breaks across my face. I'm still nervous but her words make me feel a lot better.

  As if on cue, the doorbell rings.

  My eyes grow wide. "He's here."

  "Then what are you waiting for? Go get your guy." She hops up to her feet. "I'll make sure dinner's ready."

  "Avery," I say.

  "Yeah?"

  "Thanks."

  "Any time, sis," she winks before heading toward the kitchen.

  Taking a deep breath, I make my way to the door—but not before taking a quick glance in the hallway mirror. I've put on a light makeup, curled my hair a little and threw on a flirty sundress. I feel pretty, and I hope Parker agrees with that assessment.

  He's standing on my front porch, wearing white button down shirt and dark jeans, his hair slightly damp, and he's smelling so good I want to bury my face in his chest. He's also carrying a bouquet of flowers and smiling that smile of his that's only reserved for me.

  An intense feeling I’m not ready to name fills my chest, and a smile so big it hurts curves my lips.

  “Hi,” I breathe out.

  “Hey.” He runs his eyes over me, his gaze dark and intense. "You look beautiful."

  "Thanks," I say shyly, my heart fluttering at his praise. "Um, come in."

  He steps inside and brushes his lips over mine.

  "I'm glad you came," I whisper.

  "Me too," he murmurs, dipping his head to kiss me again.

  Someone clears their throat, causing me to jerk away from Parker and whirl around.

  It’s Dad. His arms are crossed and there's an impassive look on his face.

  “Um, Dad, this is Parker Holloway. Parker, meet my Dad,” I say awkwardly.

  “Nice to meet you, sir.” Parker steps forward and extends his hand.

  Dad waits a beat before accepting his hand and shaking it, making me blow out a relieved breath.

  When I told him yesterday that someone would be joining us for dinner tonight, he was surprised. I guess he didn’t expect me to date so soon after Liam. Thankfully though, he didn’t express any dismay. Not that I expected him to. He’s always been a cool dad.

  “Holloway—are you Dianne Holloway’s son?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How is she?” Dad’s expression softens, telling me he’s aware of Dianne’s state these days.

  I hope Parker knows that I haven’t told Dad anything. He probably learned about the truth from the town gossip. Everyone in Holy Oaks is practically talking about it.

  “She’s doing fine,” Parker says simply.

  "Well, send her my regards," Dad nods, catching up on the uneasiness in his tone.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Avery calls out from the kitchen just in time.

  Dad leads the way to the dining room and I move to follow. But Parker grabs my arm, stopping me.

  “These are for you,” he says, handing over the flowers to me.

  “Thanks.” I smile up at him, my stomach all fluttery, bringing the flowers to my nose. “Wait. Let me put them in the vase.”

  I walk over to the side table, removing the old flowers from the vase and replacing them with the ones he brought. Then taking his hand, I usher him into the dining room where everyone is already waiting, making another round of introductions. Duke—who took a few months to warm up to Liam—wags his tail and licks Parker's hand in greeting, making everyone's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

  At first, I'm apprehensive that dinner is going to be awkward. But to my relief, conversation goes around smoothly.

  Dad is mindful not to ask Parker about Dianne again, switching instead to neutral topics, which the latter effortlessly participates in. He can't even contain his glee when he learns that Parker watches Jeopardy! too, and I have a feeling he's tempted to invite him to watch the show together. In the midst of it, Avery gives me a nod of approval, as if to say that Parker has passed the test. Dad and Mildred give theirs, none too discreetly, when dinner ends.

  And when I announce that Parker and I will be in my room, Dad is quick to call out that I keep my door wide open, making me blush and Parker chuckle in amusement.

  "So, this is my room," I say, leading the way inside.

  He glances around and I look at the room from his eyes. It's in shades of beige and teal, two of my favorite colors. I had it repainted back in eighth grade when I got over my obsession with baby pink, replacing my princess bed with a California queen bed at the same time. The bed faces the TV mounted on the wall across the room. Then there's the couch off to the side and a study table near the window, the rest of my stuff tuck
ed inside my walk-in closet.

  Parker walks over to my nightstand, picking up the picture sitting in front of the lampshade and next to the alarm clock.

  "That was taken on my twelfth birthday," I tell him, a nostalgic smile forming on my lips. "Mom asked me if I wanted a party but I didn't feel like having one. So she and Dad took me and Avery to the beach instead. We spent the whole day there."

  Despite the fact that I didn't get to hang out with my friends, it had been, hands down, one of my best birthdays ever. What I wouldn't give to revisit that day and be with my mom again.

  Regret and longing grip my chest as I say, "We should have gone to the beach more."

  That's the thing about death, I guess. You'll always long for more. More memories, more days, more time. Because what you already have will never be enough.

  Parker pulls me down on his lap, pressing a gentle kiss on my lips. "I can take you to the beach. Tomorrow, if you want."

  The small smile blossoms into a full-fledged grin. "You'll do that?"

  "There's nothing else I'd rather do," he murmurs quietly.

  It's in his eyes—the earnestness to please me, to make me happy, to make me smile. And I'm filled with that unnamed emotion once again.

  Only I know exactly what it is. What I've been refusing to admit to myself until now.

  I'm falling in love with Parker.

  Maybe it's way too soon for this, but I can't help what I feel. And to be honest, I'm more than okay with it. There's a little apprehension inside me—a small voice telling me I'm diving too fast, too soon—but Parker isn't Liam. He'll never do what Liam did. He won't hurt me.

  I'm sure of it, just as I'm sure that he feels the same. He doesn't have to say anything. It's there in his every look, every kiss, every touch. Some days, the intensity of it is so strong it steals the breath from my lungs and turns my knees weak.

  It makes me want to demand the words from his lips. But I can tell that like me, he's not ready to voice them out just yet.

  I'm willing to wait.

  CHAPTER 29

  Sawyer

  "Girl, you look hot," Quinn comments as we primp in front of her bathroom vanity. "Your skull face is so dead on."

  "Look who's talking," I chuckle, giving her a once-over.

  She nailed the Katherine Pierce look to a T—black leather jacket, tight pants and ankle boots. She even went as far as coloring her long blonde hair with a non-permanent black dye.

  It's our school's Halloween Night. We used to do this at Peyton's, but since we're no longer friends, going there is not an option anymore. Instead, the three of us agreed to come over to Quinn's place to get ready.

  Last year, I dressed up as Wednesday Addams. Tonight, I decided to settle with a half skull face after scouring Pinterest for inspiration and watching an hour's worth of Youtube tutorials for it. Quinn helped curl my loose waves and pin a red rose to the side of my hair. Then I paired my look with a long black dress that hugs my body and red Valentino heels that Avery gave me on my eighteenth birthday.

  Staring at my reflection now, I have to agree with Quinn's assessment. I look really good. Honestly, I feel like I'm looking at a stranger.

  I wonder how Parker will react when he sees me. He offered to pick me up so we could go together but I declined and told him I'd just meet him there. I can't wait to see the look on his face.

  "Now that it's been established that you both look hot," Brayden—who looks cute in his tennis pro outfit—cuts in and inserts himself between us, "let's head out to the party. You'll see what I've been working on the past few weeks."

  As the student council president, Brayden is often involved with the planning of almost every school event. He always makes sure to be on top of the whole thing, being the perfectionist that he is. He says it's his job to make sure that our senior year will end up as the best and most memorable time of our high school lives.

  "Wait. Let's take a selfie for the 'Gram first." Quinn grabs her phone from the vanity and motions for us to get into the frame before starting to snap photo after photo.

  Several minutes later, we step out into the hall and head downstairs, lightly musing about what kind of costumes and characters we'll see tonight.

  "I don't remember you mentioning that you were heading out tonight." Quinn's mom, Jada, is apparently waiting for us at the foyer.

  Even though she's not wearing any piece of jewelry, her face free of makeup and her platinum blonde hair swept up in a bun atop her head, she looks like she just stepped out of a lifestyle magazine in her white chiffon blouse and black slacks.

  Looking at her always gives me the feeling that I'm staring at an older version of my best friend. But when I told Quinn about it, her face soured, as if I just said something nasty. I've been careful not to mention it again.

  Right now, Jada is looking at us with a crease between her brows.

  Quinn visibly tenses, the expression on her face becoming hard and unreadable. "I forgot. Sorry." Only she doesn't look the least bit sorry.

  Brayden and I exchange a glance. This isn't the first time we've witnessed this kind of interaction between the two of them. And it feels awkward every single time.

  "Quinn—"

  "I'll be late. Don't wait up." Then she's out the door, leaving me and Brayden alone with Jada who looks completely resigned to her daughter's behavior.

  Turning to us, she forces a smile. "Make sure she gets home safe, okay?"

  We both nod.

  When we finally step out, Quinn is waiting by Brayden's car with an impatient look on her face.

  "Thought you already joined her for a drink," she mutters as we file inside.

  We don't bother responding to that. Brayden just shoots me a look through his rear-view mirror before peeling out of Quinn's driveway.

  The ride to school is filled with tense silence. But the moment we pull up front, Quinn is back to her perky self, as if the run-in with her mom hasn’t affected her mood. I know that if I ask, she'll just give her usual response—she doesn't want to talk about it. So I simply let her be.

  We step inside and Halloween decorations scream at us from every corner, a clear proof that Brayden and the committee in-charge went all out.

  There's even a photo booth right outside the banquet hall where the party is being held. We pose for a few pictures, having fun with the props before finally heading inside, but not before being greeted at the entrance by a guy dressed as Gandalf. "Welcome to Halloween Night!"

  The students of Holy Oaks Prep love dressing up, and the elaborate costumes inside the hall prove that. While there are some who went the convenient route with togas and slutty outfits—as Quinn puts it—the majority obviously scoped out the costume shops.

  I'm seeing a lot of Marvel and DC superheroes and other famous fictional characters. But there are also students who showed up in usual Halloween costumes, like vampires and witches and ghosts.

  There's a DJ booth up front, blasting Wolves by Selena Gomez and Marshmello as strobe lights flash over the crowd, and in turn, illuminating the giant spiders hanging from thick webs along the walls. They look so realistic they make me shudder.

  "This is what I'm talking about!" Quinn hoots, grabbing Brayden's hand and mine, and drags us to the middle of the dancefloor.

  I guess we can get drinks later.

  We dance to a few songs, the two of them grinding against me every once in a while, making me laugh. And I realize I miss this. Hanging out with my friends and having fun with absolutely no drama, that is. We're not doing it nearly enough these days.

  Just as the song changes to something slow, strong arms wrap around me, that earthy, spicy scent I know too well filling my senses.

  "Peaches," Parker murmurs into my ear, his low deep voice heating up my skin.

  Grinning widely, I twist around to see what he's dressed up as.

  And I'm not disappointed. He's wearing a black overcoat over a white dress shirt that looks like it came from the eighteenth century a
nd tucked into dark fitted slacks.

  He smiles then, showing off the fangs attached to his teeth

  “My handsome, broody vampire." Not disappointed at all.

  Pink stains his cheeks. "You said you wanted to dress up. I had to at least try."

  I know for a fact that Parker doesn’t like dressing up for Halloween. I remember him turning up in a simple black shirt and black jeans last year. The whole night, Peyton ranted about him not putting any effort. Which means he did this for me.

  The realization makes my heart take off at a gallop. "You look really good tonight," I tease.

  “And you look gorgeous,” he murmurs, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

  My brow arches. “Even with this makeup?”

  “With or with no makeup on, you always look gorgeous,” he emphasizes in a soft voice. Then he takes my hands and wraps them around his neck, placing his on my waist.

  And then we’re swaying to the music. We're dancing.

  A contented sigh escapes me and I rest my head against his chest, my eyes fluttering close.

  I've always thought that people are just exaggerating when they say that, in love, everything blurs at the edges, and that the world around them ceases to exist. But that's exactly what I'm feeling.

  Right now, it’s just me and Parker on this dancefloor. I'm too wrapped up in him, in us. Nothing and no one else matters.

  Lifting my head, I lean up on my toes and bring my lips to his.

  He meets me halfway, his lips crashing into mine in that intense way they always do, robbing me of breath and thoughts.

  “Ugh. Get a room, you two.” Quinn’s voice makes me pull away from Parker—not that he allows me to. I can’t help but laugh when I see her and Brayden slow-dancing with each other next to us.

  Brayden gives me a fake scowl. “Some of us are painfully single, you know.”

  It just makes me laugh harder while Parker simply shakes his head.

  When the song is replaced by an upbeat one, Parker leads me off the dancefloor.