But you cheated. You’re a cheater and that you can be faulted for.

  Now that he’s across the country and Parker is staring at me with those brown eyes that usually shine nothing but love for me, I feel like absolute shit.

  And now I have to break up with him?

  Well not now. Fuck no, not right now.

  Laura sighs and casts a glance toward Parker. “Honestly, Audrey would have never,” she mutters under her breath but I hear it and I narrow my eyes at her. The narrative that I was simply Parker’s rebound after he broke up with his long-term girlfriend is one I’ve heard before and while it stings slightly less now, it’s still a bitter pill that she believes that he is only with me out of convenience or to fill the void of loneliness. I mean I guess you could say Parker was my rebound as well but he didn’t know that and even if he had knowledge of Jacob at all, I would never allow anyone in my life to infer that to him.

  I am so glad I no longer have to worry about her as my mother-in-law.

  “You should have been here hours ago,” Parker speaks and I frown at the scolding in his voice. Savannah told me she started calling you at three a.m. east coast time which would have been midnight California time. Since when are you asleep at midnight? And you sleep with your phone under your pillow… for emergencies,” he speaks and his tone is laced with accusations. I can hear the question in his voice though he doesn’t explicitly ask. “So where were you?”

  “Mr. Anderson, I’ll be back in a little,” the nurse says as she picks up her clipboard and moves out of the room and part of me wishes I could leave with her to avoid this awkward tension.

  “And since Whitney is finally here, I’ll go look for your father. I don’t want him filling up on junk from the vending machine.” She presses a kiss to his forehead. “Sweetheart, I’ll be right back, okay?”

  “Thank you, Mom.” He nods.

  She brushes past me before giving me a look like she can see everything I’ve done in the past twenty hours and I try my best not to appear guilty or nervous but I worry I fail miserably.

  “Parker, I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. I… was asleep early. I was angry at you for how you’d been treating me and—”

  “Asleep where?”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t stutter,” he snaps. “Asleep, where? Because you weren’t at our house. There’s been no one there since you left at like nine a.m.?”

  “I went to my parents’ house, where I told you I’d be when I left yesterday morning,” I tell him.

  “You said you were going for breakfast, not to stay the whole damn day.”

  “What difference does it make? I’m policed on when I can go to my parent’s house and for how long? Are you out of your mind?” I hadn’t meant to come off that harshly but give me a break.

  “So that’s where you slept? Your parents?” His tone bites and I’m equal parts relieved and annoyed that he hasn’t said anything along the lines of “I’m happy to see you.” No “I just got in a car accident and thought I’d never see you again and now you’re here and everything is better.”

  I am relieved because dealing with an angry and aggressive Parker will make this easier but I just don’t fully understand the scope of his hostility.

  “No. I slept at Chloe’s.” I’m grateful that Chloe had already laid this groundwork and I hate that I needed her to construct this lie for me. That I have to lie at all.

  “Hmm. Convenient,” he says, raising an eyebrow at me before he lets his head fall back into the pillows and he lets out a sigh. “My leg is broken in two places, I have a concussion, some broken ribs and bruising all down my right side not that you asked.” His words sting.

  “You didn’t give me a chance to. You jumped all over me as soon as I walked in. But I’m happy that it wasn’t more serious.” I move toward his bed and reach for his hand. He flinches but lets me hold it and I squeeze it gently. “Why are you so angry with me? I understand that I should have heard the calls but…”

  “You were drunk,” he interjects. “That’s the only time you sleep like the dead. The only time you sleep through phone calls and texts. When you and Chloe go out and drink and pass out.” I blink my eyes. “Normally it’s fine, whatever. But I needed you, Whitney. I needed you and you weren’t there.”

  “I got here as soon as I could. You were across the country. I had to cross two time zones to get here and you’re angry because I got the call at eight a.m. versus midnight? Mind you, you weren’t even answering my calls last night. Why? Because you were getting drunk with Nick and Owen? Out of character for you by the way.” I wasn’t trying to point fingers, because I wish he would let loose more but he can’t fault me for doing the same thing he was doing.

  You kinda weren’t though. You weren’t answering because you were getting fucked within an inch of your life.

  “Because you were driving me crazy.”

  “What?”

  “The reason I was out with Nick and Owen? Because my fiancée wouldn’t come to New York and be with me like I asked.”

  “I told you, I couldn’t—”

  “Bullshit. Because then you went to day drink at your parents’ house. What the fuck is that about, Whitney?”

  “Oh my God, what is it with you and my family? It’s either my parents and if it’s not them it’s Chloe or it’s Mason. Am I supposed to apologize for actually having a relationship with the people in my family?” I snap because although Laura was clingy and overbearing, Parker typically kept her and his father both at arm’s length and on a need-to-know basis. I know it was fucked up to say but he did judge my family at times and it got old when they’ve been nothing but accepting of him.

  “The guy outside my house? He’s family too?”

  Something about the way he says family has me on alert. Don’t jump to conclusions. “Excuse me?”

  “The guy you were talking to the other night when I called. Outside my house.” Not lost on me that he continues to say my house. “You left with him. That’s family too, right?”

  I try my best to appear unaffected by his question. “My godfather? He’s my parents’ best friend.”

  “Yeah, so you said.” He narrows his eyes at me and the anger is written all over his face. But there’s no way he knows, I’ve been so careful. Mason and Chloe know not to bring it up or mention that I even had a serious boyfriend before Parker. At first, it wasn’t for any reason other than I didn’t want to talk about it, but as things got serious, I didn’t want him to know anything to avoid him slipping up and saying something in front of my parents.

  “That sounds like an accusation of some sort. So, if you have something to say, by all means go ahead.”

  Something potentially resembling hurt crosses his face before it turns hard. “I’m just looking forward to meeting this guy that’s obviously so important to my fiancée.”

  I’m back in the hallway after a nurse returned and ushered me out to run a few tests so I figure now is the perfect time to call my mother. I turn the corner away from Savannah and any other prying eyes and ears that are probably reading into everything I do at this moment.

  “Honey, how’s Parker?” My mom answers on the first ring. “Do you want us to come?”

  I almost burst into tears and tell her yes. Come shield me from his mother and her judgment and a maybe little from Parker too. “No no of course not. He’s fine. He’s okay.”

  “Oh, thank goodness. Whit, you must be so worried. I’m surprised you didn’t get any of our calls last night. Chloe said you were knocked out though.”

  “Mmmhm.” I wince and it reminds me that I haven’t even talked to Chloe yet who’s been keeping all my lies straight better than I could. I pull my phone away from my ear and shoot her a brief message that I’m sure she’ll be able to decode.

  Me: I love you. Thank you.

  Chloe: Always x

  Chloe: Call me later?

  I thumbs up her message and put my phone back to my ear. “Laura still hates me,” I respond.

  “Laura’s the worst.” My mother answers and she lets out a sigh. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come? It’s hard for me to check her from here, you know. I can reschedule with Jacob and Georgina.” She continues her ramble about how no one can disrespect her baby and she has a few choice words for Laura Anderson but I’m so focused on what she said prior to really hear what she’s talking about. It takes a minute but I remember the situation that set everything in motion last night.

  She set Jacob and Georgina up. A double date. My parents and them.

  My man. Another woman.

  “You’re still setting JP up with Georgina? I mean, are you sure she’s ready to start dating?”

  “She said she is and the only way to find out is to just try.”

  “Okay and JP is interested? Because when you and Georgina left the room, he told Dad he wasn’t.” I’m trying my best to seem aloof but I worry I’m coming off as hyper as I feel.

  “JP doesn’t know what he wants and I’m not saying he has to marry her for crying out loud. It’s just dinner.”

  Relax, Jacob loves you. He wants you. He wanted to come with you to New York and you told him no.

  “Right, well. Have fun!” I roll my eyes at the high pitch of my voice.

  “Keep us posted about Parker, okay?” I hear the subtext in her voice or maybe I’m just imagining that she’s confused as to why I’m more concerned about JP and Georgina’s sort of date than I am about my fiancé being in the hospital.

  I’m barely off the phone before I’m sending him a text.

  Me: Alone?

  Jacob: I can be.

  Me: Please.

  My phone begins ringing moments later. “You’re still going on a date with my parent’s neighbor?” I ask before he can utter a hello.

  “Hi beautiful.” I can hear the smile in his voice and I don’t know if it’s because he’s talking to me or because I’m feeling jealous and territorial.

  “JP, a date…?”

  “I wouldn’t call it that.”

  “My mother is trying to set you up, what would you call it?”

  “A favor.” I begin pacing the hallway, peering over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one is within earshot. “Baby, come on. I feel like a dick if I back out and I hate when your mother is mad at me.”

  “I thought you hated when I was mad at you?”

  “You’re mad at me?”

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “No. I guess I don’t have the right to be given the circumstances and where I am right now but… Parker and I aren’t even on good terms right now. It’s not like this has been some sort of romantic reunion. He’s pissed at me, for the record.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m a shitty person.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  Yes, I am. “To him? Yeah, I am.”

  “You told him?”

  “No. He’s mad that I didn’t get here sooner and I’m not sure he believes I slept through the phone calls. I mean, maybe he does? But that just means he’s mad that I was too drunk to hear the phone calls.” I bite my lip, trying to decide if I should tell him about his accusatory question about JP, I go for it, knowing that the only way to survive this catastrophe moving toward me is if Jacob and I are on the same page. “I think he suspects something.” I wince. “About you.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He made a point to ask again about you coming over and me leaving with you the other night. Then, about me not sleeping at the house last night. It’s not unheard of for me to stay at Chloe’s but he’s just speculating that I’m not being truthful about everything and I’m not.” I let out a breath. “I know I caused this. I know, I’m just overwhelmed. I’m here and you’re there and… I’m freaking out.”

  “We did this, baby. It’s not just on you.”

  “You didn’t cheat on my fiancé, Jacob. You didn’t betray anyone, I did.” He lets out a sigh and I remember he said he wasn’t alone when I texted him. “Are you at my parent’s house? You said you weren’t alone.”

  “No. Trey is here.”

  “What are his thoughts about all of this?” There’s a long pause and I hate that I know what that means.

  “He’s just worried this is going to blow up in our faces. But that being said, he’s happy I finally got my shit together when it comes to you.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “Of what? Parker?”

  I hear the apprehension in his voice. “No. I mean, maybe but not how you’re thinking. I’m just worried Trey is right and this is going to blow up in our faces.” I remember another thing Parker said. “He wants to meet you.” I chuckle as I rub my forehead. ‘Meet the man that’s obviously so important to my fiancée.’ His words.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  The thought of Jacob and Parker in the same room. A room that my parents will be in as well brings on a wave of nausea coupled with anxiety. “No. I don’t. But it feels inevitable.”

  “Baby, maybe I should tell your parents while you’re in New York. I can deal with the fallout of that and then when you get home, there won’t be this pressure about telling your parents on top of everything else.”

  I begin pacing faster, my hands are sweating and I’m wondering if a panic attack is coming on. “They’re going to freak, JP. What happened to telling them together?”

  “I always thought it might be best if I told your father by myself.”

  My father, who rarely yelled. Rarely lost his temper flashes through my head. I can only recall a handful of times when he yelled. The time Mason crashed the car. One of the times I got caught sneaking back in at three in the morning, drunk as hell. The time I threw a party while he and Mom were out of town. It was rare but when he did it was scary. Run for the hills, scary. I can only imagine how he would react to this. “Okay but while I’m here?”

  “I won’t if you’re really against it.”

  “Fuck. I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.” My eyes are welling up with tears and they begin falling down my face rapidly. “What do I do, JP?”

  “Please don’t cry, baby. I’m not there and it’s going to send me over the edge because there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” I wipe my face and let out a shaky breath.

  “I can’t believe I did this.” I look up in time to see Laura rounding the corner and throwing her hands up when she sees me. “Chloe, I have to go.” I speak into the phone as I begin walking toward her. I hung up the phone without waiting for his reply.

  “We’ve been looking for you.”

  “Talking to my cousin.” I know she can see the tears in my eyes and the sadness on my face and I’m grateful that she takes it to mean it’s about this situation.

  “He’s going to be fine, Whitney.” She wraps a hand around me. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”

  The call drops and I realize Whitney must have had unexpected company to make her end the call with me so abruptly. A part of me is pissed she was forced to do that but I know she’s overwhelmed at the moment. I can feel her anxiety even across the country, so I just send her a text.

  Me: Take a deep breath. I love you. Call me when you can.

  I move back into the living room to see Trey on my couch with some of the leftovers I took with me from Kevin and Michelle’s the other night. “How is she?”

  “I think she’s about to have a nervous breakdown.” I sit next to him on the couch and rest my elbows on my thighs allowing my head to fall into my hands. “Have you met him?”

  “You mean Parker? Once I think? Early on in their relationship. He came to Kev and Michelle’s. But that was the beginning of the end for Chloe and me, so things were rocky and whenever I was around, there was always some shit going on between us so I didn’t really get to know him well.”

  It’s driving me crazy that I don’t know more about this guy. How did he treat her? What does he call her, what does she call him? “I’m going to tell Kevin and Michelle.”

  The shock is written all over him. “When?”

  “Today? I don’t know. Maybe I should tell them before I’m supposed to be set up with their friend.” I rub a hand down my face. I hadn’t anticipated telling them this soon. I know Whitney wanted to break things off with Parker first but the plans have changed with him being in the hospital and who knows when it would be appropriate to tell him. I mean could she really tell him while he’s in the hospital? While he’s injured? Who knows what the recovery period is and how long she’ll be forced to hold up this ruse? “This is a fucking mess.”

  Trey scratches his jaw and gives me a look that leads me to believe that he’s about to say something to piss me off. “I think I recall warning you to stay away.” Yep, pissed off.

  “And I told you I would if I saw Whitney was happy. She was not. She wants to be with me, Trey.”

  “At the cost of a lot of people’s feelings, it seems.”

  Irritation spikes and I fight the urge to tell my brother to leave. “Okay and what about hers? And mine? She should just marry this joker out of what? Obligation? Fuck that.”

  “No, considering what the two of you were doing last night, she definitely shouldn’t marry him.” He takes a bite of pasta salad and continues through a mouthful of food. “So, you’re going to tell them now? Can I watch?” he jokes and I glare at him.

  “Get out if you’re going to be a dick.” I point at the door before letting my head fall back into my hands. I pull at my hair before running a hand through it.

  He raises his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m a dick that helped keep your story straight this morning when Michelle called Chloe looking for your woman who couldn’t be bothered to answer the phone for eight hours.”

  I called Kevin shortly after my conversation with Trey to see if I could come over under the illusion of wanting to hangout before we went out later but Michelle went to a spa with her sister and Kevin was catching up on some work. So now it’s quarter to seven and I’m just getting to their house before we go out with Georgina.