Always Yours | ✔

Chapter Forty Three

"the course of true love never did run smooth"                                                                                                      - William Shakespeare

Chapter 43 - You love me

I browsed through the luggage aisle, searching for a set that pleased me.

I spent the last few weeks to myself. I didn't want to show my face to anyone, figuratively and literally. I stayed hidden in my apartment. I lived on fast food deliveries. I took long hot baths every night, and I sang myself to sleep.

I spoke with my dad, but only on the phone. And as the days went by, I accumulated dozens of missed calls from both Jason and Parker, which led me to changing my phone number.

I kept an eye on Mallory's social media just to make sure everything was going well with her pregnancy.

I avoided texts from Jake because I really just felt bad about him liking me when I knew there would never be a future with him.

I applied to a college three states away and I got accepted into their communications program.

I took the last few weeks to care for myself and set up a life for myself.

My eyes fell on a beautiful deep red set. It was simple and rich in color. I loaded it into my cart and made my way to the check out.

"164.73" I swiped my card through the machine and thanked the older woman working. "Receipt?"

"No thank you." I smiled, knowing I wouldn't need it.

-

As I ripped the tags off my new clothes, I folded them and neatly placed them in my bags.

I wasn't sure what a Colorado winter was like, so I prepared by buying a lot of layers to fit cold or warm weather.

I turn my head as I think I hear a faint knock on the door.

"Coming!" I call out and I quickly set my things aside

I turn the knob and swing the door open.

"Parker?" He caught me off guard to say the least.

He took one big stride through the door and gripped my face. My breath hitched in my throat as his thumb skimmed over the pink mark that was left from the cut on my face.

Everything was silent. You could only hear us breathing. His eyes stayed fixed on the mark, he barely even blinked. So many emotions went through his face that I couldn't even pick up on what he was feeling.

His jaw clenched and I watched as his eyes slowly dampened. His face became red and that's when it happened.

Parker Kenneth started crying. Right there in my doorway, face to face with me, holding me as if I was the secret to life.

It was subtle and the most manly cry you could imagine, but he was surely crying.

"I let you get hurt again." His voice cracked and his face quivered in front of mine