Chapter Forty-Three

16.4K 890 998
                                    

Fuck!

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

Fuck!

My head is a mess. That ass-licking scumbag has me by the balls right now. And how the hell does he know Parker signed it? Alice was working with him or some shit? Why'd she fucking sign that!?

FUCK!

Problem is, if I try to take him down, she'll likely go down with him, and I can't have that. But I'm not trying to be involved in this illegal type of bullshit. I don't want to pay him off for something I don't even know about!

FUUUUUCCCKKKK!!!

I shoot Blaze a look when we near the entrance of our building, after a completely silent walk home. "Listen, man, can you just keep that guy between us? I don't need your mom having anything else to worry about. It's only work stuff... not important."

He nods slowly, drawing his lips together, eyes quizzing me suspiciously. "What's his problem, anyway?"

"He's an asshole. It's nothing you need to worry about, either."

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Parker paces non-stop in the disinfectant scented exam room, waiting for the Doctor to come in once the lab results are back. Of course, she pressed to have the tests ran at the fastest priority possible. If she hadn't, I would have. Blaze is kind of off in his own world, tapping away on his phone.

The kid was a champ about them drawing blood. I could hardly watch. He didn't even flinch, just stayed incredibly calm. And he's remained incredibly calm. Doing his own thing, listening to the music blasting in his ears, ignoring, or just used to, his mom's nervous habits.

"You alright?" Parker asks quietly. She sits down in one of the teal plastic padded chairs next to me, hand clutching mine, resting on the wooden arm.

"Mm-hmm." I nod, looking at her, sucking in a long breath through my nose.

"I know it's a lot." Her eyes shift to Blaze, who is oblivious to us. AirPods in and playing music so loud we can hear it. "If it's too—"

"No," I cut her off, lacing my fingers through hers. "It's not too much." Her hand squeezes mine a little harder.

"God, are you really this perfect?" The faintest hint of a genuine smile threatens her lips. Blue eyes filled to the brim with anticipation. My own foot taps repeatedly against the tile floor.

"Definitely," I add, jokingly. With a half-smile, my eyes trail back to Blaze, still killing his hearing, not paying us any attention. Parker lays her head on my shoulder, and we wait.

It's not too much, not at all. I mean, fuck; it is a lot, but I can hack it. No shot I'm ever going to leave her—or him.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

"Blaze," the Doctor greets him, walking into the room after several more minutes—which feel like fucking days. Her sneakers squeak with each step, making the nagging thud of anxiety build stronger inside my head.

Ties Where stories live. Discover now