UNCONDITIONALLY YOURS

Freedom // 34

Riley

Parker pulled me back and away from my father firmly yet gently, and easily cautious enough that he wouldn't hurt me, unlike my father. My father recovered from being pushed back and he stumbled forwards.

"You have no right to take her away from me." He vituperated. Parker hung a protective arm in front of me and I could feel his hard gaze as my father shoot over my head.

"No, you are right." His tone softened and I was a little surprised to say the least, yet he still held on to me tightly.

"But you can't control where she is either. She is an adult, you have no right to control her. Even when she was a child, you had no right to control her the way you did, but even more so now. So, let's leave this to Riley and see if she wants to have a conversation with you."

They both looked at me, my father already slightly exhaling in defeat because he knew full well there was no way I was going anywhere. I didn't have to hold back in the slightest, so I glowered directly into my father's eyes as I firmly spoke.

"I would sooner jump into acid than spend another minute with you, 'dad'." I scowled. He looked back at Parker.

"This is your fault. As if you weren't already doing enough to my business, you are sending me into a scandal over Riley. Come on, I mean, I don't like you and never have but besides business, I guess you could have been an acceptable person. And surely someone like you could do better than that." He nodded ignorantly toward me.

"She isn't normal as I'm sure you have established. For god's sake, either make the most of every girl in the city liking you or get yourself a decent wife. She doesn't match either criteria."

Parker wasn't going to face this one well. Under his embrace, I could feel him tensing up and getting angry. It wasn't the right time or place for him so be angry.

I felt bad that when anyone did anything against me, he would be protective, because before me Parker was pretty much the definition of calm and collected. It may have been what made him so great in the business world, he could detach his expressions from his emotions. This way, no one could read him, and he was always a consistent person. However, I somehow managed to screw that up for him and intensify his emotions to the point where he couldn't hide them.

I gave him a reassuring squeeze to let him know I was there, and he needed to stay relaxed. I instantly felt his tension release.

"I think you have the wrong definition for the word 'acceptable' because what you just described is quite the opposite. Riley is amazing, more than you seem to acknowledge and appreciate. But none of this matter, because soon enough, it won't matter what you think because she will never have to see you unless she wants to. She's coming with me after tonight."

He said, staying impeccably calm which was impressive after his annoyance before. Now my father was the angry one. My father took the opposite approach to business than Parker did. If he was angry, he didn't refrain from showing it. So, for that reason, I was pretty used to see my father angry. But not this angry.

Out of nowhere, my father's fist flew past my shoulder. Parker ducked in an instant at my father's first ended up hitting straight into the wall next to us. He yelled in pain. I couldn't believe he tried to punch Parker for being the reasonable person. As least he got what he deserved for that one. I giggled and little, and as Parker caught my eye, he couldn't help but smile too.

"You are so lucky I have fast reflexes." He said turning to face my father. "You realise, if you hit me, I could press charges." He said calmly yet teasingly, trying to trigger my father further.

With that, my father stormed away. A moment later, we heard the crowed of people react and a door slam. He was gone. That was it. My father, the disguised enemy through my entire life, was finally gone. I felt the imaginary, yet somewhat real, chains that tied me to him snap in the door as he slammed it. It was like an ineffable relief. Something long anticipated too. It was all I had hoped and dreamed for, and once it had seemed impossible and far away, but after I met Parker it began to feel possible. And there I was. Finally, free. But not only was I free, I had the person I had learnt to trust beside me, and I couldn't be happier he was there.

I ran the few steps in between us and I jumped in his arms. He stumbled back for just a moment from my run up. My emotions had been heightened in countless different ways over those mere, ten minutes, and I couldn't refrain from letting my emotions flow in tears. I wrapped my legs around Parker's waist as I hugged him as tight as humanly possible, crying tears of joy over his shoulder. He held me with ease and didn't hesitate to hug me back.

"I can't believe this!" I began whilst hysterically sobbing. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much Parker! I lo-"

Great. Another thing I had to keep from him. Something I thought would be easy, if only I could keep my mouth shut and not blabber out that I loved him. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell him, I would tell him eventually. I just didn't know if he loved me back yet and I didn't want to make anything awkward.

After a couple of minutes, I had calmed down to my normal state.

"So, are we off then?" I asked Parker. He gave me a look. "What?" I shrugged.

"No, we aren't letting anyone around us ruin what could be a perfectly good night." He explained. I grunted and rolled my eyes.

"Please Parker, I just got freedom from my father I don't want to go to another of these events!" I moaned. He laughed and began to usher me back to where everyone else was.

"Trust me, we are going to make it fun."