Loving Oliver

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ３４ Ｌｏｖｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ Ｗａｙ Ｙｏｕ Ｐａｒｅｎｔ】

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ　３４　Ｌｏｖｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗａｙ　Ｙｏｕ　Ｐａｒｅｎｔ】

(TW: mentions of drug overdose and the loss of Parker's baby)

The BLT that Sam ordered for me was amazing. I had chips, a pop, and by the time I was a third of the way through the sandwich I couldn't manage another bite.

Until I dug my way through the cabinet in search of some cotton candy.

"So, who was on the other end?" Owen asks me as he sits back in his seat.

We've all managed to get back home and finished our late lunch in peace. His eyebrows rise in curiosity as he tosses another fry into his mouth before wiping his hands on a balled up napkin. I see Aspen spy a fry on his plate before she steals it for herself.

Owen shoots an accusatory look her way before he takes a sip of his sweet tea. Sam shakes his head at the two before he sips at his chocolate shake.

"Owen, seriously." Sam scolds but Sam's used to it by now.

"It was Alice. My manager slash publicist. She was everything my mom couldn't be, I guess. She handled publicity and most of my social media accounts. She over saw most photographs, or any content released of me if mom wasn't there doing it herself." I answer before plopping down on the bench in the breakfast nook and grab another bite of cotton candy letting it dissipate on my tongue.

I wonder what Oliver was doing now.

"Well, what'd she want?" Aspen asks intrigued by it all.

I shrug my shoulders not completely sure how I felt about it all. Guilt for forgetting about a cause I had worked so hard on, forgetting that I had made a promise to people I had nearly failed to keep.

"Alice was reaching out to see how I was doing. Well and she reminded me of an event I was set to host next month. I had forgotten until now because... It doesn't matter. Anyway, she called to remind me and tell me that'd she help in whatever I wanted to do. That's something I wanted to talk to you about Sam." I swing my gaze at him with my hand halfway in the bag of cotton candy.

I glance up to see Sam looking at me with patience. But I also saw the worry in his eyes.

"You're wearing the same look I did when I first got here, and you always wanted to talk to me. The scared shitless look." I smile gently before setting the bag aside on the table and lean back into the cushion.

Owen grins from ear to ear before he shares a look with Sam who seems to be blushing slightly.

"You've caught me. I'm sorry. I'll listen first." He responds before leaning back and setting down his napkin before running his hand down his face.

"With looks like that I'll continue to age you Sam, stop stressing so much." I laugh out before taking another sip of my pop.

"That coming from you Parker. You're a walking stress ball girl. I've only just got to start seeing you relax." Aspen jokes good-naturedly.

"Fair enough." I raise my hands in surrender before turning back to an amused Sam. "That was Alice my manager/ publicist. She helped manage my image back when I was in New York."

Before I ended up coked up and passed out at some night club that I didn't even know the name to. I still didn't to this day.

I didn't have to though because I remembered the shame and it flooded my body that there wasn't room for much else.

"Anyway, she reached out about an event..." I begin.

"I though you said you weren't modeling anymore."  Owen frowns before glancing back as Sam stiffens and I see the muscles in his biceps tighten as his fists clench in frustration.