When the Music Stops (Mason Brothers Book #2)

Chapter 33

JOLIE

“You’ve reached the voicemail of..”

“Dammit!” I hung up the phone, not leaving a message. I’ve called Parker almost a dozen times in the last three hours and he isn’t answering. It just rings and rings and then goes to voicemail. Trying to think positively, I tell myself that at least he isn’t sending me right to voicemail, but it only partially helps.

After my talk with Gordy this morning I realized that I owed Parker so much and I was being pretty immature in my actions with Trevor and my actions now. I thought I was trying to avoid the same old unhealthy relationships, but Parker wasn’t an unhealthy relationship. Maybe I’ve just never had a healthy relationship to know what it looks like.

I was pacing Dakota’s living room, thinking about who may be able to help me. I didn’t know how many bridges I burned in Glenwood Springs. I guess if I was going to make this right I needed to get over the fact that people may be angry with me.

At first, I thought about calling Toni, but she was one of the people I needed to apologize to first. There was one person I knew would give me the time of day, even if he was annoyed with me.

“Well, well, well look who finally decided to pick up the phone.”

“Hi, Cade. I know it’s been a while.”

“No shit, it’s been like three weeks, Jolie. Three long weeks because we’ve been down a bartender that we need. Mom and dad have been filling in for you, you know?”

A wave of guilt crashed into me. “I didn’t mean to cause any problems for people, Cade. I really am sorry. I need your help though.”

“Oh yeah? What do you need?”

“I’ve been trying to reach Parker for the last few hours and I can’t get through. I really need to talk to him, to try and make things right, do you know where he is?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Cade laughs, but I’m not sure what he finds so funny about this situation.

“No. I know maybe you all don’t want to hear this, but I know I messed up and I’m trying to make it up with Parker the best way I know how.”

“Jolie, babe, he’s on his way to see you.”

“What?” I almost scream into the phone.

Cade laughs again, “He text us this morning and said he was heading out of town and didn’t know when he’d be back.”

“How do you know that means he is coming here? He could be going anywhere.”

“Because he’s miserable without you,” Cade says with a softer tone to his voice. “I know my brother, he’s coming to get you. The question is are you going to come home with him?”

“What if he doesn’t want me back, Cade? I really messed up. I didn’t trust him like I should have. I thought he was just like everybody else.”

“I don’t have an answer for you, babe, but just be honest with him. It’ll all work out how it is supposed to.”

“Thanks, Cade. Um, do I still have a job when I come back?”

“Hell yeah, you have a job. Please hurry up and get back because Fletch is getting gray hair and he wants to take time off when the baby gets here.”

“Thanks, Cade. We’ll talk soon.”

“Good luck, Jolie. Bye.”

Holy shit, was he really on his way here? It would make sense why he wasn’t answering his phone if he was on the road. I needed to set everything in motion so I could properly apologize to Parker. Gordy had given me some ideas, but I was going to need his help. 

After making a few phone calls back and forth with Gordy, I finally had the details that I needed. I sent Parker a text message that was simply a location and a note saying that I’d hope to see him there. I called Dakota and let her know what I was doing and then I had to go get ready. I had a man that I needed to win back.

Dressed in a pair of cut-off denim shorts, a purple tank top with white dots, and my hair straightened, I pull into the empty space below Gordy and Lance’s apartment where their personal fitness center was supposed to be housed. I don’t know how, but Gordy managed to get an electric keyboard for me. I preferred to play a real piano, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Do you need anything else?” Gordy asked as he walked in with the bench or the keyboard.

“A bucket to throw up in?” I said with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Everything is going to be fine and if not, you can come upstairs and drown yourself in any flavor of ice cream that you want.”

“Thanks, Gordy. I don’t know how you managed to help with all of this in such a short amount of time.”

“I’m magic, sweetheart, obviously,” he made a grand gesture with his arm that made me giggle. My nerves calmed for a moment, but I was still far from being okay.

Just then his phone dinged and he showed it to me. It was from Lance, he was keeping an eye out from the apartment above us. It was a picture of Parker’s truck down the street. He was here. He got my message. He actually came. I was going to be sick.

Gordy kissed the top of my head and gave me a quick hug, “You’ve got this. I’m sneaking out the back.”

I pulled the bench out and sat in front of the keyboard. I did just a quick check to make sure it worked, dumb me should have done it earlier, but thank God it did work. I knew he had to be coming in anytime now and once I heard the bell on the front door open, I began to play.

“There goes my heart beating, 'Cause you are the reason. I'm losing my sleep. Please come back now.”

He rounded the corner and I looked up for just a second between lines to see him. He was staring right at me, his hands shoved in his pockets, just watching me. “There goes my mind racing And you are the reason That I'm still breathing I'm hopeless now.”

Parker took long strides closer to me and I could see the sadness in his eyes. It made my voice crack as I tried to get out the chorus. I had to pause for a second before I could get it out. “I'd climb every mountain And swim every ocean. Just to be with you And fix what I've broken. Oh, 'cause I need you to see, That you are the reason.”

With my cheeks covered in tears and my vision blurry I looked up and saw him even closer. He reached out and grabbed my hands, causing me to stop playing, but forcing me to my feet. He placed both hands on either side of my neck, his fingers digging into my hair. I could hardly breathe or talk, but somehow I managed to get out the words.

“I’m so sorry,” I managed to say in nothing more than a whisper.

“I am too.” And just like that, his lips crashed against mine with a need and a hunger that I haven’t experienced before. Not only was this an “I’m sorry kiss, but it was also an “I missed you kiss” with a little bit of “I’m still kind of mad at you” mixed in. When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine and we just looked at each other.

“I love you, Jolie.”

“I love you too, Parker.”