Life's Unexpected Turn

Chapter 16: Plans

*Parker's POV*

It seemed to take Bailey a couple of minutes to register my last words completely. Her jaw dropped when I told her I really wanted to help. She then left her seat slowly, stood in front of me, and just glanced at the ground. I remained close to her but motionless, merely waiting for what would happen next. Most of all, I wanted to ensure she was in control because I knew such things had been ripped away from her. Everything was taken away from me back then; I understand what she's going through, although I don't know the full details...

"But why...? Why would you want to help and have me reach out to you? I'm sure you have more important things to deal with other than worrying about me?" Bailey commented, belittling herself and her worth. I waited a couple of seconds for her to finally look at me again.

I looked directly into her eyes when I spoke my following words, "You are important, Bailey. No matter what anyone says or makes you believe about yourself. You are human and deserve to receive help if you choose it. I'm in a position to offer you such a choice, and I want nothing more than to give that to you."

"And... you don't expect anything in return?" She hesitantly asked.

"No, of course not," I replied.

"Really?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"But... what if it's late, or—" Bailey began to say, but I cut her off.

"I mean it. I am here for you and will not judge you or your situation. I'm just a call or text away if you need me, okay?" I pressed, reassuring her as best as I possibly could.

Suddenly, Bailey's bottom lip quivered, and her eyes quickly began to water. I got worried, so I spoke again, "What's wrong, Bailey?"

She was quiet for a few seconds before she looked at me and explained, "I'm just so shocked, happy, and quite scared all at the same time... All of this, and you almost seem so unreal."

"I understand how you're feeling," I replied honestly, empathizing with her wholeheartedly.

"Can I..." Bailey began to ask, but her emotions got the best of her.

Her head lowered to the ground again, and she started wiping her fresh tears away. Is she okay? All I know is... whatever Bailey had wanted to say or ask me seemed to cause this emotional moment for her. As she slowly cried more, my heart hurt for her, and I couldn't help what I asked next, "What do you need, sweetheart?"

The second that endearment escaped my lips, Bailey's eyes instantly locked onto mine. In those beautiful two-colored orbs, I saw so many emotions endlessly swarming around, and above all, I hoped I didn't make her uncomfortable. Her bottom lip trembled when she started to speak again, "Can I... have a... a h-hug...?"

Neither of us hesitated.

In a quick flash, my inked arms wrapped around her smaller, more fragile frame, holding her close. Bailey's sobs only grew with this action, and I let my head rest on top of hers. This moment made me even more sure that I would not let anything else happen to her. I wasn't sure why those feelings grew so immensely, but... I simply didn't care for such reasoning. By this time, Bailey started to cry pretty hard into my chest as she gripped my blouse tightly and tried to apologize. She has no reason to be sorry and needs to know that.

"Shhh, it's okay... everything's okay... I promise, just let it all out... you're not alone anymore," I said and calmly interrupted Bailey so I could reassure her while never letting my hug lessen.

I provided a natural comfort with a heartfelt gesture that only made the woman before me continue to cry. I hope it wasn't my fault she kept crying, though it could have been. I'm not entirely sure. For me, receiving a hug never ended in a positive outcome. Eventually, I learned that if I was offered a hug, that meant something worse was at play. I genuinely hoped that wasn't the case for her. With how things are right now, I'm confident Bailey hasn't received an actual, kind hug in a very long time.