When two worlds collide at midnight in the empty halls of New Jersey Private Hospital, Jack and Parker learn that no matter what, the heart wants what it wants.
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I'M PRETTY SURE MY HEART FELL OUT OF MY BUTT SOMEWHERE along the drive from New Jersey Private Hospital to my childhood home, which honestly, I'd barely been in since I was ten. I hadn't thought this through, bringing Jack home to meet my parents. We weren't even dating, I'd barely seen him in two days and now I had to explain to my mother and father what Jack was to me.
Did I even know how to answer that?
Friends seemed too small, but boyfriend was also out of the question. Especially if they found out his age. Sure, it was only a couple more days until I turned into a legal adult, but that didn't mean I wanted to have to tell my parents I was head over heels for a twenty two year old professional athlete, and he might feel somewhat the same.
Maybe I was in over my head, maybe Jack didn't really feel the same, but he also didn't want to be mean either. He had a whole life ahead of him full of love and happiness and laugher, and yet here he was, joining me at my two storey home in Jersey, ready to have a dinner with my parents.
Granted, dinner with my parents was always pretty casual, usually, they made nachos or spaghetti and we'd sort of just hang out like it was no big deal, but tonight I was afraid that my mother was already going to go all out for my eighteenth birthday, and now I was walking Jack right into it head on.
We pull up at my driveway, and that feeling of unease stays with me, so much so that I'm afraid to even move from my place in the passenger seat of Jack's RAM.
"You know, on second thought, let's just go back to the hospital," I say, exasperated and full of fear. "I'm sure you've got way better things to do tonight and I'm sure you don't want to sit at an awkward family dinner with—"
"Parker," he snaps, smiling at me reassuringly. "Will you chill out? I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to be here."
I sigh with relief, but a huge part of me is still nervous beyond belief.
"Are you sure?" I ask, chewing on my bottom lip.
He takes his cap off, runs his hands through his hair a few times, trying to neaten in up. "Yeah, I mean, you could have warned me to dress up a little better, but other than that I'm good."
I glance down at my own outfit. "I'm in Lilo and Stitch pyjamas, I'm sure you're fine."
"You never know," he grins, leaning over the dash when I start fussing with his hair, trying to place it neatly for him. "I've gotta make a good first impression with your parents or they'll never let me take you out when you're eighteen."
If I had a water I would have choked on it, but there's no time to dwell on his words, because he's already jumping out of the car with a gorgeous smile and his hair finally somewhat presentable.
He walks around the front of the car, opens my door, and holds a hand out for me to take, helping me down.
"You know," I tell him with a shy smile. "You could have kept the hat on. You always look handsome with your hat backwards."
