Can't Stop From Falling

8 ~ You don't have to leave

Parker POV

I can't begin to describe how I am feeling right now. Hurt. Anger. Pissed off. Confused. Yes, the position Caden found Reid and me in didn't look good, but he, out of everyone, should have known better than to assume I would have slept with him. Thinking about it, Caden is probably the only person who would assume I slept with Reid. A fuck boy, like Caden calls him or not, no one in their right mind would think that Reid would sleep with some loser like me. "AHHHHHHH," I scream out in frustration.

"Parkee," Caden says, coming up from behind me and grabbing my waist to pull me into a hug, "I'm so sorry for how I acted." His touch makes my skin crawl. I feel like I'm suffocating from him. Unable to handle the feeling, I pull out of his grasp. "Are you serious?" He questions.

"You're kidding me, right?" I whisper knowing if I look at him my eyes will give away how hurt I am. "You excuse me of sleeping around and then want to act like it was nothing. I don't think so."

"I think it's time for Reid to go home," he says with anger lacing his tone. I've never seen Caden act in such a way and truthfully, I don't want to be alone with him. I know he won't hurt me, but I also know myself. I'll give in to him and eventually agree that he's right and this time I know he's not.

"No," Reid says out of nowhere.

"No?" Caden questions. "Look, I get you couldn't leave last night because of the storm, but the roads are fine now. You should run along home. I'm sure there's a line of girls just waiting for you to get in their pants. We don't need you here."

"I don't give a fuck what you need. I am here for her, not you," Reid says pointing at me.

"She doesn't need you here either. I'm here. Always have been and always will so go home."

"And until I hear it come from her mouth, I'm not leaving," Reid says, giving me a reassuring smile. Honestly, I'm happy that he isn't leaving yet. I'm not ready to face Caden alone.

Caden stares at me and I know he wants me to say no, but I don't. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to." Reid smiles at me while Caden huffs and rolls his eyes. I'm getting really annoyed with the way Caden is acting right now.

"Since it's Saturday, I'm free all day," Reid smiles. "How about we go get some breakfast?"

"Oh um, I can make breakfast for all of us," I say nervously.

"Smart one, my guy. In case you couldn't tell, Parker doesn't exactly have money to go out. Way to make her feel out of place," Caden says in a matter-of-fact tone. My jaw drops at Caden's words. Yes, it's true, but the way he would outright say it makes me feel stupid. I'm ready for the ground to open and swallow me whole. It's taking everything in me to not let the tears fall from my eyes.

"I was offering to take her out for breakfast as a way to repay her for the hospitality she offered me last night, my treat. Plus, a gentleman always pays for a lady. It doesn't matter if they're going out as friends or more," Reid says, giving me a genuine smile. Something about it eases the hurt that I just felt from Caden. I truly believe that he's telling the truth. He's not and hasn't judged me since we've started talking.

His attention turns to Caden, "If anyone made her feel out of place, it was you. You were the one that inferred she didn't have money and why? Do you think that if she doesn't have money, I'll want to stay away from her? So what if her house is on the smaller side and she doesn't have the newest things? Everything is very clean and well cared for here. Better to have a house full of love instead of new items with no one to share them with."

"Parker," Caden says, turning to me immediately, "He's wrong about what he's saying. I wasn't trying to make you feel out of place and I wasn't trying to embarrass you."