As Good As It Gets

Chapter 8

PARKER'S POV
I hopped in my car after finally seeing Layla and drove as fast as I could to her house. I knocked on her door. Nobody was there. I opened the door and closed it behind me. When I ran up to Layla's room, little footsteps came behind me. The little footsteps stopped and the moved again. I went into Layla's room and went under the bed. The door was wide open when Ariel came in.
"Look mister I have a bat. Don't take anything and don't hurt me." She said crying her eyes out.
"Oh Ariel. Sebastian is here." I said calling her the nickname that she gave me.
"Sebastian." She said running into my arms crying harder than I've ever seen someone cry.
"Shhh.....oh baby everything's gonna be okay...Layla's fine....don't worry she's coming back home..." I said rubbing her back.
"Hey Parker?" She asked rubbing her eyes.
"Yea babe?" I asked her as she looked at me with those sea green eyes.
"Why don't you and Layla have any babies?" She asked me.
"Hitting me with the hard questions, huh kiddo?" I asked her.
"Answer the question Sebastian ." She said hitting my shoulder.
"Ow fine," I said thinking of an answer.
"Layla and I don't have any babies because........we don't want any babies right now. Layla and I we want to get married first." I said putting her down.
"Why don't you get married then?" She asked me.
"Good question kiddo. Well....I want to spend the rest of my life with Layla but I don't know if she wants the same. And see we are too young to get married. But when we graduate college together, her being a teacher and a singer and actress and me being a doctor for little kids, I'm gonna ask her as soon as we graduate. Maybe even right on the stage as we graduate. What do you think about that Ariel?" I asked her.
"I think my sister is one lucky girl and that it's perfect." She said hugging me.
"Hey munchkin when's the last time you took a shower?" I asked her.
"Umm.....I haven't in a while. I'm gonna go take one now." She said running off. She smelt kinda funky. I searched under Layla's bed and found that book she was talking about. It was for me she had wrote. I opened it and the pages were filled with her neat handwriting. I decided I would read it later. I had to get my hands on those songs. I dug through her closet and found a notebook. Flipping through it I found the same handwriting I had found in the other notebook. I went over to her underwear drawer and never thought that I would be digging in her underwear drawer. I found the cd she was talking about in it. Putting the cd in the player, I hit play. As soon as I hit play, her voice came bursting through the speakers.
"Hi guys. My name is Layla Reynolds, I'm 16 years old and these are my songs. First one I am going to play is called Behind. Hope you like it." She said in that sweet loving tone of hers as I broke down. I collapsed on the floor. Layla....oh Layla come back. Please. Her voice was beautiful. It was like angel's voice. This was all my fault. I paused the cd. I couldn't listen to this. I couldn't. She loved me and she counted on me. I should have been there to block her or even save her. I should have fucking broke that belt. I could have but I didn't. It was all my fucking fault. I was the only one to blame. I was walking down into the living room when Ariel came up behind me and grabbed into my leg.
"Where are you going Sebastian?" She asked me sounding like an exact copy of Layla. It hurt to hear her voice.
"I'm going to drown my sorrows." I said unbuckling her hands from around my leg and leaving the house. Locking the door behind me though.
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LAYLA'S POV
Waking up wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought I would wake up to having Parker by my side, clutching my hand, whispering my name. But he wasn't there. Nobody was. Not even a nurse or doctor. I laid back and took a deep breath. Parker. Where was he right now? What was he doing? Oh how I missed him right now. It felt like I was asleep for months and months. I wonder how much time passed. When everybody talks about comas, they don't know what really happens while the person is under. For me, I could hear every word a person said I just couldn't see them. I could feel their hands in mine or the kisses against my forehead but I could not see who it was. But I still knew who came to visit me. My dad, Sam and Sara, Ariel had come once but I wish she never had (she shouldn't have saw me like this) and last but not least, Parker. He came to see me more than anyone else. Sometimes I could hear the pain and the alcohol in his voice. Other times it was hidden with tears and other emotions. My note was gone from my hand which means he had read it. I hit the red button next to the hospital bed. A nurse came in about 5 seconds later.
"Layla your awake!" She screeched clapping her hands.
"Hi Nurse Clarissa." I croaked, my voice sounding firmer than I remember it was.
"How do you know my name, sweets?" She asked me a hand on her hip.
"Because you would talk to me while taking care of me. And by the way....I totally think that Eric guy is perfect for you. Say yes." I told her because she talked to me about a guy named Eric that she had went out with and he proposed to her after 3 years of going out. She loved him she told me but she didn't know if she was ready for commitment.
"Thanks babe. I'll make sure that when we do have a wedding, you'll be on my invite list. And bring that boyfriend of yours. He's been through a lot with you under." She said filling out some paper work.
"What do you mean? What happened to Parker?" I asked taking the sheets off from above me and getting ready to stand up.
"Whoa missy. You got to stay seated. You aren't ready to stand up yet." She said holding me back from standing up. She had dropped her paper work.
"Sorry about the papers." I said laying back down.
"It's fine sugar. Don't worry about it." She said picking them up.
"What happened to Parker, Ms.Clarissa?" I asked her.
"Well when he came in, he had looked drunk a couple of times and other times he looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep in a couple of months and most of the time he just looked in extreme pain. I've never seen a guy looked so hurt before," she said sighing.
"Not even when your dad got depressed when your mom passed?" I asked her.
"Not even then sweet cakes. And my dad was so in love with my mom. I've never seen someone love someone the way that this Parker guy loves you." She said checking my forehead.
"When can I get let out? I need to see him." I said tapping my fingers against the bed impatiently.
"In a couple of days or so. It should be quick. Tests and scans to make sure everything with your stomach is okay and stuff. You'll be out before you know it and then you can go get it on with Prince Charming. Babe he is fine." She said wiping her forehead as if he was on fire. I laughed at this. I mean Parker was hot but seriously Clarissa? Are you joking? He's mine.
"Too bad he's mine Clarissa. You have Eric which to what you are telling me, sounds like a terrific guy." I said smiling.
"Thanks sugar. He really is. I can't believe I'm gonna say yes." She said smiling and blushing at the same time.
"I can't believe I'm gonna see you in a white dress! I'm so happy for you." I said.
"I seriously don't have anybody help me plan the wedding. My best friends aren't my best friends anymore sadly and all I have is my boyfriend now fiancée....soooo.....you want to help me sugar?" She asked me.
"Of course!!" I said clapping my hands.
"Yay! Thanks sugar but first lets get you outta here." She said closing my file and putting it back on the side of the door.
"Thanks for helping me Clarissa." I said smiling.
"No problem darling." She said winking as she left. And then I was left to think about one thing:

Parker

AFTER 3 DAYS..........

Today I finally got to leave the hospital. My dad picked me up with Ariel in the backseat.
"Hey Layla!" They both yelled as I got out of the hospital.
"Hi guys!" I said giving them both hugs.
"We missed you." Ariel said as I hopped in the front seat.
"I missed you guys too." I said as we drove home. The car ride was mostly silent except for the song that came blasting out of the radio.
Just the Way you are by Bruno Mars started making its way through the radio. And all I could think about was Parker. I had to find him.
"When was the last time somebody saw Parker?" I asked both of them since I didn't know who had an answer for me.
"I saw him just a few days ago. He came to the house looking for something and then before he left I asked him where he was going. He said something about drowning his sorrows. Something about drowning. I couldn't remember exactly what he said but yeah. A few days ago." Ariel said.
"Oh no." I said. I kept replaying what Ariel had said in my head. He said something about drowning his sorrows.

Drowning his sorrows.

He came in drunk.

The alcohol in his voice.

He was drinking.

He was drunk.

Parker.

I had to find him.
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My dad let me take the car because he knew that I had to find Parker. He knew I had to pull him out of this trance and get him sober. I pulled up to the first bar I could think of. It was nothing big. A small bar on the side of the road but it was famously known for drunk guys in our town. You would basically go there to get drunk. I walked in with heart in my head because I was scared for Parker. What had happened when I was asleep? I asked the bartender if he ever saw a man look like this (I showed him a picture of Parker) and he said he's seen him come in before and buy a few drinks. I told him thanks and walked out. Just as I was walking out, I turned around to check to see if he was here. And there he was. Not the same handsome looking face I loved but somewhere along the lines, he was there.
"Parker?" I asked.
The man that I once knew glanced at me and shoved his head in his arms on the table. He was that drunk that he passed out. I heaved him up and struggled to carry him out but I did. I put him in the front seat and drove off.