Chapter 15 ~ Liam
I couldn’t believe I said that. When I told Parker she looked good in that suit it was a mistake and slipped out. It didn’t mean anything. When she realized what I had said she didn’t look pleased. I could tell she knew that I was covering up what I said, and I was failing miserably. I just went to the water with everyone else and tried to ignore it.
“Mate, what was that?” Zayn asked, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his swim trunks.
“What was what?” I knew exactly what he meant.
“That. You totally freaked Parker out.”
“I know,” I sighed. “It was an accident.”
“I don’t blame you mate. She’s really fit, but she’s also really careful. I think you have to watch what you say around her. She’s kind of scary almost.” Zayn muttered, watching her. She was up on the sand talking to Harry. They were smiling, deep in conversation. I frowned.
“Are you sure you don’t fancy her?” He asked very suggestively.
“I’m sure.” I answered honestly. “I haven’t forgotten about our bet, and you’re not getting the money because I don’t fancy her.”
“Fancy who?” Amabel asked, walking over to us and crossing her arms. “Parker?”
“Yep,” Zayn answered. “We made a bet that if Liam fancies Parker by the time our break is over he has to pay me $200.”
“You lads are horrible. You shouldn’t be betting on a girl.” Amabel scolded, splashing us. Zayn flinched away.
“Come on! Look at her! How can you not fancy Parker?” Zayn cried, almost too loudly.
I whacked his arm. “Shut up.”
***
Once the sun was halfway set, we all said our goodbyes for the night. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Parker and Harry talking again. He then gave her a hug and jogged back to Amabel. It seemed like they were getting pretty close. I was glad actually; I wanted Parker to feel comfortable around my friends. She and Amabel bonded already. I knew they enjoyed being in the company of another girl.
“Ready?” I asked her once everyone had left.
“Yeah,” she replied plainly and got in the car. The ride was silent, so I turned on the radio and the two of us listened to the country station.
I wondered if Parker liked country. It was then that I realized I knew nothing about her at all. She was so guarded it was hard to tell what was on her mind. You never knew what she was thinking. She was a mystery. That was intriguing, but at the same time extremely frustrating.
We walked up to the apartment in silence, and it got more awkward with every step. When Parker and I walked inside, I threw my keys on the table beside the door. “I’m going to grab a shower.” I said, and then left her in the front room, where I heard her turn on the TV.
In the shower, I tried to pick the pieces apart. I tried to figure out why Parker is the way she is. The only thing I knew for sure about her is that she hates her parents more than anything in the world. Whenever she talks about them—or even if someone mentions them—her eyes cloud over in a state of hatred and bitterness. That doesn’t make sense to me. Why would anyone hate their parents? They seemed to love and support Parker in everything. What could they have done to make Parker hate them so much? Did they hurt her? My fists clenched at the thought of someone harming her.
It wasn’t because I liked her. No, it was because she was very skinny and just…small. She was very fragile and it seemed like it didn’t take much to break her. Despite her pettiness, she was one of the strongest people I knew. She didn’t let people see her weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
I shut the water off and got dressed in my grey joggers and white t-shirt. My phone buzzed. It was a text from Harry.
DON’T FORGET TO GIVE PARKER OUR #’S. –H
I had completely forgotten about that. I walked to where she was sitting, curled up in a ball on the couch watching TV. She stared at the screen and didn’t seem to notice me come in. Once I sat down next to her, she got up and walked to the bathroom, not saying a word to me. I buried my face in my hands. Did I just ruin everything by complimenting her at the beach? It was a mistake, and I didn’t mean for it to come out!
I shook my head and tried to watch TV. Before long, Parker came back. Her hair was over one shoulder and she was wearing blue shorts and a white tank top. She looked absolutely knackered. I smiled and patted the spot next to me, hoping that we could talk. I didn’t know what about though, but I just wanted to know more about her. But I had to do something first.
“Harry told me to give you the boys’ numbers.” I said.
She turned to me. “Here,” she handed me her phone, and I added Zayn, Niall, Louis and Harry to her contacts. As soon as I handed it back to her, she got a text. I turned my attention to the TV again. After a little while, Parker’s head started to fall and it landed on my shoulder. I froze, not having a clue as what to do. Do I leave it there? Do I move it and leave? But after a few seconds she quickly sat up and avoided my eye contact.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry.” I said, “I guess I’ll go to bed, then. I’ll see you in the morning.”
"Yeah, sure,” She replied and picked at her fingernails.
I frowned, but went to my bedroom. I ran a hand through my hair and wanted to yell out in frustration. This was killing me! Why wouldn’t she talk about what happened between her and her parents? We were living together for God’s sake and this wasn’t a topic she could avoid forever. I wanted to know so I could help her get through it.
That was what I do best: help people. I want everyone to like me so I help them, even if it’s doing something I don’t like. But this is something I care about. I care about her, and I don’t want her to live her life in fear all the time. She deserves to be happy without having to look over her shoulder all the time.
My phone buzzed, and when I looked to see who the message was from, I smiled.
HOW IS SHE? –AMABEL
Amabel always knew the right thing to say. She was almost like my mother at times; she made sure I got enough sleep and that I wasn’t eating unhealthy foods all the time. She did this with all the boys, but mostly Harry, of course. Louis and Niall called us Mommy and Daddy Direction since we were both responsible and kept the band under control.
IDK. SHE WON’T TALK TO ME. DID I MESS UP? –LIAM
I got her reply in two minutes.
NO, YOU DIDN’T. SHE JUST NEEDS TO KNOW THT U R GONNA BE THERE 4 HER. –AMABEL
I frowned. How would Parker not know that I would be there for her? I am now! I let her stay with me when she needed a place to go. Isn’t that proof enough?
HOW DO I LET HER KNOW? –LIAM
DON’T WORRY, LI. SHE’LL COME AROUND. –AMABEL
I groaned. What did that even mean? How was help her if she didn’t tell me what was wrong? It seemed like she didn’t want help, but I knew she wanted it.
I guess I would have to let her tell me when she’s ready. I want Parker to trust me; I want her to know she can talk to me about anything.
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This chapter sucks, I know, and I'm sorry. I've been really busy lately. It's homecoming week and I lost my flashdrive (where I keep all my writing) and I just found it this morning. I was really worried, but everything is fine now, don't worry.
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Humane (Liam Payne)
Fiksi Penggemar{Book 2 - Completed} - On the outside, Parker Harrison's life seems perfect. A loving family of her and her brother, Garrett and their parents. But behind closed doors, things are not as they seem. Garrett moves out as soon as he can, getting as far...
