The Marine I Know

Chapter 9

Ok so maybe I shouldn't have done that to him.

Parker: I'm going to go over and demand what is wrong.

Shit. I pick up my phone after I yawn. I check the time. 10:30.

Me: Parker, can we do this tomorrow?

Parker: If you promise me to text me as soon as you wake up.

Me: Fine.

I plug my phone on the charger and try to fall asleep, but my mind has other plans. "Damnit, just shut off already stupid mind."

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I wake up to someone knocking on my door. "Go away. I'm trying to sleep." I check my phone at 7:30 am. Shit, it is too early for this. "Come in."

"Belle, can we talk," Parker asks as we sit down at the foot of my bed.

"What the hell is so important that you had to wake me up at fricking 7:30 am." I grab a pillow and throw it at him. "Let me sleep."

"Talk to me."

"My mind doesn't function this early in the morning." I quickly send a quick text to Lilly.

Me: Sorry to wake you. Make up something so that I can get away from Parker.

Lilly: What the hell is he thinking, waking you up to this early in the morning. Ok, let me think of something. I'm not feeling well. Can you come over? Mom is working.

Me: Yeah. Let me change.

I put my phone away.

"Parker. Please leave before I throw you out."

"We need to talk about what happened." I grab the chair and roll him outside my door and lock the door.

"Stay out." I quickly grab my clothes and duck into the en-suite bathroom to change, locking the door. I quickly brush my hair and teeth before walking out into the room. I lean my ear against the door to listen for anything. I don't hear anything, so I quickly and quietly open the door and sped walk outside texting mom that I'm at Lilly's if she needs anything. I arrive at her house, and she lets me in.

"Coffee?" I nod and pull up a chair on the island. She pours it into a cup and gives it to me while making her one.

"So start from the beginning."

"After I left you, Parker took me to his house for a movie night. I met his mom, and I told him I didn't like horror films, and he's like don't worry, I'll protect you." I pause to let Lilly aw. "Then, as we're watching the first movie out of three, I put my head on his shoulder, and he wraps his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I look up at him, and he's looking down at me, and we start kissing. Keep in mind we're on the couch, and I'm running my hands through his hair, and I suddenly realize that I shouldn't be doing that. So I grab my bag and walk home. Then this morning, I walk up at 7:30 to someone knocking on my door. He wants to talk, but I'm not ready to." I yawn.

"Go up to my room and go to sleep. You need it." Lilly tells me. I give her a hug and walk upstairs, and as soon as I see her bed, I fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Belle. Parker's here. I tried to get him to go away." Lilly tells me. I open one eye and look at her.

"Crap. Please tell me he's downstairs." I stretch and walk over to her bathroom, connected to her room. My hair is a rats nest, and thankfully, my clothes aren't wrinkled. I grab my hairbrush and put it up in a messy bun.

"Thanks, Lil." I hug her. "A day dedicated to girl's night?"

"Of course Belle, go talk to him first." I walk downstairs and see that he's sitting on the barstool on the island, so I walk to the other side, opposite him. He looks up at me, smiles, and jumps off to hug me, but I stop him.

"If you want to talk, talk," I tell him.

"Belle, you ran out of the house this morning, and I got worried. What did I do?"

"For starters, how the hell did you get into my house? My mom was at work."

"I got to your house just as your mom was leaving so she let me in, but told me not to disturb you." I turn around and glare at him.

"Reminder, next time, don't wake me up at the time you did this morning. I don't do morning, and for heaven sakes, it's fricking Saturday! Let me sleep in!" I yell, and Lilly comes running down the stairs. "I should've never told you what happened to my dad. Shit, this isn't the Saturday I planned on it being." I lean up against the counter, exhausted. Why am I fighting it? Parker cares for me, and I push people away except for Lilly, Clare, and Autumn. I slide down onto the floor, putting my head in my hands, shaking.

"Hey Belle, you're ok." Lilly comforts me, and I'm thankful for it. "Parker, I think it's best that you leave now. Belle will text you if she wants to talk." I hear the door shut.

"What if he leaves again? He wants to be a Marine, but he will be doing something similar to what dad did."

"We graduate in six months. There's plenty of time to let Parker in." Lilly says, "Also, I called the girls, and they should be here anytime." The doorbell rings, "Right on time." She helps me up and walks over to the door.

"Girl's day, here we come," Clare says. I walk out to see them and give them hugs. "You'll forget about him." We go up into Lilly's room, and we do mani-pedis, makeup, hairstyles, and of course, facials. I forget all about Parker and pretty soon it was almost 7 pm.

"You guys are the best. I have to go, but thank you for all this." I give them all hugs after we get the facial stuff off me. I grab my bag and walk home. I get to the corner when I hear a car drive up. I quickly pull out my phone to call Parker.

"Hello?" Someone grabs me.

"Parker! Help!" I scream before I lose conscience.