The Third Meeting of Parker Stacy
Rose Black
"Black, thank you for coming," she forces a smile at me, and it looks more like a dog baring their teeth.
"It's not like I had a choice," I roll my eyes, not taking a seat unless I have to. I hope I don't have to be in here long, but with the way she treats my every little move, I wouldn't be surprised if I was being put on lock-down.
"I knew going into this that you had little self control regarding your powers--" I scoff at her but she continues "--so I had a back up plan for when you started to become dangerous."
"I don't think a couple flower petals is very dangerous," I roll my eyes yet again.
"And the excessive rain from last weekend was not your doing?"
I say nothing.
"That's what I thought."
It was only because the reality of my time with Zack was going to be short lived. It was obvious. There was no way I was going to survive this, and I knew it. But I don't think I'd really be living if I were without him. He lights a fire in me that I didn't know I had kindling for. It gave me a kind of warmth I haven't felt since Dan was alive: safety.
"I need you to go pick it up from holding station and bring it back to me. I'm too busy to do it myself. And who knows, maybe it'll be therapeutic for you."
She tries to put dent after dent into my confidence, any kind of strength I have. But I've lost everything. She doesn't even have anything to hurt.
"Whatever," I slam the large metal door on my way out, grinding my teeth the whole way to the holding station, located just to the left of the garage underneath the Headquarters.
The elevator takes too long to get to me, and my patients continues to thin and thin. I wanted to see Zack for lunch, but it looks like I'll have to cancel. On the way down, I get out my phone to let him know I won't be able to make it, just to see that he's already cancelled with me.
Sending a few texts back and forth, we agree that he'll make me dinner tonight if I meet him at his house at seven. The words on the screen pull at my heart strings. Everything that has to do with him makes me feel like mush.
The elevator doors open to show me the holding station, which is currently packed full of boxes of supplies, so many shipments to sustain so many workers. But the loud voices coming from the other side of the boxes is what draws my attention more than what could've been in the shipment for Hayden.
The sound of a baby wailing is heard and almost drowns out the two men arguing. "I have a baby. Is that not obvious or something? We've been waiting here for ten minutes for someone to tell us where we're supposed to go. If you don't talk to me in the next minute, I'm leaving."
The employee glares at the man across from him, before nodding to me, "Look she's here to sign on the dotted line for you."
Teal eyes bore into mine, and I swear the room gets a thousand degrees hotter. I can't hear the baby crying anymore, hell I can't hear anything. I can't see anything. Anything but him.
There he is. Parker Stacy in all his glory. Wearing two jackets and a pair of khakis. His hair looks more like it did when he was in love with me, but the stubble on his face is the only reminder I have that I'm not being transported back in time to when I was at peace with my life. When I had a reason to live.
He seems taller, but I know that's just because he hasn't seen me in so long.
"Rose," my name falls from his lips, and it feels like poison in my ears.
