Happily Ever After (A Parker_Games Fanfic)

Chapter 19

McKENZIE'S POV:
It had been a week since we had arrived here in Ohio, and it had gotten very cold and snowy. Neither Parker and I had Winter jackets, or shoes that could get wet, and when I was packing clothes for us I hadn't been thinking about how cold it would be here, so today, we were at the mall, my least favorite place in the world, getting ourselves some necessities. My ever-growing waistline was making that task more difficult than I had anticipated, making me extremely frustrated. My pregnancy hormones were at an all-time high with the stress I was under because of everything going on with my mom, and poor Parker was taking the brunt of it all. So far, he had taken it all in stride, even though I had admittedly been really difficult to deal with.

I had just tried on what had to be my tenth coat at this store alone, and while it fit everywhere else, I couldn't get it closed over my stomach. I tossed it back on the rack angrily, and started flicking through the rest, hoping to find the next size up, but there were none.

"Why don't we go check out the maternity store we saw on our way in? I'm sure they'll have something for you there," Parker suggested, trying to calm me down.

"I am not going there. I'm not even that pregnant yet," I muttered through gritted teeth. "Are you trying to make me feel fat and frumpy? Because trust me, it's working!" I raised my voice a little, and a sales associate a few rows over looked at me with concern.

"Got a problem lady? Huh? Haven't you ever heard that it's RUDE TO STARE?"

At this point, several more people were watching as I melted down, and Parker was trying his best to diffuse the situation.

"Honey," he started, grabbing my arm,"let's just g-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Okay, fine, I won't. Sorry. Why don't we just-"

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR ONCE?" I screamed before storming out of the store as fast as my legs could carry me. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the parking lot, almost knee-deep in a snow drift, crying hysterically.

I heard footsteps crunching on the snow behind me, and didn't even have to look to know that it was Parker. In spite of the fact that I had just yelled at him for touching me, I felt his hand on my shoulder. I jerked away from his touch, snapping my head back to look at him. The look on his face was a mixture of sadness and fear.

"Okay, I get it. You don't want me to touch you. But can you at least come inside? It's so cold out here and-"

"Go away, Parker."

"What? But-"

"I SAID, GO AWAY. ARE YOU FREAKING DEAF? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?" My voice was shrill, panicked, and even I almost didn't recognize it. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT. NOW." I was crying harder now, and the cold of the snow was sinking in, but all I wanted was to be alone at the moment.

"I'm not going to leave you all alone in the middle of a parking lot, standing crying in a snow drift halfway up your legs. At least come inside. I promise, I won't touch you or talk to you or even sit near you, but please, just come inside," Parker begged, flinching a little as he finished, waiting for my next barrage of screaming.

Suddenly, I didn't even have the energy to speak.

And then everything went black.

PARKER'S POV:
McKenzie's eyes rolled back into her head, and I dove to catch her as she fell. I just made it, barely able to lift her, but with the help of a mall security guard, I was able to get her to our car, where I immediately drove her to the hospital. She came to as I was opening the door for the nurses to put her on a stretcher, and started hyperventilating.