Scattered Colors (32 page)

“Parker’s here.”

“Parker’s there,” he repeated. “As in he’s in Florida?”

“As in he’s in Florida, at FSU and living in the same complex. He transferred here.”

Neither of us spoke for several seconds. Finally, I heard my father sigh across the line. “Do you need me to come there?”

My chest warmed at my father’s question. After my mother’s death, I never thought we would have gotten to the place we were at right then.

“No, Daddy,” I smiled adoringly even though he couldn’t see it. “I love you for asking, but I’m okay.”

“You sure? All you have to do is say the word and I’m on a plane, baby girl.”

“No, I swear. Besides, I have Piper to kick his ass if I need to.”

Dad’s deep chuckle resonated through the line and warmed my heart. “This is true. That girl really is something else.”

“Preaching to the choir,” I laughed.

“All right, honey. If you’re sure. Just remember, you’re strong, Freya. You are so damn strong. Don’t forget that, okay?”

“I won’t,” I whispered, feeling a little choked up at his praise. “I have to go. I’ve got work in an hour.”

“Okay, honey. But you call me if you need anything.”

“You got it. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

After hanging up and getting ready for work, I felt better than I had all day. Talking with Dad was just what I needed to help put things in perspective. I still felt off-kilter and nervous about what Parker being there meant, but I felt more confident that I could handle whatever was thrown at me. I guessed only time would tell.

I was dead on my feet. While working at an all-night diner in a college town might be a brilliant idea when it comes to tips, the reality of it was Dottie’s was packed all night long. My shift was set to end at ten and it couldn’t have come fast enough. I had one last table left before I could call it a night.

“Hey, Freya. I just sat table seven,” Michelle, Dottie’s hostess told me with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry. I tried to put him somewhere else but he insisted. At least he’s hot.” She shot me a wink and walked off as I let out a frustrated groan. I could feel a small trickle of sweat work its way down my back, plastering my already tight white t-shirt to me. My black shorts smelled like beer from a rowdy frat guy who accidentally spilled his drink on me and my hair reeked like french-fries. I was both hungry and exhausted. And I had to fake nice for my newest customer.

Freaking perfect
.

As I walked toward the table, my eyes were downcast as I reached into my apron pocket for my order pad and pen. “Welcome to Dottie’s. What can I get you…?” I trailed off as I looked up into those chocolate brown eyes that smiled up at me. An angry sound akin to a growl pushed past my lips as I scowled. “What the hell are you doing here?” I sneered.

That grin of his I’d fallen in love with so long ago took over his face and I found myself hating that smile of his. I wanted to reach over the table and yank the piercing right out of his bottom lip.

“This is a diner, right? I’m here to eat,” he replied in a joking manner that did nothing but make me want to punch him in his face…and damn it, what a gorgeous face it was. The years had been nothing but good to Parker Owens…the bastard.

“How did you find out I worked here? Did Caleb tell you, because I swear to God, if he did, Piper’s going to—”

Parker’s hands came up in a placating gesture. “No, God no. Caleb didn’t tell me, I swear. He didn’t tell me. Please don’t tell Piper he did. She’s already got him by the balls for allowing me to live there as it is.” A little thrill worked up my spine at his obvious discomfort with my roommate. “I saw the name on your shirt when you left earlier,” he said, pointing to the Dottie’s logo right above my left breast.

“So, you were spying on me?”

The corner of his mouth tipped up mischievously. “I wouldn’t call it spying. I’d say it was just a coincidence that I just so
happened
to be looking out my peephole at the exact moment you came walking by.”

Ugh! He really had nerve. How he could sit there so casually and act like nothing bad had happened between us the last time we saw each other was beyond me.

“So, you’re stalking me. Wow, Parker. You’ve really stooped to a whole new low, haven’t you?”

Finally, the grin slipped from his face as he regarded me with what looked like regret. “I just wanted to talk, Freya. That’s all.”

“Well, I’ve got nothing to say to you,” I spat back. “I thought I made that pretty clear that last night on the beach, but I guess not.” He flinched at the mention of that night like I’d just slapped him. Seeing that caused a pang of regret to work its way through my body, but I’d be damned if I acknowledged it.

Parker rubbed his hands over his face roughly before dropping them down to the table. “You have every right to be mad at me, sweetheart…”

“That’s an understatement,” I scoffed.

“But I’m not going anywhere. I’ll do whatever I have to to get you to forgive me.”

“If I forgive you, will you leave?” I asked, cocking my hip to the side and resting my hand on it, trying my hardest to look unaffected even as my heart beat a million miles in my chest.

“The diner or Florida?” he asked warily.

“Preferably both.”

He shook his head solemnly as his eyes bored into me. “I can’t do that, gorgeous.”

“You’re determined to make my life miserable, aren’t you?”

“That’s the last thing in the world I want.” The earnestness in his voice and on his face gave me pause. I didn’t want to believe him, but gut instinct told me it wasn’t a lie.

With a sigh of defeat, I dropped my hand from my hip and rolled my shoulders back. “Well, can you at least tell me what I have to do to get you out of the diner? I’m too tired to do this with you right now.”

“A turkey club and glass of water?” he asked hesitantly. “I swear I’ll eat fast. You don’t even have to check back on me.”

“Fine,” I relented before scribbling his order down and snatching the piece of paper off my pad with more force than necessary. With a sarcastic smile plastered on my face, I said sweetly, “Coming right up.” I spun on my heels and went to the serve through window to drop off Parker’s order before going to pour his drink.

I tried not to let my gaze wander in his direction, but my eyes just wouldn’t listen to my brain. He really was something to look at. Even the small changes I noticed weren’t enough to detract from his stunning good looks. I knew beautiful wasn’t a word men necessarily liked to be associated with themselves, but that was what Parker Owen was…beautiful. He’d bulked up a bit since the last time I saw him and his hair was shorter than I remembered it being. He wore it styled back in a messy manner that still looked sexy as sin on him. It no longer flopped over his forehead, shielding those knowing eyes. He still dressed casually and I had no doubt that if I were to look, he’d be wearing those ratty Converse sneakers he’d always been so fond of. Looking at him still had the power to take my breath away, and I hated him for having that command over me.

I made my way back to his table to sit his water down in front of him just as his cell phone began to ring. As he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen, a bright smile washed over his features for whoever was calling, and I felt an irrational sense of jealously take hold of me that it could possibly be another girl calling him. I slammed his drink down a little too hard, causing a little water to slosh over the top and onto the table, but I didn’t stick around long enough to clean it up or listen to whatever he was saying to the person on the other end.

It was official. I had lost my mind. That was the only logical excuse I could come up with as to why Parker still affected me the way he did, even when every instinct in my body rebelled against his unnatural hold.

A few minutes later, with his plate in hand, I headed back in his direction. As I stepped up to the table to put his food down in front of him, he looked up at me with the same adoring smile he had when he first answered his phone. I was just about to step away when his words made me freeze in place.

“Yeah, Mom, I love you, too. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

His mom.

I hadn’t allowed myself to think too much about Mrs. Owens in the past two years, but I was hit with a sudden wave of curiosity about how she was doing.

“Thanks,” Parker said as he picked up half of his sandwich, still grinning at me like a fool. “There’s spit in this, isn’t there?” he teased, and damn it, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Maybe. Looks like you’ll just have to trust me.”

“I’d trust you with my life,” he stated seriously, causing my stomach to flip.

“So…uh,” I stuttered, trying to redirect the conversation. “That was your mom?”

“Yeah,” he grinned. “She’s kind of gotten a little crazy with the phone calls since I moved. I swear, you’d think I picked up and moved to a third world country with the way she worries.”

I felt a tiny smile kick up the corner of my lips. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s good,” he answered. “Great, actually. A lot’s happened since you left, Freya.”

“I’m sure,” I spoke softly as I took a step back from the table. I needed to get away from him. I needed time to regroup and clear the cobwebs that seemed to be forming in my head. “Well, enjoy your meal.”

“I want to tell you about it,” he said quickly before I could make my escape. “I want to tell you about everything. Just give me a chance. Please.”

I shook my head as a frown formed between my brows. “I don’t…I don’t know, Parker. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Just think about it,” he said quickly as I took another step away. “That’s all I’m asking.”

Against my better judgment, I found my head bobbing up and down. “I’ll think about it.” When a smile broke across his face, I knew I had to make myself clear. I wasn’t going to give him false hope. “I’m not promising anything, Parker. I need you to understand that.”

“I’ll take whatever I can get with you, Freya…happily.”

With that, I turned and walked away from his table. Heading straight through the kitchen and out the back door, I sucked in some much needed air as I rested against the rough brick wall. It felt like my world had been knocked off its axis and I was spinning around out of control. At one time, I loved that Parker could make me feel that way. At that moment, it scared me half to death.