Florencio's POV of chapter 10.

I read the note carefully.

Parker Rose.

"What's wrong?" Parker asked me, staring at my face. I wiped my expression off of it.

"Nothing," I replied. My voice was unintentionally rough. My mood had changed. Parker noticed. I shoved the note in my pocket.

She seemed anxious.

Her energy had rubbed off on me, making me nervous as well. I shook off the feeling and focused on driving.

Rose. Rose. Rose.

It was a connection I didn't think I'd make. Parker had only ever mentioned her mom. And her father?

I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Sam.

Tyler R, I typed. Give me information about him.

Parker told me to stop texting while driving. She was always so worried.

"What are you gonna do? Shove my phone is your underwear?" I snapped. After I said that, my annoyance with her precautious attitude faltered. My chest felt a familiar ache when her face fell. My hard exterior softened and I almost said sorry until she cut me off.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She came back at me. "Freak," she added in. Her chest started to rise and fall faster. "I want to go home," she rushed out, her face flushing.

I glanced at her. I felt something bloom in my chest. I let out a breath to relieve the feeling. I told her we would go to her house and then the 'dinner.'

"I-I can't," she stuttered. Her head was down and she played with her fingers.

What's wrong? Tell me.

"Why not?" I asked stupidly instead. She jumbled up my brain and I couldn't fucking talk.

"Why do you want me to go with you?" She sounded breathless. "You don't need me."

"Just come with me," I bit out. I felt my jaw clench. I wanted her there. I wanted her there to give me the warmth she did.

She lied and said her mom was home, waiting.

I was brought back to when I picked her up. Her face was red when she caught me staring at her unashamedly. I longed for something that I wanted to act on. I felt my jaw relax and a smile tug at the corners of my lips. "As I recall, no one was at your house."

We pulled into the auto shop of my trusted friend and Parker got out immediately and slammed the door shut, taking the car keys with her. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel hard. I couldn't tell her moods. She kept it neutral and when she did get irked, I liked it. Not right now though. She was angry. Anxious. And I didn't know why. I felt my chest tighten. When I couldn't figure people out, it made me want to pull away. I wanted to give up. I let out a sound of frustration and got out of the car.

She was standing there alone in the auto shop, her back to me. I equally wanted to ignore her, be mad. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her and tried to comfort her in the way I was given when shit got rough. I pressed my mouth to her neck, basking in the feeling of her warm body against my cold one. I wanted to bite her. Her head fell back and I had to keep my hands from pushing up her sweater.

I heard the front door open. "Hey! Cars out front," Danny said.

I let go of Parker and forced myself outside and into my car. I watched as Parker left the shop. Her cheeks were pink, her brows were furrowed.

She didn't anything until we were almost to her house. "Are you using me?" She uttered suddenly. "Because if you are, I never want to see you again."

Am I using her? I almost laughed. She was something above me. Something better. I wasn't going to tell her that though. I couldn't put what I thought of her into words. "Parker," I managed to get out. I grabbed her hand and kissed each finger. I couldn't stop myself from biting her ring finger. "You're too sweet for me." Her fingers twitched. I looked at her red face. She licked her lips.

"You basically just drink the bottle of coffee creamer every morning." She took a deep breath. "I'm just bitter."

My hand tightened around hers. "Never." She was like eating ice cream. It was soft, sweet. I didn't notice I had her hand in mine until she ripped it from mine and ran inside her house. I let out a breath and followed her in. In her living room, I pulled out my phone when I felt it buzz.

Sam: 40 years old. Apparently he's still married, but no wife by his side. His child isn't in the picture either. Why?

I didn't text him back I walked into the hallway and inspected the pictures there. One of Parker and I'm assuming her mom. The rest were Parker's school pictures. I heard talking coming from Parkers room. I pressed my ear to her door.

"Maybe I'll just live with you," Parker said. Her voice was muffled. Then she said something I didn't hear, but she laughed. I decided to open the door. When I did, she stood there in her pants and bra. Her phone was pressed to her ear. I leaned against the door frame.

"Beautiful," I murmured. Her brown eyes were wide and her face was red. She grabbed a blanket off her bed and wrapped it around herself.

"Who's there?" I heard the person on the phone practically yell. I laughed quietly when Parker fumbled for something to say. I turned away from her and went to her closet. I looked through her things and found a jewelry box. Small, delicate gold earrings sat there and a matching necklace with a 'P' on it. I put it back where I found it and went to her dresser, looking through her drawers. I didn't think much of her shirts and pants, but when I saw the familiar black material, I picked it up.

Parker ended the phone call. I turned around and her eyes widened when she saw what was in my hands. I ran my hands through it. "I remember how you looked in this," I said. I wanted her to put it on. In front of me.

Her knees shook. "You should knock before you enter someones bedroom," she told me.

"I can't." My voice was quiet. "Not when you're in here like this." I put the lingerie back in her drawer. She was walking towards me. Her brown eyes were dark, her teeth were biting her bottom lip. I grabbed the front of the blanket and pulled her to me roughly. It fell, exposing her chest. It stayed around her waist. Her chest pressed to mine and I sucked in a sharp breath. I wondered if she knew what she did to me.

"I'm still not going." Her body shuttered against mine. I ran my hands up her soft skin. She pressed closer to me. My thumbs played with the underwire of her bra. I slowly went higher. I needed to touch her. She had to have needed the same thing.

"Florencio, please..." Her voice sounded too good. She couldn't be real.

"Come with me, please." I pulled my eyes up from her body. Her eyes were wild and her chest was rising up and down fast. "I'm asking." I pressed my thumbs harder against her chest. The feeling of her against me drove me crazy. She moaned softly and put her hands on my shoulders. I pulled her tight against me. "Wear purple for me," I whispered huskily, my favorite color coming to mind. "Please, Parker." My breathing sounded off.

"O-okay," she stammered as I slipped my thumb under the bra cup. I didn't move to touch her more. She was all I could focus on. The sudden discovery from earlier didn't cross my mind.

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