Florencio's POV

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"This better be important," I growled into the phone, shutting the door to Parker's home.

Sitting in front of me, she looked ethereal and I don't know how I pulled away.

How, why did I leave?

Sam's voice on the other line reminded me.

"How was I supposed to know you'd be busy right now?" Sam defended. "Let the girl sleep!"

"She—" I stopped, took a breath. I didn't need to explain to him. "What the hell do you want? Your Spanish is shit. All I got is that you need to see me."

He huffed. "Thought I sounded good."

"Well, you didn't," I snapped, getting in my car.

"Whatever. Anyways, I talked to a Tyler."

"What? When?" Sam had said it so causally, I wasn't sure if I should believe him.

"Yeah. Right now. He's an okay person. Kinda of an asshole. You guys would get along."

I gritted my teeth to try and not yell at him. All I wanted was to be with Parker. I don't think I'd ever stop wanting to be with her. "Where do you want to meet?"

Sam breathed a laugh. "Well, I'm at this party, right–"

"Send me the address," I muttered and hung up.

-

The party was at some mansion, nearly an hour away from Parker.

Parker. Parker. Parker.

It was fucking hot how confident she got, crawled on top of me. I loved when she was shy, but damn.

Shaking my head, I got out and walked in through the unlocked door.

The house was nearly empty inside. A few tables were placed and people were snorting coke off them. I stared for a minute. People were drinking and smoking– God, look away already.

I pressed myself against a wall, my back towards everyone. The music was loud, but I called Sam regardless. "Where the fuck are you?"

"I-I'm upstairs. I'll be down in a minute!" He was breathless. I heard moaning. I scowled and hung up. He was upstairs having sex when I– don't think about it. If I did I wouldn't be able to stay focused. I already wasn't.

After a few minutes, I left my spot of safety and walked around. Everyone here was unbearable. All out of their minds and stumbling. These were the people I used to be around, I was these people less than a year ago. I wanted to surround myself with good. Good was Parker.

I wasn't expecting to, but I found Tyler outside, sitting by the pool, making out with some girl. At least I thought it was. He looked like the picture Sam sent.

Seconds went by and Tyler suddenly pushed the girl off him into the pool.

I grew alarmed.

She surfaced quickly and got out of the pool, slapping Tyler on the way out.

Tyler was so out of it, he just grunted.

My honey, she had the asshole's eyes. But she made them beautiful. His were red and pale.

I approached Tyler and he immediately put his hands up, laying his head on the floor.

What the hell.

"I'm sorry," he slurred. "It wasn't me. Whatever you think." He laughed and it soon turned into hacking.

"You don't know me," I said lowly. I crouched down next to him. "But I know you."

Tyler looked at me, his pupils large. "Hey, I've seen you around. Probably out doing some shit, you know," he tried to laugh again.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I wasn't going to get anywhere with this guy.

"Grace Rose," I decided to say, hoping it would shock him.

His red eyes narrowed into slits. "Who the fuck are you?" He stood up on wobbly feet. I was taller than him by a few inches. I looked down at him.

"Does it matter?" My voice was quiet.

Tyler shoved me. "How do you know Grace? Did the whore move on to–" he looked me up and down. "You?"

When I didn't answer, Tyler jolted like someone hit him. "Oh, shit. You're with," he stopped to think. "Fuck, Parker!" He stood taller. "You messing around with her? Just to warn you, she was a trouble kid. Always crying and so clingy." He laughed and patted my shoulder like we were friends.

I willed myself to calm down. He was a shit father who didn't know her. His words meant nothing. They shouldn't have anyways.

My fist connected with his nose before I knew what I was doing. Tyler yelled in pain. I was expecting the shit to stay on the floor where he fell, but he got back up and charged towards me. He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me into the pool, coming in after me.

My eyes opened underwater and they stung with chlorine. Tyler grabbed my neck and tried to shoved me down further.

It was harder to move fast underwater. I felt my lungs strain and I started to panic against my will. I scratched at Tyler's face until he let go of me. I swam above the water and gulped in as much air as I could. Remembering Tyler was right under me, I got out. Tyler's head popped up a second later. Luckily at this point, people had come out to see what was happening so I blended into the crowd.

Fuck this. He had a big name in this world for being fucking lazy and a piece of shit. Parker deserved more than him, even her mom deserved more.

I walked back into the house, dripping wet, when I saw Sam come down the stairs.

"How fucking convenient," I hissed. "Right on time."

Sam stared at me, face red. He suddenly burst out laughing. "Look at you! All wet, oh my god! Your neck, what did you and Parker do?"

"Next time, maybe don't say anything. I had to make up some crap for Parker earlier." I shoved past Sam, ignoring his comment.

I wasn't even sure what I wanted from Tyler.

Nothing.

It was just him being alive and his family suffering from him being "dead." Yeah, that pissed me off.

-

Parker's POV

Gina announced she was moving in with her sister a week after... Florencio. I flushed thinking about it.

"Really?" I questioned over the phone. "Finally getting serious about college?"

"Oh, yeah, fuck no." She laughed. "I need more space away from my mom. She's lovely, but she treats me like a kid."

I tried not to snort. "Gina, you act like one." I snuggled further into my sheets.

"No I do not!"

"You throw tantrums about everything. How am I supposed to think you're an adult?" I pointed out.

"I'm nearly twenty," she said obviously.

"Yeah, but you act like a five year old. Besides you being a baby, how are you and Peter?"

"We're doing good. Peter is just busy and I'm a brat."

"Oh, so you know?" I teased.

She laughed. "Whatever..."

I heard a door slam and frantic footsteps. My door burst open and my mom stood there in tears.

Why? Why? Why?

"I have to go, G." I hung up and walked to my mom.

"Are you okay?" I asked carefully, not knowing how to handle this situation.

"No!" Her voice wobbled heavily. "My c-car. I was leaving the office and when I came out, the windows were smashed." She let out a sob.

"Oh. Um, don't worry," I tried to comfort her. "It was probably just some bored teenagers at night."

My mom shook her head and looked at me weirdly.

When she leaned forward and hugged me, I froze.

I instantly wanted her off me. She was hugging me and crying into my shoulder like she could.

Despite my discomfort, I hugged her back and whispered it would be okay.

Yes, it was scary, but things like this happened. Peoples cars got broken into all the time.

-

I was in living room watching tv and my mom was there too, reading a book. The last two days she had been skittish and wouldn't leave me alone. I get she was scared, but it made me angry she turned to me and I accepted it. I was never able to do that with her.

I told Florencio about the incident and he seemed to not think much about it. If he wasn't worried, then I shouldn't be.

The tension in the air faded away when my mom received a phone call from the police station. She ran to her room. I followed after her to listen outside the door.

"Ma'am, do you know a Tyler?"

She had her phone on speaker and a part of me felt like she wanted me to hear.

She didn't reply for a few seconds. "N-no. I don't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! The Tyler I know is dead. Why?" She shouted and my eyes widened.

"There was a sticky note in the glove department. It said Tyler on it, Ms. No need to panic."

"I'm not panicking!" A deep breath. "I just want to know who broke into my car that led me having to pay for a ride home."

I stopped listening after that.

My mom didn't know anybody named Tyler.

Well, apparently she did. I didn't know who that'd be though. A high school friend? But he was dead?

The only Tyler I could think of was the man Florencio talked about, but it was a common name.

Yes. That was it.

I ignored the growing anxiety in my throat and continued on with my day.

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