Chapter 11
Benson
“Is he really not coming?”
Parker sounds as upset as I feel. I know watching Marcus be a dick like that had to be hard on him. Hell, it was hard on me. And it was hard on Parker. I washopingwe could all hang out and enjoy each other’s company. It would have been nice for the three of us to commiserate over assholes, order some pizza and cookies, and spend the night chilling.
Sure, Parker said in their texts that they didn’t want a sleepover, but they also didn’t outright deny it out loud, either.
I sigh. “I guess not.”
I unlock my phone again, checking to see if there’s a message. There isn’t, and there hasn’t been for over an hour. I guess I thought maybe he’d come around, but the longer the night stretches on, the less faith I have.
“Well,” Parker says, slumping on the couch. They haven’t even wanted to turn the TV on in case Landon decided to show up, and that warmedmy heart. Parker laid a pretty clear line in the sand the day we tried to hook up, but I can’t help but want to be around them. They have a magnetic pull. The same way that Landon does. The three of us couldn’t be more different on paper, but there’s something about the three of us together that just feels like magic. We click. “I was hoping he would change his mind.”
“Aww, Cotton Candy, are you pouting?”
They glare at me. “I might be. What’s it to you?”
I shake my head with a smile. “Nothing.” Especially because I want to pout too.
“Text him again,” Park says, sitting up and peering at me with their bright-blue eyes.
I’m already pulling my phone out. That look is gonna be the death of me, I swear.
I type another message.
Me
Parker misses you. Please come.
Parker’s phone dings. “What did you say?”
“That you miss him.”
They twist around to face me fully, laughing a bit. “No, you didn’t.”
I turn my phone around, holding it out so they can see the message I sent. Parker’s jaw drops. “I sure did.” I can’t help my proud smile. They’re honestly adorable.
I feel like I’m playing a constant game of Keep Away with my heart with these two. Landon, with his bright, earnest eyes, and Parker, with their spunky sass, always seem to disarm me and make me crave more.
“I can’t believe you would do that.”
“Is it a lie?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Parker sighs. “No. Ugh. What is wrong with you two, huh? How did I get so needy and codependent like this?”
A loud laugh bursts from my chest. “Well, I don’t know, Cotton Candy.”
“I hate you for it.”
This time the pout is even more intense, their full bottom lip sticking out. My breath catches in my chest. It should be a crime for one person to be so damn beautiful.
“What?” Parker asks, catching my gaze and raising an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just thinking.”
They roll their eyes. “What, pray tell, could you possibly be thinking about with that look on your face?”
