Overcome (22 page)

Chapter 47

Carly

“Why’d you tell Khloe?”

Carly jumped in the dark parking lot, her hand on the door handle of her car.

“I …” she backed up against it, turning toward Jake. The metal cool on her skin. Thankfully, it had lost the day time scorching heat.

“Everyone talks about what a good time Carly Ley is, but you …” he let out a short laugh. His eyes were wild, bouncing all over her. She could smell the liquor on his breath as he leaned in close, grabbing her by the wrist as she lifted her hand.

That’s when the Jeep flew into the parking lot. The headlights blinding her.

“You’re a friggin tease … then it’s not enough, but you have to go and tell my girlfriend.” Spit sprayed from the corners of his mouth. His grip burned. She felt small and she didn’t want Parker to see her like this. Parker jumped out of his Jeep without looking toward them. He stalked to the hotel. Jake’s breathing was fast like an angry bull as he hovered over her.

“Let go of me,” she spoke as quietly as possible when she realized Parker wasn’t going to approach.  She had a plan. He’d let her go as soon as her knee hit him where it counted.

“She said let her go.” Parker approached before she had the chance to execute her plan.

She’d hoped he hadn’t heard.

Jake turned toward Parker, twisting her arm with him. She let a whimper of pain escape and before she knew what was happening, Parker’s fist collided with Jake’s face. Carly screamed at the crushing sound that followed. She should be used to fists and flesh by now, but she could never get used to it.

Jake groaned and he let go of her. His fist flew past her and hit Parker in the stomach.  When Parker doubled over, Jake’s hand collided with Parker’s cheek.

“Stop!” Carly screamed, though she quickly regretted it, because that made Parker turn toward her, giving Jake another chance to crack him on the other side of his face. There was a popping sound and blood flew out of his mouth. Parker came back fast from that hit and swung at Jake.

“Hey!” The thunderous voice coming from the hotel made everyone stop. Judd jogged across the parking lot. “I’m calling the police if you don’t get out of here!” he shouted toward Jake, who bounced back a few feet before running to his car letting out a series of curse words.

“Are you two all right?” Judd asked through his labored breathing.

The wheels on Jake’s rusty car squealed out of the parking lot.

Parker held his hand to his jaw and nodded. Judd’s brow wrinkled when he looked at Carly.

“I’m fine.” She stared at Parker. She didn’t want to see him hurt, physically or emotionally.

“You need some ice on that?” Judd patted Parker’s back.

“Probably … dang that hurt.” He looked back at Carly. “Your new boyfriend has a mean right hook.” He wiggled his jaw back and forth.

She crossed her arms and blinked back the tears. “He’s not my boyfriend.”  If it weren’t for that comment, she would have gone in and helped him. Maybe wiped the blood off his lip and held the ice to his jaw. But his snide remark reminded her where they still stood.

She finally turned to her car door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Judd.” She climbed into the driver’s seat. Her conscience nagged at her when she didn’t say goodbye to Parker or walk in behind them to see if he was okay. He was a guy. He had brothers, she was sure he was used to getting punched. It wasn’t like it was that big of a deal. Then why did her heart hurt when she pulled onto the highway and looked back into her rearview mirror for another peek at him, though he and Judd were already back in the hotel.

*****

“Mom.” The office door was cracked and it eased opened when Carly knocked. Her mom had her head in her hands and her elbows on her desk. “Mom? Are you all right?”

“Huh?” Amy lifted her face toward Carly. She had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was falling out of its professional bun. “Carly, come in.”

“Are you okay?” Carly proceeded with caution.

“Yeah,” Amy swallowed. “Just not feeling well.” She lifted her fingers to her temples.

“Maybe you should go home?” Carly eased into the worn seat across from her mom.

“No, too much to do before the holiday.” Amy shuffled some papers that were stacked in front of her and looked at Carly again. “Did you need something?”

“Um … I’m sorry for not putting in that reservation.” Carly scraped at the polish on her fingers.

“It’s okay. I overreacted,” Amy sighed, placing both hands flat on her desk. “I’m just stressed right now.”

“Can’t Judd do what needs to be done so you can go home and rest?” Carly asked.

“Paul quit last night and I need Judd here for night shift. He can’t work 24 hours.” Amy shook her head.

“I can pick up a few more hours if you need me to.”

Amy shook her head, “No, you have enough going on with summer school.” Then she tilted her head up and sniffed.

Carly narrowed her eyes at her mom.

“What is that stench?” Amy’s lips puckered and her nose wrinkled.

“I don’t,” Carly sniffed, “smell anything.”

Amy covered her nose with her shirt. “It’s disgusting.” Her chair slid into the wall when she stood up and stalked toward her door. Her high heels clicked down the hall. Carly followed not far behind. As they approached the break room, a spicy-tang floated through the air, but even in the hall it was faint. How did her mom smell that? Carly didn’t think it smelled bad at all. It actually made her stomach growl.

Amy pushed open the door.

“Amy!” Judd jumped, nearly spilling his plastic fork loaded with noodles when she barreled into the room.

“What are you eating?” Amy sneered, holding her shirt to her nose again.

“Uh …” Judd looked down at his food then at Carly, who shrugged.

“What are you even doing here anyway?” Amy snapped. This was new. Carly was used to her mom being grouchy toward her, but not other employees.

“Um … I …” He stared down at his food. “I thought …” he looked back at Carly. Carly thought she saw his eyes widen for a second when he looked at Amy again. “I knew you haven’t been … uh …” His eyes flickered toward Carly again, “feeling well.”

That made her mother turn toward her. “What are you doing back here? Who’s out front?”

Carly didn’t speak. She only blinked. Should she be concerned her mom was losing her mind?

“Well,” she waved her hands in a motion for Carly to leave then let out a small gag and pulled her shirt to her nose again.

Carly nodded and headed to the front desk, trying to process what was going on. As soon as she was out the door her mom’s voice began to rant. Like she was nagging Hudson for putting the empty milk back in the fridge.

*****

The storm clouds hanging over the hotel made the foyer darker than normal. When Carly made it back to her station, she shouldn’t have been surprised to see Parker standing there with all the other bizarre things happening.

“Sorry about that.” She rushed around the corner of the desk. “Did you need something?” She tried to act like he didn’t cause her heart to flip.

“To checkout.” His voice was gruff and his face was hidden by the bill of his hat.

“Okay.” She tried to sound nonchalant. She moved the mouse to bring the computer back to life, but of course now would be the time it would decide to slow down.

As she stared at the stalled screen, she was highly aware of his presence. His woodsy scent, filled the air. She wondered if her mother could smell it as well with her sudden super-sonic nose.

“How’d your visit with Mindy go, other than her conning you into babysitting?”

“All right.” His voice was scratchy.

Carly typed in his name when the computer prompted, but of course she had more waiting as it looked for his room.

She glanced around the computer screen and stared at him. It was obvious he wanted to avoid her. This hurt, but she knew she deserved it. As always, she couldn’t just leave it alone, she had to speak, even if it made things worse. They had closure the way things were now and she wasn’t talking to Bree so unless Parker chose this hotel to stay at again, she might possibly never see him again.

“Did you decide on a college yet?”

He shook his head, but avoided looking at her. “Taking a year off.”

“Then you’re going?”

He finally looked up, locking his eyes with hers. Stubble was growing along his chin and jaw, a purple bruise sat right under his eye and his bottom lip had a red gash. “What do you care?”

The computer dinged when it brought up his information.  Carly clicked print.

“I just …” The printer whined and whistled as it started up. “… just because …” she watched the papers push through and float onto the waiting tray. “I never said I
didn’t
care about you.”

She grabbed the pages out of the machine and slid them toward Parker.

“You didn’t act like you did.” He grabbed a pen from the cup and signed his name in his small neat letters.

“I …”

“You’re welcome by the way.” The paper crinkled as he slid it back across the counter.

“For wha-”

“Defending you last night. Or do you have a problem with that too?”

“I didn’t need your help.” She threw the papers on the pile with the others.

He leaned his head back and let out a low laugh. “Yeah, you had things under control, just like with Lewis, right?”

She clenched her hands at her sides to keep herself from reaching across the counter and slapping him. “You don’t know …”

“No, I do know, Carly. You like guys who treat you like an object. Guys who cheat on you and get rough with you. Guess that’s what you grew up with so what else should you want.”

Tears blurred her vision as her heart rose to her throat. She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying. “You’re a …”

“No, I’m not. If I was, we’d still be together,” he said. Then he was walking away and it took Carly a minute before she unfroze.

Her feet moved fast across the carpet then the hard tile floor. When she pushed out of the glass doors, the wind whooshed into the hotel and she hurried after him. She couldn’t let him leave things this way.

“Parker wait!” She shouted over the hailing wind. Fighting her hair smacking her in the face, she ran her hands across her cheeks. 

His shoulders fell as he came to a complete stop in the middle of the black top.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as he turned around.

“I don’t get you!” He threw his hand in the air. “I don’t have sex with you because I respect you and you act like I hurt you! I tell you I love you, and you treat me like I insulted you. I get into a fight defending you and you flip out. I don’t know what you want from me!” He shouted over the blustery weather and the wind blew his hair straight up like it was spiked. “I don’t know what to do, and maybe this is why I never wanted a relationship. It’s like you’re still so hung up on Colten that you won’t even give me a chance.” 

Carly’s chest constricted, her breathing increased and she shook her head. Giving up on wrestling with her own curls, she let the locks slap her face. “Parker.” She spoke so low she wasn’t sure he could hear her.

“I’m not Colten, Carly!” He shouted at her as he held his hand against his chest. “And I don’t know why that’s what you want. I don’t even want to look at another girl, let alone kiss one.” His chin lifted up to the sky at the thick, black clouds above them.

Carly’s heart beat faster as a few large rain drops plummeted from above. “I don’t want to love you.” She didn’t recognize her crackling shout as it came out of her mouth. 

The raindrops sped up, slapping against her face. Wet hair stuck to her forehead. The blanket of rain between them made it difficult to see him.

“Well, guess we finally feel the same … I don’t
want
to love you either,” he spoke over the rain before the door of his Jeep opened. 

Her feet stayed frozen in place as she watched him drive off. The cold downpour continued around her.

“Carly are you okay?” A voice called out from behind her. She turned to see the maid hanging out of the door under an umbrella.

Carly shook her head before storming back into the hotel. Pearl stepped out of the way as she passed. She didn’t speak as she tromped to her mom’s office.

Water sloshed in her sandals with every step and it became harder for her to breathe. Paying no attention to the little river she left behind her on the carpet, Carly pushed the door open to her mom’s office without even knocking.

Judd’s brow was furrowed and arms across his chest, staring down at Amy whose face was pink and frowning.

“Carly.” Amy gasped as she jumped from her seat.

Judd shifted back like Carly had just caught them making out.

“What … why are you soaked?” Her mom asked as she made her way to her.