“Tell everyone, I don’t care: I was held in a basement by the Seattle Slayer. He sliced me up and filmed it. I don’t know anything else. So stop asking me.” Parrish rubs his right hand up and down his left arm, looking at the rest of us like he’d do anything to have a private moment together. We all need to talk—desperately so.
Also … what did he just say?
Parrish blinks at me, and I can tell he wants me to stay quiet. Trust me, his expression says, and because I do, I stay still and remain relatively calm.
“Would you like something to eat?” Tess asks, hovering on Parrish’s left side. “I could whip you up some eggs and bacon? Or we could order in?”
“I made crepes,” Maxx suggests, and all eyes turn his way. “I could fix up some plates?”
“I’d really like to go upstairs and lie down,” Parrish says, and Tess nods, but the worry that creeps into her features makes me nervous. Parrish was kidnapped from inside his bedroom; she isn’t going to feel safe leaving him in there.
“Let’s go get you settled, shall we?” Tess suggests gently, and Parrish gives a tender yet irritated sort of look in response.
“Mom, I know you’re happy to see me, but I can actually make it upstairs by myself.”
She gives him a look that’s nearly identical to the one he just gave her before letting her gaze swing toward me, Maxx, and Chasm.
“You want a minute with your friends, I can understand that.” She doesn’t sound like she understands that, but she’s making an effort, so that’s worth something. “Let me check the security cameras first; I want to make sure everything is running smoothly.”
“There better not be a camera in my room,” Parrish drawls, like he’s bored as hell. Only, I know that isn’t it at all. Being a lazy, tattooed sloth is his defense mechanism in the same way Chasm pretends to be a bad boy player. Or how Maxx gets irrationally angry. We all have our habits.
“There will be because I’m putting one in there tonight,” Tess tells him, and he gives her a look like she’s just slapped him.
“I’ve had a camera on me day and night for weeks,” he chokes out, and some of that practiced insouciance slips a little. He gives Tess a petrified expression, but one that’s quickly verging on anger. “I would love to not be filmed for all of five seconds.” He throws an arm out in the general direction of the garage as Tess exchanges a long look with Paul before turning back to her son. “You have like, three full-time bodyguards prowling the property; there are cops near the gate.” He readjusts his attention as his arm falls by his side, looking at the three of us instead. “They can sleep in the room with me. Can’t kidnap four of us in one go.”
I mean, Justin could, but I won’t mention that.
I stay quiet.
Tess looks pained. Paul looks annoyed. Kimber, however, seems satisfied.
“Glad to see you haven’t changed much at all.” She starts to walk by before pausing in front of him. She hesitates, waffling back and forth like she can’t quite get her body to commit to something her heart already knows it wants.
“Just give me a hug and stop being weird; I’ve only been gone for three weeks, you ass-wipe.”
Kimber gives Parrish another big squeeze before pulling away and dashing past him up the stairs. He watches her go with a sigh before dropping his attention back to me.
“She’s been a total bitch while I’ve been gone. Tell me I’m wrong about that; I’ll wait.”
“Parrish,” Tess chides gently as he moves over to the stairs with her following behind. He puts one hand on the banister and glances back, pleading with his eyes for us to follow him. “Honey, I’d really like to spend some time with you.”
“And I’d really like to have a minute to myself.” He pauses and his lips twitch slightly. “And by myself, I mean with my friends.”
He pounds up the stairs before Tess can stop him, and I swing around the banister to follow, Chasm and Maxx hot on my heels. I can hear Tess sighing from behind us, but she either has to tell Parrish blatantly that his wants and needs don’t matter as much as hers do, or else she has to let him go.
At the top of the stairs, Parrish stumbles a bit, putting his palm flat on the wall to steady himself. His breathing his slightly labored, but I’m guessing that the hospital wouldn’t have released him so easily if he wasn’t doing okay.
“Hey,” I whisper softly, putting my hand on his left shoulder. My fingers tingle when they make contact with his skin. “Are you okay?”
His eyes snap open and he reaches back, grabbing my wrist and yanking me down the hall toward his room. He pauses as soon as he steps inside, turning his head slightly to the right and then narrowing his eyes on GG.
