Chapter 20

It turned out that the trial wasn’t just a one day thing, in fact, according to my dad, it could last as long as a month if they didn’t have a lot of evidence to go off of. The jury had to examine all the evidence that both sides had collected and come to a decision as to whether or not Parker would be charged.

Based on what I had seen this morning, I was sure that he wouldn’t be charged with the murder of his sister, as the opposing lawyer didn’t seem to question him about it, but what else they could charge him with, I had no clue.

When the judge slammed his gavel down dismissing the court, I was relieved, and from where I was seated, I could see that Parker felt the same way as his shoulders visibly relaxed. From what I understood he technically didn’t have to be present in court again for another week until he had to give his statement, but if he wanted to, he had the option of watching the court continue with witnesses, questions, and the proceedings.

Since court had adjourned, Parker and I hadn’t left each other’s side, but we also hadn’t spoken much. I was too afraid to say something to upset him, and he looked as though he’d been shaken up with no idea how to go on with his life.

Now, as we sat together on a bench that sat on my back porch, I pulled tightly at my jacket as I cuddled further into the blanket that covered the two of us.

“Can I ask you something?” I whispered, hoping I could be heard over the wind that whistled around us.

Even though my face was buried deep into the side of Parker’s shoulder, I could still see his head turn down to look at me, causing me to pull back slightly. “What?” he replied, his voice dry and worn out.

“Why did you lie about the time of your trial?” I asked wondrously.

“What are you talking about?” he asked in return, but by the way his eyes couldn’t meet mine, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was avoiding the truth.

“Oh come on Parker, you can cut the act,” I said, rolling my eyes, “My dad already told me this morning that the trial was always set for earlier in the day. What I don’t understand though, is why you didn’t just tell me the truth?” I continued, my voice twisting with disappointment.

He sighed. “Honestly?” he asked, and I wasn’t sure if the sudden colour on his cheeks was due to the cold, or because he was blushing.

I nodded.

“I didn’t want you to have to choose between me and your exam.” he murmured, so quiet that I could barely hear him. He took one of my hands in his underneath the blanket and starting playing with it. “I knew that if you actually had the choice you might’ve chosen me and,”

I cut him off before he could continue. “It’s not a might Parker, I would’ve chosen you.” I stated.

Even though I could see the ghost of a smile start to appear on his face, he shook his head before it fully appeared. “Exactly, you would’ve chosen me, and I couldn’t let you do that” he said firmly, continuing quickly before I could interrupt again. “I couldn’t let you skip out on an exam, something that could hurt your future, just so that I could have you there to support me, no matter how much I wanted it.”

Any anger that was directed towards him before slowly dissolved as my eyes softened and I smiled at him. “You’re something else, you know that?” I asked quietly.

He shook his head, but I could see that he was trying not to smile. “No,” he started, wrapping his arms around me as he pulled me into his side, kissing the top of my head, “I’m just me.”

Snuggling further into his embrace, neither of us spoke again for quite some time. The winter sky slowly darkened above us, the wind slowing down to a tranquil breeze as the sun took its daily descent.

“Look,” Parker said once time had past, pointing towards the blackened sky. I lifted my head from where it had been resting on his shoulder to follow his gaze, squinting as I tried to see what he was looking at.

“What?” I asked, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

He nudged me, shifting my gaze slightly to the left. “There,” he said.

I was still confused as to what he was seeing, but as I suddenly saw a light within the darkness, I realized what he was pointing at.

“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.” he whispered, his breath fanning my ear as he pulled me impossibly close. “There, make a wish.”

Trying to ignore the shiver that his voice seemed to send down my spine, I sighed. “I wish that all of this was over.” I said, although I wasn’t quite sure why it came out so quietly. “I wish that you didn’t have to continue in court and that somehow, someway, I wish that you could prove that you’re as innocent as I know you are.”

Parker’s arms that had been rubbing my arms over the layers of fleece I was wearing suddenly froze. As seconds passed and he didn’t reply, leaving a void in the conversation, I was scared that my words had managed to scare him.

Right as I was about to back track and think of something to say, he exhaled and tightened the hold he had on me. “Jillian,” he started tenderly, his voice shaking with sadness, “I’m terrified.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of.” I stated gingerly, bringing my hand up to stroke the side of his face gently.

His eyes locked onto mine. “Now you know that’s not true.” he replied, leaning into my touch as he continued. “And I’m not terrified for myself; I know what could happen when this is all over, and I’ve had a long time to accept it, but I’m scared for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes Jill,” he said, turning his head to kiss the palm of my hand before taking a hold of it and bringing back to his face. “I’m scared that if this trial doesn’t go my way you might fall apart, and I don’t want you to have to deal with something like that.”

I wanted to speak, but as I opened my mouth Parker quickly covered it with his free hand. “If I was smart I’d let you go, let you live your life without having to worry about your troublesome boyfriend that carries too much baggage from his past.” he continued, moving his hand to my hair as he gently ran his fingers through it. “But I guess I’m not smart, I’m selfish.”

“Well I’m glad you’re selfish, otherwise I might have to kick your ass and send you to court with a black eye.” I replied jokingly, trying to ease some of the tension that had crowded around us with this conversation. As Parker cracked a smile, chuckling for a few seconds, I continued. “And as for not wanting me to deal with this, I’ve told you so many times before that I’m here for you. If things, for some reason or another, don’t go your way those jurors are going to get a piece of my mind, but their decision won’t change my feelings for you.”

“But what if...”

“Enough with the what if’s Parker,” I pleaded, clutching his hand for dear life. “You. Are. Innocent. When the judge and jury hear your statement, they’re going to see that they’ve made a giant mistake ridiculing you for the past couple of years, and you’ll be free. Free to do anything you want.”

“So I’ll be free to fly to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower?” he asked teasingly, causing me to laugh at him as he brought a light tone to my words.

“Yes,” I replied, “You can fly to Paris all you want, as long as you bring me with you.”

“Deal,” he said, smiling as he leant forward and pecked my lips quickly.

Smiling at the warmth that shot through my body, I squeezed his hand. “I mean it you know,” I said. “Everything is going to be okay. Okay?”

As he looked me in the eyes, I could see the doubt swimming in his mind. “Okay.” he replied slowly, faking his emotions as he lifted the side of his mouth in a small smile before pulling me back into his arms.

Sighing, I didn’t fight him on it as I relaxed back into his hold.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I looked back out into the night to see that hundreds of more stars had made an appearance, and as I gazed up at them, I could only hope that one of them would be able to grant me my wish.

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“Kids, dinner’s ready.”

Not realizing that a significant amount of time had passed, I raised my head from Parker’s shoulder to see my dad poking his head out of the back door.

Smiling at him, I nodded. “Okay.”

He nodded, slipping back inside as I sat up straight and stretched.

“Come on,” I said, turning to Parker as I stood up and bundled up the blanket that had been covering us. “Let’s go.”

Our boots dragged traces of snow inside as kicked them off at the door, and as Parker closed the door behind him, I shed my coat and dropped the blanket into the basket that sat near the door. Until that moment I hadn’t realized how cold it actually was outside, and now, as I waited for Parker to follow me into the kitchen, I immediately felt the warmth envelope me.

“Something smells delicious,” I commented, stepping into the kitchen to see a few pans laid out across the table.

“Well,” my dad said, using a dishcloth to wipe his hands off, “I hope you guys are hungry.”

“Thanks Mr. Thomas,” Parker said, walking around the table to take the seat next to me, “This all looks great.”

“Don’t mention it kid,” he smiled, nodding down at him as he took a seat across from the two of us.

Although I should’ve been worried about Parker eating dinner with us, worrying about my dad asking him about his past or what his intentions were with me, I was surprisingly calm. My dad had known more about Parker than I had to begin with, and knowing that, he also knew how hard his past for him to talk about.

I felt at home as the three of us ate, sitting with my boyfriend and my dad as we spoke and laughed through the meal. It was as if this was an everyday occurrence, and if things went our way over the next couple of days, I hoped it would be.

“So,” my dad started, a nervous look in his eyes as he switched his gaze between Parker and I, “Should I ask how the trial went, or…?”

My eyes widened slightly at the sudden change in conversation, and it was as though he had cut open a wound that had already been bandaged for the night as I saw Parker stop eating and close his eyes tightly from the corner of my eye.

“Dad,” I hissed.

Before my dad could reply, Parker shook his head and touched my tense shoulder. “It’s okay Jill,” he said softly before turning to my dad, “And sorry sir, but I guess it just, it wasn’t the best.”

I saw my dad’s eyes zero in on his hand on my shoulder, and I think Parker noticed it to as he slowly dropped his hand back to his lap before my dad spoke. “I’m sorry about that son,” he said, sounding as though he was offering his condolences, “But if you need any advice about trial before the next time you have to appear, I’d be happy to help you out.”

A smile threatened to break on my face as I listened to my dad’s sincere offer. “Dad, you don’t have to do that.” I said.

“Actually,” Parker spoke up, his voice hesitant as he looked at me before his gaze landed on my dad, “If you’re offering, I wouldn’t mind asking you a few questions.”

My dad must’ve picked up on Parker’s nerves, as it wasn’t hard to miss them, nodding for him to continue. “Go ahead,” he urged, sitting back in his seat, the rest of his food forgotten as he waited for Parker to speak.

“Well,” Parker started, not meeting my dad’s eyes as he picked at his food with his fork. “I don’t know how much you know about the trial, but I’m guessing you know most of it so, well, I guess they don’t have any real proof that I know of that links me to her death.”

His voice shook as he spoke, and although I wanted to interrupt, I knew talking through this was probably something he needed to do.

“But with the way I acted, not calling the police right away and covering for my dad for a bit, they’re trying to charge me for something, I just don’t know what. I tried to take my lawyer’s advice and just appear strong, and it worked at first when the questions the opposition was asking required straight forward answers, but when he just kept going on and on about her death, I kind of just shut down.”

The defeated look that Parker held was enough to take a chip out of my heart, but I stayed quiet, sitting as an innocent bystander as my dad replied.

“Court usually affects people differently, and most times it’s not that stressful as people are trying to bring the truth to light. But when you’re the one at risk of being convicted,” my dad hissed, “It’s not always the easiest, especially at your age. I’m guessing that you’ve been questioned already in front of the jury?”

Parker nodded.

“Well then, if you had a hard time with that, I’d say take it easy for the next couple of days. You really only have to be present for your statement before the jury comes to a verdict, and if you stay calm, letting the opposition tell their side, you’re lawyers job is to defend you to the best of their abilities.”

“You’ll want to have a clear head when you face the jury for the final time, and honestly, your statement is one of the biggest things that the jury considers, so make it count. You only have one chance to say your piece; there are no do-overs, just remember that.”

“Thanks sir,” Parker said, giving him a small smile, “And if it’s okay, I’m just going to excuse myself.”

Before I had time to object, telling him that it was okay to stay, he mumbled that he’d be in the living room before disappearing into the hall. Sighing, I looked up to see my dad sending me a sympathetic smile.

“He’s a good guy Jill,” he stated, making the side of my mouth lift upwards.

“I know he is,” I said under my breath.

“Go,” he said, making me scrunch my eyebrows up in confusion. He smiled at me, nodding towards the hall. “Go be with your boyfriend, I’ll clean up dinner.”

It was weird, my dad telling me to go and spend time with my boyfriend, and although I felt my cheeks get hot with a mild blush, I smiled, getting up and kissing my dad on the cheek. “I love you dad.”

He chuckled. “I love you too sweet pea.”

A small smile on my face as I walked into the living room, I stopped at the entryway, curiosity taking over me as I saw Parker sitting on the couch, his head hung low as he twiddle absentmindedly with his fingers. He must’ve heard my footsteps as, seconds later, he raised his head and turned to look at me.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized with a wince before his eyes softened as he nodded towards the kitchen.

“About what?”

Walking over to him with a confused expression, I took a seat on the couch beside him as I waited for him to explain.

He sighed. “Sorry about making you uncomfortable in there or whatever,” he mumbled ashamedly. “I guess I just really wanted his opinion, you know, on the case and stuff.”

“Parker,” I started softly, rolling my eyes as I reached over to grab his hand, “That’s nothing to apologize for. Sure, it was a little bit weird to hear you talking to my dad about these things, but if it was something you needed to do who am I to say anything? Plus, if it helped encourage you a little bit, that’s worth it.”

“It did, just a little bit,” he admitted, a shy smile appearing on his face.

“There you go then,” I said enthusiastically, causing Parker to laugh under his breath and me to smile. “Now,” I continued, a wicked grin spreading across my face as our conversation moved in a lighter direction, “How are you at video games?”

“What kind of video games?” he asked skeptically, but I could clearly see the relief his eyes held as I asked the question.

“Well…” I trailed teasingly, leaning down to pick up two controllers for the Wii that sat beside the television. I didn’t play it very often, but right now, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time. ”What about a Mario Kart competition?”

“Mario Kart?” he repeated, making sure he had heard me right. I nodded, and slowly, a cheeky smile spread across his face.

“You’re on.”

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“I thought you said you were good at this?” Parker asked teasingly as he easily overcame my character on the screen, making me even more frustrated.

“Ugh,” I sounded as I fell off the side of the course once again, “And I thought you said you’d never played before.” I reasoned, nudging his side.

But it was no use.

Not even a minute later Parker’s character raced passed the finish line in second place, while I took another couple of seconds, finishing in a solid eighth place.

“Well, well, well. It seems as though you’re not as good as you claimed to be.” Parker gloated.

“Or you just cheated.”

“How does one cheat at Mario Kart?”

“I don’t know, but you must’ve found a way.” I replied determinedly, placing my control on the coffee table before leaning into Parker’s side, my loss already forgotten.

The two of us sat there in silence for the next minute or two, just relishing in the quiet atmosphere, but as the sound of the clock ticking forward registered in my ears, I took a peak, groaning when I saw that it was getting close to ten.

Parker turned his head to follow my gaze, and when his eyes landed on the clock, he quickly turned back to me with a less enthusiastic smile on his face. “I guess I better get going eh?”

Right as I was about to agree with him, I realized that I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted him here with me as long as I could have him.

“Umm, actually, can you just wait here for a minute?” I asked scrambling to my feet, leaving Parker sitting with a puzzled look on his face as I went to find my dad.

Peaking into the kitchen first, where there was no sign of him, I turned back around and headed for his office. The door was shut, but when I knocked and opened it, I saw him sitting at his desk working on his laptop.

“Jill?” he asked, looking up from his screen as he shot me a questioning gaze.

“Hey dad,” I started nervously, “Umm… can Parker stay over tonight?”

His eyebrows rose as soon as the words left my mouth, and I just stood there, fidgeting nervously and biting my lip as I waited for him to reply. “Excuse me?” he asked, although his voice didn’t sound angry, instead sounding more confused.

“I umm, I just know that he had a hard day and I don’t want him to leave, and well, we won’t, you know, do anything, but umm…” I mumbled, a red-hot blush quickly spreading across my face as I tried to explain.

My dad’s reaction was not one that I expected though because, as I became a babbling mess, he started to laugh. “Honey,” he said, his laughter dying down, “You don’t have to explain anything to me. Even though you’re my daughter, I do trust you to make your own decisions. If he wants to stay here tonight, he has my permission.”

The tension slowly seeped from my shoulders as relief washed over me. “Thanks dad.” I smiled.

“No problem,” he said, cracking a smile, “Just keep the door open.”

I nodded, still able to feel a blush lingering on my face. “Goodnight dad.”

“Night sweetie.”

Sending him one last smile before he returned his attention to his laptop, I turned and headed back to the living room.

“So,” I announced, eyeing him nervously as I stood near the staircase, “Did you want to stay here tonight?”

Just as my dad’s had, Parker’s eyebrows rose in surprise as my question registered in his head.

“You know, because you had a stressful day today and I guess I, well I don’t want you to leave and,” I mumbled, trailing off as I saw parker stand up from his spot on the couch and slowly walk over to me. Only then, as he stood close to me, could I see the faint outline of a smile on his lips.

“And your dad’s okay with that?” he asked, although I didn’t know why his voice suddenly dropped to a whisper.

Biting my lip nervously, I nodded. “Yea, we just have to keep the door open.”

“Well there goes my plans for the night.” he commented cheekily.

I gasped. “Hey!” I exclaimed. “You’re a pig!”

“But you love it.” he winked, leaning down to kiss me before bundling up the stairs, leaving me with a peaceful smile on my face as I quickly followed him.

It was strange, getting ready for bed with Parker, but it wasn’t that weird either. I asked my dad if Parker could use a pair of his sweatpants to sleep in, and after doing my normal bedtime routine, I walked into my bedroom to see him sitting on the edge of my bed.

“So, umm… do you want me to sleep on the floor, or…?” he asked, and I grinned shyly as I saw the tips of his ears turn a pale shade of red.

My nerves were heightened as I stepped towards the bed and slipped under the covers. “You can sleep in the bed with me, umm, that is if you want to.”

“You sure you’re okay with this?” he asked, copying my movements as he pulled the bedding down on the opposite side of the bed.

“Mhm.” I replied, a shiver running through me as he adjusted the covers.

“Are you cold?” he asked, furring his eyebrows as he picked up my movements.

Shaking my head, I dropped down onto my pillow as I snuggled further into the bed. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”

Either he hadn’t heard my reply or he just didn’t comprehend my words because he suddenly pulled the sweater he’d been wearing over his head, leaving himself in just a thin t-shirt as he handed me the sweater. “Take it,” he urged quietly, “You need it more than I do.”

Taking it slowly, I pulled it on over my head, immediately feeling so much warmer as the material surrounded me. It was enormously baggy and gave me absolutely no points in the looks department, but it was Parker’s, and as his scents wafted around me, I smiled.

“Thanks Parker.”

Leaning towards him, I planted my lips on top of his, and although I intended it to be a quick kiss, he responded immediately, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me into him. “You look incredibly sexy in my sweater.” he muttered through the kiss, grinning wickedly as he pulled back for a second, only to resume the kiss seconds later.

“Shut up.” I replied, smiling all the same as our lips stay connected, pulling and stroking until we were completely out of breath.

Pulling back, I tucked my head beneath his chin and closed my eyes. “Goodnight Parker.”

His arms stayed loosely around me as I felt him kiss the top of my head. “Goodnight Jill.”

I must’ve been a lot more exhausted than I originally thought because as soon as my breathing evened out I could’ve sworn I heard Parker say something, but I was already on the way out dreamland.

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As an annoying ringer suddenly pulled me out of my dreams, I groaned, wishing that I was the type of person who could sleep through anything. Unfortunately I wasn’t a heavy sleeper, and as the ringing continued, I forced open my eyes to see a room of darkness.

Rolling over groggily, I saw that the time on my clock read six ‘o’clock in the morning, and for once, all I wanted to do was go back to bed.

“What the hell is that noise?” I muttered angrily, just praying that it would stop. “Parker,” I said, shaking him until his eyes slowly opened, “Is that your phone?”

“Hmm?” he asked incoherently, looking completely out of it for a minute before the ringing registered in his own ears. “Oh, yea.”

He quickly scrambled off the bed to dig in the pockets of the jeans he had left on my bedroom floor hours before, pulling out his cell phone as it continued ringing.

“Hello?” he asked, bringing the phone to his ear half-asleep as the ringing subsided. “I’m at Jill’s house, I texted you last night telling you that.”

Realizing that it was his aunt calling, I sat up in bed worriedly, yet confused as to why she needed to talk to him this early in the morning.

“Come home?” he asked warily, glancing at me with wide eyes, “Why?”

And then, it was as if the world suddenly stopped spinning as his aunt replied and the blood drained quickly from Parker’s face, leaving him white as a ghost.

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Sorry about the cliffhanger, but you guys will find out what’s going on soon enough, as there is only ONE MORE chapter before the epilogue! In the mean time, what do you all think is happening?

In other news, I recently posted a new story on my profile called Behind The Scenes, and it’d be awesome if you guys haven’t already checked it out, do so and leave your opinions! I’d love you forever <3