c h a p t e r | 30
LIKABLE PERCENTAGE
'99 percent of you makes me
want to throttle you!'
__________

SHE WOKE UP WITH A STARTLE, jerking away with a scared yelp as she came face to face with Parker's crazy eyes, before the clicking of a camera shutter sounded through her eardrums.

"I've forgotten how ugly you are when you sleep," Parker chuckled, looking down at the small LED screen of the camera he had found lying around the living room.

"Oh thank you," she whispered gratefully for her own ears soothing her feverishly beating heart, "Only a dream, only a dream," she reiterated holding a firm grip on the back of the couch, while Parker was clicking through the different images saved on the camera.

"Really, Marshmallow. This picture is 2 years old, why haven't you gotten around to save it?" Parker mumbled as he studied a candid picture of the two of them.

"People use their phones today, that's why?" She retorted, and Parker scoffed, before looking around the room. "I thought we were having a fitting today?" He asked with furrowed brows as all he saw was their usual mess of girl clothes and makeup. "I'm not good in sequins."

"Fitting?" She asked dumbfounded, the dream messing up her track of time, "Yeah, you said we had to wait with the fitting until after the weekend because you were going off shore to meet your future in-laws," Parker winked with a grin, and her stomach dropped.

"I-I..."

"So how was Newcastle? Smaller version of London, just more boring?" He wondered while Tessa seemed to go pale.

"Newcastle?"

"Yeah? You know the spur of the moment trip you and Mr. Right—"

"I did-" She rounded the couch, needing to find her phone but also dreading actually looking at it at the same time.

"Marshmallow?" Parker asked looking up at her, when she was unusually quiet, "What's-Woah!" He tumbled to the side as Tessa yanked a pillow from underneath him to see if the phone was hidden somewhere between the cracks of the couch. "Hey!"

"Marshmallow," he started again this time looking at his friend with worry as she seemed to make an even bigger mess of the place, which to his astonishment actually seemed to be possible despite the already untidy place.

"I forgot okay!" She blurted and looked at Parker with a look that had him lean further away from her. "So you didn't—"

"No, I went to Barcelona—"

"For—"

"Yes! For Hale's shoot. I swear to god, that guy is unbelievable—" She mumbled while she started crawling on the floor to see if the phone had ended up there.

"You forgot you had a weekend trip with Alexander because—"

"Don't you dare finished that sentence!" She thundered and Parker had difficulties hiding his puzzled expression that started to crack with laughter of the absurdity.

"What did Hale do to you?" He asked with a grin, but swallowed too much air which had him coughing desperately as Tessa was glaring at him and getting up from the floor as it clearly wasn't there.

"Did you—?"

"He's Hale!" She promptly responded denying to answer his question which had him study her thoughtfully.

"He got to you didn't he?" He asked more seriously, which had Tessa stop flailing her arms in exasperation.

"We—- No... I—" Her teeth sunk deep into her lip as images from the first kiss to that night in Barcelona infiltrated her mind. Sinful and way too unbelievable images that made her wish for a hole to crawl into and die of embarrassment and disgust for herself.

Parker gave her a knowing look, which had her look at him sourly, "Tessa."

"Fine! It was a weak moment and it's over," She concluded more for herself than for him, and he frowned with disbelief.

"You like messing up your own life, don't you," he assessed with a cool and distant tone which had Tessa scrunch her nose in irritation and discontent.

"I know I'm with Alexander, Parker, no need to make me feel worse than I already do, okay?" She wiped an annoyed hand over her face, "If I can just find that damn phone."

"Nothing is ever easy with you, is it? What is it? Does it get boring?" He continued.

"Just cut to the chase, Park. What are you insinuating?" She crossed her arm, embracing herself as she knew she might as well get this over with.

"First Philip and now Hale."

"There's no Hale that's what I'm saying," she gritted through her teeth, trying to keep the eye contact with her best friend as he got up from the couch, towering over her.

"Do you like to be used?"

"They didn't—"

"That's what they do, Tessa—"

"It wasn't like that with Philip and you know it!"

"I still had to pick up the pieces after you broke up!" He raised his voice which had Tessa take an involuntary step back as it wasn't something he usually did.

"It was a mutual decision."

"Do you know how hard it is seeing you upset and there's nothing I can do because he is my freaking brother?!"

"Don't you dare include me in you and Philip's strained relationship!" She fired back jabbing a finger into his chest. "And why are we even talking about Philip? Hale is the problem here, not that I don't have it under control," her voice cracked at that last word, making a tint of red find its way to her cheeks.

"You don't get it, do you?" He shook his head rounding the couch to get some distance between them. "I love you, Marshmallow, you're like my little sister, and it's my—"

"No, it's not your responsibility to take care of me. I can take care of myself, I've been doing just fine on my own."

"Oh really. That's how you see it? So you showing up at my parent's place those years ago, was you doing fine on your own?" He snorted.

"That's not fair," Tessa couldn't hide the hurt expression that fluttered over her features in that moment, seeing her best friend attacking her like that, and the way his jaw locked tight he knew it wasn't okay either.

"Marshmallow," he started in a gentler tone, moving towards her again. He shook his head as he noticed her mouth trembling, trying to stay quiet.

He caressingly ran a hand down her cheek, "I just hate to see you surround yourself with people who's only gonna hurt you in the end."

"Parker—"

"I'm home! Mom says hi, and asks if you want to come over for meatloaf sometime next week!" Indy's voice sounded through the apartment as she burst through the door.

"I'm fine, Parker. You don't have to worry, about Hale. I want Alexander," she spoke slowly, the anger leaving her body too as she rounded her arms around his waist into a hug. "I want Alexander," she murmured again into his chest, more to herself than to him, as there was this searing jab of conflicting thoughts unravelling her wanted decision.

"Oh, you're here too," Indy's voice faltered a bit in excitement as she saw the two of them in the living room.

Parker fleetingly kissed the crown of her head, "He isn't the only one I meant," was his quiet response before he stepped out from the embrace.

Tessa wiped her nose in her sleeve, trying to pull herself together before looking up at Indy, only to catch a small glimpse of Parker bumping her shoulder before leaving the apartment, and Indy looking guiltily after him.

"What's that about?" She asked, with furrowed brows, while trying to keep her voice level and not make note of what had just happened seconds before, as she studied Indy look at the door much like she had done in her dream just a few moments ago. "What am I missing?"

"Wha— Nothing!" Indy squeaked instantly, her eyes wide already searching for an exit.

"Indy, what's going on with you two? You've been acting strange, lately. Did you hook up or something?"

"No!" Indy wailed abhorred, "No, is that what you think?" A highpitched awkward giggle escaped her, "We're definitely not. Me and Park—."

"Indy..." She sighed, not really in the mood for this at the moment. The dream and the realization of her completely blowing off Alexander wasn't sitting right with her in so many ways.

How could she just forget about Alexander like that?

"I really don't care. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't done it sooner," she waved it off, and looked almost defeated at the mess around her as she had no clue where her phone was.

"Parker and I didn't.. Didn't— We did not have sex," she shuddered, the thought seemingly absolutely ridiculous to her, before nervous tremors ran through her again and she took a preparing breath.

"I just gotta change, okay? Just let me change, and we'll talk, okay?" She almost begged and Tessa just waved her off with a small nod. "One minute, just one minute, and I'll explain," she promised and quickly ran to her room.

She started to remove the things from the table, hoping a bit of cleaning would at one point reveal her misplaced phone, knowing it was on silent and calling it would do her no good.

A knock thumped through the small living place, and she skewed at it in discontent, however as the knocking continued and sounded much like Parker's usual knock, she relented and went to open the door.

"Parker, we're good, okay? Noth—" she stopped herself wanting to kick herself for opening the door in the first place. Maybe she should give her dream a little more thought as a warning before starting to open doors.

"Go to the gala with me?" Hale's immediate response sounded as she stutteringly came to a halt.

"No," she responded just as quickly and hurriedly tried to close the door again, but like her dream he bodged her action.

"I don't think you heard me," his words were confident and clear with his usual smirk hiding at the corners, "Go to the gala with me."

"Maybe you didn't hear me," she bit, and kept a tight grip on the door, "The answer is no."

"Don't make me remind you of our agreement," Hale raised a brow at her actions of trying to keep him out. "You are to accompany me to every public function as a couple until the finalization of a possible Deluca deal," he explained, "But as the chivalrous person I am, I felt obligated to at least pretend to be asking," he said while dramatically putting a hand over his chest with a humorous glint in his eye.

"But you got the Deluca deal," Tessa intervened, lightly protesting as Hale pushed the door open despite her attempts at closing it.

"I didn't," He answered with a slight confused look at she stared at him. "I mean its due time now won't you say, the scruff is on point, manners polished and everything," he winked at her, while running a hand over the stubble that was decorating his impressive jawline.

"But the dream—," she shook her head, "Doesn't matter, I'm not going to the gala with you," she said stubbornly.

"Why?"

"Uh..." it came out as a stammer, as she hadn't really thought of a reply, "I gotta walk Felix."

"I'm sure you can make it in time for both," Hale chuckled.

"No, now. I don't have time for this," she said and lunged for the door.

"Dressed like that?" Hale's amused voice sounded behind her and she stopped on the threshold to look down at herself. Apparently the dream were accurate at only some points and her still being in her pjs was one of them. She bit her lip contemplating how much people would look if she did actually go to walk the pup in her bunny printed shorts.

"You're gonna run out on me again?" He asked, his upbeat tone finally wavering for a second, while she continued to converse internally with herself about her options.

She ground her teeth together by the reminder as it wasn't just her clothes that fell to the floor that weekend her dignity went right with it too.

"I never truly got to thank you for the picture in my bedroom," his voice sounded too dangerously to her ear, and she spun around with a defiant angry snarl.

"If you're implying that I—"

"Woah, woah, chill tiger," he chuckled with amusement and held his hands up, "I'm not about to offer you my body in payment, I would— Ouf!" he groaned when Tessa punched him in the stomach.

"This is why I want to forget about all of this!" she flung her hands at him, while he continued to rub his stomach with a pout, and she walked around him exasperatedly. "You're an asshat, Hale. I hate it when you do and act like this. The whole sexual innuendoes which are to barf over. You're a textbook jerk, and you know it. Stop smirking!" She pointed at him, when his usual confident smirk started fluttering at the corners again.

"Still you slept with me," he enlightened offhandedly enjoying her discomfort.

"I hate you. 99 percent of you makes me want to throttle you!" She warned with a look that told him she was seriously considering doing just that right this minute.

"Just 99 percent," he commented with a raised brow, "Then the last—"

"The last..." Her chest heaved in constriction before the anger ebbed away from her, seeing her thoughts weren't able to yell loud enough and she let out a long defeated sigh. "The one percent I might actually like," she answered sheepishly, and his hidden grin came on full portrayal.

"Well, it must be a pretty good percent after that night—"

"Have anyone ever told you you're a jerk? She glared at him, and he grinned.

"Yeah, but you still kinda like me."

"One percent," she objected and he quirked his brows with a chuckle.

"Exactly, one percent."

"And dropping for that comment."

"Nu-uh, ain't buying that."

"0.5 percent," she defended with narrowed eyes.

"Tessa," Hale groaned suddenly, his disposition slumping as he tilted his head backwards looking at the ceiling for a few moments before eyeing her again. "Go to the gala with me."

"No."

"It's part of the agreement—"

"I don't care," she crossed her arms stubbornly and he studied her thoughtfully.

"Can I be honest with you?" He asked after a moment, his mouth tugging hesitantly.

She didn't dare say a word, as he took a step closer to her, his cologne filling her nostrils and making its way to her brain, making it hazy.

"We can flirt, and act like we don't like each other all we want. It can go on for weeks, months even and I don't even care, but what I do care about is that night. That night makes this impossible to deny, because that night I felt exactly how much you responds to me, and Tessa." His words sounded delicately and sensually on his lips, and she felt goosebumps traitorously appear on her skin in response as if the words were touching every fiber up her body, waking her up anew.

"I want you," he breathed at the shell of her ear, and she couldn't help but turn her head, his lips brushing over her cheek getting dangerously close to her lips. "I want you, Tessa, so much that I can't even stay angry at you for leaving," he stated again.

His voice turned even lower and more gruff, "I need you." This made her hands wring themselves in his shirt and pull him closer just as his lips founds hers.

There was no fight for dominance in the kiss, no hint of his voracious ways or taste of a forbidden encounter. It felt as a conclusion for the things none of them wanted to admit, because it would be like giving up control, but also it tasted like a promise delivered through a feeling of searing sparks that hit her straight at the core making her in desperate need for more.

Both their breathes were ragged as they pulled apart, and the raw potential of what this could possibly mean yelled desperately through their eyes as they locked on each other's.

"Go to the Gala with me," his hoarse voice sounded again through her hazy state, "Preferably with no untangled ends," he added after another heartbeat, and tugged a stray strand of hair back behind her ear.

She barely felt the object he left in her hand as he pulled away to leave her to herself and her decisions.

"Note to self, no Fifty Shades before bedtime," Indy's voice squeaked a moment after the door closed after Hale, and Tessa yowled in response by Indy scaring her with her presence.

"How long have you been standing there!" She demanded knowing, feverishly trying to collect her thoughts and smothering down her hair.

"Long enough to see how you clearly like each other," she spoke without missing a beat, her brows almost fighting with her hair from all that suggestive wriggling, "Damn you'll make one hell of a couple," she whistled and Tessa blushed beet red.

"Shut up," she mumbled and stared down at her phone, her screen lighting up with several messages and calls. "What am I gonna do, Indy?" she asked quietly as her finger hovered over the part of her screen that showed Alexander's unanswered CallerID.

"Isn't it obvious?"

_____*_____

A/N: I know ! But it's here and we're all good, right? Sorry, if you got a bit confused at the beginning, but the poor Tessa seems a bit stressed at the moment and clearly her dreams are trying to tell her something. xD

If it isn't already clear, we're entering the third and last but most important part of the story with the two of them having a harder time to deny their feelings to each other. I wonder what that'll bring?

And what the hell is going on with Parker and Indy? Ugh side characters, right? One really needs to have eyes on Parker the whole time. ;)