Page 118 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
"You haven't asked me." I released him and turned to grab the salad. "Enough of this conversation for the night. I don't want to get upset."
"Becca. Why in the world would-"
"No." I glanced over my shoulder. "Please. We can talk about it later."
He pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and nodded. "All right. Later."
"Thank you," I mumbled before picking up the salad bowl and some of the topping to carry into the dining room. He followed somewhere behind me, and I felt like a heel for shutting him down, but the topic was one I wanted to mull over - alone.
Parker and my mother were laughing about something when I walked into the room. "Do I want to know?"
"No." My mother covered her mouth and snorted, her pretty face red from laughing too hard.
Parker leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "I honestly never thought we would get that costume off of her."
"Oh no." I set the salad down as Jason walked in with the large bowl of pasta he'd prepared for us.
"What did I miss?" His warm brown eyes moved between my mom and Parker as a smile pulled at his sexy mouth. "You gotta fill me in. I need these stories."
"Don't you dare," I barked at Parker before sitting down next to my mom.
"Oh come on, honey. You and Jason are moving in together. He needs to know everything about you. This is a big step. Don't be like that." My mom reached for a bowl as Jason sat down, not looking nearly as jovial as he had been before.
"Moving in together?" Parker lifted his eyebrow at me before glancing over toward Jason.
"It's still-" Jason started.
"A little ways off. We're going to look at things after the Denver trip," I cut him off, trying to save face for both of us. I had no doubt that we'd be moving in together sooner than later, but I didn't need everyone involved in it.
"Right, so tell me about the costume. Was it something Becca was wearing?" Jason glanced over at my mother, tucking away the hurt on his face quickly.
My heart ached at the idea that he felt anything but elation around me, but my words rang true. I was risking everything. He was young. He had innumerable chances to find someone. He had time to sift though all the pretty smiles that would show up in his lifetime. I had very little time left.
It made me overly protective. Scared.
All the things I didn't ever want to be.
Fucking Kade McMillian. Ruining me for all time because of him denying me his love and attention. Or maybe it had nothing to do with my old high school love and everything to do with me.
"Can I?" My mom glanced over at me, a jovial look on her face.
I turned my attention to Jason as my heart swelled deep in my chest. "Yeah. Tell him. We're moving in soon together. He's likely to stumble across the picture albums anyway."
"Picture albums?" He smiled and turned to focus on my mother, but not before winking at me.
"Let me tell it. Please, please let me tell it." Parker's excitement was contagious, and the rest of the night was far more fun than it should have been. Especially with me almost ruining it over nothing.
Fear destroyed my twenties, and if I wasn't careful, it would do the same to my thirties.
CHAPTER 8
JASON
One Week Later
She'd tried a few times to talk to me about the moving in conversation I'd had with her mother, but I closed her down each time. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was forcing her to move too fast. I'd never wanted anything so damn bad in all of my life. There was some part of me that believed that I was the only one that wanted it.
It left me weak and worried. Two things I refused to be. Losing my mother during my freshman year of college changed me. It hardened parts of me that I missed. Rebecca was the key to unlocking them again. The freedom to breathe deeply and love intensely felt like it was at my fingertips, and yet every time I brought anything up with her, she slammed the door shut. Maybe she wasn't the woman I needed in my life. I was lost to her completely, but I could get over the relationship if I was forced to.
