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  “Don’t I get a hello?” Parker asked with a laugh, and Alice knew he was sensing her discomfort. He held out his arms, and the young girl hurried to him and hugged him tightly as Parker’s grin widened. “That’s more like it.”

  “For goodness sake, Nicole,” Eleanor said from the doorway. “Let them come in out of the night air.”

  “Fine,” Nicole pouted as she linked Alice and led her up the steps to the front door.

  “Hi, Mom,” Parker said as he followed Alice and Nicole up the front steps.

  “Hi, Sweetheart,” Eleanor replied as she gave her son a warm smile. Then she turned to Alice, and her smile widened. "Welcome to our home, Alice. It’s lovely to have you here with us. As you can see, Nicole has been more than a little excited all day.”

  “It’s lovely to be here,” Alice giggled as Eleanor greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, then a hug, before she held her at arms-length.

  “How are you feeling now, Sweetie?” Eleanor asked, giving her a worried look.

  “I’m good, thank you,” Alice assured her and gave her another smile before Eleanor released her and led them all into the house. When Alice stepped into the stunning hallway, she stopped and took in her surroundings. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. In front of her, there was the most picturesque, sweeping mahogany staircase which led down to a beautiful marble floor that was so shiny; you could see your reflection in it clearly.

  In the center of the hallway, there was a round, mahogany table, with a beautiful arrangement of white roses and white lilies.

  Hanging on the wall there was a picture that was familiar to Alice, but she didn’t know why she knew it. Without thinking, Alice walked towards it to take a closer look.

  “It’s a Renoir,” Eleanor said as she watched Alice closely.

  “It’s beautiful,” Alice said as she took in every inch of the painting before she turned back to face Eleanor and smiled. “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you,” Eleanor said as she walked towards Alice and linked her elbow with hers. “But it’s just a house. Walls and furniture. A home is what happens when you fill it with family, and I am so happy to have you here.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” Alice replied, as she felt herself relax a little.

  “Come,” Eleanor said with a warm smile. “Dinner is almost ready, and Robert will join us shortly.”

  They all made their way into the dining room, which was equally as beautifully decorated as the hallway.

  “Alice, I love your dress,” Nicole said as they all took their places at the table to wait for Parker’s father. “You look awesome tonight.”

  “Yes,” Eleanor also joined in. “You look simply stunning tonight. My son is a very lucky man.”

  “Thank you,” Alice said as her face flushed with embarrassment. “Parker bought… I mean…”

  FUCK!! She cried in her head. She had no idea if she was allowed to mention he bought her clothes or not.

  “It was a gift,” Parker said as if he was sensing that Alice was panicking. “I saw it and thought it was perfect for Alice, and I was right. She is breath-taking in it.”

  “She certainly is,” Robert said as he suddenly came rushing into the room. “Sorry to keep you waiting, I was on the phone to the office in London.”

  “Is everything okay?” Parker asked giving his father a concerned look.

  “Fine,” Robert assured him with a smile. “You know what Tanner is like; panics over the smallest thing…”

  “No shop talk tonight,” Eleanor interrupted her husband mid-sentence. “Tonight, is about getting to know Alice more and welcoming her into the family properly. I don’t want any business talk at the table.”

  “Okay, Mom,” Parker said, giving his mother a smile before he turned and winked at Alice.

  When dinner was served, Eleanor began to tell Alice all about Parker as a child. Alice was surprised to hear that Parker was once a very sweet, shy boy. She felt a little sad when Robert told of how he had been bullied in school at a young age. It seemed strange to Alice that the confident, sometimes arrogant man she had become to know was once shy and timid. It seemed so far removed from who he was now, but it revealed to her another side to Parker that she liked more.

  Nicole talked and talked about how she wanted to go to Europe with her friends in the summer backpacking, and Alice couldn’t help but smile at how she pouted when Robert told her that she would go over his dead body. Nicole reminded Alice of Parker in some ways, and she really liked the girl.

  “So Alice,” Robert said, as they ate dessert. “What is it your family do?”

  “Well,” Alice said and swallowed hard as she set her spoon down on the table. “My dad was a teacher, and my mom was a midwife. They were killed in a car accident when I was seven years old. So, it’s just Gram and me now.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Robert said looking almost mortified that he had asked the question. “I had no idea.”

  “It’s fine,” Alice said and shook her head, but inside her heart was racing. She hated to talk about her parents, and more specifically, how they had died.

  “You poor girl,” Eleanor said as she reached over and gave Alice’s hand a squeeze. “Well, now it’s more than just you and Gram. You have Parker, and now you have this family too.”

  “I do,” Alice smiled but to her horror, she could feel her eyes sting, and she knew she was going to cry. She stood up abruptly. “Would it be okay if I used your bathroom?”

  “Of course,” Eleanor said with a knowing smile. “Nicole will show you the way.”

  Alice excused herself and followed Nicole to the bathroom down the hallway. Once she was in the safety of the bathroom, she sat down on the toilet and took several deep; cleansing breaths; something she had learned to do at an early age.

  She had no idea why she was so upset, but she refused to give into her tears, now was not the time or place. She hated that still, even after all these years, the memories of what happened were still so raw. She refused to let herself remember what happened. It’s why she didn’t ever really talk about it.

  Once she had her emotions back under control, she washed her hands, then made her way back along the hallway to the dining room.

  She paused at the door when she heard Parker talking about her.

  “She never really talks about what happened,” he was saying. “I know there was an accident, but that’s it really. It just seems too hard for her to talk about it.”

  “Even after all this time?” Robert asked, and Alice could hear the surprise in his voice.

  “Yep,” Parker replied. “I know there is more to it; I just don’t know what that is.”

  “Strange,” Robert said.

  “That poor girl,” Eleanor said. “I couldn’t bear to think of leaving either of you alone at such a young age.”

  Alice couldn’t listen anymore. If she were going to make it through the rest of the evening, she needed to end the conversation now. She took a few steps backward, then coughed so they would know she was coming before she walked back into the room.

  “I’m sorry,” she replied as she retook her seat.

  “Are you okay?” Parker asked, giving her a worried look.

  “I’m fine,” she nodded and smiled, before she returned her attention back to her dessert.

  The rest of the evening passed by uneventfully. Alice relaxed once more, and in the end, she enjoyed her night with Parker’s family.

  When Parker said, it was time to leave, Alice was almost sorry to have to say goodbye.

  “I have a wonderful idea,” Eleanor said as they all walked out into the hallway. “Why don’t we throw a party?”

  “That’s not an idea, Mother,” Parker laughed. “That’s your favourite pastime.”

  “I mean, for you and Alice,” Eleanor said. “Everyone is gossiping about you both, wondering who is the girl who finally settled you down. Why not stop their gossiping and let them see you both as you are. Let them see
how much you love each other.”

  Alice’s face instantly flushed with embarrassment, and she was sure that Parker would dismiss the idea immediately.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Parker said, stunning Alice. He leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek. “I will call you tomorrow, and we can discuss dates and arrangements.”

  “Perfect,” Eleanor said as she gave her son a happy grin before she turned to Alice. “And please Alice, consider this your home now, too. Please don’t be a stranger.”

  “I won’t,” Alice promised as Eleanor kissed her on the cheek.

  When they said their final goodbyes, Parker took hold of Alice’s hand and led her out the door, to the waiting car.

  “I think my family now loves you more than they love me,” Parker whispered into Alice’s ear as the car made it’s way down the long, gravel driveway. “Thank you for this evening.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Alice replied, and she turned and looked up into Parker’s eyes.

  Slowly he leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers.

  “I have wanted to do that all night,” he breathed against her lips.

  “Parker, I…” Alice began as she pulled back slightly, but she had no idea what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she loved him so much. That she wanted him to kiss her too. That he was all she could think about, but she just couldn’t find the words. So, she said nothing.

  “It’s okay,” Parker said as he sat back in the seat. “I understand.”

  Alice stared at him as an overwhelming feeling of disappointment washed over her, but she was just too afraid to tell him how she felt. She was sure he felt the same way she did, but there was the tiniest part of her that stopped her from speaking. The same part that had kept her alive all those years before. The part that told her she needed to survive, and she knew she would never survive falling in love with Parker O’Neill. She knew she would never survive losing someone else she loved, and in the end, she would lose Parker.

  She slumped back into her seat and they travelled the rest of the way home in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts.

  Chapter 19

  Parker

  Parker woke suddenly, his heart racing, but he had no idea what had woken him. He sat up in bed and looked around his darkened room, but everything was still and as it should be.

  Flopping back down onto his pillow, his mind raced once more with thoughts of him and Alice.

  When he and Alice got back from his parent’s house, Alice was quiet, and he didn’t know what was bothering her. He knew she was upset because his father asked about her parent’s, but she had seemed okay once she had returned from the bathroom.

  He wondered if she was upset that he had kissed her. He knew that he had made a mistake the moment he did it. Her face was completely unreadable, but Parker knew inside he had crossed a line.

  Parker found Alice completely and overwhelmingly confusing. He thought she liked him; he was sure there was something between them. Yet, each time he tried to close the distance between them, she pushed back, and they ended up with a gaping chasm between them once more.

  He considered that maybe he needed just to come clean and tell Alice how he felt, but he wasn’t sure how she would react. He thought that maybe she just needed more time. So much had happened over the last couple of weeks, and even he was surprised by how his feelings had grown for her already; so how the hell would he ever make her believe that his feelings for her were real?

  Parker decided that he needed to bide his time. If they were meant to be, then they would be.

  His eyes had just started to grow heavy again when a spine-chilling scream echoed through the entire apartment. Parker knew now what had woken him. He jumped up from his bed, ran out the door, and down along the hallway to Alice’s room. Each step he took, his heart hammered faster and faster in his chest.

  “DADDY!” Alice cried out once more, as she kicked and screamed in her sleep. “MOMMY, PLEASE WAKE UP!”

  “Alice,” Parker said as he rushed to her bedside. He grabbed her arms and tried to wake her. “It’s Parker. Everything is okay; it’s just a dream!”

  “NOOOOOO!” She cried as she continued to fight whatever demon was in her dream.

  “ALICE!” Parker yelled, knowing he needed to reach her. “WAKE UP!”

  Alice’s eyes opened, as she instantly sprung up in the bed and stared at Parker in confusion, as she tried desperately to calm her breathing. Her hair was damp with a mixture of sweat and tears and was now stuck to her face in loose strands.

  “You’re okay,” he whispered softly as he brushed the hair back from her face. Then he reached over and switched on the lamp on her nightstand. “It was just a dream.”

  “I…I’m sorry if…if I woke you,” Alice said as she took a couple of deep, steadying breaths. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Parker said as he took her face in his hands. “I was just worried about you. That was some dream.”

  “It was nothing,” Alice said, and once more Parker could see her walls coming straight up. He wanted so badly to push her to let him in. He wanted to know about her and about her dream. He wanted to know what had her so upset the last few days, but he decided that it was best just to let it go.

  “It didn’t seem like nothing,” Parker sighed in frustration. “But as long as you’re sure you’re okay. I will leave you to try and get some rest.”

  He looked down into her eyes for a few moments, then leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Sweet dreams, Alice,” Parker said, before he climbed from the bed, and made his way towards the door.

  “Parker!” Alice called out, stopping him before he reached the door. He turned and looked back at her expectantly. “Would it be okay if you stayed with me tonight?”

  Parker was surprised by her request, but the look on her face told him, whatever the dream was, unsettled her, and she needed him to be with her right at that moment.

  “Sure,” he replied with a smile, as he turned and made his way back to the bed. Alice moved over on the bed, giving Parker enough room to get in next to her.

  “Thank you,” Alice said shyly, as Parker slipped in beside her.

  “My pleasure,” he said as he reached up and switched off the lamp before he slipped down into the bed.

  They lay there, side by side, in the darkness of the room; the silence between them was almost deafening.

  “I was dreaming about the crash that killed my parents,” Alice said finally, surprising Parker. He rolled onto his side so he could see her, but he didn’t say a word. “I guess it’s more of a memory than a dream.”

  She didn’t speak for a moment, and Parker was unsure if she was going to say anymore. Still, he waited.

  “I was seven,” Alice said finally, without looking at Parker. “We had been camping for the weekend but were heading home. I remember how much my dad loved to camp. I did too. But this weekend, I was complaining about a stomach ache, and I had a bit of a temperature, so we came home a day earlier. I was burning up in the back of the car, and Dad had said he knew a short cut home that we should take because it would get me home sooner.”

  Alice stopped for a moment and glanced at Parker, but he didn’t speak. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he knew if he said a word, it could stop her from telling the rest of her story.

  “I remember my mom was leaning back into the back seat to check on me,” Alice continued. “Suddenly my dad yelled, then there was a loud bang, and then it felt like I was flying. I remember my mom screaming, but everything else in the car felt like it was moving in slow motion. The car seemed to roll forever until it finally came to a stop with a bang, and everything went black.”

  Alice stopped once more, as tears slowly trickled down the side of her face, then into her hair. She rolled onto her side so that she and Parker were now face to face.

  “When I woke up, it was
dark and cold,” she whispered as she struggled to keep control of her emotions. “I tried to move, but my foot was trapped beneath my dad’s seat. I remember crying and calling out for my mom and dad. I thought they were asleep, but they didn’t move. I tried to reach for my dad, who was sitting in front of me, but I was stuck and couldn’t reach him. There was a smell in the car, but I had no idea what that smell was. Finally, the sun came up, and I could see my parents finally, and I could see that there was blood, a lot of blood. I know now the blood was what I could smell.”

  “Oh Alice,” Parker said not knowing what else to say.

  “I called and called for help,” Alice continued as the tears were now flowing freely. “I screamed and I cried until I passed out again from exhaustion. When I woke up, it was dark once again, and it was so cold. There was these strange noises everywhere. I guess it was animals mostly. I remember something scratching at the car, but it couldn’t get in. I was so scared. I tried to stay awake. I knew I needed to if I wanted to survive, but I was so cold, and tired, I just couldn’t any longer and I passed out once again. When I woke up, I was in the hospital, and Gram was sitting next to the bed. Some hikers had found the car two days after the accident. At first, they thought I was dead too, but when they pulled me out, I began to cry. I needed four stitches on my arm, and I had hypothermia, but other than that, I was fine. After everything, I was fine, but my mom and dad weren’t.”

  “Alice,” Parker said as he searched for the right words to say to her. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything,” Alice smiled through her tears. “It was a long time ago now, and honestly I am okay with it. I just don’t like to talk about it because I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I survived.”

  “Do you have this dream often?” Parker asked.

  “Yes, when I was little,” Alice replied. “I used to have the same dream all the time, but as I grew older, it happened less and less. I don’t know when the last time I had the dream was…”