Another Life - JenniferNewman (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

as long as I didn’t mind. Who had he.....?
“Thank you Mrs. Smith.” Parker said while turning and doing something that looked to me much like a bow of the head. As Parker turned fully around he winked at me and signaled for me to go out of the kitchen door first. When I had picked up a small cardigan from the cupboard under the stairs and was heading towards the door I looked up at Parker who was wearing a smug expression and raised my eyebrow at him. He struggled and picked up my keys from the table next to the door handing them to me he opened the door with his other hand. When we were outside with my key in my pocket and my cardigan on Parker held his hand out for me to take it. When I did he started pulling me in the direction of the park where he had said he would be getting me lunch. He defiantly had some explaining to do that was for sure.
I looked up at sky when we reached the edge of the wide open spread park and saw that there was really not even a cloud in the sky to block out the blazing sun. I closed my eyes as we crossed over from the hard pavement onto the soft grass and felt Parker’s hand tighten on mine making me open my eyes again and look at him. He was looking at the ground as if it held the secrets that he knew I was going to ask. What was so bad about what it was that I wanted to know? What was the worst it could be?
“Rose?” he asked looking up at me straight in the eyes.
“ROSE” I heard someone else call from somewhere to my right. I turned to look and saw Brendon a boy from my collage that I had gone out with for a while last year we were still friends even after we broke up since we both ‘agreed’ that we were better off being just friends. To tell you the truth I just really couldn’t be that harsh and had felt really bad for him after one of the other girl at my school had dumped him for someone else and let him take me to the summer dance. Big mistake.
“Hey Brendon” I called after softly swearing under my voice. This had made Parker laugh and look a lot happier that he had been interrupted.
As Brendon got closer to where I and Parker were standing I saw out of the corner of my eye a large football coming straight at me with tremendous force. It was too late for me to just duck and by the time I had turned round and made sure that it was really coming at me it was seconds before it hit me.
Quickly I saw Parker’s hand whip round and hit the foot ball away. I closed my eyes then looked back up at Parker who was looking around the park with a watchful eye,
“Thanks” I said looking back down at the dry ground. For once my cheeks were not bright red and were completely their same complexion that my Dad had given me.
“Wow Rose still a danger magnet then huh?!?” Brendon laughed as he finally met us where we were standing next to a tree with its large leaves hanging low enough that I gave us a little shade. I shrugged in response it was true I really was a danger magnet
My hand was still in Parker’s and Brendon’s gaze fell on them nearly straight away a look flashed across his face for a split second and although I couldn’t be sure it looked like hurt. That made no sense though we had slit up nearly half a year ago we had agreed to be friends then to he must be over me all ready. Right? Now I was blushing and took a little step back and realized that I had backed right up into Parker’s chest where he typically let go of my hand and put his arms around me to keep me there. Great thanks for making this just that bit more awkward than it all ready was.
I closed my eyes as the same look crossed across Brendon’s face. Well this just gets better. Here I was trying to find out what was going on with all this craziness that had been going on since I had visited my old houses but instead I was here with Parker’s arms around me while standing in front of my ex.
“So what have you been up too this summer? It’s been so hot!” I said to try and break the awkwardness that had been starting to build up.
“Oh not a much I just got back from Spain two days ago on Thursday. If you think it’s hot here you haven’t seen anything.” And his normal cheery expression was back and he went on for another minute or so telling us/me about his trip and how cool it had been that he had swam with dolphins.
“So who’s your... friend?” he asked eventually when his story was over.
“Oh right this is Parker, Parker this is Brendon.” I said moving as much as I could with the restrictions of Parker’s arms. Brendon looked up at Parker then, I’m not on my own there then Brendon was a lot taller than me but he still had to crane his neck to look at Parker in the face. Oh please tell me they weren’t really having a stare off! Oh but they were. I looked up at Parker who was still glaring at Brendon with a new amusement in his eyes. Well that made a change having him laughing at someone else instead of me. Miracles do happen!
I continued to look up at Parker till it became obvious that he was going to keep this up until he won and instead decided to lean back against Parker’s chest out of boredom but of course Parker tightened his arms around me still not looking away from his stare off. God! Do boys really have to be soo immature it’s impossible!
“Okay if you don’t mind I'm just going to go get a drink at the cafe see you in a min.” I said once the annoyance of having two boys that I swear were trying their hardest to annoy me struck in.
“Huh oh wait I’ll come with you.” Parker said as I tried to untangle myself from his arms.
I gave Parker a look that I knew was pretty pathetic but didn’t care. He laughed at me like I thought he would and slung his arm around my shoulders pulling me towards the cafe on the other side of a few trees. I looked back at Brendon and waved bye as we walked away. Okay was this amused look infectious or something? Now it was Brendon wearing it instead of Parker. Oh no wait he was to.
I stared at the bumpy ground as if it had been that that had offended me instead of the embarrassment Parker and Brendon had decided to put me though as we made our way towards the cafe. God if people could hear my thoughts they would so think I was a spoilt teenager I sounded so much like one. I gave up on being mad at Parker and snuggled up to his side.
“And here I was thinking that you were mad at me. I mean put me straight and all but I swear you did just give me a ‘death’ glare.” he laughed looking down at me under his arm. In response I just shrugged and let him put my head on his shoulder. Well I say shoulder I really mean as close to his shoulder as my height could reach. I laughed as Parker tried to tickle my side again.
“God what is up with you and the tickling I was already smiling this time?” I laughed as he carried on.
Finally he stopped and once again put his arm loosely around my shoulders.
“So what is it you want to drink?” he moved me over to where all the drinks stood with all their multi-colored labels n plain view. When I had been younger and my Dad had taken me and my cousins out for lunch on the weekends he used to take us here and get us to each choose a drink and cake. With us promising not to tell Mum since she would never allow cake when it was not a special occasion. I would stare at the different colors in wonder taking forever to choose which one I wanted. My Dad would have laughed and pulled one down for me from the top shelf and said what about this one. It was always the same red apply and grape juice.
When my Dad first died I used to come out here every day and buy the same drink. It was just not the same somehow though. Sitting there along drinking the same drink my Dad had always picked for me.
I sighed now and reached for the same drink and putting other hand in my pocket to pull out some money but Parker was already taking the drink from my head and walking over to the pay register with his drink in the other hand.
When Parker was back carrying both drinks we left the cafe and made our way round to the group of tables that were laid out on the over side of cafes back wall. Here Parker guided us to a table hear the back and put the drinks down.
“Is it okay if we get something to eat in a little while I would rather get this talking over first?” he whispered while I sat down and he took the seat opposite mine.
“Sure. So you are going to start telling me what it is that’s been going on? At last?” Really was it that hard to tell me what could be that bad? I raised my eyebrow at him and he sank back into his seat like he was trying to put of saying what he was about to tell me.
“Well I’ll start from the beginning but just please do me one favor?” he asked before continuing. I nodded and he went on.
“Please don’t get mad at me I.... I know this is not a topic you like.” He looked down at his drink as I nodded again pulling my brows together now.
“Okay I promise. Now will you tell me.” I said picking up my drink which I had offered to pay for but had been turned down straight by a sharp laugh of ‘you’re kidding right’. I started to pull off the lid but it was stiff and ended up letting Parker take it from my heads and opening it easily with one hand then handing it back. I murmured my thanks and told him to continue.
“Well.... You know when your father died?” I nodded looking down. So this is what it was going to be about. “He died in a car crash two years ago. Am I right?” I nodded again still looking down.
“He was a cab driver and well he wasn’t the only person in the car at the time.” I looked up then and raised my eye brows. Was he telling me that my Dad had killed someone else while killing himself? No wonder he thought I was going to get mad. Of course I was. Was he crazy?
“What are you saying? If this was even remotely true I would have heard about it before now. How could you....” I