Waiting Read online

  WAITING

  BY:KIAHANA

  Copyright 2012 Kiahana

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedicated to my Denay Day-Piper-Johnson

  Love you and hope you enjoy!

  ONE

  My very first real crush was when I was a senior in high school. Don't get me wrong, I'd thought other boys were cute before. But after meeting and hearing Parker Smith talk for the first time, I knew I was a goner. He'd transferred from some out of state school and was a mystery to everyone. And a constant thought in my head.

  It was in the auditorium rehearsing for our next school play, Wizard of Oz, with fellow classmates when he walked in. The whole room stilled as if waiting for him to exhale. His dark spiky hair and black hopeful eyes were enough to get your attention, but the effortless way he moved and thoughtfully talked were just as noticeable. At least to me. He always looked like he tried to dress younger than he really was, piquing my interest even more. An image of him in slacks and a nice button up shirt always fluttered through my mind. It’s what I pictured him being most comfortable in.

  Instead of trying out for one of the lead roles he ended up being the technical director in charge of lights and curtains, though he had the looks to star in every one of my dreams. My role was one of the flying monkeys. As ridiculous as it seemed, the weight of his gaze fell heavy on me wherever I went. Whenever I’d glance in his direction though, he was looking the other way.

  My girlfriends all thought I was crazy to swoon over someone so out of my league. But wasn't that the point of having a crush? To admire from afar?

  Parker ended up having four classes with me in our last semester, making my crush grow infinitely. If I wasn't so in love I might've had the courage to have a conversation with him outside the confines of our class assignments, sooner. We got paired together for almost all of our class assignments, much in thanks to my last name being Smith as well, since teachers liked to go in alphabetical order. We also had the same initials.

  There was no way we were related since I'd been adopted after my only known relatives, my parents, died in a car accident when I was only a few months old. My adoptive parents were my God parents and had been close friends of my parents, which was a plus in my head because I still got to grow up hearing stories about them and who they'd been. They enabled me to grow up having a normal life, friends, the proper schooling. I loved them and to me, they are my real parents.

  Earlier in the week Parker asked me if I was going to the end of year party that Saturday, making my heart thunder, but I managed to answer him almost nonchalantly. We'd made small talk, not about school, and he even sat with me and some friends on our outside bench at lunch, giving me the opportunity to ogle him more. Shyness wasn’t one of my qualities per say, but whenever Parker was near it was hard to stay coherent enough to form complete sentences. He’d wait patiently for my mind to start working again and smile politely when my mouth stuttered over words.

  By the Wednesday before the party his mood shifted severely. After a few awkward attempts to make small talk with him, I gave up and went back to our routine of only talking to each other about homework. His cold shoulder treatment after the progress I'd made this week was enough to put me in my grave. The party was going to be my last chance to see him before everyone went their separate ways after graduation and I planned on taking full advantage of it.

  The night of our last senior keg party at Brian Collins house was a night I will never forget.

  After getting dressed up with my friends for hours we finally made our way to be fashionably late at ten thirty. Our hair was straightened to a dangerous level of singeing off and we each applied glossy lipstick, trying to plump our lips to look more like Angelina Jolie's.

  I made sure to be tipsy before we showed up so I'd have more confidence in my plan.

  Since Ashley, one of the more popular girls in our class, lived only a few houses down, a group of eight of us got ready at her house then made the short walk across the street. She wasn't one of my favorite people but we got along for the most part.

  Brian Collins had asked me to the Homecoming dance and I’d said yes, even went out and bought a brand new dress, excited to be going with one of the most popular, not to mention cute, boys in school. A week before the dance he told me he had to cancel because Ashley had said yes. He apologized but told me that she’d said no, then changed her plans and was now able to go with him. I smiled weakly and told him it was no problem. He didn’t think twice about leaving me now dateless.

  Ashley, having been fully aware that I’d bought my dress and bragged about going with him, never said a word. I knew she didn’t like him and only said yes after finding out Lance Herman wasn’t planning on asking her. Julie, Leslie and I ended up having a slumber party and enjoying the attentions of some other boys that were friends of Leslie’s older brother. They were in college and effectively knew how to keep our minds off our miniscule high school problems. It turned out to be a much better night than we’d been expecting. My second make-out session, and the best in comparison to my first sloppy kiss in sixth grade or the lame attempt of having sex for the first time five months ago, lasted well over ten minutes before Leslie’s mom called down the stairs to the boys that they ‘needed to leave us poor girls alone’, which resulted in them leaving for a night out only a few minutes later.

  It was only two months later that Parker joined us and my world changed forever.

  The only thing on my mind tonight was finding Parker and finally kissing him.

  Sigh. That would make my life complete.

  After making our grand entrance then splitting off from the group, doing a few rounds saying hi to everyone then doing a keg stand with the help of a few of the football team members, I decided to sit in the kitchen while waiting anxiously for Parker to show up, hoping like crazy he hadn’t shown up earlier and left.

  One of my girlfriends was in the middle of a story when he walked in, making me instantly veer toward him for a warm greeting. He entered through the front door, flowing through the mass of people before our eyes finally made contact. It seemed he'd been trying to look anywhere but at me at first. His dark eyes held a tint of purple flecks, or maybe that was just a trick of the light. He wore jeans and a short sleeved red shirt, coincidently matching my short jean skirt and off the shoulder red t-shirt. The smile that spread across my face was impossible to stop, making his lips twitch, before turning stone cold again.

  "Hey, Parker. I'm glad you came."

  I stopped just in front of him in the hallway by the bathroom. He looked down at me, eyes swirled with intensity, making me take a step back, but my smile remained.

  "Hey, Piper."

  He always said my name like a caress, exciting me more.

  I was the perfect amount of buzzed and happy to enjoy just having him in my sights before I realized he continued to look around as if searching for someone else. Was I bothering him?

  "Do you want something to drink? I just did a keg stand..." I unashamedly let him know I'd been drinking and was open to ideas of keeping us busy.

  The look he gave me was indescribable, as if he were actually contemplating taking me up on my silent invitation before the light changed and the purple completely disappeared from his eyes as he gave a sharp shake of his head. Apparently he still wasn't in a chatty mood.

  The music continued to blare around us, people pushing their way past and my itch to kiss him kept getting stronger.

  I reached out to wrap my fingers around his bicep and whisper in his ear when
he jerked and stepped back out of my reach. The hurt was nothing compared to the stab wounds I felt when I saw his gaze wander back to Ashley. Again. Her chestnut colored hair laid down to the middle of her back. Her tan skin made me look like a ghost, her flawless skin the envy of everyone in the vicinity and the money her family had helped make her the most beautiful, popular girl in school. The fact that she was an overall nice person didn't hurt either.

  My five feet five inches and one hundred ten pounds made me feel like a dwarf compared to her five feet ten. Golden hair laid softy on my shoulders, a few freckles spotting my nose and cheeks, though they were barely noticeable.

  Even in my heels Parker was still a good five inches taller than me. His thick arms and neck reflected the body of an athlete, though he didn't play on any team here. He moved with the grace of a ballerina but looked as lethal as two Terminator's, though I'd never seen him lift a harmful finger.

  The hurt coiling inside had me feeling incredibly spiteful. Of course he'd want to be with Ashley. Had he only been nice to me to get close to her? Most likely. It wouldn't be the first time, yet this is the only time I felt like he'd personally ripped the heart from my chest and stomped on it while laughing.

  Keeping a straight face, I forcefully grabbed onto his arm and drug him to the group of people surrounding Ashley. His muscles tensed under my touch, but damn him, I wasn't made of poison!

  A few people scattered, no doubt scared of the scowl on my face, or at Parker, who hadn't made a whole lot of friends since showing up here.

  "Ashley, you remember Parker. Parker, this is Ashley."

  My voice was pleasant and I managed to keep a grin on my face while he was in view, but I was dying inside. Parker's eyes looked almost sad before I turned and left them alone, Ashley no doubt wondering what was going on but she started up a friendly conversation the moment I turned away.

  I went straight for the keg where the football team generously helped me do two more keg stands then kept up a steady conversation, or string of flirtatious sentences, before the ability to form coherent sentences became too hard.

  My friends were lounging in the living room, scattered all over the couches and floor space, winding down for the night, or morning since it was after one by the time I mustered up the strength to reenter the house.

  After going to the kitchen and filling up a glass of water, I aimlessly made my way to the bathroom for a checkup and potty break. There was no line but I still knocked to make sure no one was getting freaky in there with the lights off. No noise sounded so I pushed open the door and switched on the light just as the connecting door was thrust open on the other side.

  Parker.

  His eyes lit up before turning sullen again. My face didn't have the strength to smile so I settled for turning and heading back out the way I'd entered.

  "Piper..."

  His voice. That lovely, heartwarming voice. I turned back to face him with an uplifted brow as if he was now wasting my time. Damn, I'm a good actress.

  The click of his door and the lock setting into place barely registered to me as he moved forward slowly, measuring his steps until he stood directly in front of me, his thick arms coming up on either side of my head, shutting the door behind me. The click of the lock was like a bell ringing, too loud, my senses on over drive now with the extreme awareness of how close he was.

  After staring at his neck for a few long seconds I slowly lifted my gaze up past his chin to his kissable pink lips, strong nose, then finally to his intense purple eyes. Yes, a thin line of fuchsia outlined his pupil while slowly expanding, the black almost completely fading out. He left his hands resting on the door behind me, enveloping me with his warmth as he stood just inches from my face, his eyes tormented by some unknown thought.

  "Parker?"

  My voice was only a whisper, too afraid to scare away this moment, and him, since I must've done something earlier to bring on his mood swings.

  The fact that he'd clearly wanted Ashley earlier, and might've just been with her, was nagging at my conscious.

  "Where's Ashley?" I ended up asking, taking another deep breath when he leaned down closer to me.

  His face scrunched up in anger before almost violently taking my lips in the most wonderful kiss. He silently pressed me up against the door though it felt like I'd been thrown, then slowly ended the kiss, lingering with our heavy breaths mixing. His skin was cold but not enough to want to end this as our lips parted with a fevered hunger before rejoining, only to part once more.

  I dug my nails into his strong arms and kept my eyes closed while trying to regain the ability for speech. He stroked two more kisses as soft as a whisper upon my lips before releasing me and taking a step back.

  I could still feel his heat and hungered to be wrapped in it once more, and then forever. I was flushed with pleasure, panting, when I finally opened my eyes to look questioningly at him.

  "I'm sorry." Why was he sorry? That was the best kiss of my life. "This can never happen again." Dagger, meet heart. Again. "I'm leaving tonight and you'll never see me again."

  My mouth dropped open in shock. After the most mind blowing kiss ever he told me he'd never see me again? What the hell?

  "I don't understand you. I thought we were getting along and then you started ignoring me again. Then tonight I practically throw myself at you when you obviously wanted to be with Ashley, who I left you with, but now we're in the bathroom kissing and you tell me you never want to see me again?"

  I was talking too fast and my tone wasn't as mean as I meant it to be, but I got the gist across to him.

  "I never said I didn't want to see you again, I said that I wouldn't. Big difference." His face was back to showing his anger. "I had to kiss you before this night ended." Again his mood changed abruptly. "Those full red lips and the sound of your laugh... you've been driving me crazy." He stepped closer and his long, cold fingers stroked across my cheek, making me shudder. "You taste even better than I imagined, and I've imagined it a lot."

  My body was on fire, reeling from his touch and words. Why did he have to say such wonderful things after telling me he'd never see me again?

  Jerk.

  Wonderful, sexy jerk.

  "I have to go. Don't tell anyone what happened tonight...please."

  He made it a request just before cracking open the door behind him, turning back to look me up and down, making my skin crawl in the most delicious way.

  Then he was gone.

  He disappeared before I could pull myself together and ask him to stay. Beg actually. Yes, I'd definitely beg.

  After pulling myself together and making my way back out to the living room I couldn't help but frown when he wasn't there. I tried to nonchalantly search the rest of the house, then the yard by the pool, before giving up and telling my girlfriends that I was tired and decided to walk home since it was only four blocks from here.

  Ten minutes after the most exciting minute of my life I found myself dragging my feet in sorrow, continually wrapping my finger through my hair nervously. Maybe I could drive by his house, since everyone knew he'd moved into the biggest house that had been for sale forever. It was two blocks past my house from here so it would be too obvious if I walked there tonight. And pathetic.

  A giggle pulled me from my thoughts, making me check my surroundings. There were a few people sitting on top of their cars, some making out, some just talking, but the image that caught and held my gaze was of Ashley and Parker sitting on her white front porch swing, her laughing and Parker looking slightly amused. Everything he'd told me must have been some kind of stupid pick up line. And I'm the fool for believing him.

  Just a few more feet and I'd be past them and never have to see him again. He'd looked so sincere when we'd been in the bathroom and told me all those wonderful things, but he was obviously a player.

  I was so stupid.

  Another giggle.

  Don't look. Don't look.

  I just had to look over at the e
xact moment Ashley leaned forward and placed a kiss on his perfect lips and heard the smack of the impact from the street.

  The outraged gasp from me was unwarranted, stupid really, before I found the strength to make my legs continue to move forward and my head not to look back.

  For the first time ever I cried myself to sleep that night. My first crush, my best kiss and one of my closest friends all rolled into one, was not what I had planned. The most incredible and deadly feelings I've ever felt in a matter of minutes. I felt like such a fool for savoring his words and clutching to him like a monkey, but what was I supposed to do? He'd seemed just as into it as I'd been, and he'd been the one to initiate it.

  After falling asleep I could almost feel Parker's touch on me still. It felt like he was stroking my hair, soothing me into a deeper sleep, but when I awoke I realized it must have been part of the dream I'd had.

  The one where he didn't stomp on my heart and like it.

  TWO

  Ten years later...

  "I know you think it's done but it's just not good enough. You have the whole weekend to correct and elongate the presentation." Managing a team of five in advertising was becoming too much to handle. "Look, don't make me the bad guy. This is your account and I want you to get the job. I know these guys and they can be real hard asses."

  My feet were up on my desk, crossing at the ankles with my heels pointing towards the door, working my word magic with Ted, my newest employee. He knew what he was doing and put effort into his campaigns but he didn't take criticism well. If he doesn't land an account soon then I'll have to let him go.

  I'd worked hard as hell to get where I am today and my corner office with the view overlooking the city was mine by right.

  My assistant, Julie, and longtime friend from high school, tapped on the door to get my attention. She was married with a kid and another on the way, so working for me was more of a favor so she could spend more time at home. I didn't really need an assistant but I'll have to admit that she did help out a lot, even more than I realized most of the time. She got to work Tuesday through Thursday and rotated every other Friday, but usually ended up only working about one Friday a month.