Addicted to Mr Parks (The Parks Series #2)(66)

“He was busy with work.”

“Oh.” I watched her disappointment brew, but she hid it well with a casual flap of her hand. “That’s all right. Means I get you all to myself. Come in.”

Stepping into my aunt’s up-with-the-trends, terraced house always felt like coming home to me. I was back and forth there as young adult, and I missed it sincerely.

“Where are the kids? It’s so quiet.” I followed Cheryl out into the kitchen, where she told me to sit down and quickly made me a cup of tea.

“It’s heaven,” Cheryl sang playfully. “Ralph’s having a nap, Ella’s over her friend’s house, and Darcy is upstairs colouring.”

My next words made me stare at my tea as Cheryl handed me the mug. “Does she still hate me?” I asked, shifting it side to side on the table sorrowfully.

Cheryl scoffed. “She said she’s not talking to you. That’s why she hasn’t come down.”

“I’ll go see her in a mo.” I blew the steam from my mug and took a sip. “What about Ella?” The last time I saw Ella, she was as drunk as a skunk and told me she had a damn boyfriend.

“Better. I think the talk with you done her good.”

“Good.” I smiled, going straight in to what I’d been dying to tell her. “I cut all ties with my mum.”

“You did?” I knew she’d be happy.

“Yeah, Wade told her some home truths, and she didn’t like it. He’s making sure I stay away from her. He’s doing so much for me, Chez. He’s getting me help, and he takes my mind off everything.”

“Wow. I would have loved to see the old bat’s face when he told her, though. What did he say?”

“Told her she wasn’t worthy of my love. That she was despicable.”

Cheryl pulled her arm into her chest like it was a victory. “I love it.”

I picked up a biscuit and pointed with it. “I have bone to pick with you.” The way Cheryl’s gaze fell into her coffee cup, and the way her lips twisted up a smirk told me she knew what I was about to say.

“Evey, I know I shouldn’t have told Wade about Gabe or Trevor, but he can be very charming.” She blushed.

My scoff accompanied my furrowed brows. “He’s charming, all right.”

“Let me and Kev take you out for a meal tonight. His mum will watch the kids.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Her way of deterring me was through food. Well, I wasn’t complaining. “Sure.”

After finishing up my tea and biscuits, I carefully climbed the stairs and walked into Darcy’s room. I quickly spotted the blonde-haired angel sitting crossed-legged in the middle of her pink room, paper and colourings thrown around her.

“Hey.” I smiled, catching her attention. The daggers of her eyes made me wince. Wow. I’d gotten the death stare from a kid. “What are you colouring?” Easing into the room, I bent down and knelt on the floor to peer at her picture. “Oh, a dog?” I guessed.

“It’s a cat,” she snapped with a roll of her eyes. “Are you blind?”

I had to hold in a laugh at the attitude she threw me. “Can I help?” I went to pick up a colour but stopped midway when Darcy’s eyes narrowed. She was telling me she didn’t want me to help. “Okay, can I draw my own picture?”

She gave me a shrug that time. Holding in a smirk, I picked up a piece of paper and a black felt-tip pen. I began bubble writing the first thing that came into my head, and Darcy glanced towards what I was drawing. She squinted to try and work out what the black, fancy writing said when I was finished.

“Mr. Parks? What’s Mr. Parks?”

A smiled crept upon my mouth, happy that she was finally talking to me. “He’s my…friend.”

She tilted her head. “Does he like Peppa Pig?”

I laughed. “I don’t think so.” That was kind of the icebreaker for us, and she took me downstairs so I could play with her dollhouse.

After an hour of playing dolls and pretend tea cups with real biscuits, the doorbell rang. Kevin was taking a shower and Cheryl was fixing up the kids’ dinner, so I pushed to my feet.

“I’ll get it.” I opened the front door, mindlessly shoving the rest of a biscuit into my mouth. “Wade? What the—?” I almost choked. Yes, I was mad that he intruded and turned up unexpectedly, but I was also speechless because, Jesus, the only man that had ever turned me on by sight alone was Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing. Until I clapped eyes on Parks. His presence did terribly wonderful things to me.


“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, swallowing hard.

Dressed casual and sexy in a white shirt and blue jeans, he crossed his arms. “Did or did we not arrange to visit your aunt together this weekend?” The slight tug of his lips mocked me.

I stepped over the threshold and closed the door. “You were ignoring me. I didn’t think you still wanted to come.”

His gaze danced over my face, sucking in my attitude like he wanted to pounce on me for it. “Well, it’s not very polite to decline an offer, is it?”

I stepped into his space, but he made no attempt to step back. “And it’s not very polite to be a nob,” I hissed. “Have you forgot what happened last night?”