Mistakes Were Made(98)

“Parker, honey, what are you doing here? I’m so sorry you had to—”

“Dad. Go home,” Parker said.

“What?”

“Go home. I’ll get the Switch and meet you there.”

“Parker, I—”

“Go home.” Parker’s voice was steel.

Erin closed her eyes and tears leaked out of the corners. Adam’s opinion didn’t matter. He could hate her all he wanted. But Parker. Erin felt like she was drowning, like she knew there was no hope but she was struggling anyway. It was already over.

She couldn’t look at Cassie.

Adam left, but not without one last glare at the two of them, a disgusted shake of his head. The front door closed behind him—Erin heard it this time—and the three women stared at each other.

Erin finally found her voice.

“Parker, let me explain. I—”

“Don’t bother,” Parker said, and Erin wanted to throw up. Then: “I already know you’re dating.”

“You know?” Erin said, at the same time Cassie said, “Dating?”

Parker turned to Cassie, her eyes narrowing. “Where the hell is your phone?”

Erin looked at Cassie for the first time since Adam had arrived. Her hair was a disaster, the ponytail half pulled out from Erin’s fingers combing through it while they’d kissed. Her eyes were wide, bewildered, blinking at Parker like she had no idea what was happening. Erin was in the same boat.

“I’ve been texting you for twenty minutes trying to prevent what just happened,” Parker said.

“What?”

“Dad said he wanted to get the Switch so he could beat me at Mario Kart, which, like, as if, but then he said he’d just pick it up on his way home from work, and I know you said you weren’t coming up until tomorrow, but, I mean, I don’t want to think about what y’all would do with a night alone, but I’m not an idiot.”

Erin blushed four shades of red, even as her brow felt permanently furrowed. Parker was mad … that Cassie hadn’t seen her messages? She knew Cassie and Erin were planning to spend the night sleeping together behind her back, but that didn’t seem to be an issue?

“When you weren’t answering any of my texts, I tried to beat him here but obviously that didn’t work. Now that’s gonna be a whole fucking mess.”

“Language,” Erin said automatically.

Parker raised her eyebrows, an amused grin on her face. “Really? I think we have bigger fish to fry than me saying ‘fuck.’”

“Sorry, you’re right. Habit,” Erin said.

She tried a smile, and Parker’s smile grew in response. Cassie looked at them like they’d gone off the deep end. Erin felt like maybe she had, but Parker knew she and Cassie were sleeping together, and she wasn’t mad. Erin wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if she was still thoroughly lost as to how any of this had happened.

“I’ve known since Valentine’s Day,” Parker said like it was nothing. Like it didn’t matter. Like she didn’t care.

Erin was nauseated. Parker knew they’d sexted on Valentine’s Day?

“I was on Cassie’s computer when you texted her thanks for the flowers,” Parker explained, and Erin’s stomach settled. “I’m over it. You can thank Acacia for me not killing you.”

Cassie blinked at her. “Acacia?”

“It took her a long time to convince me, but she’s the reason I realized how happy you make each other.”

Cassie let out a shuddering sigh. “I need a minute,” she said.

That made sense—Erin needed a minute to come to terms with Parker knowing, too. What didn’t make sense was why Cassie headed for the foyer, where her shoes and jacket were. Erin followed her, Parker close behind.

“You’re going?”

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Cassie said.

Erin wanted to give her all the time she needed, but she didn’t want her to leave. Something must have shown on her face, because Cassie added, “I’ll leave my stuff here, okay? I promise I’ll be back.”

And then she was gone, the saddlebags from her bike still on the foyer table. The garage door opened. Her bike engine revved then faded away as she rode off.

“Aren’t you gonna go after her?” Parker asked.

“I want to give her space if she needs it,” Erin said, which was true, even if the way Cassie had fled made Erin’s heart tighten into a fist. But there was a bigger reason she was staying put. “And I feel like, maybe, we should talk?”

Parker chuckled, and the anxiety in Erin that spiked as Cassie left mellowed some.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

They both just stood there. Erin didn’t know how to start. I’m sorry or It wasn’t supposed to happen or I love you so much. When she took too long searching for the right words, Parker laughed at her.

“Okay, let’s stop being weird and just sit down.” She climbed onto a stool at the kitchen island. “I mean, it’s gonna be weird, obviously, but we don’t have to be.”

She patted the stool beside her, and Erin came to sit on it.

“I love you,” she said. “So much.”

She expected Parker to roll her eyes or something similar. Something typical of a teenager. Instead, Parker grabbed her hand and squeezed.