Taking Chances

Note: Set immediately after Chapter 6. Parker comforts MC (Harper) after the attack in the woods.

The second attack shakes Harper more than the first. She’s completely alone, and this…creature is somehow even more gruesome than the one that had come out of the lake. Thankfully Imogen hears her screams and comes running, and whatever the thing is seems to vanish into the woods.

“Harper? What was it?” Imogen asks, looking around in a panic.

“I’m…not sure,” Harper says, sitting up slowly.

A branch snaps somewhere to her left and Harper jumps. “But maybe let’s get out of here.”

Imogen helps her up and they hurry back to her house. Every sound that comes from nearby makes them both move a little faster. They stand uneasily in the kitchen when they make it back, waiting to see if anything follows them. The woods stay relatively still and quiet and Harper breathes a sigh of relief. Imogen offers to call the police.

“No!” Harper bursts out. “Just…I don’t even know what it was and… no.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence between them, their earlier argument playing in Harper’s head. She won’t say it out loud again, but she doesn’t want any more people involved in this and knowing her suspicions than already do.

“I’ll be fine,” she says. “Thank you. For coming back.”

“Of course,” Imogen says immediately.

She shifts from one foot to the other, also clearly still thinking about the words they’d exchanged earlier.

“Anyway. I should go,” Harper says.

She doesn’t know what else to say, so she offers a half-wave and heads outside and down the driveway. When she reaches the end of it, she texts Parker.

Hey. So… something else attacked me. In the woods outside Imogen’s house.

He calls her immediately, panic evident in his voice.

“I’m fine,” she reassures him. “I mean…as fine as I can be.”

Parker swears under his breath. “Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

Harper doesn’t even argue. She doesn’t feel like walking back into town, though she also really doesn’t want to stand around in the woods any longer than she has to either. Thankfully, Parker shows up within a couple minutes. He puts the car into park and jumps out.

“Oh!” she says, surprised when he wraps her in a tight hug.

His arms feel undeniably good around her, strong and reassuring, almost protective. She lets herself sink into his warmth.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs into her hair. “One of us should have come with you.”

She nuzzles her face  into his t-shirt. “It’s my fault for running off into the woods.”

Parker tilts her chin up, his eyes roving over her face. A frown crosses his lips when he spots the scrape across her forehead. He runs his thumb lightly over another scratch on her cheek.

“Why’d you run into the woods anyway?” he asks.

His words are calm, but she can detect a hint of frustration in his voice. She sighs.

“Imogen and I had a fight and she ran off. I went after her.”

Parker’s arms tighten around her. “Harper-”

“I know,” she interrupts him. “It was stupid.”

“It was,” he agrees. “But I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah,” she laughs shakily. “Me too.”

“I should take you home,” Parker says after a minute.

Harper frowns and gestures at her mud-caked clothes. “This might be a little hard to explain.”

She has no desire to try and explain why she’s covered in mud to her grandpa, or to get Elliot involved in any of this.

“Well… you could come to my place,” Parker offers. “Get cleaned up?”

For some reason, his gaze darts away from her when he says it. Harper bites her lip against a smile. He’s cute when he’s nervous.

“That’d be great,” she says.

Parker’s apartment is small but comfortable, right near downtown. He loans her a t-shirt and some sweats and she gratefully strips out of her dirty clothes in the bathroom. The scalding water of the shower stings the scrapes and cuts on her skin but it feels good to wash the cold and the woods off of her.

She nearly drowns in his clothes and Parker grins at the sight when she comes out of the bathroom. Harper playfully strikes a pose.

“Don’t tell me this doesn’t look good,” she says teasingly.

That makes him laugh. “It looks great.”

She tosses her clothes in the washing machine before settling on his couch. The last few hours hit her hard when she finally sits down, exhaustion sweeping over her. Parker puts the TV on and she finds herself dozing off almost immediately. He gently nudges her awake.

“Hey,” he murmurs. “My bed’s more comfortable if you want to sleep.”

Harper smiles up at him sleepily. “Are you trying to get me in your bed?”

He flushes and laughs quietly. “No, just…this couch isn’t that comfortable to sleep on.”

“Okay,” she yawns. “Sleep sounds really good right now.”

Parker helps her up from the couch, his fingers lacing with hers. She burrows immediately into his blankets when they reach his bedroom, yawning again. He pushes her hair back behind her ear, warmth and concern spreading across his face. Her stomach flutters when he brushes his lips over her forehead.

“Parker?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you stay?”

He looks surprised, but murmurs, “Of course. If you want.”

Harper nods and moves over in the bed, letting him climb in beside her. They shift until she’s curled against his side, his heartbeat thumping steadily under her cheek. One of his arms wraps around her back, his other hand running soothingly through her hair. It feels so natural and comfortable that she knows she’ll fall asleep in no time.

“Thank you,” she sighs, her eyes closed as soon as the words leave her mouth.

Parker stirring wakes her later and she mumbles a sleepy protest when he gets up.

“I’ll be right back. Just gonna put your stuff in the dryer,” he reassures her.

She doesn’t even feel him sliding back in beside her, but when she wakes up again much later, it’s getting dark out and he’s asleep behind her. For a few minutes she just lays there, content to feel Parker’s arm wrapped around her waist and the slow rise and fall of his chest against her back. When she finally turns around, he murmurs something and his grip tightens.

“Hi,” he says sleepily.

“Hi.”

Almost without thinking, she slowly eases her hand around the back of his neck and runs her fingers through the ends of his hair. He exhales and his eyes close briefly.

“How are you feeling?” he asks when he opens them again.

“I’m okay.”

She cuddles in closer, the tip of her nose brushing his. “I could probably sleep for another five days though.”

“Mm,” he murmurs. “Me too.”

His breath is a warm puff against her skin when she tilts her head down and rests her other hand on his chest.

“Parker,” she says softly.

He cups her cheek, his thumb gently running over her skin. The way he’s looking at her sends tiny jolts of warmth and want through her. A quiet noise of pleasure slips out of her mouth when he finally kisses her, his lips soft and warm and reassuring. Harper can feel him watching her when they pull apart. She murmurs his name again and brings her mouth back to his, kissing him deeply.

She wants this. She’s been wanting to kiss him, has been thinking about it. This moment couldn’t feel any more right. They’re finally alone and despite everything, being here with him is the most normal thing she’s done, the most normal she’s felt, in weeks. And god knows with everything going on, she doesn’t want to miss her chance.

His hand tightens on her hip when she weaves her fingers into his hair and grazes her teeth over his bottom lip.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you,” he confesses.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you too,” she breathes, trailing her other hand underneath the hem of his shirt and feeling his muscles contract under her touch.

She presses impossibly closer and his fingertips just brush under the back of the shirt she’s wearing. Who knew such a simple touch could make her feel like this? she finds herself wondering.

Parker kisses her again and she opens up to him, groaning softly and arching into him when he spreads his palm over the small of her back. She can’t remember ever feeling so wanted and protected at the same time. He’s holding her close, kissing her deeply, and she doesn’t care how clichéd it sounds, she doesn’t want this moment to end.

Their kisses slow gradually, reluctantly, until they finally pull apart again. She doesn’t even care that she makes a disappointed sound when they stop. Parker smiles and ducks his head, resting his forehead on hers.

“I feel awful for saying this,” he says after a minute, “but I’m really glad you’re here.”

Harper hums in agreement. “These last few weeks have been…well, I don’t know that there’s a word for them. But I’m glad I’m here now.”

He kisses her one last time, then sighs. “It’s almost curfew. I should get you home.”

“I know,” she murmurs.

“I’ll go get your clothes,” Parker says, dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead.

He takes her hand in the car on the drive back to her grandpa’s, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asks when they get there.

Harper nods. “I’ll be alright.”

Parker glances at the house, mostly dark but for the kitchen light and one on upstairs, and leans in to kiss her quickly. She’s smiling when he sits back.

“See you tomorrow?” he asks.

“See you tomorrow.”