Squaring my shoulders, I keep my face neutral and walk up to my locker.
He raises his head when I stop in front of him, the torment in his eyes has me sucking in a harsh breath.
And I'm suddenly assaulted by the need to know what's wrong, to comfort him. "Parker?"
But then he blinks and the emotion is gone, replaced by a small smile. "Peaches."
My heart thuds against my chest at that one word before I remember that I'm supposed to be pissed. With a scowl, I snap, "Can you move?"
He frowns a little at that but quietly steps aside.
I can feel his gaze on me as I retrieve books from my locker and I try hard to ignore it.
"You're mad at me."
No shit, Sherlock.
Shutting the door of my locker, I hug my books to my chest and turn to face him. "Gee, I wonder why."
His lips pull up at the corners, as if I just said something amusing. As if he finds the whole thing amusing.
"Unbelievable," I mutter. Then with a glare, I whirl around and walk off, leaving him no choice but to follow.
In typical Parker fashion, he manages to match my steps in no time, demanding, "Tell me why."
He wants me to spell it out? What, so I can humiliate myself once again? Hadn't I been vulnerable enough in front of him?
I don't say anything, refusing to answer his demand.
Which doesn't sit well with him. He grabs my arm and pulls me to the side, frustration lining his beautiful features. "What do you want from me?"
Damn him.
I purse my lips, averting my gaze. "Nothing. I just really want to get to class."
"Peaches," Parker warns in a low tone.
I glare at him. "What do you want me to say? That I'd been hurt by your rejection? And when you proceeded to ignore me for days, it hurt even more?"
Tears prick my eyes but I blink them away before he can notice. I can't cry right now. It's bad enough that I'm reminding him about that night. Crying would only make things even more mortifying.
His jaw clenches and something like remorse flashes in his eyes.
"But you know what? Don't worry. It's not a big deal anymore. I got over it." Liar! Ignoring the mocking voice in my head, I step away from Parker.
But then his next words stop me on my tracks. "You're right. I've been an asshole."
I fold my arms over my chest. "Glad we're on the same page." Since he's owning up to what he did, I'm not going to pretend to be casual about it anymore.
His lips twitch, but he has the good sense not to smile this time. Clearing his throat, he tells me, "I shouldn't have let the night end the way it did."
I arch a brow. "And?"
"I should've done more. I shouldn't have hurt you. I was an idiot," he murmurs, brushing a stray hair out of my face. "Forgive me?"
I want to stay angry at him, to demand a little more groveling, but his mere touch easily melts my resolve.
Damn him.
My face must be showing conflicting emotions because he steps closer then, cupping it in his hands, making my eyes flutter shut. "Let me make it up to you."
How can I ever resist this guy?
I bite back a smile. "What do you have in mind?"
*******
Apparently, Parker's idea of making up for what he did is taking me to Russo's, the Italian restaurant owned by Giovanni's family located across town.
The woman at the front greets Parker with a warm familiarity that tells me he's a loyal customer. While I've only dined here a few times with Dad and Avery.
Who was he always with? Maybe not his family, considering Dianne's condition. Maybe his friends since Giovanni's family owns it. Or maybe with Peyton.
I try not to dwell on the latter as we settle into our table by the floor to ceiling glass window.
It's still a little early for dinner so there are only a few customers around. Which I'm thankful for.
Parker insisted we go straight here from school so we're still in our uniforms. He doesn't care about that but I can't help but feel a little out of place.
"What are you thinking?" he asks, interrupting my thoughts as a male server pours red wine into our glasses.
Either he doesn't care that we're clearly students or he's used to pouring wine for Parker.
"I'm thinking we should've gone home to change first," I say honestly.
"Why? Would it have made any difference?"
Yes. It would've felt more like a date.
I give a shrug. "It would've felt more comfortable."
A small smile twists his lips. "I didn't want to give you time to change your mind."
I frown at him across the table. "What? You thought I'd say no?"
"You were pissed at me."
"And I told you I got over it."
"I didn't want to take a chance."
My lips twitch. "So to wine and dine me was your idea of groveling?"
His russet brown eyes twinkle in mirth. "It worked, didn't it?"
"Don't get cocky," I smirk. "The jury is still out."
Parker just leans back on his chair and smiles, as if he knows I'm full of crap. Then grabs the menu on the table.
I do the same, biting back a smile of my own as my eyes roam over the menu.
A few moments later and we're giving our orders to the server. Chicken parmigiana with pasta for me while Parker settles on pasta puttanesca and Italian sausage.
The whole time I can feel Parker's eyes on me. I wait for the server to leave before quizzing him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Stay with me tonight."
I blink. Surely, I misheard him. "Um, what?"
His gaze intensifies. "Don't go home. Tell your dad you'll be staying over at Quinn's."
He's asking me to sleep over at his house?
Shaking my head, I choke out a laugh. "But I don't even have a change of clothes."
"You won't need it." His eyes and voice hold a heated promise that steals my breath.
Is he implying
