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Chapter or Story
******
When Parker finally opened her eyes, she stared at the white walls surrounding her.
"Jarod." She choked.
"Shh." He raised from the chair. "I'm here."
Parker felt her pillow fill with a cool wetness from the tears falling from her eyes as she tried to stare into the pretender's eyes. She glanced down at his right hand and saw the gold wedding band that he was twisting around his finger. "It wasn't a dream." She barely sat up.
"You are going to be fine." He smiled back at her.
She placed her hands over her abdomen. "The baby?"
"We can still have more."
She had a steady stream flowing down her face. "We made it this far." She laced her fingers into his.
There was soft knock on the door. They both glanced up to see the older man enter.
"Daddy?" Parker cried as she wiped the tears away.
"Angel. I just want you to know that whoever did this will be held responsible."
"I don't care, daddy. Jarod and I just want our freedom."
"Angel, you can't leave me." He pleaded.
"Mr. Parker, you don't get it, do you? I love you daughter and in order for us have any kind of a life we have to leave and start over...together."
"Jarod, you can't take my daughter from me."
"I'm not. You have done it to yourself." He watched as the older man choked up over his words.
"She's my little girl!"
"She needs her freedom!" The words grew louder as the two began to shout.
"Stop it!" Parker intervened. She threw her hands in the air. "This is why I couldn't stay with you." She turned to her husband. "I knew this would happen."
"Baby..."
"Angel..."
"Stop it. Both of you." She sat up in the bed. "This is what is going to happen. Daddy, you are going to give Jarod his freedom so we can have some kind of life without the Centre always on our tails." Then she faced the young man beside her. "And Jarod I need some time to think about what just happen. I can't deal with the marriage and the loss of our child right now."
"I want you to take all the time you need. I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Just tell me."
"Jarod, I have do this alone. Please give me some time." She tried to hold back the tears.
"Child?" Mr. Parker was shocked. Glancing back over to his daughter, "Ok I will have the papers drawn up today for you to look over. Jarod you are free from the Centre." He lowered his head like he was ashamed to be defeated by his own daughter.
Please can you tell me so I can finally see where you go when you're gone
******
Six weeks later
Somewhere on the beach near the gulf
Parker was kicked back in a lawn chair reading a book when a shadow blocked her from the sun. She glanced up to see a man standing next to the chair.
"What you doing here?" She asked.
"To bring you home." He stood over her.
"I'm not ready to go back."
"Oh yes you are." He skimmed the area, looking at the young girls on the beach. "I can't take it there anymore."
"Why? You don't have anyone to annoy?"
"Yes."
"Well, I guess you will have to find your kicks else where." She flashed a fake smile at him.
"Please come back. I'm begging you."
"You, Lyle, begging." She stood from the chair and headed to the bar.
He quickly followed. "Please, sis. You don't know how bad it is."
She grabbed the fruity drink from the bar and headed back to the chair. "How bad what is?"
"Jarod." He sat down next to her.
"Jarod?" She couldn't believe he was talking about Jarod of all people.
He could hear the concern in her voice when he mentioned his name. "After you left and didn't call for a while, Jarod came back to the Centre. He won't leave. I don't understand it. Dad gave him his freedom and now he comes back." Lyle shook his head. "Just think after all these years of chasing him, who would have guessed your breaking his heart would have brought him back to the Centre." Lyle knew no one would ever understand that man.
"He what?" Parker couldn't believe what her brother was telling her.
"I'm telling you it is depressing. Torturing him isn't even as fun as it used to be. Please take him off our hands." Lyle begged.
"I don't believe you." She turned her head watching the waves come in from the ocean.
"Fine. If I can't convince you then I guess this will." He shoved a DSA into her hand and walked off.
Parker stared down to the small disc. "Damn it." She got up and headed to her room.
******
Two days later
The Centre
Parker stood in the doorway of Jarod's room with her arms crossed at her chest. He could smell the cologne linger in his small cell and knew who it was without looking up. She watched him lay on the bed not moving.
"They tell me they don't even have to lock the door anymore. You never leave." She uncrossed her arms and took a step into the room.
"What's the point?" He raised up to see her moving closer to him. "My life is over."
"I wouldn't say that. You finally got your freedom."
"If that is what you call it. Freedom? My wife left me and the Centre took *our* child. Yep, I would say it is over." He swung his legs off the bed and stared up at her. "Freedom or not."
"I'm sorry." She barely whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"Well, they say it is better to have lost in love then to have never loved at all." He eyed the gold band on his left hand and twisted it around and around.
"I'm sorry. I made a mistake but I had to have time to myself in order to make my love for you stronger." She touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "I love you. I always have and I always will." She leaned in to kiss him.
He pulled back. "I'm not sure if I can trust you again." The tears swelled up in his brown eyes.
"Fine." She stood from the bed. "I guess I will be seeing you around." She headed to the door. "Just remember that I love you." She walked out the door leaving him on the edge of the bed.
Jarod watched her leave and wanted so much to get up and follow her out. He was so stupid to let her go like that. After all he never gave up on her that easy and she just left.
"Stupid. Stupid." He repeated as he hit his forehead with his hand. He got up from the bed heading toward the door then decided against it. He heard her high heels heading back so he jumped back on the bed like he had never got up.
She peaked her head in. "Are you coming?"
"What?" He tried to hold back the small grin forming on his lips.
"Are you staying or leaving? Because I don't have all day for you to make up your mind." She smiled at him.
Jarod jumped up and practically ran her over to get out the door. "I thought you were leaving."
"I was but then I knew Lyle would hunt me down and kill me for leaving you here." She laughed.
"Lyle?" He looked puzzled.
"It's a long story." She took his hand into hers as they walked down the hall and through the door.
And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand the beauty that's within
It's now that we begin you always light my way
I hope there never comes a day no matter where I go
I always feel you so
'Cause you're everywhere to me and when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe I'm not alone
'Cause you're everywhere to me and when I catch my breath it's you I breathe
You're everything I know that makes me believe I'm not alone
The End!
When Parker finally opened her eyes, she stared at the white walls surrounding her.
"Jarod." She choked.
"Shh." He raised from the chair. "I'm here."
Parker felt her pillow fill with a cool wetness from the tears falling from her eyes as she tried to stare into the pretender's eyes. She glanced down at his right hand and saw the gold wedding band that he was twisting around his finger. "It wasn't a dream." She barely sat up.
"You are going to be fine." He smiled back at her.
She placed her hands over her abdomen. "The baby?"
"We can still have more."
She had a steady stream flowing down her face. "We made it this far." She laced her fingers into his.
There was soft knock on the door. They both glanced up to see the older man enter.
"Daddy?" Parker cried as she wiped the tears away.
"Angel. I just want you to know that whoever did this will be held responsible."
"I don't care, daddy. Jarod and I just want our freedom."
"Angel, you can't leave me." He pleaded.
"Mr. Parker, you don't get it, do you? I love you daughter and in order for us have any kind of a life we have to leave and start over...together."
"Jarod, you can't take my daughter from me."
"I'm not. You have done it to yourself." He watched as the older man choked up over his words.
"She's my little girl!"
"She needs her freedom!" The words grew louder as the two began to shout.
"Stop it!" Parker intervened. She threw her hands in the air. "This is why I couldn't stay with you." She turned to her husband. "I knew this would happen."
"Baby..."
"Angel..."
"Stop it. Both of you." She sat up in the bed. "This is what is going to happen. Daddy, you are going to give Jarod his freedom so we can have some kind of life without the Centre always on our tails." Then she faced the young man beside her. "And Jarod I need some time to think about what just happen. I can't deal with the marriage and the loss of our child right now."
"I want you to take all the time you need. I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Just tell me."
"Jarod, I have do this alone. Please give me some time." She tried to hold back the tears.
"Child?" Mr. Parker was shocked. Glancing back over to his daughter, "Ok I will have the papers drawn up today for you to look over. Jarod you are free from the Centre." He lowered his head like he was ashamed to be defeated by his own daughter.
Please can you tell me so I can finally see where you go when you're gone
******
Six weeks later
Somewhere on the beach near the gulf
Parker was kicked back in a lawn chair reading a book when a shadow blocked her from the sun. She glanced up to see a man standing next to the chair.
"What you doing here?" She asked.
"To bring you home." He stood over her.
"I'm not ready to go back."
"Oh yes you are." He skimmed the area, looking at the young girls on the beach. "I can't take it there anymore."
"Why? You don't have anyone to annoy?"
"Yes."
"Well, I guess you will have to find your kicks else where." She flashed a fake smile at him.
"Please come back. I'm begging you."
"You, Lyle, begging." She stood from the chair and headed to the bar.
He quickly followed. "Please, sis. You don't know how bad it is."
She grabbed the fruity drink from the bar and headed back to the chair. "How bad what is?"
"Jarod." He sat down next to her.
"Jarod?" She couldn't believe he was talking about Jarod of all people.
He could hear the concern in her voice when he mentioned his name. "After you left and didn't call for a while, Jarod came back to the Centre. He won't leave. I don't understand it. Dad gave him his freedom and now he comes back." Lyle shook his head. "Just think after all these years of chasing him, who would have guessed your breaking his heart would have brought him back to the Centre." Lyle knew no one would ever understand that man.
"He what?" Parker couldn't believe what her brother was telling her.
"I'm telling you it is depressing. Torturing him isn't even as fun as it used to be. Please take him off our hands." Lyle begged.
"I don't believe you." She turned her head watching the waves come in from the ocean.
"Fine. If I can't convince you then I guess this will." He shoved a DSA into her hand and walked off.
Parker stared down to the small disc. "Damn it." She got up and headed to her room.
******
Two days later
The Centre
Parker stood in the doorway of Jarod's room with her arms crossed at her chest. He could smell the cologne linger in his small cell and knew who it was without looking up. She watched him lay on the bed not moving.
"They tell me they don't even have to lock the door anymore. You never leave." She uncrossed her arms and took a step into the room.
"What's the point?" He raised up to see her moving closer to him. "My life is over."
"I wouldn't say that. You finally got your freedom."
"If that is what you call it. Freedom? My wife left me and the Centre took *our* child. Yep, I would say it is over." He swung his legs off the bed and stared up at her. "Freedom or not."
"I'm sorry." She barely whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"Well, they say it is better to have lost in love then to have never loved at all." He eyed the gold band on his left hand and twisted it around and around.
"I'm sorry. I made a mistake but I had to have time to myself in order to make my love for you stronger." She touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "I love you. I always have and I always will." She leaned in to kiss him.
He pulled back. "I'm not sure if I can trust you again." The tears swelled up in his brown eyes.
"Fine." She stood from the bed. "I guess I will be seeing you around." She headed to the door. "Just remember that I love you." She walked out the door leaving him on the edge of the bed.
Jarod watched her leave and wanted so much to get up and follow her out. He was so stupid to let her go like that. After all he never gave up on her that easy and she just left.
"Stupid. Stupid." He repeated as he hit his forehead with his hand. He got up from the bed heading toward the door then decided against it. He heard her high heels heading back so he jumped back on the bed like he had never got up.
She peaked her head in. "Are you coming?"
"What?" He tried to hold back the small grin forming on his lips.
"Are you staying or leaving? Because I don't have all day for you to make up your mind." She smiled at him.
Jarod jumped up and practically ran her over to get out the door. "I thought you were leaving."
"I was but then I knew Lyle would hunt me down and kill me for leaving you here." She laughed.
"Lyle?" He looked puzzled.
"It's a long story." She took his hand into hers as they walked down the hall and through the door.
And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand the beauty that's within
It's now that we begin you always light my way
I hope there never comes a day no matter where I go
I always feel you so
'Cause you're everywhere to me and when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe I'm not alone
'Cause you're everywhere to me and when I catch my breath it's you I breathe
You're everything I know that makes me believe I'm not alone
The End!
