Emily Rose

I slowly drag myself out of bed, the nightmares spilling themselves into the daytime.

I don't want to leave the comfortable sheets of my new life, but I couldn't take it anymore. The doctors have given me some sleeping pills, but they don't work and they make me unresponsive. Stone cold, as I like to call it.

I trudged my way to the bathroom.

My whole life was turned upside down. And all I have left is a dead body in my old living room, a coworker who doesn't want me to go back to work, and a comatose lover.

I sigh as I turn on the bathroom light and flinch when I see my reflection in the mirror.

God, I look like shit.

My hair roamed around my head, pieces flying everywhere.

Well, that's what you get for staying in bed for three days straight.

After losing most of my things, Parker took me in. Apparently, he had an "apartment" downtown. But what he didn't tell me was that his place wasn't just some old, fixer upper apartment.

No.

It was a full blown fucking condo with silk sheets, steel appliances and outdoor pool attached to the balcony.

Yeah. Apartment, my ass.

Waving my hand under the hand activated sink, I roll my eyes before gathering the lukewarm water under my stiff hands and slashing it on my face.

While I was throwing myself a nice pity party, Parker would always be checking up on me.

Bringing me food, making sure I wasn't sick, making sure I took sleeping pills. Even though I would always spit them out after he left the room, he would still check.

I think he knows that I do that, but he doesn't question it.

Everyone has been here; my parents, my brothers, my friends.

They say that it's going to get better but I don't care about that. I know it will get better. I know that the nightmares will stop and my life will go back to normal. One day if not today

But I don't care about that. No.

I have so many unanswered questions like: why was the man in my house in the first place? Who was that man? What was with the quote above him? Have I've seen him before?

Those questions have all been on my mind ever since I left the hospital.

After scrubbing the demons and memories off my skin, I grabbed a clean towel off the shelf and wrapped it around my body.

I know if I don't answer these questions they're going to be gnawing me all my life and I wouldn't be able to take it.

As I shimmied into my panties, I began to think.

What's the one thing that has been in the middle of everything? What's changed in the last month to cause this.

I pause.

Parker.

None of this happened until he showed back up.

He must have something to do with this.

I'm gonna find this out, no matter what.

******

I trudged out of the guest bedroom and into the kitchen where Parker sat at the island on his computer, blueprints and accounts could be seen from the screen.

I need that laptop.

I walked past him and opened the fridge.

"You're up?!"

I heard Parker's laptop slowly shut before the chair made a scraping sound from the floor and he appeared beside me.

"Are you okay? I-I was going to check up on you, but I thought you were sleeping."

I pulled the milk out of the fridge, "you didn't hear the shower running?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him run a hand through his hair and bite his lip.

"I get a little focused when I'm working." He admits as he rubs the back of his neck.

I move past him towards the cupboard to grab the cereal. "Workaholic, maybe?"

He scoffed, "yeah, right. I've seen more assholes worst than me. I'm the lowest of the lowest in the tower of workaholics."

I smiled as I pulled the cereal out of the cupboard.

"Okay sure, whatever you say."

Silence filled the room before Parker cleared his throat. "Hey look, I gotta go get some of the mail from downstairs. I'll be gone for a couple minutes. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

I nodded as I grabbed a bowl. "Yep, positive."

Game plan.

"Okay... um," he nodded, "I'mma go now. I'll be back."

He said before grabbing his phone and walking out of front door.

I waited a couple a seconds before dropping the bowl onto the counter and rushing to his computer.

I quickly flipped up the screen, praying that it didn't lock.

Please, please, please!

The screens awakened to show the last tap Parker was on.

Yes! Jackpot!

I clicked out of the screen, making sure not to exit out of it.

Okay, so if I was Parker, where would I go to keep information?

I clicked on the folder icon on the screen.

Of course, Parker would keep everything organized and perfect. Just look at his life.

The icon opened as did Parker's recent folders. I knew if I wanted to find something, I was gonna have to go down here.

I swiped through folders, each named with different code names.

Company.

Blueprints.

Friends.

Pictures.

Selma.

Purchase.

Home.

Home. Okay, we're getting somewhere.

I clicked the folder and more folders presented themselves.

Hotel.

Problem.

People.

Recent.

Problem? What the hell is that?

I shake my head. I'm not here for that.

I click on "Recent" and began my search.

There was only one document on the file.

I clicked on it.

FREDRICK ETHAN DIXON

SEX: Male

AGE: 27 years old

STATUS: Murdered

PARENTS: Deceased

SIBLING: Sister, Amber Dixon. Mable Farms Hospital. Leukemia.

ASSOCIATION: Peter Pan.

Pictures Along With Testimony.

I leaned into the screen and clicked on the pictures.

Holy, shit.

It's the man who attacked me that night! The one stamped on the wall of my old home!

Emerald eyes stared back at me as I clicked through the multiple pictures of him.

At the club, on the streets, as a child.

What the fuck is Parker doing?!

I cringed and backed away from the computer.

Fuck.

I began to pace the floors back and forth. I can't think.

I push a frustrated hand through my hair as I try to catch my breath, tears stinging in my eyes.

Oh my God.

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth.

Ugh!

My hands slam onto the laptop.

A loud screech sounds from it.

"Oh, shit! Oh shit!"

I snatched the laptop from its resting spot.

Oh, please, tell me that I didn't break this fucking laptop.

The screen flashes white before a deep but familiar voice emerges from the screen.

"Testimony? You want a testimony?! Yeah, nice try jackass." The voice scoffs.

Tomas?

*****

Hey guys!

A secrets coming out.

Parker knows more than he's letting on. And Emmie's ready to dig a little deeper, but is she ready to find out what's really going on?

I'm suspecting this book is to end at around 30-40 chapters, most likely 39 or 40. I'm not sure, I'm going to pinpoint that later.

Anyways, I hope you liked Chapter 19 of The Love That Is Parker Bowmen.

Remember don't forget to vote, comment and add to your library, if you want more!