Page 41 of Accidentally Falling For My Best Friend (Chicago Awakenings #2)

OAKLEY

December

Oakley

This movie isn’t as funny without you to say all of the lines with me

Oakley

I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight without you in my bed.

Oakley

Was that weird to admit? I know we haven’t really been talking about what hooking up means, but I’m getting sick of filtering myself to you—I never have before

Oakley

Fuck, why did I say that over text. Ignore me, I’m just being overly sentimental about us missing out on our Christmas traditions

Oakley

I’m choosing to believe that your phone died and you haven’t found a new charger yet, not that you’re ignoring me…

Oakley

Also, did the plane mess up your monitor or something? I got the alert that it went offline in my app when you were on your flight but it never turned back on. Can you at least reset that so I know you’re okay?

Oakley

Fuck it, I already sound really clingy, I might as well go all in. I really miss you. Merry Christmas, Parker

Oakley

Charge your damn phone.

I ’m staring at my unread texts from last night, refreshing the screen like that will somehow change the fact that Parker hasn’t even opened them. He has read receipts on, but the last message he saw was the picture I sent of my brothers and I watching Christmas Vacation too.

Logically, I know that means his phone must have died and he couldn’t find another charger, but emotionally, I feel like something is wrong.

My anxiety is already through the roof being away from him, add in not getting any responses, and I’m worried I might have some sort of outburst soon.

I’m sure I’ll be anxious for a whole other reason when he actually does read those messages, because I did sound more lovesick than I intended, but for now, my focus is on making sure he’s okay.

I had trouble falling asleep last night with his lack of response, but I had tried to reassure myself that he didn’t bring a phone charger, and that he’d find a way to charge it in the morning.

Yet here we are, and it’s well past morning. It’s nearly two PM on Christmas day and still no response.

Aspen also isn’t responding. I texted Sage, and she hasn’t heard from her either.

I’m staying at my grandparents’ house for the holiday and none of my brothers or any of the other friends we’ve texted have heard from Parker either.

I tried to hold back from texting his mom, not wanting to worry her if he’s just without a charger, or if I said something wrong and he’s ignoring me, but I gave up on that a few hours ago.

My heart sank when she said she also hadn’t heard from him, and we promised to update the other when we do.

My brothers know I’m distracted and they’ve been trying to cheer me up, but there’s no use.

I’m sitting on the couch with Spot, waiting for dinner to be served, ignoring my relatives.

Trying to put on a happy face for the sake of my family is rough since I don’t actually know what, or if, anything is wrong.

But if Cody’s worried expression as he stares at me from the opposite couch is any indication, I don’t think I’m doing a very good job of hiding my worry.

“Still nothing?” Beck checks. I shake my head, my leg bouncing uncontrollably with my pent-up nerves.

“Aspen must have forgotten her charger, too,” Cody offers, again.

We’ve all speculated why they would both be ignoring me because they stopped responding around the same time late last night.

There’s no reason either of them would be leaving the house at midnight on Christmas Eve, so a car crash seems unlikely.

Unless they left to find a phone charger.

But the stores would be closed so that doesn’t really make sense either.

I’ve also been checking any Atlanta news channels I can find. Surely if there was some sort of tragedy, someone would be reporting on it, even if they didn’t include names. So if they’re okay, why aren’t they responding?

Finally, my phone vibrates, and my entire body seems to soar with hope when I go to answer, assuming I’ll see Parker’s name on my screen.

But it isn’t him .

It’s Aspen.

Which means something bad happened to Parker.

My gut drops and I go cold, like the blood has been drained from my body, stealing any sign of life from inside me. I’m sure I look like I’ve seen a ghost as I jump up from the couch, leaving the room as I desperately pick up the call. “Aspen, what’s wrong?” I demand.

I know without a doubt that something is wrong with Parker if she’s the one calling me back after all this time. He would understand how anxious his lack of response would have left me. He’d be doing everything that he could to get a hold of me, to reassure me that he was okay.

“Parker’s fine,” she chokes out, attempting to reassure me, but the words do little to calm my racing heart.

“Aspen, tell me what the fuck is wrong!” I shout.

I know I’m way too loud and that the whole family can hear me yelling from where I ran into the hallway.

I do try to calm down as I take deep measured breaths.

Still, it’s hard not to keep yelling at Aspen, because clearly something is wrong with Parker, and she didn’t stop it from happening.

Probably not her fault. I remind myself of that but logic and reasoning can only go so far when my anxiety over Parker’s well-being has been so high all day.

It’s poisoned my every thought with intrusive, worst-case scenarios.

I know I won’t be able to calm down until I can physically see for myself that he’s okay.

It’s only been a moment, but it feels like an eternity before she finally answers. “He’s in the hospital, but he really is fine! They said his blood sugar was high. He stopped throwing up?—”

My eyes widen. “He was throwing up ?”

“— but they gave him fluids to replenish his electrolytes. He’s in good hands, Oakley.”

Even though she says it, I don’t believe it. There’ s so many things that could go wrong here. If it was bad enough that he needed to be hospitalized, I can’t just stay here and do nothing.

I take in another deep breath, trying to level out my breathing before I respond. I don’t want her to think I’m angry, but fuck me , she could have called me sooner. “Thank you for calling.”

She sighs over the other end of the line, guilt written in her tone. “I’m sorry I couldn’t call sooner. We just found a phone charger?—”

“It’s okay,” I rush out. I don’t mean to interrupt her, but I don’t care to hear anything other than information that will get me to Parker. “Please give me the address.”

“Okay,” she says through a small tremble. She rattles off the address of the hospital they’re in. Before I can hang up, she stops me. “Oakley, I really am sorry.”

“Thanks, Aspen. See you soon.”

When I hang up, I’m shaking, adrenaline racing through my body with nowhere to channel it as I pull up a rideshare app to request a car to the airport.

“Is Parker okay?” Cody asks as he enters the hallway. I’m assuming he and Beck probably waited to give me privacy, but they both look alarmed when I flash the rideshare app.

“He’s in the hospital with diabetes complications. Aspen said he’s okay, but I’m going to Atlanta. He needs me.”

“I’m glad he’s okay and in the hospital with professionals who can help him,” Beck says with a loud exhale, obviously relieved by the news.

“I get that you want to be with him, but are you sure you want to leave without even saying goodbye to our parents or grandparents?” Beck checks, following me as I put on my shoes and walk outside.

“I can’t wait, I need to be there.” I insist, pacing as I check the app again.

“Oak, he’s going to be okay,” Beck tries, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off .

“You can’t know that!” I insist. “I never should have been away from Parker to begin with, this never would have happened if I’d been there,” I point out, voice cracking as I spin to face him.

“I promised. All of those years ago, when he first got diagnosed and almost died. It was the scariest moment of my life, but his dad promised me he wouldn’t let anything happen to Parker.

And then his dad died, and I took on that promise.

I swore to him he wouldn’t end up back in the hospital, that I would be there to make sure it never happened again. ”

“Oakley, you have to know it’s not your fault,” Cody tries to reassure me but there’s no use.

Any sense of a filter I had is gone with all of the stress, and I can’t stop the thoughts flying through my mind from spilling out of my mouth without my permission.

“I love him. I’m in love with Parker and I should have been with him today.

Not just because it’s Christmas, or because he was struggling and I could have made it easier on him, but because I want to be with him all the time.

Every moment that we’re together is better than when we’re apart.

His presence settles something inside of me that I can’t explain.

It’s like a part of me is missing when I’m not with him.

And I’m an idiot for not realizing it sooner, for not seeing what was right in front of me. ”

Beck looks a little smug at my confession, and Cody is beaming at me, but neither looks surprised.

I’ve probably gotten my point across already, but I keep going.

“I don’t want to wait until we’re alone to be able to touch him.

I don’t want to hide the fact that I’m in love with him from my own family.

” My voice is calmer now, each word seemingly loosening the imaginary chains I’ve felt tightening around my chest, slowly suffocating me the longer I went on pretending Parker and I are just friends.

“Keep us updated. Go get your man,” Beck says with a smirk as my driver pulls up and I promise I will.