Title - Tears of Yesterday I
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Keywords - JOR/MPOR/JMPR/Angst
Spoilers - Fourth season finale
Summary: Jarod finds Miss Parker in a situation that brings back
painful memories from the past for them both
Disclaimer - Not my characters. I'm just using them for some fun.
They'll be returned when I'm done.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tears of Yesterday
by Nicky
Jarod stumbles through the front door, his legs and lungs both
burning from the intense workout he subjected himself to.
Pretends like his last one always left him desperate for some sort
of catharsis. A release of the pressure that had built up during
the pretend. So he ran. He ran and he ran until his legs
couldn't carry him anymore. He ran until all of the anguish he
picked up from the pretend seeped out with each drop of sweat. He
ran until he was himself again. But this time, he couldn't run
far enough. There was no escape from this last pretend. Because
it reached deep inside of him and grabbed a hold of a pain that
was already present. A pain he was trying to forget.
His aching muscles cried out for a hot, steamy shower and he
eagerly relented. The warm spray gently massaged his body, easing
some of the tension, but not enough. He was still wound up tight.
He knew that eventually the pain would dissipate or that something
else would come up and he'd forget about it. So until that time,
he just had to keep himself busy to keep from going crazy. He
picks up the phone and dials a number that's become very familiar
to him.
"Hello?" a woman answers.
"Hi Zoe," Jarod greets.
"Jarod," she says excitedly. "I was wondering when you'd be done
with your latest thingy."
"It's a pretend," he chuckles at her phrasing of his 'job'. It
was hard explaining to her the things that he could do. But she
seemed to accept it, along with the little time they got to spend
together. "And yes, I'm done."
"It was pretty bad, huh," she guesses. "You sound exhausted.
Worn out."
"It was. And I am," he confesses. "I could use a break. You
want to meet somewhere?"
"Jarod, you know you're always welcome here."
"I know that, Zoe. But I can't bring that kind of trouble on you.
After Lyle got to you that last time, we need to be more careful.
Meeting at your place would be too dangerous," he insists. "How
about we meet in paradise."
"Ooh, sounds heavenly," she giggles. "What do you have in mind."
"Barbados. Warm. Tropical. Beaches that go on forever. With
water as blue as . . ." he ends off suddenly, ashamed that he was
about to compare the beach to Miss Parker's eyes. He remembers
first hearing about the beaches in the Caribbean. He was 14 years
old. Miss Parker had been gone for about 2 weeks and he was
beginning to worry about her. But she came back, happy and
tanned, excitedly telling him about the cruise her father took her
on. She told him about the endless beaches with the heavenly blue
water. He could only imagine the water, but in his mind it only
paled in comparison to her eyes. The first trip he ever made to
the Caribbean after he escaped, he realized he was right. The
water had nothing on her eyes.
"Water as blue as what, Jarod?" she asks him.
"Actually, I'll let you tell me, Zoe when we get there," he
smiles, trying to shove the image of his huntress from his mind.
"So, will you meet me?"
"Of course I will, Jarod," she agrees. "I'll see you soon."
They hang up the phone and Jarod busies himself to making the
arrangements. This was just the type of diversion he needed. He
just hoped that this trip would help him forget for a while.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sweetheart, I think it's a wonderful idea," Mr. Parker's voice
booms. "You and Carson should get away."
"You don't mind that I'm taking a vacation with him?" Miss Parker
eyes her father curiously, wondering why he was making this so
easy for her.
"Angel, Carson is just the kind of man I've always wanted for you.
I think a vacation would be nice for you both."
"See, Parker. I told you it would be no problem," Carson said,
kissing her hand gently. "So, what do you say?"
"Okay," she tells him. "I'll go away with you."
"Wonderful," her father grins. "Well, I have to go. Leave you
two lovebirds alone." He stands to leave.
"Actually, I have to be going, too," Carson announces. "I'll walk
out with you, Mr. Parker." He kisses Miss Parker good night
before leaving with her father.
Miss Parker sits in the silence after they're gone, wondering if
she was ready for this step with Carson. She met Carson Stone
three months ago. She was instantly attracted to him. He was
tall with dark hair and chocolate eyes that she couldn't resist.
He was very charming and swept her off her feet. She knows that
she doesn't love him. And she knows that she never will. But he
makes her happy enough. And her father approves of him. At least
she won't have to worry about finding him on her front porch with
a bullet through his brain. She sighs and shakes herself before
standing up. If she was going on this trip, she had much to do.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Barbados?" Miss Parker comments dryly when they land.
"You sound disappointed," Carson pouts.
"It's not that," she quickly says. "I love it here. I came here
a long time ago when I was younger. But I haven't been back." Or
couldn't come back, she thinks to herself. When she was about 12
or 13, her father brought her on a trip out here. For two weeks
she played in the sun, frolicked on the beach, and had a good
time. She couldn't wait to get back to the Centre to tell Jarod
all about it. And when she did, she was rewarded by the look on
his face when she described it all. She vowed that day that she
wouldn't come back unless she could bring him.
"Well, how about we get settled into the beach house and then go
out for some dinner and dancing," he suggests.
"Sounds good," she says with a forced smile. Generally she
enjoyed Carson's company. But lately, little things were starting
to rub her the wrong way. As if some kind of radar on the inside
of her was going off warning her about this guy. And it was a
little disconcerting how well he got along with her father.
Miss Parker pushes those thoughts out of her mind and follows
Carson to the car. They arrive at the beach house and unpack.
She dresses for dinner and two hours later, they're at the
restaurant. That's when things start to go bad.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Zoe, will you hurry up? I'm hungry," Jarod calls out to his
companion. She'd been in the bathroom for almost an hour now,
trying to get ready for dinner. "My friend will only be able to
hold our reservation for so long."
"Okay, I'm coming," she says, stepping through the door. She
pauses and lets him take in the sight of her, making a little turn
for him to see it all.
"Wow," Jarod says breathlessly. "You look great. Definitely
worth the wait."
"Thank you," she blushes. "Let's get going." She takes his hand
and they leave the hotel. The restaurant is just down the beach,
so they walk, enjoying the setting sun on the way.
"Jarod," the host says when they arrive at the restaurant twenty
minutes later. "I'm so glad you could make it. We almost had to
give away your table to this one angry couple. I told them they
had to wait, but the guy just got angry and tried to rough me up a
bit. Luckily his lovely companion was just as scary as he was.
She barked at him until he backed down."
"Jameel, that's awful," Jarod sympathizes. "We didn't mean to
cause you any trouble. But I'm glad we still have a table. Zoe
and I are starved." Both men look appreciatingly at Zoe and smile
at her.
"Right this way." The host leads Jarod and Zoe through the
crowded restaurant to a quiet table by the back deck. "How is
this?"
"This will be lovely. Thanks." Jarod says with a smile. He helps
Zoe into her seat and they sit to enjoy the evening.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker watches as Carson orders yet another drink. They were
forced to wait at the bar until a table became available. Carson
hadn't had the foresight to make reservations. She wanted to just
go to another restaurant, but he insisted on staying, saying that
this was the best in the area. After attempting to bully the
host, they were banished to the bar.
"Slow down on the drinks, Carson," she suggests. "We may be here
awhile."
"You're one to talk," he slurs. "You've had a few yourself."
The drinks were fairly heavy on the rum. By the time she realized
it, she had a pretty nice buzz going. But she's slowed down.
Carson is still going and is starting to get drunk.
"You don't want to cause another scene, do you? They may throw us
out this time," she warns him. She couldn't believe how he
erupted at the host earlier. If she hadn't yelled at him to back
off, he probably would have put the poor man in the hospital.
Carson had been angry with her interfering. And he was becoming
nastier with each drink he took.
"I caused the scene?" he asks, raising his voice some. He leans
over until he's right in her face. "I wasn't the one to cause the
scene. We should have been able to get a table. These island
people should be happy that people like us are frequenting their
establishments instead of making them stay in the back and cook
for us."
"You racist pig," she gasps, pushing him away from her. "I'm
leaving now. And I don't ever want to hear from you again," she
yells, causing a few of the patrons to look her way. She gets up
to leave, but Carson grabs her arm, squeezing it tightly.
"No Parker. You can't walk away from this. I own you," Carson
sneers.
"Get your hands off of me," she says icily. She reaches back for
her gun, but realizes that she didn't have it on her. She was on
vacation. She was supposed to be having fun. But this evening
was starting to not be so fun. In fact, it was going from bad
to worse. Before she could blink, she feels the sting of his free
hand across her face. She attempts to fight back, but the alcohol
in her system left her a step behind him. He had punched her
several times before she finally delivered a blow, knocking him
back a step. He stumbles and hits his head against the bar as he
goes down, rendering him unconscious.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Jarod, did you see that?" Zoe asks in shock. "I can't believe
it. That guy just hit his date. She fought him back and he fell
and hit his head."
"They were fighting?" Jarod turns and looks at the situation at
the bar and sees a crowd already surrounding the area. A waitress
was putting ice on the woman's face and several of the men were
trying to rouse the unconscious man on the floor. After the
unsuccessful attempts, they ask if anyone's a doctor.
"Zoe, see if you can get the woman out of here," Jarod says,
turning back to the perky red head. "I'm going to go . . . take
care of her date." His eyes cloud over with something dark. And
even though he had every intention of making sure the man was okay
health wise, he also planned on making sure the man never had the
inclination to hit another woman again.
He pushes his way through the crowd, a path being made for him
when he tells them he's a doctor. He finds the man on the floor,
just starting to come around. He looks around wildly, a little
nervous at suddenly being the center of attention.
"Sir, are you alright?" Jarod asks.
"Yeah. I think so. Just had a bit too much to drink. Fell off
the stool," he covers.
"Can you tell me your name?" Jarod lifts the man's eyelids,
checking to see if his pupils were dilated.
"Carson. Carson Stone. I was here with a woman. Did you see
where she went?"
Jarod grits his teeth, trying hard to hold in his contempt for
this man. But it was hard. He just couldn't understand why a man
would ever do something like that to a woman. But at least the
woman had fought back in this case. His last pretend was so
disturbing because of the number of women he met who couldn't
fight back. They couldn't stand up for themselves. Even more
shocking was no matter how much he tried to help, the women ended
up back with their abusive mates. That wouldn't happen in this
case. He'd make sure of it.
"Actually, I think she's in the restroom freshening up," Jarod
tells him. "Why don't you go out on the back deck and wait for
her. Get some fresh air."
"That's a good idea. Thanks man," Carson says gratefully.
Jarod's phony smile disappears as the man walks out the door. All
he had to do now was get the woman out of here and then he'd come
back to take care of her violent date.
"Zoe," he whispers through the restroom door, knocking lightly on
it. "Is everything alright?"
"We'll be out in a minute," Zoe says, poking her head through the
door.
"Tell her that the coast is clear. She can get out of here
without him seeing her."
"I don't think it's going to be that easy. She's determined to
face him. I think she's really going to hurt him. She keeps on
mentioning something about her gun," Zoe tells him.
"Miss, I don't think killing him is going to solve . . . " Jarod's
thoughts freeze when the bathroom door opens, revealing the woman
standing inside with Zoe. Three fist size bruises were situated
around her face, starting to discolor her porcelain skin. One
bruise was around her mouth. The others were around her eyes.
Jarod locks on the woman's eyes, seeing straight into the one that
wasn't swollen shut. He never thought he'd see her like that
again.
"He did that to you?" he gasps, slowly lifting a shaking hand to
touch the one unbruised area on her face. He fights to hold in
the tears, but they break loose, streaming wildly down his face.
Miss Parker just stands there while a myriad of emotions race
through her head. Disbelief at actually running into Jarod while
on her vacation. After all the attempts at catching him, she just
happens to meet up with him by chance. There's also shame, at
having him see her like this. Grief over watching his forgotten
torment return. And comfort from his presence. Her own tears
start to flow at the gentleness of his touch and the sympathy in
his eyes.
"It looks a lot worse than it is," she tells him, trying to give
him a reassuring smile. But it's too late. She can see that
something dark has overcome him. His eyes were filled with
vengeance. It was like something in him just snapped.
"I'm going to kill him," he growls.
"Jarod," Zoe calls out to him. She was shocked at the
transformation that took place right before her eyes. First he
was crying over this woman's injuries. She knew he was sensitive
about things like that, so it wasn't so strange. But all of a
sudden, anger took over. And she actually believed he would kill
that man. "Jarod come back," she calls again. But he's already
gone out to the deck to get Carson.
"We have to stop him," Miss Parker pleads desperately. She knew
the look in Jarod's eye, too. She could see he was out for blood.
But only she and Jarod knew the real reason why. She grabs Zoe's
hand and they take off after Jarod. When they get out to the
deck, the men are gone. "Where did they go?"
"Out on the beach," Zoe screams. Jarod was on top of Carson,
throwing endless punches before finally wrapping his hands around
his throat. He begins to squeeze, not letting up when the man
begins to struggle for breath.
"Jarod," Zoe yells. "Stop. Don't kill him." The women continue
to run until they reach Jarod and Carson. "Jarod," she yells one
last time, but with no effect. It was like he didn't even hear
her.
"Stop this, Jarod," Miss Parker pleads, grabbing his hand. Jarod
stops squeezing just as Carson loses consciousness. He looks down
at what he's done and breaks down in sobs. Miss Parker pulls him
off of Carson and embraces him. Cradling him in her arms, she
runs one hand through his hair and the other up and down his back.
"I'm sorry," he sobs. "I'm so sorry."
"He's alive," Zoe announces after checking for a pulse. "He's
just unconscious." Sirens blare in the distance and they realize
that someone had alerted the authorities. Zoe looks at the two
people clinging so tightly that they almost seemed like one
person. She wondered who this woman was that could affect Jarod
so deeply in such a short period of time. He's never opened up to
Zoe that much.
"Jarod, look at me," Miss Parker orders, lifting his head up to
meet her eyes. "I'm fine. See for yourself. I'm okay."
"He hurt you," Jarod whimpers. "I wanted to kill him. I can't
take it when anyone hurts you, Miss Parker." Jarod's tears start
again as he falls back into her arms. This time, her own tears
mix along with his.
Zoe watches the whole scene in shock. It becomes clear to her
that Jarod not only knew this woman, but that he cared very deeply
for her. And by the way she was holding him, she cared for him as
well. Zoe suddenly felt out of place.
The ambulance finally arrives and tends to Carson. They take one
look at Miss Parker's face and insists she goes along with them.
"I'm not going anywhere without him," she insists.
"Go ahead. I'll ride along with him in the other ambulance," Zoe
assures her.
Miss Parker reluctantly releases Jarod from her embrace and goes
with the paramedics. Another team swoops in on Jarod and begin
treating him for shock. Miss Parker keeps his eye contact for as
long as she can until her ambulance zooms down the beach. She
sends up a prayer, begging God to help Jarod through this one more
time.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the hospital, the doctors treat Carson and Miss Parker while
the police question them. Carson's taken away to jail when the
whole story about his assault comes out and Miss Parker is told
she's free to go. She goes to the admission's desk and attempts
to track down Jarod, which is a difficult task since he has no
last name. She was about to get agitated when Zoe bounces down
the hall.
"Miss Parker?" she asks tentatively. "Jarod's down here. He's
been asking for you."
Miss Parker glares one last time at the nurse at the desk before
hurrying to where Zoe was pointing. The women quietly walk in the
room and stand by Jarod's bed. The doctors had to sedate him and
he was still sleeping. Miss Parker brushes a lock of hair out of
his eyes, lightly grazing her fingers across his forehead.
"How long have you two known each other," Zoe finally asks,
breaking the silence.
"All our lives almost," Miss Parker tells her. She pulls a chair
close to the bed and sits down. She takes Jarod's hand in her
own, not wanting to lose contact.
"Jarod was locked away when he was younger. So that means you
must know him from that horrible place," Zoe concludes. "Are you
the one he keeps on running from?" Zoe casts an accusatory glare
in her direction. Miss Parker can only nod her head in shame.
"I think you should leave," Zoe orders. Miss Parker stares in
defiance for a moment before Zoe becomes more forceful. "Now,
Miss Parker. I know about you people. I don't think you want me
calling the police, do you?"
Miss Parker sighs in resignation. The truth was, she's done
nothing but hurt Jarod. He seems to have found someone who can
make him happy. Someone who can look after him. Zoe was right.
She shouldn't even be there. She didn't belong. Miss Parker
looks one last time at Jarod and kisses his forehead before
heeding Zoe's wishes and leaving. She manages to wait until she
got outside the room before the tears fall.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod's agitation wakes Zoe, who was sleeping uncomfortably in the
chair next to him. He's flailing in the bed and she's afraid he's
going to hurt himself. Suddenly, he sits straight up and his eyes
pop open.
"Miss Parker," he gasps, over and over. "Miss Parker, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry," he sobs.
"Jarod, wake up," Zoe shakes him. "It's okay. You're okay."
Jarod opens his eyes and sees Zoe smiling down at him. He scans
the room looking for someone else.
"Is she here?" Jarod asks her, his sad face looking like a little
boy who lost his favorite blankie.
"Jarod, I told her she shouldn't be here," Zoe tells him. "I sent
her away."
"I can understand that. But I need to see her," he begs.
"Jarod."
"Zoe, please," he begs.
Zoe just stomps off in a huff, going out in the hall to try to
find the doctor who treated Miss Parker in the emergency room.
Maybe he'd know how to contact her. She didn't expect on running
into Miss Parker in the hallway, however.
"You're still here," Zoe snaps. "Well, that's good because he
wants to see you. And against my better judgment, I told him I'd
come get you. Don't you hurt him," Zoe warns.
Miss Parker walks around the protective woman and goes into the
room. Zoe follows her in and stands by the door, ready to toss
Miss Parker out if necessary.
"Jarod, are you alright?" Miss Parker asks with much concern.
"I'm better. Now that I know you're okay. I can't believe I let
him hurt you. I always let them hurt you," he blames himself.
"Don't do this, Jarod," she gently scolds. "None of it was your
fault. Carson was the one who hurt me. You had nothing to do
with it."
"Thomas was a nice guy. I knew he'd never hurt you. I thought
you two could be happy. But you ended up hurt anyway."
"But I was happy, Jarod. And you made that possible by sending
Thomas to me. When we love somebody, we run the risk of losing
them. When are you going to realize that you're not to blame for
what the Centre does? You weren't responsible for my getting
shot. You almost lost everything trying to help me. I even
stopped blaming you for Mama's death. You helped me survive that.
You were the one there for me everyday."
"I should have known about Carson. I should have been able to
stop him. You shouldn't have been hurt like that. Not again," he
says with a few tears starting to fall. "Not like before."
"Jarod, that wasn't your fault, either. And you couldn't stop it.
You were just a little boy." She cups his cheek, wiping away the
tears as they fell.
"But it's like you said, Miss Parker. I was the one who helped
you survive that place after your mother died. I should have been
able to protect you from those sweepers. If I hadn't tried to run
away . . ."
"Stop, Jarod," she says, putting her finger to his lips. "Those
sweepers may have caught me helping you escape. But it wasn't
your fault that they beat me. You were beaten pretty badly as
well if I remember correctly. You *were* trying to protect me."
"Do you know what it was like for me when you came out of that
bathroom last night? It was like we were kids again. The bruises
were the same. And I felt the same anger and hatred rise up in
me. I just wanted to punish whoever had hurt you like that. I
almost killed a man, Miss Parker." Jarod sits up in the bed and
pulls Miss Parker into his arms. They sit together, holding each
other for a while. Crying silent tears of past hurt that they
desperately needed to let go. Miss Parker looks across the room
and sees a dejected Zoe still standing by the door. She remembers
her vow from the previous night to allow Jarod to be happy.
Jarod groans in protest when Miss Parker pulls herself from his
arms. Inwardly, she lets out the same protest, but had to be
strong on the outside.
"Jarod, it's time we got over this. It's time we healed," she
told him. "I think Zoe can help you. She cares a lot about you."
She leans down and captures his lips with hers for a repeat
performance of that innocent kiss they shared two decades prior.
She forces herself to stop the kiss before she was tempted to go
further.
"Take care of him," she begs Zoe as she walks past the woman.
"He's one of a kind." She pauses when she reaches the door and
turns back to look at him one last time. "Be happy my friend,"
she whispers before finally leaving. 'Be happy, my love' she
cries to herself as she runs from the hospital.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker sits out on the beach, staring out at the water as the
sun sets. She retrieved her things from Carson's beach house and
found a hotel to stay at the rest of her trip. She tried hard not
to think about Jarod, but it was difficult. It's been five days since
she said good-bye. She knew she'd eventually catch up with him
one day, but she had no real intentions of trying to take him back
to the Centre. Not anymore.
The sun is finally laid to rest and she can practically hear the
sizzle as it dips into the water out on the horizon. A sadness
comes over her as she realizes this marks the end of her journey
there. She was leaving to go back to Blue Cove in the morning,
and hopefully leaving behind an era of painful memories.
"I once heard of a beautiful sunset before," a deep voice from
behind her rings out. "The reality still doesn't compare to how
that little girl saw it."
"Jarod?" she gasps, turning around to come face to face with the
man.
"You see, I had never seen a sunset before that day. And the way
she described it to me, it seemed like the most amazing sight I
could imagine. She said that one day, the man of her dreams would
kiss her, just as the sun kissed the ocean and she'd know they'd
be together forever. That very day after she left, I promised
myself that I'd find her a sunset just as she described. Then I'd
take her into my arms and make her dreams come true."
"Jarod, those were just the childish ramblings of kids. We've
grown up since th . . " She's stopped by the force of his mouth
meeting her own. Shock and disbelief soon melt away to passion as
she begins to kiss him back. Her hands clasp behind his neck,
pulling him closer to her until there's not an inch of her body
not touching his.
Slowly, he pulls away, peeling his face from hers, but still
making eye contact. He stares deep into her eyes and realizes for
the first time ever that there's love there. The same love he
knows is reflected in his own eyes.
"Now we have to be together forever, Miss Parker," he gasps, still
trying to catch his breath from the kiss before.
"Forever's a long time, Jarod," she says with a smile. "Think you
can put up with me for that long?"
He finds her mouth again and gives her another sweet kiss, his
gentleness bringing tears to her eyes.
"Forever and longer," he promises. "My heart belongs to you - and
only you - for always."
"I love you," she whispers, more sure of that than she'd ever been
of anything in her entire life. She'd never been able to say
those words. Not even with Thomas until it was too late. But
that's because it's never been so right. Not how it is with
Jarod. "I've always loved you. And I always will."
They seal their vows with a kiss, the sunset no longer marking the
end of a sad journey, but the beginning of a happy one.
The end . . . for now
Stay tuned for Tears of Yesterday II
Feedback please ! ! !
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Keywords - JOR/MPOR/JMPR/Angst
Spoilers - Fourth season finale
Summary: Jarod finds Miss Parker in a situation that brings back
painful memories from the past for them both
Disclaimer - Not my characters. I'm just using them for some fun.
They'll be returned when I'm done.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tears of Yesterday
by Nicky
Jarod stumbles through the front door, his legs and lungs both
burning from the intense workout he subjected himself to.
Pretends like his last one always left him desperate for some sort
of catharsis. A release of the pressure that had built up during
the pretend. So he ran. He ran and he ran until his legs
couldn't carry him anymore. He ran until all of the anguish he
picked up from the pretend seeped out with each drop of sweat. He
ran until he was himself again. But this time, he couldn't run
far enough. There was no escape from this last pretend. Because
it reached deep inside of him and grabbed a hold of a pain that
was already present. A pain he was trying to forget.
His aching muscles cried out for a hot, steamy shower and he
eagerly relented. The warm spray gently massaged his body, easing
some of the tension, but not enough. He was still wound up tight.
He knew that eventually the pain would dissipate or that something
else would come up and he'd forget about it. So until that time,
he just had to keep himself busy to keep from going crazy. He
picks up the phone and dials a number that's become very familiar
to him.
"Hello?" a woman answers.
"Hi Zoe," Jarod greets.
"Jarod," she says excitedly. "I was wondering when you'd be done
with your latest thingy."
"It's a pretend," he chuckles at her phrasing of his 'job'. It
was hard explaining to her the things that he could do. But she
seemed to accept it, along with the little time they got to spend
together. "And yes, I'm done."
"It was pretty bad, huh," she guesses. "You sound exhausted.
Worn out."
"It was. And I am," he confesses. "I could use a break. You
want to meet somewhere?"
"Jarod, you know you're always welcome here."
"I know that, Zoe. But I can't bring that kind of trouble on you.
After Lyle got to you that last time, we need to be more careful.
Meeting at your place would be too dangerous," he insists. "How
about we meet in paradise."
"Ooh, sounds heavenly," she giggles. "What do you have in mind."
"Barbados. Warm. Tropical. Beaches that go on forever. With
water as blue as . . ." he ends off suddenly, ashamed that he was
about to compare the beach to Miss Parker's eyes. He remembers
first hearing about the beaches in the Caribbean. He was 14 years
old. Miss Parker had been gone for about 2 weeks and he was
beginning to worry about her. But she came back, happy and
tanned, excitedly telling him about the cruise her father took her
on. She told him about the endless beaches with the heavenly blue
water. He could only imagine the water, but in his mind it only
paled in comparison to her eyes. The first trip he ever made to
the Caribbean after he escaped, he realized he was right. The
water had nothing on her eyes.
"Water as blue as what, Jarod?" she asks him.
"Actually, I'll let you tell me, Zoe when we get there," he
smiles, trying to shove the image of his huntress from his mind.
"So, will you meet me?"
"Of course I will, Jarod," she agrees. "I'll see you soon."
They hang up the phone and Jarod busies himself to making the
arrangements. This was just the type of diversion he needed. He
just hoped that this trip would help him forget for a while.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sweetheart, I think it's a wonderful idea," Mr. Parker's voice
booms. "You and Carson should get away."
"You don't mind that I'm taking a vacation with him?" Miss Parker
eyes her father curiously, wondering why he was making this so
easy for her.
"Angel, Carson is just the kind of man I've always wanted for you.
I think a vacation would be nice for you both."
"See, Parker. I told you it would be no problem," Carson said,
kissing her hand gently. "So, what do you say?"
"Okay," she tells him. "I'll go away with you."
"Wonderful," her father grins. "Well, I have to go. Leave you
two lovebirds alone." He stands to leave.
"Actually, I have to be going, too," Carson announces. "I'll walk
out with you, Mr. Parker." He kisses Miss Parker good night
before leaving with her father.
Miss Parker sits in the silence after they're gone, wondering if
she was ready for this step with Carson. She met Carson Stone
three months ago. She was instantly attracted to him. He was
tall with dark hair and chocolate eyes that she couldn't resist.
He was very charming and swept her off her feet. She knows that
she doesn't love him. And she knows that she never will. But he
makes her happy enough. And her father approves of him. At least
she won't have to worry about finding him on her front porch with
a bullet through his brain. She sighs and shakes herself before
standing up. If she was going on this trip, she had much to do.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Barbados?" Miss Parker comments dryly when they land.
"You sound disappointed," Carson pouts.
"It's not that," she quickly says. "I love it here. I came here
a long time ago when I was younger. But I haven't been back." Or
couldn't come back, she thinks to herself. When she was about 12
or 13, her father brought her on a trip out here. For two weeks
she played in the sun, frolicked on the beach, and had a good
time. She couldn't wait to get back to the Centre to tell Jarod
all about it. And when she did, she was rewarded by the look on
his face when she described it all. She vowed that day that she
wouldn't come back unless she could bring him.
"Well, how about we get settled into the beach house and then go
out for some dinner and dancing," he suggests.
"Sounds good," she says with a forced smile. Generally she
enjoyed Carson's company. But lately, little things were starting
to rub her the wrong way. As if some kind of radar on the inside
of her was going off warning her about this guy. And it was a
little disconcerting how well he got along with her father.
Miss Parker pushes those thoughts out of her mind and follows
Carson to the car. They arrive at the beach house and unpack.
She dresses for dinner and two hours later, they're at the
restaurant. That's when things start to go bad.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Zoe, will you hurry up? I'm hungry," Jarod calls out to his
companion. She'd been in the bathroom for almost an hour now,
trying to get ready for dinner. "My friend will only be able to
hold our reservation for so long."
"Okay, I'm coming," she says, stepping through the door. She
pauses and lets him take in the sight of her, making a little turn
for him to see it all.
"Wow," Jarod says breathlessly. "You look great. Definitely
worth the wait."
"Thank you," she blushes. "Let's get going." She takes his hand
and they leave the hotel. The restaurant is just down the beach,
so they walk, enjoying the setting sun on the way.
"Jarod," the host says when they arrive at the restaurant twenty
minutes later. "I'm so glad you could make it. We almost had to
give away your table to this one angry couple. I told them they
had to wait, but the guy just got angry and tried to rough me up a
bit. Luckily his lovely companion was just as scary as he was.
She barked at him until he backed down."
"Jameel, that's awful," Jarod sympathizes. "We didn't mean to
cause you any trouble. But I'm glad we still have a table. Zoe
and I are starved." Both men look appreciatingly at Zoe and smile
at her.
"Right this way." The host leads Jarod and Zoe through the
crowded restaurant to a quiet table by the back deck. "How is
this?"
"This will be lovely. Thanks." Jarod says with a smile. He helps
Zoe into her seat and they sit to enjoy the evening.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker watches as Carson orders yet another drink. They were
forced to wait at the bar until a table became available. Carson
hadn't had the foresight to make reservations. She wanted to just
go to another restaurant, but he insisted on staying, saying that
this was the best in the area. After attempting to bully the
host, they were banished to the bar.
"Slow down on the drinks, Carson," she suggests. "We may be here
awhile."
"You're one to talk," he slurs. "You've had a few yourself."
The drinks were fairly heavy on the rum. By the time she realized
it, she had a pretty nice buzz going. But she's slowed down.
Carson is still going and is starting to get drunk.
"You don't want to cause another scene, do you? They may throw us
out this time," she warns him. She couldn't believe how he
erupted at the host earlier. If she hadn't yelled at him to back
off, he probably would have put the poor man in the hospital.
Carson had been angry with her interfering. And he was becoming
nastier with each drink he took.
"I caused the scene?" he asks, raising his voice some. He leans
over until he's right in her face. "I wasn't the one to cause the
scene. We should have been able to get a table. These island
people should be happy that people like us are frequenting their
establishments instead of making them stay in the back and cook
for us."
"You racist pig," she gasps, pushing him away from her. "I'm
leaving now. And I don't ever want to hear from you again," she
yells, causing a few of the patrons to look her way. She gets up
to leave, but Carson grabs her arm, squeezing it tightly.
"No Parker. You can't walk away from this. I own you," Carson
sneers.
"Get your hands off of me," she says icily. She reaches back for
her gun, but realizes that she didn't have it on her. She was on
vacation. She was supposed to be having fun. But this evening
was starting to not be so fun. In fact, it was going from bad
to worse. Before she could blink, she feels the sting of his free
hand across her face. She attempts to fight back, but the alcohol
in her system left her a step behind him. He had punched her
several times before she finally delivered a blow, knocking him
back a step. He stumbles and hits his head against the bar as he
goes down, rendering him unconscious.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Jarod, did you see that?" Zoe asks in shock. "I can't believe
it. That guy just hit his date. She fought him back and he fell
and hit his head."
"They were fighting?" Jarod turns and looks at the situation at
the bar and sees a crowd already surrounding the area. A waitress
was putting ice on the woman's face and several of the men were
trying to rouse the unconscious man on the floor. After the
unsuccessful attempts, they ask if anyone's a doctor.
"Zoe, see if you can get the woman out of here," Jarod says,
turning back to the perky red head. "I'm going to go . . . take
care of her date." His eyes cloud over with something dark. And
even though he had every intention of making sure the man was okay
health wise, he also planned on making sure the man never had the
inclination to hit another woman again.
He pushes his way through the crowd, a path being made for him
when he tells them he's a doctor. He finds the man on the floor,
just starting to come around. He looks around wildly, a little
nervous at suddenly being the center of attention.
"Sir, are you alright?" Jarod asks.
"Yeah. I think so. Just had a bit too much to drink. Fell off
the stool," he covers.
"Can you tell me your name?" Jarod lifts the man's eyelids,
checking to see if his pupils were dilated.
"Carson. Carson Stone. I was here with a woman. Did you see
where she went?"
Jarod grits his teeth, trying hard to hold in his contempt for
this man. But it was hard. He just couldn't understand why a man
would ever do something like that to a woman. But at least the
woman had fought back in this case. His last pretend was so
disturbing because of the number of women he met who couldn't
fight back. They couldn't stand up for themselves. Even more
shocking was no matter how much he tried to help, the women ended
up back with their abusive mates. That wouldn't happen in this
case. He'd make sure of it.
"Actually, I think she's in the restroom freshening up," Jarod
tells him. "Why don't you go out on the back deck and wait for
her. Get some fresh air."
"That's a good idea. Thanks man," Carson says gratefully.
Jarod's phony smile disappears as the man walks out the door. All
he had to do now was get the woman out of here and then he'd come
back to take care of her violent date.
"Zoe," he whispers through the restroom door, knocking lightly on
it. "Is everything alright?"
"We'll be out in a minute," Zoe says, poking her head through the
door.
"Tell her that the coast is clear. She can get out of here
without him seeing her."
"I don't think it's going to be that easy. She's determined to
face him. I think she's really going to hurt him. She keeps on
mentioning something about her gun," Zoe tells him.
"Miss, I don't think killing him is going to solve . . . " Jarod's
thoughts freeze when the bathroom door opens, revealing the woman
standing inside with Zoe. Three fist size bruises were situated
around her face, starting to discolor her porcelain skin. One
bruise was around her mouth. The others were around her eyes.
Jarod locks on the woman's eyes, seeing straight into the one that
wasn't swollen shut. He never thought he'd see her like that
again.
"He did that to you?" he gasps, slowly lifting a shaking hand to
touch the one unbruised area on her face. He fights to hold in
the tears, but they break loose, streaming wildly down his face.
Miss Parker just stands there while a myriad of emotions race
through her head. Disbelief at actually running into Jarod while
on her vacation. After all the attempts at catching him, she just
happens to meet up with him by chance. There's also shame, at
having him see her like this. Grief over watching his forgotten
torment return. And comfort from his presence. Her own tears
start to flow at the gentleness of his touch and the sympathy in
his eyes.
"It looks a lot worse than it is," she tells him, trying to give
him a reassuring smile. But it's too late. She can see that
something dark has overcome him. His eyes were filled with
vengeance. It was like something in him just snapped.
"I'm going to kill him," he growls.
"Jarod," Zoe calls out to him. She was shocked at the
transformation that took place right before her eyes. First he
was crying over this woman's injuries. She knew he was sensitive
about things like that, so it wasn't so strange. But all of a
sudden, anger took over. And she actually believed he would kill
that man. "Jarod come back," she calls again. But he's already
gone out to the deck to get Carson.
"We have to stop him," Miss Parker pleads desperately. She knew
the look in Jarod's eye, too. She could see he was out for blood.
But only she and Jarod knew the real reason why. She grabs Zoe's
hand and they take off after Jarod. When they get out to the
deck, the men are gone. "Where did they go?"
"Out on the beach," Zoe screams. Jarod was on top of Carson,
throwing endless punches before finally wrapping his hands around
his throat. He begins to squeeze, not letting up when the man
begins to struggle for breath.
"Jarod," Zoe yells. "Stop. Don't kill him." The women continue
to run until they reach Jarod and Carson. "Jarod," she yells one
last time, but with no effect. It was like he didn't even hear
her.
"Stop this, Jarod," Miss Parker pleads, grabbing his hand. Jarod
stops squeezing just as Carson loses consciousness. He looks down
at what he's done and breaks down in sobs. Miss Parker pulls him
off of Carson and embraces him. Cradling him in her arms, she
runs one hand through his hair and the other up and down his back.
"I'm sorry," he sobs. "I'm so sorry."
"He's alive," Zoe announces after checking for a pulse. "He's
just unconscious." Sirens blare in the distance and they realize
that someone had alerted the authorities. Zoe looks at the two
people clinging so tightly that they almost seemed like one
person. She wondered who this woman was that could affect Jarod
so deeply in such a short period of time. He's never opened up to
Zoe that much.
"Jarod, look at me," Miss Parker orders, lifting his head up to
meet her eyes. "I'm fine. See for yourself. I'm okay."
"He hurt you," Jarod whimpers. "I wanted to kill him. I can't
take it when anyone hurts you, Miss Parker." Jarod's tears start
again as he falls back into her arms. This time, her own tears
mix along with his.
Zoe watches the whole scene in shock. It becomes clear to her
that Jarod not only knew this woman, but that he cared very deeply
for her. And by the way she was holding him, she cared for him as
well. Zoe suddenly felt out of place.
The ambulance finally arrives and tends to Carson. They take one
look at Miss Parker's face and insists she goes along with them.
"I'm not going anywhere without him," she insists.
"Go ahead. I'll ride along with him in the other ambulance," Zoe
assures her.
Miss Parker reluctantly releases Jarod from her embrace and goes
with the paramedics. Another team swoops in on Jarod and begin
treating him for shock. Miss Parker keeps his eye contact for as
long as she can until her ambulance zooms down the beach. She
sends up a prayer, begging God to help Jarod through this one more
time.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the hospital, the doctors treat Carson and Miss Parker while
the police question them. Carson's taken away to jail when the
whole story about his assault comes out and Miss Parker is told
she's free to go. She goes to the admission's desk and attempts
to track down Jarod, which is a difficult task since he has no
last name. She was about to get agitated when Zoe bounces down
the hall.
"Miss Parker?" she asks tentatively. "Jarod's down here. He's
been asking for you."
Miss Parker glares one last time at the nurse at the desk before
hurrying to where Zoe was pointing. The women quietly walk in the
room and stand by Jarod's bed. The doctors had to sedate him and
he was still sleeping. Miss Parker brushes a lock of hair out of
his eyes, lightly grazing her fingers across his forehead.
"How long have you two known each other," Zoe finally asks,
breaking the silence.
"All our lives almost," Miss Parker tells her. She pulls a chair
close to the bed and sits down. She takes Jarod's hand in her
own, not wanting to lose contact.
"Jarod was locked away when he was younger. So that means you
must know him from that horrible place," Zoe concludes. "Are you
the one he keeps on running from?" Zoe casts an accusatory glare
in her direction. Miss Parker can only nod her head in shame.
"I think you should leave," Zoe orders. Miss Parker stares in
defiance for a moment before Zoe becomes more forceful. "Now,
Miss Parker. I know about you people. I don't think you want me
calling the police, do you?"
Miss Parker sighs in resignation. The truth was, she's done
nothing but hurt Jarod. He seems to have found someone who can
make him happy. Someone who can look after him. Zoe was right.
She shouldn't even be there. She didn't belong. Miss Parker
looks one last time at Jarod and kisses his forehead before
heeding Zoe's wishes and leaving. She manages to wait until she
got outside the room before the tears fall.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod's agitation wakes Zoe, who was sleeping uncomfortably in the
chair next to him. He's flailing in the bed and she's afraid he's
going to hurt himself. Suddenly, he sits straight up and his eyes
pop open.
"Miss Parker," he gasps, over and over. "Miss Parker, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry," he sobs.
"Jarod, wake up," Zoe shakes him. "It's okay. You're okay."
Jarod opens his eyes and sees Zoe smiling down at him. He scans
the room looking for someone else.
"Is she here?" Jarod asks her, his sad face looking like a little
boy who lost his favorite blankie.
"Jarod, I told her she shouldn't be here," Zoe tells him. "I sent
her away."
"I can understand that. But I need to see her," he begs.
"Jarod."
"Zoe, please," he begs.
Zoe just stomps off in a huff, going out in the hall to try to
find the doctor who treated Miss Parker in the emergency room.
Maybe he'd know how to contact her. She didn't expect on running
into Miss Parker in the hallway, however.
"You're still here," Zoe snaps. "Well, that's good because he
wants to see you. And against my better judgment, I told him I'd
come get you. Don't you hurt him," Zoe warns.
Miss Parker walks around the protective woman and goes into the
room. Zoe follows her in and stands by the door, ready to toss
Miss Parker out if necessary.
"Jarod, are you alright?" Miss Parker asks with much concern.
"I'm better. Now that I know you're okay. I can't believe I let
him hurt you. I always let them hurt you," he blames himself.
"Don't do this, Jarod," she gently scolds. "None of it was your
fault. Carson was the one who hurt me. You had nothing to do
with it."
"Thomas was a nice guy. I knew he'd never hurt you. I thought
you two could be happy. But you ended up hurt anyway."
"But I was happy, Jarod. And you made that possible by sending
Thomas to me. When we love somebody, we run the risk of losing
them. When are you going to realize that you're not to blame for
what the Centre does? You weren't responsible for my getting
shot. You almost lost everything trying to help me. I even
stopped blaming you for Mama's death. You helped me survive that.
You were the one there for me everyday."
"I should have known about Carson. I should have been able to
stop him. You shouldn't have been hurt like that. Not again," he
says with a few tears starting to fall. "Not like before."
"Jarod, that wasn't your fault, either. And you couldn't stop it.
You were just a little boy." She cups his cheek, wiping away the
tears as they fell.
"But it's like you said, Miss Parker. I was the one who helped
you survive that place after your mother died. I should have been
able to protect you from those sweepers. If I hadn't tried to run
away . . ."
"Stop, Jarod," she says, putting her finger to his lips. "Those
sweepers may have caught me helping you escape. But it wasn't
your fault that they beat me. You were beaten pretty badly as
well if I remember correctly. You *were* trying to protect me."
"Do you know what it was like for me when you came out of that
bathroom last night? It was like we were kids again. The bruises
were the same. And I felt the same anger and hatred rise up in
me. I just wanted to punish whoever had hurt you like that. I
almost killed a man, Miss Parker." Jarod sits up in the bed and
pulls Miss Parker into his arms. They sit together, holding each
other for a while. Crying silent tears of past hurt that they
desperately needed to let go. Miss Parker looks across the room
and sees a dejected Zoe still standing by the door. She remembers
her vow from the previous night to allow Jarod to be happy.
Jarod groans in protest when Miss Parker pulls herself from his
arms. Inwardly, she lets out the same protest, but had to be
strong on the outside.
"Jarod, it's time we got over this. It's time we healed," she
told him. "I think Zoe can help you. She cares a lot about you."
She leans down and captures his lips with hers for a repeat
performance of that innocent kiss they shared two decades prior.
She forces herself to stop the kiss before she was tempted to go
further.
"Take care of him," she begs Zoe as she walks past the woman.
"He's one of a kind." She pauses when she reaches the door and
turns back to look at him one last time. "Be happy my friend,"
she whispers before finally leaving. 'Be happy, my love' she
cries to herself as she runs from the hospital.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker sits out on the beach, staring out at the water as the
sun sets. She retrieved her things from Carson's beach house and
found a hotel to stay at the rest of her trip. She tried hard not
to think about Jarod, but it was difficult. It's been five days since
she said good-bye. She knew she'd eventually catch up with him
one day, but she had no real intentions of trying to take him back
to the Centre. Not anymore.
The sun is finally laid to rest and she can practically hear the
sizzle as it dips into the water out on the horizon. A sadness
comes over her as she realizes this marks the end of her journey
there. She was leaving to go back to Blue Cove in the morning,
and hopefully leaving behind an era of painful memories.
"I once heard of a beautiful sunset before," a deep voice from
behind her rings out. "The reality still doesn't compare to how
that little girl saw it."
"Jarod?" she gasps, turning around to come face to face with the
man.
"You see, I had never seen a sunset before that day. And the way
she described it to me, it seemed like the most amazing sight I
could imagine. She said that one day, the man of her dreams would
kiss her, just as the sun kissed the ocean and she'd know they'd
be together forever. That very day after she left, I promised
myself that I'd find her a sunset just as she described. Then I'd
take her into my arms and make her dreams come true."
"Jarod, those were just the childish ramblings of kids. We've
grown up since th . . " She's stopped by the force of his mouth
meeting her own. Shock and disbelief soon melt away to passion as
she begins to kiss him back. Her hands clasp behind his neck,
pulling him closer to her until there's not an inch of her body
not touching his.
Slowly, he pulls away, peeling his face from hers, but still
making eye contact. He stares deep into her eyes and realizes for
the first time ever that there's love there. The same love he
knows is reflected in his own eyes.
"Now we have to be together forever, Miss Parker," he gasps, still
trying to catch his breath from the kiss before.
"Forever's a long time, Jarod," she says with a smile. "Think you
can put up with me for that long?"
He finds her mouth again and gives her another sweet kiss, his
gentleness bringing tears to her eyes.
"Forever and longer," he promises. "My heart belongs to you - and
only you - for always."
"I love you," she whispers, more sure of that than she'd ever been
of anything in her entire life. She'd never been able to say
those words. Not even with Thomas until it was too late. But
that's because it's never been so right. Not how it is with
Jarod. "I've always loved you. And I always will."
They seal their vows with a kiss, the sunset no longer marking the
end of a sad journey, but the beginning of a happy one.
The end . . . for now
Stay tuned for Tears of Yesterday II
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