Grant the Wish I Wish Tonight

By Bethe

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Author's Note: Sequel to the first two. They're short but sweet, aren't they? --Bethe

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Parker gasped at his voice behind her. She turned around and took in the sight of him with tear-blurred eyes. She couldn't move, paralyzed by a myriad of emotions.

Jarod moved forward and hung up his phone. He asked softly, "You wanted to know what was real, what was true?" He sighed. When he got closer, Parker could see that his eyes were red and his cheeks were wet as well. He reached out his hand and lightly touched her cheek with the back of his index finger. "You're real." He then stroked her cheek with the same finger while whispering, "I'm real." Then he pressed his whole palm against her cheek and closed the distance between them. "And this? This is true."

Parker watched in silence as Jarod bared his soul to her. She recognized it for what it was, what she couldn't see at Ocee's because she had been so blinded by her ruthless ambition: love. After a few moments, Jarod's face fell slightly and he began to withdraw his hand. But Parker, still silent, covered it with her hand and pressed it firmly to her face, leaning into his touch. She closed her eyes and treasured the feeling of him gently tracing her brow bone with his thumb.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes. Wordlessly, she removed his hand from her face and let it to her chest. She placed his hand where her heart was and held it there with her own.

"What about this?" she asked, just below a whisper. "Tell me if this is true." Her whole face trembled with the emotion she was attempting to restrain.

"Mel," he whispered, using her first name for the first time in ages, "this has always been true. Always. Never doubt that," he replied, his voice ragged. He exhaled a tremulous breath before quietly stating, "I love you, Melanie. I always have. And that's the most real thing I can think of."

Parker's face crumpled and she sobbed, fresh tears making their way past her eyelids. Jarod took his hand from her heart and placed both of them on either side of her face.

"You have no idea," she managed, "how much I've wanted to hear those words from you. Ever since Carthis, I've almost been looking for chances to go back on my decision to keep up the game." She sighed and wiped her eyes. "You'd think I've cried enough for one night," she remarked while letting out a soft laugh. Jarod stroked her wet cheeks.

"I think we've cried enough for a lifetime," he whispered, smiling somewhat sadly.

"You're right," she replied. Parker leaned towards him until they were nose to nose. "No more," she ordered in mock-seriousness. She then took advantage of their situation and kissed him gently on the lips. Jarod's sharp intake of breath caused Parker to smile, then she kissed him again. This time, he kissed back. She lifted one had to his neck, the other to his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer, taking control of the kiss. After a few long moments, they parted but still kept their foreheads touching. Their breaths met in the middle of the space between them and mingled into one.

"I love you," she whispered. They remained in each other's arms, forehead to forehead for awhile. Then Parker interrupted the silence by saying, "Hey, Jarod?" He moved his head back slightly.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Parker looked down, looked back into his eyes, then smiled.

"For wishing on that star with me." Jarod smiled.

"And did the wish come true?"

"Oh, yeah," Parker murmured, leaning closer until their lips were millimeters apart. "And then some," she whispered before capturing his mouth for another kiss.

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El Fin