A/N: To Michelle (NYT), thank you very much. This chapter is dedicated to you.

Love should feel incredible, not painful. The hurt comes from their own doubts and fears. To fall in love is simple, but to stay together is the hardest part. It is hard to tell if you love someone until they are gone. Miss Parker never told Thomas how much she loved him. She did not want to repeat her mistake. In the several weeks she and Jarod had been together, she had told him she loved him. But, after her sudden outburst, a cause of doubt entered her mind.

Miss Parker's eyes were reddened and swollen from her night of crying that she barely could open them. The blanket and pillow which Jarod had brought out for his use laid neatly at the foot of the bed. The house was still. In the four years she'd been chasing him, Miss Parker could always feel his presence close by. But, not this time. She felt the emptiness in her heart as she walked out of the bedroom to find him no where in sight. She stepped into the shower unsure of the water that fell down her face if it were tears of sadness or water beads.

His heart was made to be broken. Jarod felt his heart break into several pieces. Love is not a pain or rejection, but a feeling of warmth in your heart. Your heart feels things that your eyes cannot see and things your mind cannot understand.

Trust is a hard thing to win back. There is no worse hello than a guilty conscious. Miss Parker felt her heart skip a beat when she heard him in the kitchen.

"Hello," she said softly.

"Hi," he answered but not looking at her. "I picked up breakfast. Thought I'd be back before you got up."

He doesn't say anything else. He unzipped his leather jacket as he bit into his croissant and gulped down his coffee. Miss Parker would have welcomed a shout, a punch in the wall, anything but which filled the atmosphere. It would have been much better than the hurt and silence she felt around him.

"It's okay for you to come and go as you please, but I can't?" She questioned.

He looked at her, but does not say a word. She needs to consider that Jarod's been doing this for a long time and he knows what he's doing.

"Jarod." Miss Parker stared at his dead-pan face.

"Look, don't get under my skin, Parker." He doesn't yell.

"No, Jarod, I just want to get into your heart," she answered softly embarrassed of her actions from the previous night. "I could never see life without you. I love you."

His eyes, those beautiful dark chocolate browns showed signs of sadness, unhappiness, broken trust, anger all rolled up in one. It would definitely take some magic to make him smile. There were times when they knew nothing mattered in life but each other, but it was not the case at that very moment. They had no control over emotions of their hearts.

"You still love him." He says painfully.

"Yes. I still love him." Miss Parker whispered, almost afraid to answer.

"Thank you for your honesty." He walked to the kitchen sink, dumped the remainder of his coffee, then tossed his croissant into the trash.

She watched him silently. He turned towards her, their eyes met.

"Parker?"

"Yes?" A glimmer of hope flashed through her, although it was short-lived.

"Who is it do you think of when you're in bed with me?" He asked, then walked away without waiting for an answer.

Miss Parker stepped back slowly, headed to the bedroom, closed the door and cried for most of the day. Jarod was a fixture on the living room sofa, numb to the situation that surrounded them.

It was well into the afternoon, Miss Parker had not as of yet exited out of the bedroom which had Jarod concerned. Quietly he peeked in and found her sprawled on the bed fast asleep. An envelope addressed to him laid on the night stand. He looked over the contents of the letter.

Jarod,

I am so terribly sorry for the heartache I've caused you. I never meant to hurt you. I just don't know how I'll ever make it up to you. Since being with you these last several weeks, I've never been happier. You've made me feel again. You made me love again. I can't imagine you not being in my life. I've forgotten how life was before you. You asked me if I loved Thomas. Yes, I loved him. But, he is no longer here with me. You are. We've been through a lot. Last night felt like a lifetime without you.

I don't know what else to tell you, but I miss you. I love you. I never want to know the feeling of not loving you in my life or you not loving me. I will always be...Yours, Sincerely,

Parker

Jarod read it twice before he folded it back into the envelope. He pulled his tee shirt over his head, laid in bed next to her and drew her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her softly as she laid on her side, her back leaned against his bare chest. Miss Parker, took hold of his hands, her fingers interlocked with his and held on to him tightly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Parker."

She nodded and weeped silently. Jarod turned her around, brushed her hair from her face, then pressed his lips on hers. As he pulled away, she clung on to him, then suddenly exhaled as if she had been holding on to her breath for some time.

How would one describe Mr. Lyle? He is many things. He is dangerous, heartless, conniving, manipulative and shows no remorse for his wrongdoings. He is a man of corruption. He loves revenge and would never get even, he'd go one step higher. Lyle would do better. He's never showed compassion. If asked if he had any skeletons in his closet, yes, a graveyard full would be his reply.

Unbeknownst to Jarod and Miss Parker, Lyle stood at the front door for his grand entrance.

TBC - Chapter 6