Dusty, the more he shut
down around him.
Justin, who was with us that day, noticed as
well. Leaning forward on the bike, he shut it off and hung his head when their
conversation shifted. “Have you ever seen Parker in a fight before?” Justin
asked, taking his helmet off to set it in front of him.
Addy stayed
at the condo today, something about too much sand in her hair.
“No…why?”
Justin winked and leaned back on the bike like he
was stretching. “If Dusty doesn’t stop now, you’re about to see one.”
“Will Parker actually fight Dusty?” I went to
take my helmet off but Justin stopped me. “I thought they were friends.”
“Keep that on.” His hand moved from my helmet to
rest on his in front of him as he leaned forward appearing relaxed. My heart
that had started pounding at the mention of a fight began to calm with his
relaxed appearance. “They used to be friends.”
“What do you mean used to be? And why were they friendly at the restaurant that one
day?”
Justin kept a close eye on Parker and Dusty as
they talked about ten feet away, near the edge of the trail. “It’s really not my place to say.”
“Justin,” I begged. “Just tell me.”
“Dusty is just bad news. He said some things that
weren’t true after our dad died and then fed Parker’s sponsor lies. Never
underestimate Parker. That’s your only rule to understanding him. Remember
that.”
I nodded, wondering what that meant when I heard
the faint noises of voices intensifying.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking
about,” Parker growled, stepping closer to Dusty who’d just swung a leg over
his bike.
We couldn’t hear what Dusty said to him, but
whatever it was, Parker didn’t agree with him and pushed him off his bike. He
stood over him, threatening, waiting for his response when Dusty abruptly
stood. “Fuck you, O’Neil!” He took off down the trail, throwing sand in
Parker’s face.
A cloud of dust and rocks shot towards us. Justin
tipped his head forward to avoid the spray in his eyes, and I did the same
since my goggles were in my hand. Parker stood there for a moment watching
Dusty and Wesley ride away. The loud rumble of their four-strokes at full
throttle echoed throughout the canyons.
“Come on, Parker, let’s go!” Justin shouted over
the noise before starting his bike.
That was when Parker withdrew again and didn’t
say anything. The rest of the night, he was quiet but nodded when asked a
question.
“What happened out there today?” Addy asked, noticing the change when we sat around the fire
that night after dinner. She had stayed back at the condo earlier and sat by
the pool. I almost wished that I had done the same.
I shrugged, sinking back into my chair with a
bottle of water in hand. “I don’t know.” I felt defeated. I felt like
everything I had worked to obtain with Parker was gone now because of this
Dusty guy.
At least I wasn’t lying to Addy either. I had no idea what was said between Parker and Dusty, therefore I had
no idea what was bothering him.
I had a feeling Justin knew by the change in his
demeanor as well, but he was also Parker’s brother. He wasn’t about to push the
issue or give me any details without Parker’s consent.
When we eventually went to bed that night, Parker
didn’t say a word to me. I never understood how he could turn so quickly. It
was almost as if there was two sides to him. I knew then that I didn’t really
know either one of those sides. Parker tried not to be that way. You could see
the conflict in his face and those eyes.
July 3,
1997
The next morning when I woke up in his arms, I
peeked up to see him staring at the ceiling, the same expression of irritation
and anxiety drowning him. When I stirred, he looked down at me and smiled
halfheartedly.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he offered. “I
didn’t mean to take that out on you.”
I didn’t say anything, just smiled. “Let’s go for
a hike.”
“Wow.”
down around him.
Justin, who was with us that day, noticed as
well. Leaning forward on the bike, he shut it off and hung his head when their
conversation shifted. “Have you ever seen Parker in a fight before?” Justin
asked, taking his helmet off to set it in front of him.
Addy stayed
at the condo today, something about too much sand in her hair.
“No…why?”
Justin winked and leaned back on the bike like he
was stretching. “If Dusty doesn’t stop now, you’re about to see one.”
“Will Parker actually fight Dusty?” I went to
take my helmet off but Justin stopped me. “I thought they were friends.”
“Keep that on.” His hand moved from my helmet to
rest on his in front of him as he leaned forward appearing relaxed. My heart
that had started pounding at the mention of a fight began to calm with his
relaxed appearance. “They used to be friends.”
“What do you mean used to be? And why were they friendly at the restaurant that one
day?”
Justin kept a close eye on Parker and Dusty as
they talked about ten feet away, near the edge of the trail. “It’s really not my place to say.”
“Justin,” I begged. “Just tell me.”
“Dusty is just bad news. He said some things that
weren’t true after our dad died and then fed Parker’s sponsor lies. Never
underestimate Parker. That’s your only rule to understanding him. Remember
that.”
I nodded, wondering what that meant when I heard
the faint noises of voices intensifying.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking
about,” Parker growled, stepping closer to Dusty who’d just swung a leg over
his bike.
We couldn’t hear what Dusty said to him, but
whatever it was, Parker didn’t agree with him and pushed him off his bike. He
stood over him, threatening, waiting for his response when Dusty abruptly
stood. “Fuck you, O’Neil!” He took off down the trail, throwing sand in
Parker’s face.
A cloud of dust and rocks shot towards us. Justin
tipped his head forward to avoid the spray in his eyes, and I did the same
since my goggles were in my hand. Parker stood there for a moment watching
Dusty and Wesley ride away. The loud rumble of their four-strokes at full
throttle echoed throughout the canyons.
“Come on, Parker, let’s go!” Justin shouted over
the noise before starting his bike.
That was when Parker withdrew again and didn’t
say anything. The rest of the night, he was quiet but nodded when asked a
question.
“What happened out there today?” Addy asked, noticing the change when we sat around the fire
that night after dinner. She had stayed back at the condo earlier and sat by
the pool. I almost wished that I had done the same.
I shrugged, sinking back into my chair with a
bottle of water in hand. “I don’t know.” I felt defeated. I felt like
everything I had worked to obtain with Parker was gone now because of this
Dusty guy.
At least I wasn’t lying to Addy either. I had no idea what was said between Parker and Dusty, therefore I had
no idea what was bothering him.
I had a feeling Justin knew by the change in his
demeanor as well, but he was also Parker’s brother. He wasn’t about to push the
issue or give me any details without Parker’s consent.
When we eventually went to bed that night, Parker
didn’t say a word to me. I never understood how he could turn so quickly. It
was almost as if there was two sides to him. I knew then that I didn’t really
know either one of those sides. Parker tried not to be that way. You could see
the conflict in his face and those eyes.
July 3,
1997
The next morning when I woke up in his arms, I
peeked up to see him staring at the ceiling, the same expression of irritation
and anxiety drowning him. When I stirred, he looked down at me and smiled
halfheartedly.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he offered. “I
didn’t mean to take that out on you.”
I didn’t say anything, just smiled. “Let’s go for
a hike.”
“Wow.”
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