Page 76 of Taken

“I never expected you to.” He chuckled. “It was more for show than anything else. I really like the author’s show on the Food Network but everything seemed a little too complicated once I flipped through the book.”

“Eh. I was able to find something doable, I think.” I pointed toward the recipe I’d been looking at, one for teriyaki chicken at home. “Does that look good to you?”

“That looks perfect.” Parker beamed. “Need any help with it?”

We ate on the couch, cuddled up as we took bites of warm, teriyaki chicken and perfectly cooked white rice, a side of chopped veggies resting alongside it. We were watching one of Parker’s favorite reality TV shows, ironically one about a rugged outdoorsman who often tried new survival techniques on camera. At several points, I wanted to mention to Parker that if he wanted to try any of this himself, I was more than happy to teach him…

But I knew better than to ruin the fantasy of it all by mentioning reality.

“Okay, I’m pretty sure he’s wrong about that one,” Parker murmured. “He’s not usually wrong but whoever’s doing his production notes… they might want to check their fact sheet again.”

“Production notes?”

“Oh, none of this is real.” Parker shook his head. “I’m not even sure this guy’s actually a survivor-ish type. I think they just picked him because he looks the part. Still, if they’re going to be spreading facts around about how to survive a snakebite, they should make sure they’re not setting people up for failure.”

“But if it’s fake, why do you watch it?”

“Babe.” Parker smirked in my direction. “All reality TV is fake. Why does anyone watch any of it?”

“Because there’s nothing better on TV?”

“Because it’s like comfort food,” he corrected. “Because it’s nice to sit in our super comfy apartment and watch a man with no business handling snakes try his best to handle snakes. Because it gets us talking to each other, and the next thing you know, we’re having a whole snake-based conversation.”

Parker lightly chuckled before his expression suddenly turned serious.

“What is it? Feeling bad for the man being paid millions of dollars to handle snakes on TV?” I joked, attempting to lighten whatever mood had just come over him.

“Nothing. It’s just…” His words trailed off as he looked back over at me. “Domestic bliss.”

“What about it?”

“This is it. We’re living it.” It seemed like the realization was happening for him all at once. “I just… this is something I used to dream about with you, Nicholas.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He chuckled again, the sound of it lined with amazement. “God. I used to write in my journal about this.”

“Anything you care to share with the class?”

“Are you asking me if you can read my journal?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Are you seriously asking me if you can read the most sacred of sacred objects?”

“No, I wasn’t—” I shook my head at the accusation. “I mean, I was, but I didn’t mean it seriously. I know how private that is?—”

Before I had a chance to finish my sentence, Parker was already headed to our bedroom. A few moments later and he’d returned, journal in hand. He slipped it into my palm before he sat back down beside me on the couch, his attention going back to the TV show playing in the background.

“You’d actually let me read your journal?” I was in awe, feeling like Parker had just handed me the keys to the most secret parts of him.

“There’s nothing in there I haven’t told you about already.” Parker shrugged, with a smile. “That’s how well you know me. My journal won’t be the least bit interesting to you, at all.”

“Spoiler alert,” I joked again, as I set Parker’s journal down on the table beside the couch, instead opting to continue watching TV with him and finish with our dinner.

Parker had been right about his journal not being interesting to me, although it wasn’t because we were so close that there wasn’t anything new to figure out.

It was because if there was anything more to discover when it came to Parker Evans, I wanted to do it hands-on, learning about him day after day, each tomorrow spent together bringing about precious new memories.

Each minute with him another chance I’d gratefully take to explore his heart, inside and out.

**