Miss Parker stood frozen as Jarod held the front door wide open. She brought her hands to her chest, and held on to her aching heart.

"There's nothing more to say, Parker." Jarod rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired," he said, holding the door open. "Oh, and keep the sweatshirt. And I'll mail your wet one back to you."

"Jarod." Hurt and confused, she whispered his name. "You don't even want any reminders of me in your home."

"I'm really trying to be civil between us. I don't want to argue. The less said, the better, Miss Parker."

"I prefer you yell. What did I do so wrong? Here I want to make amends and you..."

"And I what?" He held his anger in, crossing his hands in front of him. "Tell me how you're going to make everything all right. Things you've said, hurtful things will somehow evaporate into thin air, and how you're going to make it better? Make me forget the many sins of your father. Tell me how are you going to do that?"

"You don't understand, Jarod."

"What did you do so wrong, you ask? You took orders from "The Centre", from your father. Or should I say fathers. Take your pick, whoever is your father."

"You don't understand," again, she said.

"Yes, I don't understand. And I'm not about to even try. So, like I said, don't waste your breath and leave before I really get angry."

"You've always forgiven me in the past. At least I thought so."

"I had put aside that you'd come to your senses and we'd still be friends. You would come around. Well, I may be a genius, but, I sure didn't have any common sense when it came to you. But, that was once upon a time, Miss Parker. Once upon a time. This turning point won't have a very happy ending. Not what you're looking for."

"I can't force you to forgive me," she said sadly.

"No, you can't. You know what's strange? We seemed to have switched roles. I'm not the forgiving person you thought I was. I'm the heartless one now."

"What did happen to your heart, Jarod?" She asked, as she walked closer to the front door.

He laughed. "I left it in Scotland. And since when have you grown a heart, Parker? I've pretended to be a doctor several times, and one can never grow a heart. So, this is a miracle."

Silence stood between them. It was in that moment, he had regretted his cruel remark. But, he said nothing more. Instead, Jarod's cold dark eyes penetrated through her.

"Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you, Jar. Don't make the mistake of letting it go."

"You were never mine to let go. I belonged to "The Centre". Just like you."

TBC - Chapter 4