Page 10 of Rival Summer

"You doing okay?" Parker's voice finally interrupted the quiet. "You've been staring out of that window since we left. Talk to me."

I turned my head slightly, meeting his concerned eyes before they shifted back to the road. How could I explain the hurt in my heart, the confusion? Words seemed inadequate, but the weight of them needed a release.

"Everything's just… a mess, Parker." My voice broke as the tears started to blur my vision.

He reached over, resting his hand briefly on mine before returning it to the wheel. The gesture was simple but overwhelming. Like when you’re sad and someone hugs you, which sometimes opens the floodgate of tears you were trying to hold back.

The reality of the situation was beginning to settle in. Parker and I were still reeling from the revelation that Boston's mom had kept Reese, her other son, a secret all these years. The magnitude of it had us both feeling like we were in some kind of parallel universe—even Parker's usual jokes were blunted.

"Can you believe she kept that secret all these years?" I whispered, the question rhetorical, voicing the shared shock that had rendered us speechless.

Parker shook his head, his jaw tight. "No, I can't. It's… it's insane."

As he drove, taking us further away from a town filled with memories and secrets, a sob escaped me. I had tried to hold itin, to remain composed, but I couldn’t do it any longer. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

Parker spared a glance, worry creasing his brow. "Chandler, are you...?" His voice trailed off, understanding that I was crying without needing to finish the question.

"Everything's just so overwhelming," I managed, my voice a whisper between sobs. Parker didn't say anything, but the car slowed down as he gazed at me, switching out of the fast lane as the rain continued its relentless drumming.

"Take your time," he murmured, giving me the space to let out the hurt and confusion Reese and Boston had unwittingly caused.

At that moment, Parker wasn't just my brother, he was the shoulder I needed to cry on. I shook my head, pressing my fingers to my temples as if I could physically hold back the suffocating emotions. “It’s just, everything.” I exhaled a shaky breath. “I should have listened when everyone warned me about Reese. They were right. He hurt me—just ended things, like it wasn’t even a big deal to him.”

Parker’s expression softened and he looked back at the road, as if he couldn't stand to watch my heart break all over again. “Chan…”

“And you know what's crazy?” I continued, a bitter laugh escaping me. “All along, I’ve had this thing for Boston. Since I was five years old.” There, I said it—the secret I’d clung to for so many years.

Parker’s mouth fell open in genuine surprise. “You did?”

“Did you seriously not know?” I asked.

“No, I… I just thought you were always trying to follow us around because you wanted to be around your badass older brother,” he said, attempting to inject a little humor into his voice.

“Parker, love you, but no.” I rolled my eyes, leaning back against the seat, fatigued from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. I felt raw and exposed, but there was a certain relief in finally telling him the truth.

He shook his head. “I knew something strange was going on between the three of you at the ball.”

"Look," I blurted out, turning towards Parker. "This summer it felt like for the first time there was a chance, you know? To see if there might be something real between us. But I really liked Reese, and... and now I don't even have him. It's just all so messed up, especially now that we know they're brothers."

"First off..." he started, hesitating as if he was going to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. “I'd really prefer if you didn't date my teammates. There are plenty of other guys out there. Football players—actually, forget I said that. Your drama club friends, that nerdy school president kid… anyone else."

He paused, taking a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower and filled with a sincerity I rarely heard from him. "And secondly, it would probably freak me out if you dated Boston. He's been my best friend, like, my whole life. So maybe it’s a good thing nothing happened there."

The silence was interrupted only by the rain pattering against the car. Then, in an even softer tone that I barely recognized as his, he added, "But last, and most importantly, you deserve the world, Chan. Nothing less. Don't ever let any guy make you cry, and don’t ever let them make you feel like you aren’t good enough. Okay?"

I swallowed hard, moved by the protective warmth radiating off him. For a moment, we shared a look, a silent understanding passing between us. Then, a subtle half-smileappeared on his face. "Besides, if I'd known Reese was ending things like that, I would've kicked his ass."

His attempt to lighten the mood worked. A small laugh escaped me, and I shook my head, the tension easing ever so slightly. "Thanks, Parker." I smiled, feeling a small fraction better as we continued our drive.

Raindrops continued to fall across the windows like tiny, fleeting tears, the sound a soothing backdrop to the unexpected moment we’d just had. I glanced over at Parker who was now smirking, clearly pleased with coaxing a smile out of me.

"Okay, okay," I admitted. "You know, you're not the worst brother in the world."

His smirk widened into a full grin, and he shot me a sideways glance, one eyebrow raised. "Not the worst? Thanks for the glowing review."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't suppress another smile. "Well, you're certainly not the best brother either. But definitely not the worst… Oh, and Park? I think I need to try to speak to Boston tonight."

"Why?" he asked.

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