Page 71 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Blushing, I dipped my head. Normally, I was too in my head. And maybe the partners I’d been with just hadn’t put in that effort to get me off, either. But with Parker, it had been different. Like we’d been working towards a mutual goal.Together.

Maybe it was because that was how we’d always done things. Ever since we were little, we’d worked together—building forts, assembling his legos, even scratching our names into the gigantic tree behind his house.

But no one else understood me like he did.

“Maybe I’m just too much,” I murmured.

He worked his jaw, eyes narrowing. “What?”

“I’m too much. That’s what Duke told me. That all the pink and the glitter and… everything about me.” My eyes stung, and I tried to shake the tears away before they could fall. God, I was a mess tonight.

“Fuck, Rosie.” He shook his head. “You believed him?”

Did I? Not really. I hadn’t changed who I was. But the words had stuck with me. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am.” I shrugged.

“Fuck that.” Blinking, I looked at him. Parker looked furious. For me.

He was pissedfor me.Not at me. Because that was the kind of guy Parker was. I knew he’d defend me no matter what, but this was different.

“You’re not too much, Audrey. You’re fucking perfect.” I was speechless.Fucking perfect.No one had ever said that to me before. Parker grabbed my hand, pulling me into his arms.

“I—” I shook my head. “I’m not perfect, Parker.”

“Yes, you are.” He nipped at my bottom lip. “Those noises you made, the way you came undone for me. You’re so responsive, baby. It makes me want…” He shut his eyes, groaning.

“What?” I whispered, running my hands up his abdomen. “What do you want?”

“Fuck,” Parker groaned. “Rosie—” He squeezed his eyes shut, his hands stilling mine. “We should stop.”

I blinked, lowering my top back down. “What?”

“It’s been a long night. And I don’t want us to make a decision we’ll regret.”

He didn’t want this?

After earlier, I was practically ready to throw myself at him. God, I was an idiot. Just because I was feeling it didn’t mean he was.

“Right. Um. I’m gonna go,” I whispered, feeling mortified. Standing up from the bed, I collected my things,

“Audrey—”

I couldn’t do this right now. “Good night, Parker. See you at rehearsals.”

“Hewhat?”I was sitting on the couch of Laura, Meri and Florence’s apartment, stuffing my face with a slice of funfetti cake. Laura’s face was red as I told them all what had happened with Duke the night before. “God, that asshole. I can’t believe he came to the lacrosse house even knowing you’re with Parker.” She was knitting a green scarf without even looking at the stitches, which was almost mesmerizing to me.

These three girls had been like older sisters and mentors to me since I started in the theater department, always offering me advice or a hug when I needed it. They lived right off campus, and it had been easy to crash their evening study session.

Maybe I just didn’t want to face Parker after how he’d turned me down after what felt like the best orgasm of my life. I wanted more, but obviously, he didn’t.

“I’ve heard he’s been getting in with the wrong crowd this year. Drugs, partying all the time...” Meri refilled her glass of wine.

I frowned, looking down at my socks. They had little pink kittens on them, wearing bows. “He was never like that before. I mean, he drank, but it wasn’t like this…”

“Have you talked to anyone?” Florence asked from the kitchen where she was popping in a tray of cookies. She was always baking something when I was over here.

“Yeah. I went to campus safety today and told them what happened. And I have a meeting with the dean of the fine arts department and Professor Woods tomorrow.”

“Wow. Do you think they’ll suspend him?”

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