Page 18 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Why not?

…

Parker. I don’t need you to come here just so you can drive with me.

Besides, you have to be back at school early for practice.

Parker.

???

Fine. But I’m calling you, and you’re going to talk to me on the phone the whole time.

What about my Taylor Swift jam session? You’re robbing me of that.

Fine.

But I expect you to call me and check in.

January

Fidgeting with the phone in my lap, I typed out a text to Parker.

Audrey

Leaving my house now. ETA 3:00 PM.

Parker

Drive safe.

See you soon, Rosie.

My cheeks flushed, even if he wasn’t around to see it. We’d gone from being strangers to friends who got dinner a few times a week to texting each other every minute of break. It wasn’t like we were even talking about important things, either. It was just mundane questions as we got to know each other again. Like it was important to both of us to catch up on every detail we’d missed over the past decade.

But we hadn’t talked on the phone. And despite his offering, I’d refused to let him visit. Refused to let him drive me back to school. Because I needed some barrier between us. Something to keep my little crush from blossoming into a full flame.

He was stoking the fire, being thoughtful, caring, and protective. When I thought about how he’d growled at Duke, protecting me from my ex-boyfriend, it made all those old feelings come back.

My best friend,he’d called me.You know it was always yours.My heart melted at those words. But did I really believe him? That he’d never had another best friend in all the years we’d lost contact? I’d had Ella, after all. And life had moved on.

Now that he was back in my life, though, it felt like everything was different.

I jammed to Taylor Swift on my drive—mostly my favorite album,Lover,though I loved all of her work equally—and tried not to let my thoughts be clouded by Parker Maxwell.

That was easier said than done, however.

I just needed to remind myself that we were best friends, and there was no way we’d ever be anything more than that.

Audrey

Made it.

Staringup at the pink sorority house with my bag in my hands, I gnawed on my lower lip. It was crazy to think that I was starting the spring semester of my junior year. After this, I’d only have one year left at Castleton. I loved this place, loved my school, and as much as I couldn’t wait for the next chapter in my life, I knew I’d miss this, too.

“Ro!” My sister grinned, leaning against a railing. “You made it.”

I stuck my tongue out after her. “Only after being ditched. Hope it was worth it.”

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