Page 27 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Yes.

Then it’ll be fine. I’ll talk to Coach.

Thank you.

Of course. What are best friends for?

One more small, teeny thing.

Uh huh?

Can you come in tomorrow for an audition? It’ll just be with my professor in charge of the musical, but she wants to hear you sing.

Oh. Okay. Yeah. I can do that. Just let me know what time, and I’ll see if I can fit it in.

Any suggestions on music?

Want to talk it over at dinner?

You bet. Meet in an hour?

Sounds great. You’re the best.

CHAPTER 8

Parker

Audrey’s face was pale when I slid into the booth opposite hers in the dining hall. She was wearing a thick pink headband in her hair and a white sweater covered in textured dots. I liked how she was always wearing her favorite color—like her world existed solely in shades of pink.

I expected her to be happy, all rosy cheeks and sunshine like normal.

“What’s wrong?” I set my food down in front of us. “I thought you’d be happy.”

“What?” She looked up at me, biting at her manicured thumbnail. “Oh. I am happy. It’s just…” Audrey ran her fingers through her long blonde strands before exhaling. “I ran into Duke outside the theater building.” There was a wince to her words.

I felt a growl forming low in my throat, but I did my best to clear it away. I didn’t like that guy. Something about him, about how he wouldn’t leave Audrey alone even though she’d told himno,rubbed me the wrong way. Especially when she’d admitted she’d tried to get campus safety to make him leave her alone, and they’d told her they couldn’t do anything. What the fuck was up with that? He was basically stalking her, but there wasn’t anything that could be done unless he hurt her.

Not saying anything, I waited for Audrey to continue. I needed to hear her out before I blew up about something that was none of my business.

She could take care of herself. I knew she could.

It was just that I wanted to take care of her, to be by her side. Holding her hand. That was what best friends did, right?

She blew out a breath, one that disturbed the bangs across her forehead. “I might have, sort of, accidentally… told Duke I was seeing someone.”

“Okay?” I furrowed my brows. For a split second, my stomach dropped. Was she? Was there some guy I didn’t know about? If some other guy took advantage of her?—

I didn’t let myself finish that thought.

“I’mnot,” she insisted, staring at me with a serious expression on her face. “I’m not seeing anyone. He was going on about us getting back together, and I just made it up.”

“Alright.” I shrugged, a plan forming in my mind. A way that I could keep her safe. Keep assholes like Duke away from her. Be by her side.

“Why are you being so casual about this?” Audrey raised an eyebrow.

I dipped a fry in some ketchup. “Date me.”

Audrey looked confused. “Huh?”

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