We pulled up to Lexi's apartment five minutes later. She was picking at her nails again, and I asked if she wanted me to go in with her. She said that I could walk her to the door.

I helped her out of the car and walked with her hand in hand up to her apartment. She knocked on the door since she'd left in such a rush that she didn't have her keys.

It was a full minute before Emma Kate threw open the door. There were dark shadows under her bloodshot eyes, and over a dozen strands had escaped her loose braid. She looked at me briefly and then turned her attention to Lexi.

She looked Lexi up and down like she was inspecting her for injuries. Her mouth opened and then closed before she threw her arms around her friend.

"I was so worried," Emma Kate said. "I'm so sorry."

Lexi hugged her friend back. "It's my fault. You did nothing."

"Babe, you're smothering her," Bradley appeared in the doorway.

He looked like he'd slept in his pink-striped polo shirt, and his cargo shorts weren't much better. His brown hair was flat on one side and sticking up on the other, and I could see he was wearing a set of bright blue hearing aids.

The girls broke apart. Lexi smiled at Emma Kate, who was still muttering apologies. Bradley stepped forward and grinned.

"Told you they'd come back," Bradley said. "Where'd you guys go anyway?"

"Crestview," I shrugged. "Needed to clear our heads."

Bradley nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're back. Emma Kate hasn't been able to relax since you left, Lex."

"Parker, you are my hero," Emma Kate said. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Alexis Nichole Thaxton."

Lexi winced. It struck me at that moment not that Lexi was a nickname but that her middle name was Nichole, which is what I assumed Nicki was short for. She was named after the mother she so despised.

"I'll try," Lexi said. "Right now, I just want some clean clothes and another shower. My hair is a nightmare."

Personally, I didn't see what was wrong with it. Her bun was a little frizzy, but that didn't bother me. Maybe she had to put a special product in the curls, like my sister did, to keep them healthy.

Emma Kate led Lexi into the apartment. I didn't try to see where they went. I expected Bradley to close the door and follow them, but he lingered, leaning on the frame.

"Thanks for bringing her back," Bradley said. "Do anything fun in Crestview?"

"Slept at my mom's, and my sister dragged us to a garage concert," I shrugged. "Lexi slept most of the way there, and we talked on the way back. She's going to be fine."

"That's good," Bradley said. "Lexi needed a chance to unwind. I spent the night here to make sure Emma Kate didn't fall apart. Those two have the best friendship I've ever seen. I'm always happy to see them patch things up. Especially since Emma Kate is leaving in two days."

"You okay with your girlfriend taking off like this?" I asked.

I knew if Lexi was leaving, I wouldn't be okay with it. It had taken me months to accept that Gloria was gone from my life. Still, it was Emma Kate's choice, just like it had been Gloria's.

"We'll see," Bradley said. "She deserves the world, Parker. I won't hold her back."

"Doesn't mean it's easy," I said.

Bradley sighed. "She's destined for greatness."

"Right," I smiled. "Have a good evening. Lexi needs rest. Do me a favor and remind her that, please."

I left him there, standing in the open doorway. I walked down to my truck and slumped in my seat. There was nothing left to do but return to my father's house.

When I got there ten minutes later, I had to park on the curb since there were three extra cars in the driveway, Kayleigh's Civic, Lorne's Sedan, and Jude's truck. Great, the terrible trio was congregating in the one place I could call home.

When I walked into the house, I was greeted by a chorus of hoots and screams. Georgia was chasing Hayden around the kitchen island in some sort of game of tag.

"Parker! Parker!" Hayden ran over to me and slapped my leg. "Tag! Tag! You're it!"

"No fair!" Georgia protested. "He's not playing."

"No, I'm not," I said. "Go tag Georgie."

Hayden slumped off back to the kitchen, and it was a matter of moments before the shrieking started up again.

I entered the family room to find Lorne, Jude, and Kayleigh sprawled across the couches. Kayleigh had a package of Oreos and a tub of cream cheese in her lap and was slathering the poor offending cookie in her hand with the savory smear.

"I don't want to know," I said.

"Pregnancy cravings," Lorne said. "This is by far not the weirdest."

"Don't knock it until you try it," Kayleigh shoved the cookie and cream cheese in her mouth.

"Where's Lizzie?" I asked.

Jude frowned. "You call your stepmother Lizzie?"

"Um, yes," I said. "I mean, she's barely ten years older than I am. So where is she? Somebody needs to be watching those kids."

"You mean your siblings?" Jude asked. "We're doing that."

It took me a moment to realize what Jude had just said. He, Lorne, and Kayleigh were babysitting. Somehow it had never occurred to me that the terrible trio knew anything about kids.

Luna started wailing from her playpen in the corner of the room. Lorne was across the room in two strides. He picked up my little sister and started bouncing her on his knee. Luna calmed almost instantly.

"Where is Lizzie then?" I asked.

"A book club," Kayleigh said. "She asked if we'd watch the kids for an hour or two until Mr. Christian came home."

I glanced at the wall clock. My father didn't usually take off work early, and it was after five. I'd babysat on occasion for Georgia, Hayden, and Luna, but I didn't do it regularly. Of course, my father was still a workaholic. He'd worked long overtime hours when I was a kid. Hopefully, he hadn't found a new intern to keep himself busy.

"Where have you been anyway?" Kayleigh said. "You never came home last night."

I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Doesn't matter."

"Bet it has something to do with Riley's SOS and rehearsal being canceled today," Lorne said. "So, have you and Lexi been holed up in some hotel room playing kiss and make it better?"

I flushed. "That isn't your business."

Lorne gave me a nasty grin. I thought maybe he might give me some slack since I'd helped him out. Nope. He was still the same guy.

"Lexi barely knows Parker," Jude said. "I doubt they did anything stupid."

"You don't know Lexi like I do," Lorne said.

"Maybe that's true," I crossed my arms. "But I do think you should apologize for the way you treated her when you dated her."

"What?" Lorne laughed. "Are you the new boyfriend marking his territory?"

I nearly punched him. Instead, I dug my fingers into my palms and reminded myself that this wasn't a football field. Decking Lorne wouldn't solve my problems.

"I just think how you treated her was wrong," I said. "And maybe I thought you were man enough to apologize."

Lorne got up and set my cooing sister in the playpen. His face was scarlet. He bawled his fists, but Jude shot him a warning look.

"He's right," his friend said. "You were an ass when you dated Lexi."

Lorne's gaze could have heated steel. "We've all done stupid stuff. I'm not the only one at fault here."

"We're not pointing fingers," Kayleigh said. "Besides, Parker's right. You should patch things up with Lexi."

Lorne looked like he wanted to protest, but he cared too much about Kayleigh to start fighting with her. Instead, he scowled and sat back down hard.

"Where did you find Lexi last night?" Kayleigh asked.

"How did you..." I stammered.

Kayleigh smirked. "You act like we aren't friends with the other kids in our department. Riley and I are tight. I'm not heartless, Parker. Jude and I drove around campus for a good hour looking for her."

"She was in the athletic building," I said.

"At night?" Jude frowned.

"She was running until her legs gave out," I said. "I'm just glad she wasn't using the outdoor track."

Lexi was smart. Running was her outlet, but she'd pushed her body to its absolute limits. If she kept running, though, when she got overwhelmed and didn't take care of herself, she might seriously hurt herself one day.

"I didn't realize she was still doing that, especially after she turned her ankle over in September," Lorne's voice was softer now. "She used to tell me she was going to run out her feelings. She went running for hours after we broke up. Emma Kate launched a search party then too."

"But what set her off?" Jude asked. "I mean, you weren't stupid enough to ask her out or something, right, Parker?"

That stung. I didn't know why Jude and Lorne could get under my skin so easily. I didn't think they were even trying to be offensive. They were just always this blunt.

"Lexi's problems are for her to share," I said. "But she's better. She slept a lot and got lots of fluids. I took her to my mother's place. She needed the air."

"So that's why I got a call from Genique," came a voice I wasn't expecting from behind me.

My father stood in the doorway. He wore a pressed polo shirt and casual cargo shorts like he'd been golfing. His lips were pressed together in a thin line of disapproval. I wasn't sure if it was because I'd been out all night and most of the day or the fact that his ex-wife called.

"I was worried, Parker," he said.

I took a sharp breath. I couldn't lose my cool. At least not while we had guests. I hoped this wasn't a moment my dad was about to play concerned parent. On a good day, I couldn't wade through that trouble. If Mom called him, she likely thought my dad could get through to me better than she could.

"I went to Mom's," I said. "Is that a crime?"

"You drove two hours on a school night," my dad said. "What exactly were you thinking, son?"

"It's summer," I said. "Why does it matter?"

My dad shifted. "I'd prefer to know where you are if you don't come home when you're living with me. Especially if you take off with a girl."

"It isn't your business," I said. "I'm not a kid. And I'm pretty sure you gave up parenting rights a long time ago, anyway."

I knew it was a low blow, something more akin to something Shayna would pull. She was the combative one. Generally, I played nice, but I was nineteen. I was an adult, and if he continued to try to treat me like a child, I'd see if I could crash at Bradley and Maddox's place for the next two weeks.

"I don't want to fight with you, Parker," my dad said. "But please text me if you're going to be out all night again. Spare your old man the worry."

"I'm fine," I said. "Shayna says hello. I barely saw Mom. She was exhausted when she came home, and she left early this morning."

"She said you brought a girl home," he said.

"A friend needed time to cool off," I said. "You can call Shayna and ask her."

"If she picks up," my dad grumbled.

I really wasn't about to have this conversation again. It was his job to make amends with Shayna. She'd taken the divorce much harder than I had. At least now she was trying harder, but I couldn't guarantee if our dad called her that, she'd answer.

"That's not something I can help with," I said.

"I know, son," my dad hung his head. "I don't think she'll ever fully trust me, and that's my fault. I'm glad you're home safe."

"Daddy!" Hayden ran into the room. Daddy! Georgia won't let me tag her."

"Slow down, sport," my dad swept up Hayden into his arms. "Maybe your sister doesn't want to play anymore."

Hayden crossed his arms and pouted. It struck me at that moment how much he looked like me. He had the same crooked grin and dimple on the side. That grin was trouble.

It was funny how my father's family could be so familiar and yet feel so strange. Hayden was my brother, and yet he was still a complete stranger.

Just watching Hayden bounce up and down reminded me how tired I was. Being a piece of this family was just like acting, and I wasn't up to playing the part tonight.

"Night, Dad," I said.

I left him there with three guests and three hyper kids. I'd never belong here. Not fully. Even Kayleigh was a better fit than I was. So once again, I slumped upstairs in defeat, hoping that if I locked the door to my room, I could escape sticky fingers and my father's attempt to start over. 

Hey friends!!! This chapter was all over the spectrum. The beginning was easy, and the end was really hard. We'll be getting back to the theater really soon. I'm really enjoying exploring all the characters in this book. Don't forget to comment and vote. Do you think Parker should keep trying to befriend Lorne, or is it a lost cause? 

---- Eliana