Parker, to his absolute credit, didn't ask questions. He just drove us and then settled into a booth at the burrito place across from campus and dug into his beefy queso grande. He'd even said lunch was on him.

Kayleigh was pouring her drink at the soda fountain, and I took the seat across from him with my quesadilla. Even with Parker paying, I didn't want to be too much of a burden. My water cup was free, and the quesadilla cost half of Kayleigh's grande avocado salad and chips.

"Thanks again," I said.

"Is Kayleigh okay?" Parker asked. "She's not in some kind of trouble, is she?"

"In a sense," I said. "Can she crash at your dad's place? Her parents threw her out, and she would rather sleep in her car than at Jude's house after their breakup."

Parker's dazed expression remained for only a moment before he nodded. "Absolutely. Lizzie loves guests, and if she doesn't have anywhere else to go, I'll make sure she has a bed and meals. It'll be great until Lorne and Jude figure out where she is."

"I'm not telling," I said. "And neither is Kayleigh. I'm not sure she wants the boys to find out she slept in her car last night."

Kayleigh slid into the booth beside me. She barely glanced at her food and rotated the straw in her drink counterclockwise.

"We can't help unless you talk," I said.

"I found out I was pregnant three months ago," Kayleigh said. "My family cut me off when I told them I wasn't marrying Jude. His family has been overly supportive. It was smothering, and Jude and I kept fighting until I finally packed my bags and told him we were breaking up."

Parker only paused a beat. "You're welcome to stay at my place. My dad has plenty of space, and he and Lizzie are chill."

"Thanks," Kayleigh said. "I don't want to be an inconvenience. I just need to figure out a few things. I've got some ways to make money lined up, and I'm hoping to have enough for an apartment before the baby comes."

"What about Jude and Lorne?" I asked.

Jude was loyal to a fault. There was no question what kind of father he'd be. He'd chase his kid to the ends of the Earth. Lorne, on the other hand. That I wasn't so sure about.

He would respect his friend's decisions, but he wasn't the best at getting caught in the middle of any drama. He cared about Jude and Kayleigh like family. I'd learned that when we dated.

"Jude and I..." Kayleigh said. "Honestly, I've considered breaking up with him before. I care a lot about him. He's my kid's father, but we're better friends than anything."

"You're just going to cut him loose?" I asked.

Kayleigh sighed. "I don't know. Everything is so complicated. My cousin is the only family member speaking to me. She's my emergency contact right now."

"I can get you a bed and some space to think," Parker said. "Lizzie's going to be shocked, but she won't say no."

"Parker's stepmother is a sweetheart," I said. "Just know she's not a cook."

"I'd better give her a heads up," Parker said. "I'll be back in a bit."

Parker stepped out of the booth and stepped outside. I wasn't sure how long he'd be gone, but he was already talking into his phone.

"We barely know Parker," Kayleigh said. "Are you sure this is the best idea?"

I took a sip of water. "You could bunk with the dean and Lorne."

That shut her up. Kayleigh crushed one of her chips with her hand. She looked miserable.

I couldn't imagine being in her shoes. Even if I turned up pregnant at my parent's place, they wouldn't turn me out. It wasn't fair that her parents were making Kayleigh face this alone just because she wouldn't marry Jude.

"Do you want to drop out of the production?" I asked. "If it's too much, we can put you backstage and rearrange a few things. Or we can arrange an understudy."

"I don't want to quit," Kayleigh said. "Being onstage means the world to me. I'll make it work. I know Emma Kate told Raisa she could understudy me. That should be enough."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," Kayleigh nodded. "But if you could convince Maddox not to dress me up like a bride, I'd appreciate it."

I laughed. "I'll see what I can do, but Maddox is pretty set in his ways."

It would be almost impossible to interfere with Maddox's visions. He hadn't liked the idea of being assigned a partner to help at all. He was used to having complete freedom in his element.

Parker came back inside, beaming from ear to ear. I had to assume he'd been successful in convincing his family. He took another big bite of his burrito, and I had to resist the urge to smile as I spotted a fleck of cheese stuck to his lip.

"Lizzie is making up Shayna's room," he said after he swallowed. "And I left a voicemail for my mother."

I knew Parker had grown up with his mother, but I didn't know much about her. Parker and his sister were raised by their mother, so I could only imagine Ms. Porter was a remarkable woman.

"How does that help me exactly?" Kayleigh frowned.

"My mother is a pediatric surgeon," Parker said. "I can get her down here, and it's an excuse to meet her boyfriend of a year, the elusive Dr. Santos. He's an obstetrician." 

Parker couldn't have been a more perfect choice. I silently thanked whatever fate had brought Parker Christian-Porter to our theater. He was like my own personal superman, there whenever I needed him, and somehow, he became more and more perfect the longer I knew him.

"You're amazing," I said. "Really, how many more rabbits can you pull out of your hat?"

"Time will tell," Parker winked. "Assuming this is all okay with Kayleigh."

Kayleigh sighed. "This is more than I could have hoped for."

Even if she wouldn't admit it, she looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. She attacked her salad with increased vigor.

She asked me to go with her to the bathroom twenty minutes later. I figured she needed someone to hold her hair back if she threw up again, but once we were inside the bathroom, she turned to the mirror in the bathroom and powdered her nose.

"Why in the world haven't you asked him out?" She asked. "Parker clearly likes you."

"You pulled me into the bathroom for this?" I sighed as I looked into the mirror at my own reflection.

My hair was puffing out of its elastic in a frizzy mass. I was the opposite of Kayleigh, who still looked flawless in designer sweats. My athletic shorts were from the university athletic program, and my shirt was one of the ones they gave away for free at football games.

"He didn't find a room in his house for me," Kayleigh said. "He did this for you. I'm just trying to help you out, girl. Guys don't do nice things like this for no reason, Lexi."

I used to think that too. Except Parker wasn't like that. Parker gave, and he gave as much as he could. I didn't know what made him so willing to help almost complete strangers, but it made him different.

"I think you're wrong," I said. "That isn't the only reason Parker is doing this. The guy went out of his way to make his cousin comfortable when he came to town. He helped Maddox pick up the check at Ornella's. This is just who he is."

Kayleigh ran a hand through her hair. "Even if you're right, a man like that is hard to find, Lexi. Snatch him up before some other lucky girl does."

Maybe she was right. Parker was an amazing guy. He couldn't help it when he was willing to solve all the problems that I had given him. I could just ask him for a cup of coffee. That was inexpensive, even though he'd insist on paying for it.

The idea of Parker and me on a date plagued me for the rest of the day. As I flipped burgers at the café, I wondered what Parker preferred as toppings. Usually, I tried to ignore couples on dates as I brought out orders, but today I couldn't help but imagine Parker across from me in the patent red leather booth, stretching his long legs under the table.

My Parker fever dream made the shift fly faster. Before I knew it, my manager, Nancy, was telling me she'd finish wiping down tables and told me to clock out for the night.

It was dark, and I knew I shouldn't be walking home, especially alone at night. I knew if Emma, Kate, or Bradley found out I'd been walking home from a shift again, I'd be in trouble with both of them.

Emma Kate was usually waiting for me in the parking lot, but tonight the parking lot was empty except for Nancy's rusted ford probe. I texted her, and she didn't respond. Next, I dialed Bradley's number. He picked up almost at once.

"Hey, Lexi," he said. "Let me guess. Is EK still MIA?"

"Yeah," I said. "I usually don't even have to ask her to pick me up."

"I'm on the other side of town right now," he said. "Joanie swung through town for a friend's wedding, and I'm stuck at the rehearsal for the rehearsal."

Bradley's sister Joanie was had graduated last year. She was sweet and popular enough to be nominated for the homecoming queen but not popular enough to win. She always came to our shows and brought Bradley batteries instead of flowers.

It was a long-running joke between the two of them. Apparently, in high school, during his production of Fiddler on the Roof, Bradley's heading aids died mid-rehearsal. Instead of making a big deal about it, Bradley continued as Tevye lip reading to know what to say next.

Joanie was one of the dancers in the ensemble and noticed her brother's trouble when he started to mix up his lines. She snuck out to her car, drove home, grabbed Bradley's batteries, and returned to rehearsal without anyone noticing. Then she gave Bradley the batteries at the next break in the rehearsal, and no one was the wiser until she gifted him batteries on opening night and continued to do so for every show Bradley had been in since.

"I can see if Maddox is available," Bradley said. "But I think he had a date planned. You could try Parker."

I was not about to ask Parker for another favor today. I had no idea how I was going to pay him back for taking in Kayleigh.

My phone buzzed with a text from Emma Kate.

"EK is coming," I said. "Thanks anyway. Tell Joanie I said hi."

"I will," Bradley said. "Also, if you could remind EK to call me later, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course," I said. "Thanks again, Bradley."

Emma Kate pulled into the parking lot two minutes later. She must have sped slightly because there was no way to get here that fast under the natural speed limit.

I climbed into the passenger seat and found my best friend nervously drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. Emma Kate wore as much makeup as Kayleigh on one of her Instagram shoot days. She'd straightened her hair, and even her clothes looked different. Gone was her beanie, T-shirt, and jeans, replaced with a crop top and leather pants.

"Did you go clubbing or something?" I asked.

Emma Kate barely looked at me. "Or something."

Her phone flashed a incoming call and she answered it at once. Someone said something on the other line, and Emma Kate's face lit up.

"Really?" She asked. "They really want to see me again, Mr. Maddox?"

No one referred to Maddox ever as Mr. Maddox, so I had a stinking suspicion that Emma Kate wasn't talking to our friend. The only other Maddox I knew of was our Maddox's father, Xander Maddox, head of Mad Production Studios.

"Thank you so much," Emma Kate said. "I won't let you down. You'll forward me the call-back information, right?"

There was another pause. Emma Kate nodded and then set her phone down. She glanced at me and then gripped the steering wheel again.

"What's got you so happy?" I asked.

"Xander Maddox recommended I audition for a role in a big open casting for the fantasy show Giant Patrol based on that best-selling book series after he saw me in the winter play," Emma Kate said. "I never thought I'd hear back, but then I had a call-back today. That was Mr. Maddox saying the directors want me to do a chemistry read because I'm one of the finalists for the lead Tess Jackson."

Maddox had mentioned that his father was working on the next big teen fantasy series based on the Giant Patrol graphic novels. They were about Jack and the beanstalk's descendant Tess Jackson and her fight against evil giants. Not to mention her love triangle with a giant lord and her human best friend.

"So you auditioned for a big TV show and didn't tell me?" I was a little hurt.

Emma Kate was my best friend. We'd driven to New York City for an open Broadway call once. We'd practically been laughed out of the audition, but we'd done it together.

"I never dreamed when I auditioned that I might even get a minor role," she said. "I didn't think it was important. Now I'm so close."

"Okay," I said. "Chemistry readings are a big deal. I get that. I'm happy for you."

We drove home in silence. I wasn't sure what else I could say. If Emma Kate got the role of Tess Jackson on Giant Patrol, it would change her life. She's managed to get Xander Maddox's attention which was impressive.

She was talented, and she deserved it. I kept telling myself that as I tried to fall asleep, but if Emma Kate had her break-out role, she wouldn't need college or our Shakespeare production anymore. She'd be a big star and wouldn't need me either.

Hey everyone!!! I feel like this chapter covers a lot of ground, and it was also longer than I intended, but I couldn't find a better natural place to end it. We learned a lot about Kayleigh, Bradley, and Emma Kate. Let me know who your favorite character is so far. I'm excited about Lexi seeing Parker as more than a friend and getting to see where that goes. I'll get some more of this book out after I take my finals for school. Wish me luck!

--- Eliana