The slight rumble of the engine always felt calming. While my sister was a very tense and emotional driver, there was nothing in the world I loved more than being behind the wheel.

My truck drove down the highway naturally. There weren't so many potholes out here, and the campus was less than half an hour away from the old hamburger place billboard we'd just passed.

Lexi stared out the window beside me as we passed dry fields and old farm equipment. She hummed softly, and it almost sounded like Not Superman.

"Are you ready to be home?" I asked, breaking the silence that had lasted most of our trip.

She sighed. "I can't let fear control my life."

"Your friends will be there for you," I said.

"Emma Kate is leaving," Lexi said. "She's a finalist for a Hollywood role, and if she gets it, she won't be here for the semester. Riley's going to get into her SFX school and leave. Everything is changing so fast."

Change was hard. Even I wasn't good at plunging head-first into new situations. It had taken me almost a week to accept Uncle Justin's offer to work at his community center later this summer.

"You'll make new friends," I said. "You have me, and there will be others."

"It won't be the same," Lexi said. "Emma Kate is my best friend."

"And she still will be," I said. "Change isn't always bad. My sister and I became even better friends apart than when we lived together. She relies on me more when I'm not there. Maybe you and Emma Kate will be even closer."

Shayna and I had always been friends. Being our own little support system during our parents' divorce was all we could do as our world drastically shifted around us, but during my first semester away at college, she started calling me constantly. I wanted to be there for her, but it took her a while to learn that she'd need other support systems other than mine.

She still relied on me. I'd always need her, but now Shayna had her theater crew and Jack. She'd always put their friendship first before their relationship because she understood Jack in a deep way that I never would.

"You'll have to thank your sister for me," Lexi said. "She was so kind today."

I tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "I think she's just excited that I might have a girlfriend."

Lexi blushed. I probably should have said something else, but I didn't want to. Lexi was special. I couldn't lie or change the truth for her.

Jack encouraged me to ask her out at the concert. Even when he asked Carson about what he thought of Lexi, the guitarist had taken one look at us together and said, "I ship it."

"Since your sister's buddies all care so much about you, I'm guessing you were super popular and dated a lot in high school," Lexi said.

"I didn't date a ton," I shifted uncomfortably. "I had one serious relationship. She was a dancer and popular by association."

I remembered the first time I'd laid eyes on Gloria Torres. It was my first varsity middle school football game, and her curly dark hair and sassy smile stole the show as she high-kicked at our halftime show.

"You mentioned your ex before," Lexi said. "The one who cared about how things looked."

"Gloria took advantage of my feeling for her," I said. "She saw me and saw the homecoming and prom crowns. She won them too. Then a week later, after prom at a special dinner I arranged, when I was telling her how much I loved her, she said we'd been fooling around. Something about how a dance team captain like her should date the hot jock."

"Ouch," Lexi winced.

I wished that was the end, though. What Gloria said next shattered my heart. "She said she'd only agreed to date me because it looked good in her Instagram photos, and her friends thought we were perfect. She said she was ready to devote her time to things that mattered, like a college a thousand miles away she'd never mentioned before, and start her career. She called me a 'a means to an end.'"

"Sounds like you dodged a bullet," Lexi said.

Except I hadn't. The bullet had pierced my very soul. I hadn't wanted to ask girls out in college because I was too afraid they'd use me as another football stud. It made getting close to anyone a nightmare.

"She used me," I said. "Which put a damper on dating."

Lexi frowned. "How much does Shayna know about this?"

"She knows about Gloria," I said. "But she's my sister. She'll always side with me."

"I'm sorry Gloria hurt you," she said. "I know what it's like to be used in a relationship. I should never have dated Lorne."

But Lorne had only dated her to get attention from Kayleigh. I wondered if Lorne would ever apologize for that. Somehow, I didn't think the thought had ever crossed his mind. I'd barely gotten Lorne talking to me civilly, so it probably wasn't time to bring it up.

"He should have actually cared about you if he wanted to date you," I said. "Sometimes people date for the wrong reason."

"Yeah," she trailed off. "So why do you date?"

"To share life with a friend," I said. "An ideal partner is someone I can support and who is supportive. That's what my mother always said was important. My father broke that deal with her when he started relying on someone else."

"My parents never relied on each other except for money," Lexi sighed. "My father doesn't want to break up the family by opening a divorce. I think he still hopes Nicki will come home. She's never thought much of her marriage."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Nicki ditched my brothers and came into town," Lexi said. "She showed up at my work. She stayed all day and insisted she drive me home. So now my mother knows where I live. She didn't say she was leaving town. I don't know when or where she'll show up next."

I might have avoided my father after his divorce, but we were on better terms now. On the other hand, Lexi had come to college to escape her parents completely. I could respect that. My father had at least tried to repair our relationship, but some parents would never admit fault.

"Is that why you didn't want to go home?" I asked.

"And Emma Kate letting me know she's leaving to chase a Hollywood production," Lexi said. "I did what I always do. I ran."

"You never have to run from friends," I said. "From Emma Kate, Bradley, or even me. We all want to support you."

I was acutely aware I'd just put myself in that category. I cared about Lexi, probably more than I should. She was a breath of fresh air in a world that felt out of place.

"You've done so much for me," Lexi said. "What's your angle?"

I gripped the steering wheel tighter. Lexi was my friend, but she was afraid to trust me. I wondered if maybe it would be better just to try to stay friends. Still, there was a part of me that wanted to be more than her friend. I wanted to be the person she relied on when things got tough.

I needed to be the one who could make her smile. Lexi was at her best when she was at ease. Her smiles were so few and far between. Oh so precious.

"What do you think?" I asked. "You know me, Lexi. What do I want?"

She started at the dash for a long time as if the answer would pop up on display beside the speed limit. Then she gripped her hands tightly and shifted in her seat.

"You kissed me," she said.

I tensed. That had been stupid, but it felt natural. I knew I should feel guilty, but somehow, I didn't.

"Yes," I said.

"You dropped everything to come after me," Lexi said. "You drove us to your mom's house. It's almost like you care about me."

"Almost?" I raised an eyebrow as I moved the car into the highway exit lane. "Is that what you think of me?"

We were almost back in town. Soon I'd be dropping Lexi off and hoping she was okay. I needed to clear the air and fast.

"I do care about you, Lexi," I said. "You're the most miraculous girl. I'd always drop anything to help you."

"Why?" She asked. "I'm a mess. I ran away from my friends, Parker. What kind of person does that?"

I wanted to pull the car over and give her a big hug but stopping now wasn't an option. It would stunt her progress. She needed to go home. Instead, I reached for words I hoped would soothe.

"Someone who needs healing," I said. "But it doesn't make you broken. I don't see a mess when I look at you."

She looked down at her jagged nails. They were bitten down to the quick. She picked at one and sighed.

"Jack said you love me," she said.

My eyes got big. I couldn't believe he'd told her that. Jack was a pretty good hypeman, but he usually wasn't this perceptive. Maybe I'd been a little too obvious in my intentions.

"I'm not going to deny that," I said. "But I am going to have a conversation with Jack later about spilling secrets. I thought he learned his lesson after last time."

"What happened last time?" She asked.

She wasn't changing the subject that easily. "Another time. We were talking about us."

She flinched at the word. Us. It was so close I could feel it. All I had to do was keep Lexi from running.

"Us," the word sounded like lead on her tongue. "Are you asking me out, Parker Christian-Porter?"

I smiled. "Would a proper date scare you?"

"We could try it," Lexi said. "How about after rehearsal on Saturday?"

My jaw slackened slightly. I thought this would be harder. Nothing was ever this easy, but at least I wouldn't have to chase her.

"You're on," I said. "Am I taking you home now?"

"Yes," she said. "Let's go."

Hey friends!! This chapter came easier than I was expecting, and despite a lack of sleep and a crazy amount of school, I found time to write this week. It was refreshing to write from Parker's perspective. I'll try to get the next part out next Saturday, but I can't make promises. School is really important to me. Don't forget to vote and comment. Your support really keeps me going.

----- Eliana