28. Parker

CHAPTER 28

Parker

I ’m so sorry I’m late. Fuck.” I grimaced, coming to a stop outside of the dressing room.

Mary, the student director, just shook her head at me, a clipboard in her hand. “Hurry and get changed! We had to prep the understudy. They’re about to go on stage.”

I shoved my backpack in a locker, already stripping out of my athletic shorts and sweatshirt to pull on my costume. Ella had fitted me in it, making alterations, and even though I felt a little ridiculous in the get-up, I had to admit I looked every bit the part.

Final rehearsal? We had this.

I caught Audrey’s eye as I stood in the wings off stage left. She was on the opposite side, her entrance coming from the right. While I wasn’t in the first scene, she had her reveal after the beginning where they explained the Princess’s birth and origins, about how she was hidden away to protect her.

Her theater friends were on stage, the three seniors who doted after her like big sisters. At one point, they’d cornered me, telling me they’d kick me in the balls if I hurt their precious little rose. I was slightly terrified of them, so I’d agreed, even if I didn’t plan on hurting her. Never.

Ella was in the back, flitting around and checking everyone’s costumes to make sure they were all perfect. From what I understood, she’d designed all of them, though she hadn’t had the role to make every single costume of the show—that would be too much work for any one person. Before I’d volunteered to do this, I’d known very little about musical theater. Now, I felt like I had a much better idea of what was going on.

She gave me a thumbs up, and I smiled. I was glad Audrey’s twin seemed to approve of us. Especially since they’d always been close, and that meant we would always be in each other’s lives.

If I had anything to do with it, we would.

I’d been trying to plan something special for Audrey after the performance weekend was over. Unfortunately, lacrosse was getting in the way. I already couldn’t wait for the season to be over, but once it was, it also meant the semester would be too. Which meant less time together, not more.

There had to be a better solution to that problem, but I wouldn’t go there now. Not when we still had so much to figure out between us.

Audrey’s eyes met mine, and her face lit up. That’s my girl.

I grinned, waving at her, and she almost missed her cue to go on stage because she was so busy staring at me.

Ella chuckled next to me.

“What?” I asked, watching her sew a few extra stitches into one of the ensemble’s bodices.

“She doesn’t even see it,” my girl’s twin murmured. “But damn, I’ve never seen her like this. So smitten. You two are so cute, it almost makes me sick.”

“Thanks. I think?”

She patted my shoulder. “Go get her. Be her knight in shining armor.”

I wasn’t sure if she was talking about the musical—or about real life.

Audrey flopped down onto my bed, wearing one of my lacrosse t-shirts.

“How are you feeling?” I asked her, pressing a kiss to Audrey’s forehead before going over to switch off the overhead light. “With opening day being tomorrow and all.”

I could count the nights on one hand that she’d spent in her own bed over the last week. Maybe it was just because we were trying to spend time together, even as the semester ramped up and we got busier and busier. Neither one of us wanted to be apart.

Still, we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

“Good, I think. It’s still a little surreal, you know? But I’m excited. And it sounds like they almost sold out the theater, which is always good.”

I hummed. “Of course they’ll be there for you, sunshine.” Because her people showed up for her.

Slipping under the sheets, I drew her close to me, burying my nose in her hair so I could inhale her sweet scent. There was probably something wrong with me that I got hard just from sniffing my girlfriend’s hair, but damn, I wanted her.

It was like an unspoken vow between us. We hadn’t talked about it. To be fair, there wasn’t time for anything else, considering how late rehearsals finished each night and I had to get up early every morning for practice. I was barely fitting in my gym session every day, let alone studying for my architecture degree.

Not for the first time, I questioned why I was getting such a difficult degree, but I loved what I was learning. I always thought it was fascinating, planning and designing buildings. One day, I’d get to oversee the construction of something I’d built, and that thought excited me more than I could properly describe.

It would be worth it, in the end. Plus, I liked the idea that I could work almost anywhere with my degree. It meant that if Audrey wanted me to follow her to New York as she chased her dreams of being on Broadway, I could. I’d already started researching firms in New York City, finding internships I could apply to, and starting the processes. After all, in just over a year, I’d have my degree and my certification.

And though I might have had family connections, since my dad knew people in just about every field thanks to his job in finance, I wanted to do it myself.

Audrey let out a little yawn. “Do you think your teammates are going to come watch you?”

“Probably.” They’d teased me a little about it at the beginning of the semester, but now, I think they thought it was cool. Plus, the single ones had realized how many girls there were in the theater department and had sniffed around. “They haven’t told me when, though.”

She cuddled up against my chest. “You know, you make a fantastic pillow.”

“Happy to be of service, baby.” I played with her hair, enjoying the act of just holding her. Fuck, I loved her. So damn much. It was practically bursting out of me, wanting to tell her.

Not yet. The musical was almost here, and I’d tell her after that.

“You know, I just remembered something,” Audrey whispered. “Millie said something about a photo of me?”

“Oh. Right.” I switched back on the light, untangling us so I could get out of bed. I hated leaving her arms, but I knew this was important.

Grabbing my wallet, I pulled out a piece of paper I’d kept in there for years.

I held it out for her, watching as she unfolded the photo that I looked at often in the years we were apart.

“This is—” She looked up at me, eyes wide with surprise.

“Us,” I answered. We were eleven and twelve in the photo, our final summer together before I moved away. She had pigtails and a cute pink gingham dress on, beaming at the camera next to me.

Audrey shook her head. “What does this mean?”

“I didn’t realize Millie had seen me looking at it. I found it when I went home for break freshman year of college in some old stuff. And I don’t know… I just kept it with me after that. Kept you with me all this time, even when we didn’t talk.” I shrugged.

“Parker.” Her eyes were filled with tears. “This is so sweet. Damn you.”

I rubbed my thumb under her eyes. “I know now why there wasn’t anyone else, Audrey Rose. Why I never wanted to be with anyone else. Because all my life, it’s always been you. I was always waiting for you.” Tipping her chin up, I brought our lips together, repeatedly, until she opened for me, letting me slip my tongue inside. It was unhurried, like both of us knew we had all the time in the world to get lost in each other.

Even though it felt like our time was running out.

She hummed, her eyes already getting droopy once again. I knew she was exhausted, and we both needed our rest.

Resting my chin on her head, I tucked her into my body, the two of us falling asleep just like that. Like we were always meant to be right here, together.

Opening night.

What a rush . It was strange to think that we were here.

I hadn’t seen Audrey in the last few hours, but I knew she’d been here early to help with hair and makeup. That was the thing about my girl—even after she did her own, she always helped the others who needed it, and every transformation was stunning. It somehow enhanced each person’s individual beauty instead of distracting from it or covering it up. Like she was a makeup fairy, flitting around and dusting her magic all over them.

The thought made me smile because that was just who she was. She didn’t even think about whether she should help others. She just did.

She was a star in every way, shape, and form. The brightest damn star in the sky. That was why she was my sunshine.

“Five minutes!” One of the tech crew called out.

“Be right there,” I responded, running my fingers through my hair one last time.

And then I grabbed my surprise, heading next door to set it up for later. Knocking on the door, I poked my head in to make sure everyone else had exited before sneaking into the women’s dressing room.

I found Audrey’s makeup kit and stuff in front of one of the mirrors, pulling a vase of pink roses out from behind my back and leaving them on the counter in front of the bright lights. Fluffing the flowers, I made sure to position it so the note with her name was in the front. Hopefully, no one else would mistake them as theirs.

Hurrying out and back to the theater, I found Audrey peeking out of the closed curtains.

“Do you see anyone?” I whispered.

She jumped back. “Oh. Parker.” A pretty pink blush formed on her cheeks. “Hi.”

“Hi.” I tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. Her act one costume was more woodland princess compared to her act two dress, but she looked stunning in both of them.

I resisted kissing her, though, because I didn’t want to mess up her stage makeup.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. You look very handsome yourself. My dashing prince.”

“Don’t forget your knight in shining armor,” I joked.

“Ah, yes. But you haven’t slayed the dragon yet, remember?”

I nodded at the curtain. “So, anyone we know?”

Audrey bit her lip. “I saw my parents. A ton of my sorority sisters. And…”

I raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“Maybe you should look yourself.”

I laughed. “Alright.”

Taking her position and parting the curtains just barely—enough to get a small peek—I saw what felt like an entire row of my teammates.

Here for opening night.

“Well, fuck.” I rubbed at my chest. “I didn’t expect that.”

She giggled, the sound melodic, drifting through the air.

“Positions, everyone!” Mary said, walking through and doing her last-minute checks. But I knew everyone was in place. She ran this place like a tight ship. The orchestra, the lighting team, the sound team—everyone was a finely tuned piece of the puzzle. And they were all necessary for tonight to go off without a hitch. Without every single one of them, there was no way for the performers on stage to shine or for my girl to absolutely dazzle the crowd.

“Happy opening day, Rosie Girl.”

“Happy opening day, Parker. Break a leg.” She winked.

And then we headed separate ways, the introduction music playing as the show was announced and the curtain opened.

I watched the opening number from the wings, unable to keep my eyes off of Audrey the entire time she sang.

My star, my everything.