Fallon jumped a little in surprise before making eye contact with Audrey and smiling. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“My bad, how’s everything going? Did your helper do her job?”

Fallon nodded, looking back down at her paperwork, “Yup, things look great, I’m happy.”

“Good, so I’m here like your text commanded.”

Fallon laughed, laying her pen down before pinning Audrey with a look, “You know why I asked you here, so spill it, what happened while I was gone?”

Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Same ole, same ole.”

“As in?”

Audrey took in a deep frustrating breath. If she didn’t tell Fallon, she was going to bother her until she did, so Audrey said in a rush, “I slept with Levi again.”

“Ugh! Why on earth would you do that?!”

Audrey shrugged her shoulders again, looking down at the ground, “ ‘Cause I’m dumb?”

“Ugh yeah. So what happened? Are y’all back together?”

“We were never together to be back together, we were just f**king around, you know that.”

Fallon shook her head, “No, I don’t know. I do know that he’s bad news,” Fallon expressed, “Look I’ll prove it to you.”

“How?” Audrey laughed as Fallon moved to her dry easer board.

“Easy. LEVI,” Fallon said as she wrote out his name, “is spelled like this, if you move the letters around,” she did so while talking, “It spells EVIL. He’s evil Audrey, stay away from him. He’ll suck your soul right on out of you.”

“You’re crazy,” Audrey said with a shake of her head.

“No I’m not. I’m serious.”

“Well this has been a blast, but I gotta-”

Fallon stopped Audrey by taking ahold of her purse, so that Audrey couldn’t move. “I just want you to be happy Audrey. I don’t like when you are sad and you know I hate when you cry. Damn it, I want you to be like me. I am blissfully happy except when I think of you being hurt by this dick. You deserve better, Audrey. Way better.”

Audrey looked down at where Fallon’s hands laid upon hers, “I know.”

“Then stay away from him. Why chase after someone who isn’t chasing you? He is just messing with your head. He doesn’t love you, and he doesn’t deserve to be loved by such an amazing woman. Stay away.”

“I am.”

“No you’re not, I can see it all over your face. You’re a glutton for punishment. You love his crap because you think it’s attention. It’s not the right attention, please, listen to me.”

“I am.” Audrey stressed moving her bag from out of Fallon’s hand, “I love you.”

Audrey was half out the door before she head Fallon say, “I love you too.”

Fallon pissed Audrey off, and she knew she pissed Fallon off also, but they loved each other no matter what. Audrey also knew that Fallon was right. She always had known. But being a Parker came at a hefty expense. They were all extremely hard headed and thought they knew best. Audrey loved Levi, but she had to let him go. She would send him a check for his Xbox and she would never see him again. She had to, or she was never going to be happy. She was always going to hope for a relationship that would never work because he didn’t want her.

Audrey reached for the door just as it opened and before she knew it, she was on the ground, her butt aching more than her heart. She looked up into the eyes of her gorgeous neighbor and was at a loss for words while worry crossed Tate’s face.

“Audrey! Are you okay, I’m so sorry,” Tate said helping her up.

“Ow, my butt,” she complained as she rubbed her butt softly. “I think you broke it,” she joked pulling her purse up on her shoulder.

“Please be joking,” Tate said and when Audrey looked up to his worried face, she laughed.

“Yes, I’m only joking.”

Tate let out a long breath as his shoulders slumped, “Good, you had me nervous for a minute there.”

Audrey continued to laugh and soon Tate joined in.

“You should watch where you’re going,” Audrey teased, “Being so big, you could have squished little ole me.”

Tate smiled, his eyes running up and down her body before looking back into her eyes, “I don’t know if I’m sorry that I ran into you, Ms. Parker.”

He was flirting.

Damn it, he was flirting and Audrey liked it. It took her mind off everything that was breaking her heart and made her focus on something good. Someone good.

Audrey couldn’t help it, a grin turned up on her face and she flirted right back, “Is that right?”

“Yeah,” he said, his grin growing, “I wanted to ask if you would want to go out tonight, as friends of course.”

Audrey looked away, knowing damn well he wasn’t thinking of them being friends at all. Fortunately for her, she had plans. “I got plans tonight. I have a date with my DVR tonight, maybe some popcorn and a beer will join us.”

Tate chuckled, “Can I be included in the guest list?”

“As a friend of course,” Audrey supplied.

Tate raised his hands, his palms up as his grin remained on his face. “Of course. Plus, I can bring ice cream to make up for hurting your bum.”

Audrey eyed him for a moment, biting down on her lip. He was closer than before. His body only inches from hers. Had she moved or had he? Why was it every time she was around him, her body was pulled to his? It was the weirdest thing.