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Chapter Five

Parker had spentthat morning helping William look for an affordable daycare for Nate, and the two of them had gone around to check out a few places. Turned out, it was difficult to find daycares within their price range that also met their high expectations. They both realized that in their current financial state, they had a lot of readjusting to do. On the way back, Parker had gotten stuck in traffic and was late to class, a first for him. He promised himself it would never happenagain.

That nightwhen he got back from work, he walked through the apartment complex expecting to run into Kell again. Or had he been hoping to run intohim?

No.Why would he want to run into him? He didn't want to see him any more than he had to. The hours they'd have to spend together working on this project was enough time to be spent around him. Parker just didn't like getting close to people if he didn't have to. It was just... too much energy. Energy that he could be spending on other things, like hiswork.

Still,Kell wasn't like everyone else. He'd stood out to Parker from the first time they'd had a class together when they were both freshmen. His work was amazing; that was what'd initially drawn his attention. But the more Parker had observed Kell, the more he noticed other things about him. At first, he found his face to be irritatingly naive looking, and it seemed to always hold an expression of either daft wonder or nervous uncertainty. But after a while, he began to find it oddly charming. Irritatingly charming. Parker noticed that when Kell painted, he would wear this look of intense focus, his eyes becoming penetratingly serious, and that had charmed himtoo.

Kell was interesting.It was more than he could say about anyone else in the program. And it wasn't that there weren't many other skilled and hardworking artists in the class, Kell just had something different than all theothers.

He didn't expectanything to come from this sudden partnership with Kell. It would be a good opportunity to see what the guy was really made of, to see if he could actually exceed his own limits. But aside from that, and potentially producing an amazing piece of work to turn in, Parker wasn't expecting anything to happen between them, certainly not friendship. It didn't matter that Kell was the only omega he'd ever met who'd actually made him...feelsomething.

Nate wason the floor of the living room, which also doubled as Parker's bedroom, doodling in a coloring book. William sat on the couch, which also doubled as Parker's bed, frowning at his laptop. They both looked up when Parker came inside, and Nate bounced up and ran over to him to greet him as he alwaysdid.

"Hi,Uncle Parker. Look, I'm doingdrawings."

He tookthe coloring book from Nate and looked at it. "Very nice job," he said, and passed the book back to him. "Keep it up, kid." Nate hopped back to the floor and continued todoodle.

Parker sethis bag down in the corner and dropped onto the couch next to his brother. "Any luck with the jobhunt?"

"Sent out applications to a few places,"he said, shaking his head. "I'm now realizing how unhireable I am. I don't really have anyskills."

"Just keep applying,"Parker said. "You can develop skills on thejob."

William sighedand rubbed histemples.

Parker's phonebuzzed in his pocket. To his surprise, his heart actually skipped a beat when he saw that it was a text message from Kell. Attached were several images of mockup sketches for theirproject.

KELL:Hey. Came up with these, what do youthink?

Parker scrolled through them.Hesnorted.

PARKER:This is what you did in fivehours?

KELL:Yup.

PARKER:Thesesuck.

KELL:... Wow.

PARKER:Sorry. They could use somework.

KELL:What's wrong withthem???

PARKER:Too much to say overtext.

He glanced at the time—itwas onlyseven.

PARKER:Why don't we meet? I'll drive. I know a goodplace.

Kell's response was delayed.

KELL:K.

PARKER:Meet me in the parking lot in tenminutes.

He slippedhis phone back in his pocket. William was eyeinghim.