"This feels like déjà vu," Parker commented, as I stepped up on the coffee table to fix his tie.

"Doesn't it though?" I asked, reaching up to fix the part in his hair. "You look very handsome though."

Parker just smiled, tilting his head up to kiss me.

"Now I have to redo my lipstick," I informed him, reaching over and wiping the lipstick off of his lips.

"I don't like the taste."

"Yeah well me neither."

I hopped down off the coffee table, heading back to my bedroom to locate my heels.

I was wearing a white button up shirt and a black pencil skirt, my hair pulled back into a bun.

I looked very professional if I do say so myself.

I reapplied my neutral colored pink lipstick before stepping into my black pumps, curling a piece of stray hair behind my ear and clasping a string of pearls around my neck.

I knocked on Emmett's door.

"Coming!" he promised.

Parker came out of his bedroom, Lee in tow.

Lee was wearing a suit as well, his tie askew.

"Come here," I said to Lee, shaking my head at him. "You Adams boys, I swear."

Lee waited for me to fix his tie before pinning it in place.

"You look regal," Emmett commented, passing Lee and me in the hallway.

"I try," I said, stepping back from Lee. "That's better."

Lee just nodded before heading down the hallway.

Lee and Parker were both in full out suits, while Emmett was just in a button-up and slacks, no tie.

"Are we all ready now?" Parker asked, picking up his car keys.

I nodded, tucking my phone into my bra.

"Classy," Emmett commented.

"I try."

Parker handed Lee a pill as we headed out the door, which he swallowed dry.

That took real skill.

I raised my eyebrows at Emmett in question as the two of us filed into the elevator.

Parker and Lee took the stairs.

"Xanax," Emmett informed me.

Probably a good idea.

"He usually takes in the morning," Emmett continued. "But, you know, given the circumstances it seemed like a better idea to take it now."

"This is going to be okay, right?" I asked, smoothing down my skirt before looking over at Emmett.

"All we can do is hope for the best."

I squeezed my eyes shut for a few moments, composing myself before the elevator hit the bottom floor.

I think I was the one that needed the Xanax.

Parker and Lee were already in the apartment complex parking lot, headed towards Parker's car.

They must've sprinted down the stairs.

The ride to the courthouse was silent.

Parker spent it drumming on the steering wheel to the beat of the song on the radio.

Lee spent it staring out of the window, watching the passing scenery.

Emmett spent it on his phone, his shoulders hunched in a tensed fashion.

And I spent it with my hands clasped in my lap, my heart pounding in my chest. Wishing that things didn't have to be this way.

Once we reached the courthouse, Parker motioned for Emmett and me to go ahead and go inside.

To give him one last moment alone with Lee.

Because it could be their last.

I was already tearing up and the trial hadn't even started yet.

Emmett wrapped an arm around my shoulders, guiding me into the courtroom so we could find a seat before the trial.

Lucky us we got to sit through the trial before Parker and Lee's, a custody battle between a couple going through a divorce.

Their poor children.

Parker and Lee's lawyer came in first, followed by Parker and Lee.

Parker had done extensive research before deciding on Patricia Londono to take the case. She was highly experienced, and highly expensive.

Social Services sat on the prosecution side. I'm sure they had experienced lawyers as well.

I looked over at Emmett just before the trial began, and he offered me a supportive smile.

Whatever happened, we were all in this together.

Throughout the course of this school year, the four of us had become this awkward family. And we all had each other's backs.

Social Services first had to state their reasoning for bringing this court case against Parker.

They stated it was for being a neglectful guardian, which I tried not to object to.

I did not want to get kicked out of the courtroom.

They stated that he'd sent Lee to a boarding school in Miami knowing about his pre-existing conditions, and knowing that he was prone to self-harm.

Which was incorrect. Parker did know about Lee's pre-existing conditions, but he didn't know that Lee was prone to self-harm until just a few months ago.

But that would only look bad on Parker if that were to come out. They could use that against him as well, saying that he had been neglectful in that aspect of Lee's life.

Anything Parker said could be manipulated at this point.

Patricia then started in on her defense of Parker, stating that he was only doing what was best for Lee at the time.

Which was the absolute truth.

That Parker was only 18 when he received guardianship of Lee, and he was still in high school. He wasn't in a position to give Lee the attention he needed, so he researched a facility that stated they could.

Patricia went on to defend that Cornerstone Academy was neglectful in this situation. Parker had strict guidelines set for Lee, including times for medication and when the school should call him. And the school was supposed to call him when medication was missed and when class was missed, both of which the school neglected to do.

Emmett and I quietly low-fived, because all of the previously stated was true. Parker couldn't be blamed for the neglectfulness of the school.

But apparently Social Services thought he could.

The banter continued back and forth, neither Social Services nor Patricia seeming to have the upper hand.

And then Social Services pulled this.

"Parker Adams is ultimately the responsible adult in charge of Lee Adams," the lawyer stated. "If Lee was scheduled to take a medication at 8 AM, it was his responsibility to call at 8:15 to be sure that medication was taken. If Lee was supposed to be in therapy at 3:00, it was his responsibility to call at 4:00 to ensure that the therapy session had been completed. Parker Adams chose to send Lee to a school three hours away, but that does not mean that his responsibilities regarding Lee end there."

I felt like I'd taken a blow to the chest, and from the looks of it so did Parker.

"Parker's responsibilities did not end there," Patricia defended. "Parker drove three hours every weekend to check up on Lee. He drove him to therapy, he checked up on his medication schedule from the week, and he checked in with all of Lee's teachers and his principal to ensure that Lee was on-track with everything. But we're forgetting that Parker is also a student, a Senior in high school. 8:15 he's sitting in first period AP Calculus. That's not a fair statement to make."

"I've heard enough," the judge informed the courtroom.

Emmett and I exchanged worried glances.

That's not where I'd want the judge to call it.

"I have something to say," Lee spoke up.

Parker looked over at Lee in surprise.

Patricia looked at Lee, and then at judge in question.

I guess at this point she figured there's nothing that could really damage their argument any further.

The judge nodded.

"I was 15 when my parents died," Lee explained. "And it was Parker's 18th birthday."

"Objection!" the opposing lawyer called. "What use does this have to the case?"

"Overruled," the judge said. "Continue please Lee."

"Trust me when I say that I know I'm not a catch," Lee said, with a wry smile. "But Parker took everything in stride. Within three days he'd signed off on guardianship of me and had planned my parents' funeral. He'd been given a crash course in all my pre-existing conditions by Social Services, and a pat on the back and told good luck."

"Objection!" the opposing lawyer called.

"Overruled," the judge said.

"I'm not going to tell you that Parker is perfect, because he's not."

Parker chuckled at that.

"But we figured it out together. I'd been homeschooled since the 2nd grade, when it was decided that I couldn't be mainstreamed into regular school. So my mom gave up her career to dedicate her time to me. Parker didn't ship me off to Miami. We went down there together, checked out the campus and the school together, and we made the decision together. And then he promised me that if I didn't like it after the first 8 weeks, he'd find somewhere else. Parker was the provider in our house, he paid, and still pays, all of the bills. He takes care of all the insurance paperwork, and he makes sure that I always have everything I need."

Lee paused for a moment, looking down at the table before he looked back up at the judge.

"Parker didn't have anyone to guide him along. I don't come with an instruction manual. But he's never let me down, and that has to count for something."

Silence filled the courtroom, and I regretted not bringing any tissues with me.

My mascara was definitely ruined.

The judge announced that the court was going to break while he deliberated his decision, and then he banged his gavel.

Not that I'm sure that was all that necessary.

Patricia stood up and exited the courtroom, followed by Parker and Lee.

Emmett nodded towards me, and I followed the two of them out.

Parker had an arm wrapped around Lee, and Lee's head was pressed into Parker's shoulder.

"-and it's hard to say," Patricia was saying, as Emmett and I approached them.

"Hey," Parker said to us, offering me a tired smile.

Lee stepped away from Parker, wiping his eyes.

I kissed Parker's cheek before wrapping my arms around Lee.

His head drooped into my shoulder, and his shoulders began to shake.

"It's okay," I promised, rubbing his back as tears trickled down my own cheeks.

Parker had to look away, his lips pressed together and his eyes bright with tears.

"What you said in there was beautiful by the way," I said to Lee, as I continued to embrace him. "If that didn't win over the judge's heart, then I don't know what could've."

Lee didn't say anything, but he didn't need to.

He'd already said enough.

I stepped away from Lee, accepting some tissues from Emmett who'd just returned from the bathroom.

I handed a few to Lee before reaching up to straighten out his tie and his collar.

"Remember what I said?" I asked, as I re-folded his collar.

He didn't answer.

"Don't walk in there with your head hung low," I said, stepping back from him.

Lee nodded.

I turned to Parker, giving him a kiss. "You either."

Parker just offered me a small smile.

The judge deliberated for almost 20 minutes before they were asked to meet the judge in his chambers.

I gave Parker one last kiss, taking in a deep breath and letting out slowly.

This was the moment of truth.

Emmett and I waited in the hall, taking a seat on the one of the benches.

"Why do you think he wanted them to meet in his chambers?" I asked Emmett, clasping my hands in my lap.

Emmett just shrugged.

"Bunch of help you are."

"I just want all of this to be over."

I nodded in agreement, and the two of us waited.

It was Patricia who eventually appeared first, and I immediately stood up, my heart pounding in my chest.

I was sure I was going to throw up actually.

Lee followed not too far behind her, his hands tucked in his pockets and his head hung low.

I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest.

"Parker is coming," Patricia said, stopping in front of us. "He still had some paperwork to sign."

"What happened?" I asked her, clutching Emmett's arm.

"One year probation," she informed us.

I exchanged glances with Emmett.

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking back at her.

And that's when Parker came sprinting down the hallway, jumping onto Lee's back, his arms wrapped around him and a smile plastered on his face.

He took Lee to the ground, the two of them sprawled out on the floor in the middle of the courtroom hallway.

Patricia just rolled her eyes.

Relief coursed through my system, and I practically collapsed onto Emmett.

Parker stood back up, helping Lee back to his feet and then pulling Lee into a tight embrace.

"You lucky son of a bitch," Emmett said, as Parker and Lee came over to us.

Parker placed his hands on either side of my face, kissing me with an intense passion.

"We're in public dear," I said, pulling away.

"I know," he said, with a smile. "Let's go for lunch."

"Great, because I'm starving," Emmett said, throwing his arm around Lee and leading him out of the courthouse.

"So what does this mean?" I asked Parker, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Probation for a year," Parker said, his smile lessening. "I just essentially have to be more involved in Lee's life, and Social Services will keep tabs on me."

"Well that's not so bad."

"I'd walking on the fucking moon if they told me that's what it took to keep custody."

I kissed him again, a smile spreading across my face. "So what now?"

Parker sighed, looking over his shoulder where Emmett and Lee were sitting on the courtroom steps, talking.

"I don't know," he admitted, looking back over at me. He pressed his forehead to mine, his eyes closed. "I do know, but I don't want to know."

"We'll get through it together," I said, before kissing his cheek.

"Are you sure that you still want to stick around?" Parker teased. "I do have a kid you know."

I shook my head at him. "I love you Parker Adams, and I love your kid too."

He chuckled, pressing his lips to mine. "That's good, because that would've been a deal breaker."

"Look at you, turning into such a model guardian already."

He looked me in the eyes, a look of sincerity replacing his smile. "I do love you Emily Winston. I love you for coming here with me today. I love you for what you've done for Lee, for what you said to him in the hospital room when you thought I was asleep. And I love how supportive you've been since you met me." He let out a snarky laugh. "I know I've been a piece of work."

"Well that's the thing Parker Adams," I said, a smile spreading across my face. "I just so happen to love you too. And those are the things that we do for the people we love."

He smiled, closing his eyes for a few seconds before looking at me again.

"Who would've thought?" I asked, my eyes searching his chocolate brown ones.

"What?"

"That I'd be the kind of girl to fall for my brother's best friend."

***************************************************************************************************************

Well that's it folks. That's officially the end of My Brother's Best Friend.

The picture off to the right was submitted by Cosmo_lights. Check it out! -->

This chapter is dedicated to oreo2395. Without her, this book would've never been finished. Every time I have writer's block, or I'm just plain stuck, she always helps me through. And not to mention that she helped me search for Emily's prom dress, which took much longer than you'd ever expect. But yeah, give her some love because this book would be nothing without her.

Thank you all for reading my book! I can't express to you through words how much it means to me. And I hope so much that you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Love you <3

-Rachel