Chapter 14 #2
Shit. That sounds awful. Sitting on the floor next to her, I try to be sympathetic, but I have no clue how the female body works. “What can I do to make it better?”
“Kill me. Put me out of my misery.”
“What else?”
“I don’t know.” She sighs and gives me the saddest smile. “I bled out in the middle of shopping and none of the stores had a bathroom I could use so I had to do a walk of shame, buy a pair of pants I didn’t even like, and switch clothes in a restaurant restroom. Worst birthday ever.”
“That sounds like a real pain in the ass.”
“I couldn’t wait to come home and take a shower. So gross.”
I like that she tells me this stuff. She’s comfortable enough to just be whatever she is in the moment—hurt, tired, happy, mad. I love it all. Too bad I can’t fix her period problems though.
“Do you still want to go out tonight?” I ask, worried that our plans are about to go down the drain. Taylor has no idea that we’ve planned a sweet sixteen surprise party for her. She thinks we’re all meeting at the movies.
“I’m seriously hurting too bad to move right now.” She looks like she feels guilty about it. “I’m so sorry. Is Dean waiting downstairs? Did you guys come together?”
“No, it’s just me.”
Pulling out my cell, I text the group chat letting them know what’s up. Hopefully if we can get some meds in her or something she’ll be able to join the living and celebrate her special day later. If not, we can have the party next weekend instead.
Taylor looks so small and fragile curled up. “Wanna skip the movies and watch one on my laptop with me?”
“Sure.”
I set it all up, so she doesn’t have to move and then I kick off my boots and climb into bed with her. The door’s cracked open, so hopefully her parents won’t get mad about me being in here like this with her. Mr. Larson has a strict no boys in the bedroom policy.
I’m the only exception to that rule.
“What a crappy birthday,” she mumbles.
Not knowing what to say, I nervously pull her present out of my pocket. Shit, I didn’t even wrap it and now wish I had. I’m such an idiot. “Here.”
I hold my hand out, and she puts hers under it. The ring falls lightly into her palm. “It looked like something you’d like,” I say awkwardly.
My heart’s thumping in my throat and my palms are suddenly sweaty. Is she going to see that I love her with this ring? Can she tell I had to work extra to be able to buy it and still cover my portion of the bills at home? Am I being way too obvious with my heart?
“Wow, Conner. It’s beautiful.” She tries the ring on two different fingers to find the best fit. It glides over her index finger, and she leaves it there. “This is incredible of you.”
She hugs me quickly and then stares at her ring with a tired smile. “Did you know my favorite stone is amethyst?”
No. I just know her favorite color is purple. “What’s that gem supposed to do again?”
“It’s for grounding.” She settles against me and hits the play button on the screen, starting up a slasher movie. “I call it the everything stone because it should fix most problems.”
Does it fix a fucked-up heart?
I don’t know how to love someone right because I don’t think I’ve ever been shown how to.
My parents just use me and the girls at school do too.
Not that I care about that since none of them are Taylor.
Why can’t I be better at expressing my feelings?
I want to say so much but all my words jam in my throat until I swallow them back down.
“Does it fix period cramps?” I tease.
Her laugh makes my heart spin.
“Happy Birthday,” I say and kiss the top of her head.
She giggles again. That’s it. Giggles and ignores the incessant pounding of my heart under her head as she lays with me on her bed while we watch a man hack up a bunch of people with an axe.
Once it’s over, she’s asleep and I don’t know if I should leave out the window, creep out the door, or try to push my luck and stay the night.
When I try to move, she stirs and then her eyes crack open. “Hi.”
The smile that spreads across her face has me grinning too.
“Hi,” I whisper back.
Taylor rolls over and stretches. “I feel so much better. Guess the meds kicked in.”
I didn’t know she’d taken anything.
“It’s still my birthday for another…” She checks her phone. “Hour.”
“Wanna go celebrate?”
She glances at the door and then gives me a devious smile. “Yeah. Let’s leave through the window so we don’t get caught.”
I help her down the side of the house and we get in my truck. Mr. Larson gave me this beater because the landscapers don’t like using it anymore. He also gave me a cell phone that’s tied to the business. It’s kinda shitty that I’m using these things to sneak his daughter out.
Not that I’m reconsidering my actions.
“So ummmm… I know a place we can go that’s still open, if you’re up for a drive.”
“Let’s do it!”
She doesn’t ask questions because she trusts me. After a quick text to the group chat, I take her up to Dean’s where they’re hanging out by the bonfire. Taylor keeps staring at her ring for a lot of the drive and I don’t think she realizes where we are even heading.
“We’re here.” I announce, pulling up to the long driveway to Dean’s cabins.
Taylor leans forward to see everyone jumping and howling and there’s a huge bonfire on the left. Carly runs up to the truck carrying some balloons that say Happy Birthday on them. “You finally made it to your party, bitch!”
Taylor gawks and hops out, slamming the truck door shut and everyone gives her hugs and obnoxiously sings Happy Birthday to her and I just sit in my truck for a moment and wonder what it would be like to have Taylor as my girlfriend. What would it be like to have Taylor as my wife.
“Holy shit!” she squeals with delight.
This girl is truly surprised that her friends would try to make her birthday special. It kind of breaks my heart a little because I think she believes she’s not worth celebrating. Any bit of kindness you show Taylor, she’ll make into a big deal.
Nick picks her up and swings her around in a bear hug. “Happy Birthday!”
“I can’t believe you guys did all this for me!”
Nick sets her down and I know full goddamn well he’s about to give me all the credit because the fool can’t keep his mouth shut.
To stop that from happening, I hop out of the truck and make a big fuss that I’m starving, and that Taylor should eat too and is there any pizza left and oh hey, what kinds of chips are those?
Carly hooks her arm with Taylor, and they trail off laughing and steal the entire tray of brownies from the table.
By two in the morning, I’m melting into a coma. This was a long day and my eyelids must weigh at least twenty pounds each.
“Here,” Taylor says, sitting next to me for the first time since we got here. “I saved you one.”
She presents a brownie wrapped in a napkin. “Don’t tell Nick. I said they were all gone.”
I take it from her and go back to staring at the stars.
“They’re really pretty tonight, aren’t they?” she asks, looking up at the sky too.
“Beautiful.” I turn my head so that I’m staring at her, not the endless diamonds winking in the night sky above us. “Prettiest I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Dean and Bennet set off a firework that makes Taylor jump. Then she hops up and runs back to where they’re about to shoot off another…
“You never take this ring off,” I say, spinning it around on her finger. She wears it on her middle finger nowadays.
“Why would I?”
“Tastes change. People don’t always like what they did when they were kids.”
She flexes her fingers and looks at the simple ring with all the little amethysts set in circles that go all the way around.
I think the guy at the store said it was an infinity ring or some shit.
I don’t know. I just couldn’t leave there without it because it looked like a bunch of full moons with purple gems in the center of each one and I knew Taylor would love it.
“It’s one of my favorite things,” she says quietly. “Always has been since the moment you gave it to me.”
Once again, pride swells in my chest. “Oh yeah?”
“Mmm hmm.” She tucks her hand away and clears her throat. “I used to pretend it was a wedding ring.”
Pretty sure my hearing just crapped out on me. No way did she just say that. “Are you serious?”
“Mmm hmm.” That’s all I get before she’s climbing out of my cuddle cage and getting dressed. “I have to get back to work. My next yoga class starts soon, and I’ve also got to submit the vendor application for the Blossom Festival at the town hall.”
Wow. Okay. We’re done here, I guess. “I should probably head back to my campsite, anyway.”
She slows down and frowns but doesn’t look at me. “Are you going to stay there longer?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Do I get to come over or am I still locked out of knowing your location?”
There’s no missing her bitter tone. “I’ll share it,” I say. “I’m staying at the place we used to camp at as kids.”
Does she know where I mean? Now that I think about it, I don’t remember her ever camping in this spot with me and the guys.
“Just share your location and I’ll find it.”
Taylor stuffs her legs into a fresh set of yoga pants and my mouth waters. “You gonna bless the town with that ass in those pants?”
“You better believe it.” She wiggles her butt at me. “Putting them all under my spell, one downward dog at a time.”
“Ruff!” I bark like a dog.
Wow. That didn’t take me long, did it?
“I can come by with a pizza later, after I’m done with all my stuff for the day.”
She’s testing boundaries with that offer.
“Okay.” I shake the towel off before grabbing my spare clothes. I know damn well she’s staring at my ass. “Eyes up here, pervert.”
This woman doesn’t even bother to hide her gawking. She just continues to eye-fuck my body like she’s never seen it before. “Taylor. Come on. Why are you acting like any of this is new to you?”
“Uhhh because it is?”
“We’ve been skinny dipping a million times together.”
“Conner Michael Montgomery, I never once looked below the belt.” She crosses her arms and her brow furrows. “I respected the friendship line every time. Didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
She cocks her brow as if she doesn’t believe me.
“I swear.” Putting my hand on my chest, I bow my head. “Never once peeked.” After I think she’s good, I pull up my boxers and then my jeans. “I mean except for that one time when you—”
She throws her shirt at me.
“I’m kidding! I’m kidding. I swear I never looked.” I dodge another piece of clothing that goes sailing through the air at me and laugh. Grabbing her by the waist, I bring her close until our chests press against each other. “But I’m real grateful I get to look all I want now.”
Her cheeks are rosy again. Man, I love how she can’t hide her emotions at all.
“You’re the most beautiful star in the galaxy, Taylor.”
Something strange passes across her face. “I… better get going.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
She quickly finishes getting dressed and then kisses me on the cheek before leaving me in her room.
“Share you location!” she yells at me just before I hear the front door shut.
I obey, but once I put my phone in my back pocket, something uneasy and ugly stirs in my gut.