Chapter 18 #3
“I meant what I said earlier,” he continued, his voice steady but warm, like a handheld out in the dark.
“It gets lonely out there. Hotels, airports, new cities every week…it all starts to blur if you don’t have someone to share it with.
Someone to turn to and say, ‘Did you see that?’ or ‘Can you believe we’re here? ’”
Chelsey’s fingers stilled on the countertop. Her heart seemed to beat a little louder in the quiet kitchen. “And what if I’m scared I won’t belong out there?”
Taylor’s answer came without hesitation. “Then we figure it out together.”
That word again. We. It settled into her chest, unfamiliar and warm.
She looked down at her soup, then back at him. “You make it sound simple.”
He smiled “It’s not simple. It’s just…worth it.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence returned, but it had changed shape. It felt fuller now, like it was holding something new between them instead of keeping them apart.
Chelsey nudged his shoulder lightly with hers. “You’d really argue about movies, though?”
Taylor grinned. “Oh, absolutely. And I will win.”
She shook her head, smiling despite herself. “We’ll see about that.”
The loneliness didn’t disappear, but it loosened its grip, making room for something that felt a little like possibility.
Taylor held up his hand. “I just remembered something. Don’t move.” He glanced at her plate. “Eat your sandwich while I’m gone.”
Why was grilled cheese and tomato soup so good together? She chewed slowly and savored the mix of flavors. Doors and drawers were opening and closing upstairs as if Taylor was trying to find something. What was he looking for?
The next moment, he ran back to the kitchen and fell into the barstool next to her, out of breath, and handed a paperback to her.
“Best Dang Guide to the World.” She turned the book over in her hand, immediately recognizing it from high school.
She opened the cover, knowing what she would find inside: a list of places she wanted to visit and her doodles of the top three.
Tears sprang to her eyes at the feeling of loss that hit her.
“Rome. Athens. Barbados. Japan.” She glanced at Taylor. “Our Globetrotting List.”
It was Taylor who’d gotten her excited to travel all those years ago and she blamed him for her hoarding problem: Bookshelves crammed with National Geographics and touring books lined three walls in her office.
“Did you know I’ve been to those places?” He took her hand in his again. She liked the way he was gentle with her. “Maybe it’s coincidence.”
Chelsey took a shaky breath. “You don’t believe in coincidences, Taylor.”
“No, I don’t.” He ran his fingers through her hair, making goosebumps race up her arms. “I can show you the world, Chelsey. I want to show you the world.”
He cupped her face in his hand and leaned forward. She closed her eyes as his lips brushed softly against hers. She leaned into the kiss just as the garage door opened and a car pulled in. The kiss softened. His thumb brushed along Chelsey’s cheek, as if he was memorizing the shape of her.
A door opened down the hall, but Chelsey didn’t open her eyes. Not yet. Because if she did, she was afraid the moment would shatter.
Her fingers tightened in the fabric of his sleeve as he ended the kiss. Taylor exhaled softly, his forehead resting against hers. For a second, he stayed there, breathing her in like she was something rare and necessary.
“I’m trying to be respectful,” he murmured, voice low, almost strained. “My parents are in the next room.”
Chelsey let out a small, breathy laugh, but it wobbled with emotion. “I don’t care.”
Something in him cracked wide open. He kissed her again, deeper, fuller as years of missed chances and restrained feelings poured into one undeniable moment. His hand slid from her cheek to the back of her neck, holding her there like he was afraid she might disappear if he loosened his grip.
Chelsey leaned into him completely, her other hand coming up to his jaw, feeling the warmth of him, the reality of him. Her heart felt like it had found its rhythm again.
The kiss stretched unhurried and consuming, the kind that didn’t ask permission anymore.
Somewhere behind them, a door opened. Footsteps. A muffled voice. Neither of them moved.
Taylor finally broke the kiss, but kept his lips lingering against hers, his breath still mingling with hers. His eyes opened slowly, searching her face like he needed confirmation this wasn’t some beautifully cruel illusion.
“Chelsey,” he said, her name barely more than a breath.
“You already showed me the world once,” she whispered. “You just didn’t realize it.”
His expression shifted into something deeper and certain. “Then let me do it right this time.”
Chelsey let out a soft laugh, her forehead pressing into his again. “That sounds dangerously like a promise.”
“It is.” His thumb brushed across her cheek. “And I don’t believe in coincidences, remember?”
Behind them, a throat cleared, but Taylor didn’t look away from her. Instead, he stole one last quick kiss, but full of meaning and a beginning.
Then, finally, with a reluctant smile tugging at his lips, he murmured, “We should probably turn around.”
Chelsey grinned, still a little breathless. “Probably.”