Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Taylor had never thought to actually sit down at this café. It was only ever for a quick takeaway coffee, then off to whatever boat or caravan she was working on. She took in the surrounding greenery, appreciating a family of magpies singing in unison close by—no doubt asking for a crumb or two—but she knew to ignore their calls and leave them to their worms. Human food would do them more damage than good.
Her feelings for Sam had grown to a point she wasn’t sure was possible in such a small amount of time. How long had she known her? A month? She wasn’t the girl who fell head over heels for women. Sure, after two years with Liz, she had pretty big feelings, enough to get them stomped on and strangled to the point she’d literally felt like she couldn’t breathe sometimes. But it had taken her six months in that relationship to even say I love you.
Maybe this said more about Liz? Or maybe she’d never loved her as much as she thought she had?
Here she was, sitting at a café with strong feelings. Sure, it wasn’t love yet, but far out, things were feeling serious, and with her heart still mending, the fragility of that combination had her worried.
She spotted Sam walking across the grass, breaking her out of her thoughts. They were in marina territory now, so she had to be on her best behaviour and keep things friendly . She stood up as Sam got to the table, wrapping Taylor in a hug like they hadn’t seen each other in months instead of days.
“Missed you, Tay,” Sam whispered in her ear, the lightest of kisses brushing her jaw in a move most onlookers would miss. Taylor squeezed her sides. “Me too, Ham,” she replied, earning her daggers from Sam, her mouth pulled to the side, trying not to smile.
Sam dropped her phone and keys down on the table. “Coffees are on me today. I don’t really know the protocol with this… with us… but I’d love to treat you.”
Taylor shrugged. “There are no rules. That’s the best part. So, whatever you feel like, I won’t say no.”
Sam turned to go into the café, bumping straight into a tall, fit young guy making his way out.
“Oof!” she said, her face colliding directly with his chest, his arm flying out to stop his tray of coffees from spilling, his free hand catching her arm as he checked if she was okay. Taylor sure didn’t need Sam having some sort of meet-cute right in front of her. She couldn’t help but watch.
“Sam?” the guy asked, once he’d seen who it was.
“Jase!” she replied, flinging her arms around him in a hug.
Ah. The infamous Jase. Great …
Sam pulled him over to the table. Ugh, did she have to?
“Jase, I want you to meet my…” she hesitated, “friend… Taylor. Taylor, this is my friend Jase who I was telling you about.” She rounded her eyes at Taylor as if to reiterate, just friends . She eyed him—all lean legs, square jaw and brilliant smile. Ugh . But she needed to be on her best behaviour as Sam continued to plead with her eyes.
Taylor smacked on a smile. “Hey, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” She could play nice. “Between Sam and Larry, I feel like we’ve already met.”
“Right! Taylor,” Jase said, snapping his fingers. “You’ve been helping out on Pops’ boat. I wouldn’t have the guts to get up those masts like you do. I’m glad he got you to help though; otherwise I’d be worried if he was still trying to do it all at his age.”
Taylor shrugged it off but appreciated the compliment on her work. “I don’t mind heights, and it’s always a great view.”
“Good point. If only I could stand heights. I’m too much of a wuss,” he winced. “I better get this coffee down to Pops before he turns from Gramps into Grumps .”
“Wouldn’t want that.” Sam chuckled, as they both waved him off.
She looked back at Taylor. “Okay, now I’m gonna go order for us and hopefully not collide with anyone else.”
“Please don’t,” Taylor agreed.
She watched Jase walk off towards the marina gates. Now that she’d met him, putting her jealousy aside, he did seem like a nice guy. And if Sam was telling the truth, she could understand why she’d want to be friends with him. Despite his very good looks—she wasn’t blind—he seemed really down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Maybe she could let that all go.
A couple of minutes later, Sam slid into the seat across from Taylor, drinks ordered. Her hair was up in her usual ponytail, sunglasses on, looking effortlessly cool as she lounged back in the chair, a relaxed smile on her face. Taylor could stare at her all day. Her eyes crinkling as Sam’s smile grew wider.
“What?” she asked, coy.
“Just appreciating the view.” Taylor swept her arm out over the green vista before them.
“Right.” Sam looked over her sunglasses at Taylor. “The view.”
“It’s a very sexy view,” she replied, head tilted as she flashed a grin. Sam blushed and looked out at the grass before looking back. “I’m glad you got to meet Jase. I didn’t expect to see him today.”
“I could see that when you ran smack bang into him.”
“Thank god it was him. I would’ve been mortified if it was a stranger. He really is a nice guy though. I think you’d like him once you get to know him. And I swear?—”
“Just friends.” Taylor finished for her, brushing their legs under the table. “I know.” She gave her a smile and saw the moment Sam relaxed.
“Belle wished she was coming today, she got so excited when I picked up my keys. She thinks she’s going paddleboarding every time I leave the house now. What have you done to her?”
“Me?” Sam asked innocently. “It’s not my fault she loves me so much. We’ll have to get her out on Manny sometime.”
“Well now that she all of a sudden loves water—again, thanks to you—she’ll probably be paddling alongside the boat as we’re sailing!” Taylor joked.
“That was so crazy with the dolphins.”
“Seriously. I wish we had it on camera.”
“Two flat whites?” A waiter placed the mugs in front of them.
“Thanks,” they said in unison.
“To… new horizons,” Sam said, picking up her coffee.
Taylor grabbed her mug and carefully clinked it with Sam’s. “New horizons, hey?”
“I spoke to my dad.”
“Oh! Of course. I completely forgot about him almost walking in on us—wait, did you tell him about us?”
Sam swallowed her mouthful of coffee, which looked painfully hot as she winced. “Not yet, no. We were sorting out the other elephant in the room. Me leaving.”
Right. The one thing they’d talked about that Taylor had conveniently forgotten. She’d closed up that memory and shoved it in the back of a closet while she let herself be in this happy bubble of a new relationship. At least they had time to work something out.
“He came around on Sunday after you left, and boy, did he drop some absolute bombs on me. All good things!” she rushed at the end.
Sam filled her in where everything was at with the business, about the offer and her dad’s own plans to travel.
“Far out. I didn’t expect all of that.”
“Neither did I. But here’s the kicker—he accepted the offer this week. Which means I’ve got thirty days before I leave and need to be out of my place.”
“Oh.”
She was leaving. Now.
“Oh wow. That’s… that’s yeah.” Taylor ran her hand through her hair and blew out a breath, her heart starting to beat faster and faster. This was why she’d wanted Taylor Time. This is why she didn’t want to get involved with someone. They always ended up leaving her, and Taylor was left alone to pick herself up, yet again.
“…means for us,” Sam was saying.
“What?” She didn’t mean for it to come out sharp, but here she was.
Sam spoke softer, more wary. “I don’t know what this means for us,” she repeated, clearing her throat, looking uncomfortable.
Taylor took a gulp of her coffee. She really wished it was in a takeaway cup.
“Umm.” She squinted her eyes shut, trying to focus. Her thoughts were rushing too fast, coming in too hot, like the coffee sliding down her throat.
“I don’t think I can do this.”
She felt herself get up, ignoring Sam’s widening eyes, her mouth dropping open. Taylor headed straight towards her car, heard the other chair scrape back, footsteps, a hand clasping around her arm.
“Taylor! Wait. Stop. What are you doing? Talk to me.”
She whirled around.
“I… I can’t do this.” Not again. And not with all these feelings . She blinked rapidly. She didn’t want to cry.
“Just like that?” Sam asked, searching her face for answers Taylor didn’t have. Couldn’t think about. Couldn’t give.
She shrugged her off. “Just like that,” Taylor said, getting in her car.
Nothing was just like that when it came to Sam. But she couldn’t go down that path.
She hit the car into reverse and drove off, refusing to look back at Sam, refusing to think anymore about what she was doing. Jess was right. What was she thinking ? Why start something that was just going to end. That she knew , deep down, from the beginning was just going to end. Better to leave now, have a clean break. She wiped at her eyes, telling herself not to turn around and find solace in the one person she wanted right now.
This was for the best.