Chapter 41
TAYLOR
Why do I keep finding her shit?
On the final move-out night, I grabbed Audrey’s brush from my top drawer and carried it to the living room.
Tossing it onto what I hoped would be my final box for shipping, I tried not to let her invade my mind for another hour.
“Alright, Taylor.”
Michael’s voice made me look up. “I’m going to make it easy on you and give you a rain check on celebrating that you got first place.”
“What? You’re leaving already?”
“Obviously.” He picked up his backpack. “I’ll treat you to a round of beers whenever you’re in a better mental space.”
“I’m in a good place now,” I said. “We can go to the bar tonight.”
“You said that last night,” he said, crossing his arms. “And this afternoon. I’m not taking a third chance on wasting my gas and sitting in the parking lot while you stare into space.”
“I didn’t do that.” I scoffed. “I was …”
I stopped talking. I honestly didn’t even remember us going anywhere; my mind had been elsewhere.
“That’s exactly what you did.”
He walked over and set his hands on my shoulders. “If I didn’t already know what the real problem is, I’d have you committed to a mental hospital.”
“I’m just stressed. This program is hard as hell, you know.”
“This program is over,” he corrected. “Hence why I’m even here, Taylor. Thank God Mom’s flight kept getting delayed so she doesn’t have to see you like this.”
“Is she still coming?”
“She’ll be here in an hour,” he said. “So if I were you, I’d pretend like I have my shit together so we can celebrate without you zoning out again.”
“I’m fine, Michael. Truly.”
“You’re not emotionally stressed about Audrey?”
“I don’t know who that is anymore.”
He arched a brow.
“I’m serious,” I said. “She was just a roommate. An old schoolmate. Once I box up the rest of her stuff, there won’t be anything left of her for me.”
“I saw her in the parking lot this morning.”
“Why the fuck are you just now telling me?” I pushed past him toward the door, but he blocked me.
“That was a goddamn test, Taylor.” He glared. “Can you just admit you’re wrecked over her?”
“I’m fucking livid.”
“Close enough.” He stepped back. “Need help packing up her stuff?”
“I can’t believe she left me.” My throat tightened. “She just fucking left me.”
“Did she say why?”
“She didn’t say anything that made sense.”
He gave me a blank stare.
“This is the part where you tell me to forget about her and move on to someone else.”
“I could never do that—not for the girl who’s been your endgame since day one.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not repeating myself.” He sighed. “You know it’s true, and everyone who’s ever been around you two for more than twenty minutes knows it’s true, too.”
I said nothing.
“Tell you what,” he said. “If it’ll keep you from being weird at dinner tonight, tell me about it on the way to pick Mom up from the airport.”
“Are you going to judge me for being emotional about it?”
“Yeah.” He opened the door. “But I’ve been judging you since I got here, so it won’t feel any different.”