Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
T his is a big deal.
That’s the only thought running through my head as I stare at Taylor’s passenger side door. He’s already buckling his seatbelt, looking far too calm for the situation at hand.
Taylor and I can’t be alone.
I mean, we’re alone during our workdays. When we have heavy inboxes and inane requests to occupy us. But sitting a foot apart with nothing to distract us is another thing entirely. What will we even talk about? Or will we sit in silence for the full ten-minute drive, pretending the other doesn’t exist?
“Are you getting in?”
Taylor’s annoyed voice cuts through my daze.
Repressing a sigh, I shuffle into his car. I’m not surprised by the clean leather seats, the pristine dashboard or empty backseat. I always knew Taylor drove a nice car. I see it parked across from mine most days of the week. But I never imagined actually getting inside of it. Even if I had, I wouldn’t have expected the smell.
The moment I take a seat, it’s like I’m enveloped in Taylor’s cologne. His car is warm vanilla and expensive liquor mixed with a hint of tobacco smoke. I’m rarely close enough to Taylor to get a good whiff. But every time I do, I hate how tempted I am to linger.
And now I have no choice. Taylor’s car smells amazing. If I’m not careful, my one and only hoodie will be doused in his scent for a week. I’ll have to do something terrible like throw it out. Or worse, turn it into my new pillowcase.
I turn to buckle my seatbelt at the same time Taylor reaches for his. His fingertips brush over my wrist and we both freeze in place. He lets out a little breath and I look up, finding our heads only inches apart. It’s the closest we’ve ever been. An annoying voice in the back of my head murmurs that he’s even better looking than I thought.
Taylor recoils first, but I make a bigger show of it, tossing my hair and holding onto my hand like it’s been burned.
The good news is I guessed right. We drive to the nearest grocer in complete silence. When Taylor pulls into the parking spot, I expect us to go our separate ways without uttering a single word.
“Adoria really didn’t give you a key?”
I startle a bit at the sound of his voice, shutting my car door a little too hard. “Yeah. I mean, no. She didn’t.”
Taylor looks irritated. But, for once, his ire isn’t directed at me. “She was just going to let you run the risk of getting locked out each night?”
I laugh sourly, watching Taylor’s expression change when it dawns on him. Adoria didn’t think. She didn’t consider me at all.
He runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head a bit as he grabs a shopping cart. “Fine. You can borrow mine, then. Until the garage is fixed.”
I trip over my feet. “You’d let me do that?”
He shrugs, doesn’t meet my eye. “I’m not going to let you get locked out, Ayla.”
And I don’t know what shocks me more—the small act of kindness, or the way he says my name. Softly, without any hint of annoyance or anger. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him call me anything other than Montes . Despite myself, I grow cognizant of how deep his voice really is. How rough.
When we reach the sliding doors of the store, I start to say, “So, meet here in—”
At the same time Taylor utters: “What are you getting?”
I blink up at him. “I’m going that way.” I point in a vague direction, attempting a smile.
Taylor nods. Rubs a hand behind his neck. “I’ll be over there.” He hooks a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing at nothing.
“Right.”
“Okay.”
Neither one of us moves. And I can’t help it, I giggle. The sound must fry some of Taylor’s inner wiring, as he grants me a half-smile. Just wide enough to reveal one deep-set dimple. My eyes widen, and I’m tempted to remark upon it, just to see if I can get him to show me its twin.
“All right, let’s get moving, Montes. Before the store closes.” Taylor steps past me, a smirk still lingering on his lips.
I watch him go, eyes traveling down his broad back and long legs. I cut myself off before I can linger on his well-formed ass. You know what I need? Carbs. Carbs will snap me out of whatever awful spell the Havens’ spooky home has cast upon me.
I throw a baguette into my cart, followed shortly by two dozen chocolate chip cookies. Only after snagging two packs of sweet Hawaiian rolls do I feel remotely better.
Doing my due diligence, I sweep through the frozen section, adding anything with a red sale sticker to my cart. By the time I reach the feminine hygiene aisle, I’ve practically banished the word that rhymes with Baylor from my mind. Ha. Boys? Who needs them! I’ve got better things to worry about—like student loan debt. And toxic shock syndrome.
I’m not ready to check out. But with my cart piled high, I don’t have a choice. It’s either call an Uber or resign myself to another ten minutes with…whatever his name is.
I keep my focus on sprinkles and dollops of whipped cream as I stride through the store, peering down each aisle. If I manage to distract myself with happy thoughts, maybe I won’t make any other stupid decisions. Like the one that landed me here.
I spot him in the cereal aisle. Which is odd. I’ve never seen Taylor eat breakfast. If he did, I would have thought it’d be something like plain oatmeal, or a single egg white. But he’s standing beside the Frosty Flakes, a box held aloft in his hand. Only when I grow closer do I realize he isn’t alone.
A pretty brunette is opposite him, gesturing at something that makes her laugh. I can’t see Taylor’s expression from this angle, but I assume it’s the charming one he saves for anyone who isn’t me.
She’s gazing so deep into his eyes that she doesn’t even notice my approach. It isn’t until I accidentally knock into Taylor, pulling up my cart beside his that either of them looks my way.
“Got my stuff,” I say, looking between them with an awkward smile. “Should I check out or are you still shopping?”
The girl’s eyes go wide, her pretty cheeks turning a shade of red. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she squeaks, flashing me a look full of apology. Without another word, she turns, scurrying back down the aisle.
I scratch at my forehead, wondering what about my appearance scared her off. The truth doesn’t dawn on me until Taylor breathes a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” he says in a low voice. “That was perfect timing.”
“Oh, my god.” I clap a hand over my mouth. “She thought I was your girlfriend, didn’t she? I totally cock-blocked you.”
Taylor lets out the ghost of a chuckle. “Observant as always, Montes.”
I wince. “Want me to go find her?”
A hand closes around my wrist, pulling me back before I can fully take off. My eyes dip to Taylor’s hand before they scale his face. His cheeks are flushed the lightest shade of pink and he’s wearing an expression I don’t recognize.
“Please don’t,” he murmurs, almost shyly. “You saved me from an awkward conversation.”
He drops my hand, and I’m tempted to hold the spot where his fingers were. Squeeze and squeeze until the tingles subside.
“Why? She was cute. Or do you already have a girlfriend?”
For what feels like the umpteenth time today, my mouth says something before my brain can catch up. I want to hit myself on the forehead, but Taylor stops me with a real smile. A double dimple smile. The one I haven’t seen in a decade.
“You actually think I have time to date right now? With Satan and her evil minion breathing down my neck all hours of the day?” Taylor cocks his head, appraising me. “Why, do you?”
“Have a girlfriend? No.” I want to laugh at the dry look he flashes me. “Or a boyfriend. Haven’t in years. Even before the Havens sucked my lifeblood dry.”
He nods, looking away. But the smile remains on his lips, and damn do I want it to stay put.
“This must happen to you all the time, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
“Getting hit on.” I wave a hand at him. “You get mobbed all the time, don’t you? No need to be modest, Hedlund.”
He makes a sound like a scoff. “What gives you that impression?”
“Your reaction to that pretty girl didn’t exactly spell surprise.” I laugh. “And, you know, you’re not awful to look at. When you aren’t terrorizing poor assistants.”
Taylor steps closer, and it feels like all the breath is squeezed from my lungs. “Are you saying I’m handsome, Montes? Is that what you think?”
The teasing smile is back on his face. He hasn’t frowned in at least five minutes—a record, I think. And I’m not mentally well, okay? Clearly. Today I consumed my weight in sugar and junk food and my brain isn’t firing on all cylinders. It’s why I can’t pull my gaze away from Taylor’s lips when I tilt my head up.
“No,” I say, searching the barren fields of my head for an excuse. “It’s just the basketball thing. Star athletes always get attention. Surely you’re used to getting hit on, Captain.”
I don’t realize what I’ve said until I meet Taylor’s eyes. And watch the smile fall from his face. He looks at me like he’s never seen me before, like I’ve chilled his very blood.
“I never told you I played basketball.”
The accusation hits me like a sucker punch. He’s right. Taylor and I have never discussed high school. We’ve never even hinted at the possibility we knew each other before. All this time, I assumed he didn’t remember me. Why would he?
But I’ve just blown my cover. It’s out in the open now—just how well I know him . And I have nothing that can explain it but the truth.
“I saw you play,” I say through a dry mouth. “You were on my school’s rival team. The captain, right?”
Taylor swallows. I physically see the lump my words have formed in his throat.
The look he’s giving me makes me wish I had come up with a lie. Said anything else. Because all traces of amusement have disappeared from his face. Replacing them is a loathing that runs so deep, I can’t guess where it even began.