Chapter 32 The Apartment Game
The Apartment Game
Taylor had only ever been in Florida to play hockey. No family vacation or field trips to Disney World. Just a whopping two days in the place where Fletcher had spent his entire life.
They retrieved their luggage and walked side by side as they waited for Fletcher’s little sister to pick them up.
They both wore ball caps and sunglasses to attempt to conceal their identities as best as possible.
Taylor didn’t know how well-known Fletcher was here.
He couldn’t even believe there were actual hockey fans in the hottest place in the country.
“I see her,” Fletcher said as a white Range Rover approached.
Lauren was seventeen and had one more year of high school until she graduated.
She didn’t really look like him, Taylor thought.
Fletcher had kind of a puppy-dog look to him that made him popular and approachable.
Definitely a strong resemblance to their mom.
Lauren Armstrong, on the other hand, had the same intense look on her face as Sean Armstrong.
She and Fletcher both had the same blue eyes, but while Fletcher’s hair was sandy blonde, Lauren had sun-bleached blonde hair that made Taylor think that she was outside a lot.
Both Fletcher and Lauren also had the most amazing golden tan that even he envied.
Lauren pulled up to the arrivals area and put the car into park so Taylor and Fletcher could put their luggage in the back.
“Jesus, Lauren. It’s so messy in here,” was the first thing Fletcher said to his sister. Taylor noticed that too. Fletcher was definitely a clean freak, so he definitely was not happy to see the state of his car that had been entrusted to his sister.
“Can you just get in already?” Lauren complained. Fletcher slid into the front passenger seat and cranked up the AC. Taylor was secretly singing his praises because he had not been prepared for the Florida heat.
“This is Taylor Piers,” Fletcher told her. “He’s on the team.”
Lauren pulled her sunglasses up to her head as she turned around and smiled politely at Taylor. Definitely a Golden Armstrong smile that definitely said, “I don’t really care about you but I’m still going to be nice.”
“Nice to finally meet you. I’m a huge fan,” she told him honestly.
“Nice to meet you too,” Taylor said.
She pulled out of the Jacksonville Airport and they hit the highway. “Mom is waiting at the apartment so we can do a car swap,” she told Fletcher. “I’m sure you’ve missed driving in Florida,” she chuckled.
“Sure have,” Fletcher said sarcastically. “Have you been keeping up with the maintenance on this thing?” he asked his sister.
“It needs an oil change and new brake pads and honestly some new tires probably,” she told him.
“So, no. Got it,” Fletcher sighed. He turned around in his seat to look at Taylor. “I pray Jesse will take better care of your truck than she has with mine.”
“Stop talking shit about me when I’m right here,” Lauren quipped. Fletcher sneakily made a pucker face to Taylor before turning back around. Taylor bit back a smile.
“So, how’s school?” he asked his sister.
“It’s July. I’ve been out of school for over a month.” Taylor didn’t wanna be that guy, but she definitely sounded like a bitch. Or maybe he was just upset because she was being rude to his boyfriend.
“You sound really happy to see me, you know,” Fletcher scoffed. “I’m glad you didn’t miss me too much.”
Lauren sighed. “I kind of missed you a little.”
“Dad’s been weirdly nice,” she told him a few minutes later with an edge of concern to her voice. “I quit skating a few weeks ago.”
“Mom told me about that. She said he’s been taking it pretty well.”
“Too well,” Lauren said. “I had this whole speech about why I didn’t love it anymore and how it didn’t make sense for me to do a sport I didn’t love.”
Fletcher gulped. “Let me guess, he spared you the trouble of giving it.”
Lauren nodded. “I expected him to give me the cold shoulder, but he’s been like the complete opposite. He likes to keep asking me how my day is and asks me about my plans for the future,” she said, sounding bothered.
“Has he been going to like therapy or something?” Fletcher asked. “That doesn’t sound like him at all.”
Lauren shrugged. “I honestly have no clue. He’s the new coach for the team so he’s been gone a lot.”
“Yeah, he’s told me,” Fletcher said with a hint of conviction. Taylor wondered if his dad had actually tried to break Fletcher’s contract. He’d probably need to speak to Bedingfield or Rowe about it, but he would probably know if that happened from Pancek.
Lauren pulled into a parking lot of a tall apartment building in the city. She handed the key to Fletcher as she slid out of the driver’s seat with her phone and water bottle in hand. “Mom said she’ll just see you at the house,” she told Fletcher before walking off to find their mom’s car probably.
Fletcher opened the trunk of the car, and an empty Starbucks cup immediately fell out. “I can’t believe she let my car get this dirty. I’m actually like pissed off,” Fletcher complained as he reached down to pick the cup up.
Taylor chuckled. “That’s what happens when you let a teenage girl drive your car.” He remembered how bad Emogen’s car had been when she first started driving.
Fletcher pulled out their luggage and slammed the trunk close as he guided Taylor to the elevator off of the lobby. “It’s not much,” Fletcher admitted. Taylor tried to believe that, but he didn’t really know Fletcher’s version of “not much.”
Fletcher’s apartment was on the fifth floor. Taylor felt surreal being here with Fletcher in Florida. Evil fucking Florida. He could tell how tense Fletcher was and he hated it. He hated seeing him so upset.
They walked silently down the hallway until they got to the very last unit at the end. Fletcher pulled his keys out and unlocked the door, holding it open for Taylor to step inside.
Taylor took in the surroundings and immediately laughed. Laughed so hard that he cried.
“What’s wrong?” Fletcher asked, extremely confused.
Taylor slipped out of his shoes and felt the old carpet beneath his feet as he walked around. Well, there wasn’t much space to walk around.
“Is something wrong?” Fletcher asked again.
Taylor looked at him and laughed even harder before wiping a tear from his eye. “It’s… nice.”
Fletcher narrowed his eyebrows at him. “I told you it wasn’t much,” he said, kind slightly disturbed.
Taylor shook his head and placed his hand on Fletcher’s shoulder. “Usually when a rich person says their apartment is ‘not much’ it still ends up being fancy. But this… Fletch this is bad.” He laughed manically.
He looked around once more, as if he couldn’t believe Fletcher would live in a place like this.
It was a tiny studio apartment that was fully carpet except for a little bit of linoleum near the kitchen.
It had a white refrigerator and a black oven and orange cabinets.
The furniture consisted of a decent sized couch, a smaller table with a massive TV sitting on it, and probably a queen size bed in the corner of the room, backed up against the only window.
“I’m not rich,” Fletcher told him seriously. “My family may be, but I’ve been cut off since September. For obvious reasons.”
Taylor moved his hand up to cup Fletcher’s cheek before pulling him into a hug. He kept laughing as he wrapped his arms around Fletcher’s back. “I’m sorry,” Taylor tried to apologize in between laughs. “It’s nice. I promise. It’s so nice, honey.”
Fletcher pulled back and looked at Taylor, like he didn’t believe him. “I thought poor people were supposed to be humble,” he told Taylor sarcastically. Taylor was still laughing.
“Honey, I may have been poor but never,” he motioned around the room and nearly folded over in laughter. “I think the funniest thing about it is the TV being comically large.”
He looked back at Fletcher, who glared at him. “Like that fucking iPad,” Taylor cried out in laughter.
Fletcher looked more concerned than offended. “I think you need a nap, big guy.”
He was probably right. Taylor hadn’t really slept in two days. Slept well.
“We’ll go to bed early,” Taylor suggested. “It’s too late in the afternoon for a nap.”
Fletcher looked down at his watch. “Jesus, I didn’t realize it was seven already. I swear it doesn’t get dark until like eight during the summer.”
Taylor forced himself to calm down as he walked over to look out the window. At least Fletcher had a decent view of a small park across the street.
“What do you want to do for dinner?” Fletcher asked him.
“What’s good around here?”
Fletcher started firing off a bunch of different restaurants, but Taylor stopped him the moment he heard Mediterranean food.
“I knew you were going to say that” Fletcher laughed.
“What’s your favorite?” Taylor asked him. Fletcher plopped down on the couch and patted the spot next to him for Taylor to sit. Fletcher turned a little so Taylor could lean up against him and stretch his long legs out onto the couch.
“Probably seafood,” Fletcher answered with a shrug.
“Oh, that’s right. Because you’re a Floridian,” Taylor joked.
Fletcher laughed as he ran his fingers through Taylor’s hair. “You’re hilarious.” He continued to brush Taylor’s hair back and Taylor closed his eyes and sighed.
“That feels nice,” he told him.
“Your hair’s gotten so long. You think you’ll keep growing it out?” he asked Taylor.
“Probably. I don’t have a reason to cut it.
” Honestly, Taylor felt like the happier he was, the longer he would let his hair grow out.
When he was younger, he kept it long like Jesse and Mandy do, but he buzzed all his hair off when his dad passed away.
After that, he kept it fairly short because he didn’t want to deal with it while playing hockey.
“Do you want me to cut it?” Taylor asked him.
“Please don’t,” Fletcher replied. “I like it long. I think you’d look cute with a man bun.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Taylor scoffed. “I think man buns are weird. I’d probably braid it back once it’s long enough like Jesse does.”
Fletcher grabbed his jaw and tilted Taylor’s head up to kiss him. “It’ll give me something to grab onto tonight,” he told him with a smirk.
Taylor felt his face flush. “Tonight’s the night?” he asked Fletcher nervously.
Fletcher’s face brightened with excitement once he understood what Taylor meant. He leaned down and gave him another quick kiss. “Tonight’s the night.”