Rumor Has It: The Complete Series

by Tucker, RH

  His eyes finally meet mine, and I think we’re both wearing the same expression—unknowing perplexity. Maybe I could make something up, or skirt around the topic, but I don’t want to. He deserves to know.

  “Honestly, I don’t know, AJ. She’s nice, but I may have messed it up.”

  He nods, and I wait in silence, unsure what else to say when he starts again. “Well, if she is, do you think, like, you’ll bring her here?”

  My skin crawls. It’s a weird sensation, almost like I’m talking to Reese about a new girl. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance. But if I did, I don’t know … probably not.”

  “You should.” His answer makes me jerk my head back in surprise. “Not like a date or anything because that would be weird.” He laughs. “What girl wants to go to a cemetery for a date?” His comment puts me at ease, and I chuckle along. “But I think you should. Someday.”

  “You think Reese would want that?”

  He nods with a smile. “Reese loved everyone. And she loved you a lot. It’s why …” Pausing, he looks away for a moment, before meeting my gaze. “It’s why I love you, Taylor. Because Reese did. I think Reese will like whoever you like.” Glancing over his shoulder, I see Cynthia waiting patiently. “I should get back to Mom. I just wanted to tell you that. You seemed really sad that night, even though you helped me. I don’t think Reese would want you to be sad.”

  Wrapping his arms around me, he hugs me, and I do the same, squeezing him as tight as I can without hurting him. When he lets go, he gives me a wide grin, before heading back to his mom. My eyes glisten as I get up and head to my bike. Throwing on my helmet, I slide the visor down and turn on the engine. Looking over the cemetery, I see AJ and Cynthia in the distance. AJ waves at me. My smile is hidden under my helmet as I wave back.

  “Thank you, Reese,” I whisper to myself.

  Chapter 29

  Sasha

  “Remind me: why did we think it’d be okay to come to a store two days before Christmas?” Tara asks.

  She’s not wrong. The supermarket is packed with everyone shopping for holiday dinners. As a matter of fact, the entire shopping center is packed, as the supermarket is nestled next to a big box store, an electronics and gaming store, and a bookstore. Everyone’s out getting their last-minute shopping in.

  “Because Felicia forgot to get the whipped cream. You can’t eat pumpkin pie without whipped cream. I refuse.”

  She giggles along as we randomly scour the rest of the store, knowing it’s going to take us forever to check out anyway.

  “So, you decide yet?” she inquires, peering at me over a shelf of cookies.

  “I don’t know,” I answer.

  “Stop overthinking it. Just do it.” After throwing some chocolate chip cookies into our handcart, she nudges me. “You said yourself, he’s cute.”

  I told her about the non-date that Ian offered. Felicia, too. They both said I should do it. And I still haven’t heard from Taylor, so it’s something that’s been on my mind.

  I’ve thought about texting Taylor again, but he never replied to the first one. I told him I’d still be here for him, so I don’t know what to do. Maybe he’s just given up on everything. If that’s the case, then going out with Ian, even as friends, is something I should consider.

  But the other half of my brain is telling me I’m the one who basically gave him an ultimatum, even if I do think it’s for the best. Sure, we all have issues, but something that big I think needs to be sorted out before he can move on. I did this, and I should be fine with waiting, but I didn’t imagine it’d go like this. Maybe I was in La La Land, thinking he’d get everything sorted and we’d be spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve together, and all would be right in the world.

  “He’s being too nice about it,” Tara adds as we turn into another aisle. “But then again, that’s how Ian seems to be, I guess. I mean, you know him better than I do, but he’s always come off as a nice guy, right? Even with the tattoos and piercings.”

  “Yeah, he is,” I admit.

  Looking over some different jams and spreads, I know she continues on, but I’m not sure what she says. A light buzzing rings through my ears, as I peek around the corner of the aisle and see Taylor standing in the fruit and vegetable section.

  He’s holding some celery, and he looks good. Shorts and a light blue polo. From my angle, I can only see a part of his face, but he’s smiling. Even recognizing all of that, I’m drawn to one obvious addition to him. A tall, light brunette, perky and giggling at something he just said. A million thoughts speed through my mind, but most of all, I’m in shock. I haven’t spoken to him in weeks, and now I see him, smiling and laughing with some girl?

  He waves the celery around lightly, and she laughs again, putting her hand on his forearm. She shows him something, maybe a jar? I can’t make it out with his body blocking it, but he shakes his head, and lightly taps the stalk of celery against her nose before putting it in a small handcart.

  “Hey, what are you—”

  “Shh!” I swat at Tara’s arm, keeping my eyes on them.

  “Who the hell is that?” Tara strongly whispers.

  “I don’t know.”

  They turn and walk farther into the section and out of our view. I take a step to follow them when Tara grabs my arm. “What are you doing?”

  “Shh.”

  The supermarket has a small refrigerator with different bottles of smoothies lining the inside and a rack on the door. Opening the door so I can hide behind the bottles, I know I’m acting like a fifth grader, but I don’t care. At the distance I am, they are about fifteen feet away, looking over some fruit. Taylor’s back is to me, and even sneaking behind the rack of smoothies, if he turned around, he’d probably recognize me. The girl stands in front of him.

  I hear her say, “Taylor, I think this is just what I needed.”

  “I told you, it’s harmless,” he responds. “Plus, I know what I’m doing.”

  She giggles again while I roll my eyes and curl my lip. “I’m so glad we hooked up.”

  “Me too. And Jacob was right, once you get back on the horse, it’s like riding a bike. You pick it right back up.”

  She turns around, pointing out something else, and he follows. I look over at Tara, swallowing my feelings. “Come on,” I tell her, my voice pitched low, heading toward the exit.

  “What about the whipped cream?”

  “We’ll get it somewhere else.”

  Leaving the supermarket, we get to my car, and I sit behind the steering wheel, keeping the car off. I can feel Tara’s eyes on me, but thankfully she doesn’t say anything. I don’t know how I’d respond if she did.

  I feel stupid. No, more than stupid. Of course, he’d just move on. Even with telling me everything that he did, I don’t know why I assumed he’d change the way he’s always been since it happened. Maybe he just needed to get it all off of his chest, as if it was some sort of reset for him.

  “Are you okay?” Tara finally asks, and I give a slight nod, then pull out my phone. “What are you doing?”

  “Texting Ian.”

  “Uh …” The unsure noise makes me turn to face her, and she gives me a concerned gaze.

  “What?”

  “Look, I know what I said. And I’m not changing that, I do think you should go out with him. But do you really think the best thing to do is go on a date with him out of spite?”

  “It’s not spite,” I throw back at her. “You and Felicia both told me I need to move on, right? Obviously, Taylor has. I might as well do it now before I start second guessing everything.”

  “Okay,” she replies, sounding less timorous than I am as I send the text message.

  * * *

  After spending Christmas Eve and morning at our mom’s, Tara, Felicia, and I have our traditional Christmas Day dinner. I do get a text message from Taylor that says, “Merry X-Mas,” and I ignore it. First, I’m offended. Then I think it’s either a pity reach out, or he really
is that low and is still expecting something from me. But how dare he go out with someone else and not even give me a courtesy call beforehand?

  Tonight, all the girls have been talking about is Ian and the date we have set up for tomorrow.

  I know I sent the text, and that I have to see him. I need to see anyone because this feeling sucks. I’m not as upset as I was the day I saw Taylor. Now, I’m feeling more rejected. To just completely forget about me makes me think I never meant anything to him.

  I’m able to navigate through our dinner, telling them I’m fine and that they were right all along. Mostly, I’m trying to convince myself that this is the best thing for me.

  For our date the next day, we end up going out instead of going to his place where he said he’d cook for me. I don’t really think anything would happen between us on a first date, but I don’t want to take that chance either. I just want to go out, forget about Taylor, and enjoy being around Ian—because, in all seriousness, he is a great guy. If I wasn’t still mad at Taylor, and upset with myself, I probably would be having a great time. As it is, it’s hard to even be in the moment with him.

  “But she’s pretty awesome, as far as little sisters go.” Ian chuckles at his story, only part of which I’ve paid attention to. He was talking about his younger sister and how she just graduated from high school with plans of going to NYU. I think. “But what about your sister? She’s a couple years older than you, right?”

  Smiling, I nod. “Yeah, three actually. And then there’s Tara, she’s like a sister.”

  “Yeah, you guys seem close.”

  “Pretty close. We’ve been friends since middle school.” I slide the last piece of breadstick over the pasta sauce on my plate and eat it.

  He asked me where I wanted to go and I told him other than Mexican, it didn’t matter. We cook Mexican food all day, so anything else was fine with me. We came to a little Italian bistro not far from my apartment. It’s not that fancy, which I appreciate, but it’s a nice date spot.

  “Well, you ready?” he asks, and I give what’s become my go-to move for the night. I nod. I offer to pay my portion, but he waves me off, pays the check, and then we head out.

  The short ride back home is quiet. It’s how the entire date’s gone, and I do feel bad about that. I should be in this moment. I should be more open with Ian and trying to get to know who he is outside of work. We’ve gone out as a group with everyone else, but just one-on-one, that’s who I should be looking into a little more. But I’m not.

  “You’ve seemed quieter than normal, Sash.” Ian stops his black Honda Civic outside of my home. I guess I’ve been more transparent than I thought.

  “Yeah, sorry about that.”

  “It’s cool.” He shifts so he’s partially over the middle console in his car. “I know I already said this, but I’m really glad you hit me up. So …” He smiles and leans in a little closer. “You think maybe we can do this again?”

  I don’t move away. Biting my bottom lip, I give a slight nod, staring back at him. Felicia and Tara’s words ring around in my brain.

  Before he picked me up, they said they wouldn’t let me back in the apartment unless I kissed him. They were laughing as they said it, but I know why they did. And I should kiss him. At the very least, I should want to kiss him. But I don’t.

  His lips hover next to mine, and his hand comes up, holding the side of my face. His dark mocha eyes stay locked on mine for just a moment longer. They close for only a second before he opens them back up, staring at me. I’m sure my face is contorted in reluctance, and he gives me a slight grin.

  “You’re not over him, are you?”

  I remember Charlie.

  I remember Lucas.

  Suddenly, I’m Alex, and I instantly feel horrible.

  “Ian, I am so sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He lets out a chuckle, sitting back in his seat. “I knew this was a chance I was taking.”

  “No, seriously, I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe I did this. I didn’t think I was going to be like this. I know exactly what you’re feeling, and I never wanted to do that to you, or to anyone.”

  He gives me a smile, reaching over and giving my hand a comforting squeeze. “It’s all good, Sasha. He must be a great guy.”

  “No, see, that’s the thing, he’s an asshole.”

  “Really?” He raises a brow, unconvinced.

  “He acts like he is. And then sometimes … he’s not.” He laughs again. “And I shouldn’t even still feel like this for him. But …”

  “You do.”

  Swallowing the lump of shame, I gaze at the dashboard, feeling horrible for doing the exact same thing that guys I’ve gone out with have done to me. “I can’t say it enough, Ian. I’m sorry. I feel horrible for being like this and doing this to you.”

  “Hey, you didn’t do anything.” He lifts his shoulders. “It’s not like we’ve been going out for months or something. And I knew this date was iffy at best. Thanks for giving me a chance.”

  “You really are a great guy, Ian. Seriously.”

  He chuckles, nodding while staring at his steering wheel. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Looking back over at me, he gives me a heartwarming smile. “I hope that idiot figures it out, and if he doesn’t, I hope you don’t dwell on him too long. You’re way too awesome to be pining away over some ass.”

  “Thanks.” Leaning in closer, I give him a hug before exiting his car. I don’t look back. I feel horrible enough as it is, and looking back at him would just make me feel worse.

  “So?” Tara calls out, smiling over at me, holding a small box of Chinese food.

  “Is he a good kisser?” Felicia asks, holding her own box. “Too much tongue? Not enough?” A movie is playing on the TV behind them, but I don’t know what it is.

  Closing my eyes, I shake my head at both of them. “I’m a horrible person, and I’m going to bed. Don’t wake me until the new year.”

  They call out for me to stop, but I don’t. Shutting my door, I kick off my shoes and crawl into bed, still fully dressed. Clutching my pillows, I pull the covers higher, fighting with my thoughts again. I wish I could stop thinking about Taylor, his stupid supermarket date I caught him in, or his friendly—or whatever that was—holiday greeting text. I just want to forget all of it.

  Chapter 30

  Taylor

  Apex Fitness is a nice, little gym. It’s a smaller franchise, and the owner wants to open a few more around Southern California, or so I’m told from Jacob. He manages the location I’m at and is Ethan’s friend.

  Meeting him on the day Ethan set up had me a little nervous because it felt like a blind date but for a job. I’d never met him, but I got ready, finally shaved, and tried to present my best side. And it worked. So much so that when he finished the interview, he told me I could start work at the gym the very next day and already had a client for me.

  I’ve decided to jump headfirst into everything. Since I know I’ll have to take makeup classes next semester, getting everything else in my life back on track seems like the next best step. The only thing I don’t know how to do is reach out to Sasha.

  I sent her a text message on Christmas, but she didn’t reply. I’d like to think she’s still giving me time to figure things out … or I’ve already lost that chance.

  “I hate you, Taylor.” I laugh at Claire’s words, as she walks out of the locker room. “You said it’d be harmless.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m not hurt, but I am in pain!” She cringes, running her hands over her legs.

  She’s wearing dark green yoga pants, matching color sports bra, and has her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  “No pain, no gain.” I chuckle and bump her with my elbow as we head to the elliptical machines.

  Claire’s the client Jacob asked me to take on right away. I didn’t mind starting at the gym quickly, but I did have reservations about taking on my first client as a personal trainer. Sure,
I’ve been exercising for years, and I studied and passed my certification, but getting a client is another level. And then there’s Claire herself.

  At first, I didn’t know why she wanted—much less needed—a personal trainer. She’s in shape enough, and supremely attractive. Once talking to her, I found out she’s going to school and waiting tables, but really wants to be an actress. She wants to make sure she’s in shape and stays that way. Plus, she has daddy’s credit card, so she figured a personal trainer wouldn’t hurt.

  She starts on the elliptical machine, and it’s not like I don’t notice her. It could make matters more complicated that she has a flirty personality, but I don’t want her.

  “You didn’t go back and get that peanut butter, right?” I tap the handlebars of the machine.

  She groans, shaking her head, but smiles. “No. How in the world am I supposed to eat celery without peanut butter? You’re a monster, you know that?”

  “And you’re very dramatic. I wouldn’t want to be the director of your first gig.”

  She makes her fingers into a W, mouthing ‘Whatever.’ “How am I supposed to eat celery then? I can’t eat it by itself. And I thought you were a personal trainer, not a nutritionist. Besides, don’t you drink energy drinks at like five a.m.?”

  “One, do as I say and not as I do. Two, you most definitely can eat celery by itself, but you can also eat it with hummus—”

  “Barf.”

  I laugh as she continues to swirl her legs. “Or other things. Salsa, use it in a salad, you’ve got options. And nutrition is going to be the next certification I get. I’m just addicted to energy drinks.” Looking over at the screen on the machine, I press a button to increase the resistance level. “Push yourself, Claire. I want to be thanked one day when you’re up on stage, accepting an Oscar.”