“That’s kind of a personal question,” I laugh nervously as I finish off my bag of chips.
He shook his head, scowling. “You’re right. That’s none of my business. I’d just like to think my Taylor is still in there.”
Not knowing how to respond, I nod.
“I’ll text you about Monday?” He ask.
“Yeah, my numbers still the same,” I say.
“Don’t make any decisions that could change your life. Think everything through,” he warns, then leaves me to myself.
On a campus full of students, I’ve never felt more alone. I grab my trash, throw it away, and then set off in the direction to find Lea. I tap my screen to life, checking the time, she’s usually in the cafeteria. I open the heavy glass doors, instantly greeted by the roar of students. Lea is sitting close to the glass wall, alone, with a book shoved in her face.
“Lea,” I coo as I pull her in a hug.
“Have I told you how much I loathe hugging?” She complains, but hugs me back nonetheless. “Where the hell have you been?”
I roll my eyes. “Your brother’s.”
“He’s my brother when you’re mad at him?” She jokes, the corners of her mouth curved into a grin.
“Basically.”
“He told me you were staying, but I figured you would at least visit me. I mean, you were evicted, but it’s not like they have a restraining order against you,” she says. Grabbing her cup from the table, she takes a sip.
“You’re right, I’ll visit soon. How’s the new roommate?” I ask.
She made a show of gagging. “Ugh, I’ve picked up the habit of studying again just to get away from her dull personality.”
I laugh and sit down next to her. “That bad, huh?”
“Worse. She takes a million selfies a day, and she can’t get through an entire sentence without saying like,” she says. Rolling her eyes, she leans over. “She woke me up at 5am to ask if I wanted to work out with her.”
“She doesn’t sound that bad. What did you tell her?”
“I told her to fuck-off, I was still drunk,” she says matter-of-fact.
“Lea! Hayze would probably switch roommates. I poured out all of his alcohol and told him we aren’t keeping stuff like that if I’m staying.”
She scrunches her nose. “You could’ve at least given it to me. I don’t abuse it.”
I snort, “That’s debatable.”
“So, I hear you’re hanging out with your ex, what’s his name? Jerry? Justin?” She asked.
I sigh, “Joseph. We aren’t hanging out; he was checking on me.”
“That’s not the word on the street.”
“This just happened, how did you hear about that?” I ask, annoyed.
She points in front of us, and I follow her finger. Three tables ahead of us and one over, Hayze sits by Joel. Jenny is beside him, along with two other girls. As if he sensed us watching, he turns and smiles at me before returning his attention back to the table.
“He can be such an ass,” she says.
I laugh, “He can sit by whoever he wants.”
“Yeah, but it’s why he’s doing it. He was seeing red earlier. He was so freakin’ pissed! Then Joel and those skanks came in and he got this stupid grin on his face and went over there. He’s only doing it to get back at you,” she huffs.
“I think you’re blowing it out of proportion. We can both do whatever we want. He wasn’t mad at all when he saw me and Joseph.”
She looked at me, stunned, then laughed. “Poor, clueless Taylor.”
I stand from the table, needing to distance myself from the conversation. “Shut up. Seriously, we’re fine. We’re friends. I’m actually thinking about staying with him for the rest of the semester.”
“You two are like a train wreck, and I can’t look away.”
“I’m going to work,” I say.
“I’ll keep an eye out for ya,” she winks.
“Please don’t.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER SEVEN
Hayze
Don’t look at her. Don’t watch her leave. It’s just going to piss you off.
“Hayze, where you at, man?” Joel ask.
I couldn’t give a fuck less about him, but just to humor him, I gave him my attention. He looked amused. He knows exactly what I’m doing as I steal glances in Taylor’s direction. I’m still seeing red over that Joseph prick, and I’m trying my best to put it at the back of my mind.
“I’m just thinkin’ I don’t wanna go to work,” I lie. I do want to go, and I’m going to find out more of what’s going on with Taylor and this guy.
“You know you can come back to work with me,” he says, lifting his eyebrows, his eyes cut to Jenny.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Are you sure that’s what’s bothering you?” Jenny pipes in, giggling. “I saw Taylor sitting outside with some guy, he was pretty cute, too. Trouble in paradise?”
“He’s her friend. I guess you wouldn’t understand how relationships work, seeing that guys are usually done with you the next morning.”
“Whatever, you’re a jealous prick. Joel told me she dumped you,” she says smugly.
I glare at him. “Did he now?”
“Shut the fuck up, Jenny,” Joel says. He knows I’ll tell her some shit about him. He looks at me and shrugs.
I stand from my seat. “As much as I’d like to sit here with you losers all day, I’ve gotta get to work.”
I walk in the bar minutes before it opens. Randy shakes his head at me. Yeah, I’m late, but I’m here, that’s a start. Everyone is sitting in a booth, shoving food in their mouth before the doors open. Shea saw me first, she smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I pull up a chair at the end of the booth and sit down close to Taylor. Aside from Taylor, everyone left when I sit down.
“Glad you could make it,” she says with sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“I haven’t missed in weeks,” I answer, confused.
“Joel? Really, Hayze? You said you were done with all of that!” She says, walking away from me. I jog up, stopping in front of her.
“I am done. You’re mad because I was sitting by him?”
“He’s always popping up. He was at your apartment; you were with him today…I just don’t like who you are when you’re around him,” she says.
“Well, at least he’s not trying to fuck me, which is more than I can say about your friend that keeps popping up,” I say.
“Joseph isn’t like that,” she defends the prick. I couldn’t hide it anymore, I started laughing.
“Taylor, we’re all like that.”
“God, you’re so immature!” She walk away, and I follow after her.
“Doors are open,” Randy yells, walking to the front.
“Taylor?” I call after her as she picks up her speed.
“Hayze!” I turn and find Shea standing behind me, watching me with narrow eyes. “What the hell did you do this time?”
“I said something that pissed her off.”
“Nothing new,” she deadpans, clearly unamused.
“It was a joke. I was just gonna apologize and let it go,” I say, crossing my arms.
“This is getting kinda ridiculous. She was fine until you came back. Now she, along with everyone else, is walking on eggshells up here. If you two feel the need to fight all the time, do it off the clock,” she says.
“You know what? Fuck this. I don’t need this shit,” I say, throwing my arms up. I started walking away and I almost got to the door before I heard Shea again.
“Go ahead, leave. I don’t think anyone would be surprised at this point,” she says.
“What crawled up your ass?” I ask, walking back to her. I almost laugh at her as she stands with her arms crossed.
“You’re just giving up!”
“Giving up? How long have you known me, Shea? I’m nothing like I used to be. You of all people should know that,
” I say, shoving my finger in her face.
“But she’s not going to settle for that “better than I used to be” shit. Get it together, Hayze. You’re hurting her. You may think it’s a joke, but that girl looks devastated.”
“I won’t say anything at work, anymore,” I say, exasperated.
“It’s becoming more than just at work…You and I have been friends for years, but I really care about Taylor. If you can’t treat her better, someone else will,” she says.
Her face was apologetic, but the sincerity doesn’t reach her eyes. She walks off, not giving me a chance to respond.
Randy opens the doors and I walk behind the bar. Eric’s disdain is evident, but he doesn’t say anything else to me. Instead, he instructs me to dim the lights while he wipes the bar down.
The front doors swing open, bringing in the regular crowd. Guys from my old fraternity come in, followed by a few stragglers. One of the girls makes eye contact with me, I scan the room, searching for Taylor. She’s leaned against the wall talking with Shea, but if I don’t play this right, it could end badly.
She walks up, leans into the bar, with her chin resting in her hands, she pouts her bottom lip out. “You forgot to call.”
I laughed once, “No, I didn’t.”
Her eyes narrow as she lifts from the bar. Her flirty demeanor shifts into defense. “Well, you said you would!”
I look at her amused. Her angry eyes stand behind an entire tube of eyeliner, watching me as if I have to answer to her.
“Wrong again. You put your number in my phone while I was drunk. That doesn’t mean I’m calling you.”
“You were pretty into me that night,” she huffs.
I laugh, “No, wrong again, you tried to kiss me, then you followed me around all night.”
Taylor is walking mindlessly to the bar, writing down an order. She hasn’t seen me yet and I want this girl out of sight before she gets here. So, I thought of the only thing I know how to do, and that is: be an asshole.
I leaned across the bar, holding her eyes with intent. “The truth is, I’m new at this whole relationship thing.”
She smiles, thinking she knows where this is going.
“My girlfriend broke up with me a few weeks ago, and I needed a rebound. I guess what I’m trying to say is, thanks for taking my mind off of things for a night.”
Her nostrils flare with anger. She lifts her hand, a little too slowly and sends it flying toward my face. Luckily for her, I caught her wrist midair.
“Your friends are waiting,” I say, nodding toward the group staring at us.
“Pig,” she spits out as she stomps away.
“You cheated on Taylor?” Eric laughs from behind me. “This keeps getting better and better.”
“No, I didn’t. This happened a few days ago, we weren’t together,” I say defensively.
“Still, she’d be pissed,” he mocks me.
“I didn’t even do anything with that girl, believe me she tried.”
He looks at me, clearly amused. “Whatever you say.”
If I could kick his ass without being fired, I would. He doesn’t know shit. That girl was nothing to me. She followed me around the bar. I danced with her through a few songs, and then she tried to get me to take her home. She put her number in my phone and told me to call her later. Obviously, I didn’t.
Taylor walks up, her eyes were scanning the drink order. She looks frustrated.
“Whatcha got?” Eric comes up, smiling.
“I scribbled it so fast, I can’t even read my own writing,” she says. She looked at him as he takes the paper. Her eyes fixed on anything except me.
Eric walks off with her order, and I step in. “What’s on your mind?” I ask.
“I don’t like the need to know rule,” she answers honestly.
“I don’t like any of ‘em. Forget about the rules.”
She shakes her head, stubbornly. “If I’m staying…If this is gonna work, we need ground rules.”
“What do you wanna know?” I ask. She had to know I would tell her anything; I would do anything for her.
She looks to me, then to the girl that was just here. “Nothing. I honestly don’t wanna know anything.”
She turns, but I grab her arm. “I do. Are you really going out with him?”
“It isn’t like that. He’s been my friend forever,” she says.
“Yeah, well, he was your boyfriend longer.”
“Here you go, sweetie,” Eric says, walking up.
She takes the drinks and smiles at him, thankful. I rub my hand down my face, frustrated. This girl in front of me tests my patience like hell.
When she ran to me after her dad kicked her out, I thought she still had feelings for me. She needed a place to stay, and I needed her. I offered her a room, thinking if she was around me every day, she would remember she loves me. I was dead wrong.
Somewhere along the way, we switched roles. I became the one who so desperately needed her and she became cold and closed off. She isn’t my savior; she’s my punishment.
“We’ll talk later?” I ask.
She nods in agreement, but later never comes. When I get home from work, she is in her bed sleeping. I am laying in my room when I hear her get up. She wasn’t asleep, she was avoiding me.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER EIGHT
Taylor
I hold the black sweater against me, inspecting the color against my pale skin. I toss it down and pick up the tan one. Buzzing in my purse catches my attention. I grab my phone, smiling as I saw Lea’s name. “Hey!”
“Miss me yet?” She asks.
“Always,” I say.
“What are you doing tonight? I have an extra concert ticket with your name on it,” she says.
I tugged my lip in my mouth, not ready for this. “I’m actually going out with a friend.”
“What friend?” She asks.
“We won’t be out long, so maybe I could meet up with you after? What time does it start?”
“Taylor.”
I sigh and drop the shirt from my hands. “Joseph.”
She laughs and I roll eyes, I knew she would make fun of me. “Two words. Train. Wreck. What are you guys doing? What the hell did Hayze say, did he flip shit?”
“Going out to eat. That’s it. Hayze doesn’t care, Lea,” I say. At this point, I am starting to sound like a broken record.
“You really believe that?”
My shoulders sag in protest. “Please drop it.”
“Okay, okay. Are you getting back together with this guy? Are you moving out of the apartment?”
“No! We’re just friends!” I give up and sit on my bed. “Actually I can’t move out. He was right. No place in Nacogdoches has a one-bedroom apartment this late in the semester and no one needs a roommate. I posted an ad…And nothing! I guess I’m stuck.”
“Oh, wow.”
“I mean, I’m really thankful he took me in, but it’s awkward and it’s only gonna get worse,” I said, chewing on the ends of my nails. I was careful of what I told Lea. She’s his sister, but she understood.
“I know what you mean,” she says.
The background noise grows louder and Lea yells, “Hey, call me if you can come out later.”
I tug on the black sweater and slide my skinny jeans on before kneeling in front of my mirror. After I apply bronzer and a coat of mascara, I stand and slide my flats on. Hayze is sitting on the couch when I walk through. He set his cup down and stands.
“You look beautiful,” he says and he sounds like he genuinely meant it.
I crinkle my nose, surprised. “Um, thanks. I didn’t really dress up.”
“You don’t have to,” he says. His eyes hold mine intently.
“I should go,” I say, looking around the room trying to avoiding his intrusive stare.
Chuckling, he crosses his arms over his chest. “He’s not picking you up? What a douche.”
“This isn’t a date. It’s just t
wo friends meeting at a restaurant,” I remind him.
All trace of humor drains from his face as he takes a step closer to me. He grabs my arm softly, directing me to look at him.
“Call me if he tries anything,” he says.
I laugh once and step away from him. “He won’t.”
I wave as I walk out the door. He hasn’t moved, he’s standing with his arms crossed on his chest, watching me as I leave.
“I’m serious,” he yells as I close the door.
Ten minutes later, I walk in the small restaurant. Joseph is sitting in a booth on the far left side. I cross the space and sit on the opposite side of him.
His face breaks into a grin. “I was starting to wonder if you’d come.”
“I’m only two minutes late,” I say, pointing to my watch.
He glances over my shoulder before looking back to me. “Does he know where you are?”
“He knows I’m with you,” I answer.
“Did he give you a hard time?”
“Why would he?” I ask.
“I felt bad about asking you out, but you use to be such a big part of my life. And…I miss you.”
“If I tell you something can you keep it to yourself?” I ask.
His eyebrows bump together. “I guess.”
“We broke up.” I say. I watch his face cross every emotion from confused to content. He almost smiles.
“Because of tonight?”
“No, it happened over a month ago,” I say, looking around the restaurant for our waiter.
“And you’re still staying there?”
“You know why I’m there,” I say, moving around the placemat for my drink. I am over this conversation before it even started, but I felt I should be honest with him.
“I told you I have a place for you ‘til you find an apartment.”
“There won’t be anything for me until this summer.”
“Really?” He asks, cringing.
“Afraid so.”
“If he’s giving you a hard time, we’ll figure something out,” he says, grabbing my hands across the table.
“It’s not so bad. We were friends before.” I shrug, pulling my hands back. “It’s just kind of like we went back to that.”
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