Page 101 of Taylor

Alice laced her fingers with his as his hand rested on her thigh and gave it a squeeze.

“Daddy?” Isabelle looked to him like he had a problem to solve.

“What is it, Isabelle?” he asked with more gruffness than Taylor had expected.

She gave her head a slight shake in exasperation, making her perfect ponytail wave behind her. “What do you have to say about this?”

“I say they’re two consenting adults who are entering a relationship, and I have no say in it. But with that being said, if he makes your sister happy, that’s all I care about,” he said with finality.

Isabelle huffed at him and Taylor’s blood pressure rose. Emotional dysregulation threatening to settle in. He took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

“Well, I’m just going to say it because I worry about you, Alice.” She said it like she was talking to a child. Taylor didn’t care for it one bit. “I know that you sometimes spin up these fairytale stories in your mind, and I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Alice’s lips parted as all the breath seemed to leave her body, and she deflated next to him. Fuck no, he would not stand for that.

“I can assure you, what is going on between me and Alice is very real,” Taylor said softly, giving her hand a squeeze under the table.

Isabelle’s eyes cut to him. “For now, but what happens when it’s not. I just don’t want to see her get hurt again. She just got a new job, and she needs to focus on that.”

“Are you insinuating I’m not serious about her?” Taylor asked his blood pressure rising even higher.

Isabelle held up her hands as her perfect ponytail swung behind her as she took in Alice and Taylor. “No, I’m just saying that Alice doesn’t have a track record of sticking things out, and maybe she should work on herself first before she brings someone else into the picture.”

Alice gaped at her sister.

“Isabelle, that’s enough,” Coach warned.

“I can’t believe you’re okay with this. You know how badly this could go. He’s one of your players. If you’re going to get the cup this year, you need all your players focused.”

“Isabelle. Enough.”

Taylor exhaled a long breath. His heartbeat was pounding in his head. Did she really think Alice was anything besides magic for his game? Magic for his whole life for that matter? He opened his mouth to say just that but stopped.

“Why are you doing this?” Alice asked quietly.

“Because I care about you,” her sister said with genuine concern.

“How can you say that when you don’t even know me?” Alice said calmly.

Her voice held a quiet confidence, even though the death grip she had on his hand told him that confidence might be shaky.

“Alice,” she said, tilting her head in disbelief. “How can you say I don’t know you? We’ve been sisters since we were seven.”

“I know, and even still, you and mom seem to know who you want me to be, and not who I actually am.”

Isabelle’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“I’m not like you guys. I’ve tried, but I’m just different. The things you want are not the things I want... and I’m beginning to think the way my brain works is not the way your brain works.”

Alice’s voice was quiet, but it was steady.

A small crease appeared on Coach’s brow.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Isabelle huffed.

“I don’t know... I just feel like things are harder for me. I try. I try so fucking hard, but I just can’t seem to get my act together?—”

Taylor shot a look at her and set his mouth to defend her, but she squeezed his hand.

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