Page 76 of The Step Dare

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Are you just noticing?” I reply playfully, and Taylor smiles, then leans in and kisses me. “It was cute, seeing you with her. That was a nice thing you did.”

“Kinda like how you befriended me when I was quiet and kept to myself?”

I roll my eyes. “You’re giving me too much credit. I just thought you were a cute boy I could play video games with. I didn’t anticipate that meant signing up to losing to you for the rest of my life.”

“You win once in a while.” He smirks.

My heart is beating stupid-fast for some annoying reason. Hearing how Taylor was with Sadie has me all shmoopy, which is totally not my jam. But then, everything with Taylor seems to have me feeling that way lately.

“If you’d said youlet mewin every once in a while, we would be having our first fight as…whatever we are.”And by the way, Taylor, if you could tell me what this is, that would be fucking awesome.Sadie asking if he was my boyfriend made my stomach feel like a butterfly habitat throwing a party in there.

If this happened with anyone else, I would talk to Taylor about it, but now it’s Taylor who has me feeling this way. And I know I can talk to him, Iwilltalk to him, but talking is always a whole lot easier when he prods me along.

“I know you better than that. Even if it was true, I wouldn’t tell you…”

“Wait…so how do I know if you’re letting me win or not? I will kick your ass if you do that, Taylor Martin Falkner.”

“That’s not my middle name.”

“That’s beside the point,” I reply, and he laughs, then drops his forehead against mine.

Tell me. Tell me what this is. Tell me you’re feeling more too.

Or I could just ask him. Look at me. That’s growth. Yay. “So…about what—”

“Taylor! Can you come help me for a minute?” Marty asks, and Jesus, why is it always him? There is a good chance one of us might murder him one day.

“Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”

I nod as Taylor slips away with Marty, who basically just ruined my life. Or, you know, maybe not, but still.

“How come you’re not dancing?” Colin asks me. Why couldn’t Marty have asked for his help instead of Taylor’s?

“I don’t know,” I reply, but he’s right. That’s my kind of thing.

“You look confused.”

“Um…thanks?” I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to respond to that, but Colin just laughs.

“I used to be confused too.”

“No offense, buddy, but I think you still are.” What the hell is he getting at?

“That’s what you think, but you’ll see.” He pats my shoulder in a way that says,aw, poor Brenner,before slipping away, I assume to find his boyfriend.

As I push away from the wall to go do…who knows what, I see Taylor heading toward me, only to be intercepted by Sadie.

She takes his wrist and drags him to the dance floor. Her mom is smiling but looks pretty tired. Taylor turns my direction, a look on his face that says,help!but also, it’s clear he wouldn’t deny this kid because he’s seen a kindred spirit in her. Taylor does everything in his power not to let people down.

Unless he’s had a drink or two in him, Taylor isn’t much of a dancer, which is proven by how awkwardly Sober Taylor is moving to the fast beat of the song Lance is playing from the DJ table.

His gaze finds mine again, and even from a distance, I’m pretty sure he’s blushing, while trying to dance because a girl he doesn’t know asked it of him.

And there go the butterflies again.

All it takes is one quirk of his finger and I’m heading his way, while also laughing, because I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t laugh at him.

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