Page 13 of Revive

Ignoring him, I head back inside. I grab my keys from the coffee table as I hear him call for me again.

“Hey Sexy, you want to come pick up the pizza with me?” Taylah’s standing there, her hands on her hips, her gaze, all-knowing. The strain between Jagger and I is obvious, and for whatever reason, she’s trying to fix it. “Come on,” she urges. “I didn’t get to show off my singing skills the last time I was in your car.”

I exhale in defeat. It’s unfair to take it out on her. For the sake of her efforts and not wanting to be the one to fuck up a time where my brother should be happy and proud. I tilt my head to the door, and in complete understanding, she follows.

I hit the unlock button on my car remote, and we both climb in on either side. Pushing my foot on the brake, I press the keyless ignition and wait for the car to start. From the corner of my eye, I see Taylah fiddling with the car control screen. “What are you doing?” I ask.

“Drive to the pizza store. I got this,” she demands.

Reversing out of the driveway, I throw a few glances her way as she concentrates intently on whatever it is she’s doing. Soon enough she relaxes into the seat, and Tupac’s “California Love” plays through the car.

“Is this the right song?”

She hits pause on her phone. “What? You don’t know girls that like Pac.”

I open my mouth and close it even quicker. I’m tongue tied, something that seems to happen often around Taylah. I shake my head and try and focus back on the drive.

Satisfied with my lack of response, she presses play and the well-known music picks back up.

Words from the first verse fall off her tongue with ease and conviction, like she’s done this a million times. Her upper body starts to move, her movements matching the beat. She’s dancing on the spot, living in this very moment.

I stop the car at the traffic light, and she twists to face me. She raps the whole second verse, watching me watch her, and never falters. The passenger window begins to slide down, and she starts singing into traffic.

With her back to me, I smile. Big. Impressed. Relaxed. The knots in my body from earlier begin to loosen, and the whole incident with Jagger is shoved to the back of my mind. The only thing I’m interested in, is what song she’s going to sing and dance to next.

She’s in her own world, and I’m nothing but a spectator.

Yep, she’s fucking crazy.

4

Hendrix

As the afternoon turns into the night, Jagger and Emerson’s new place is all complete and ready to be lived in. With all their furniture set up, their kitchen unpacked and everything that makes a house a home in place, the next phase of my brother’s life is ready for the taking.

When Taylah and I returned with food and beer, the fight between Jagger and I dissipated. Both having time to cool off, the rest of the evening went off without a hitch. Having indulged in dinner, Em and Jagger now sit on the couch, their bodies draped against one another, while Taylah and I sit in separate recliners, facing one another. With the perfect view in front of me, I have been watching her every move; the more the buzz of the beer settles throughout my body, the more obvious I become.

“Oh my God,” she groans after looking at her phone. “Is that the time? I’m going to have to call it a night.”

“I’ll drive you home,” I offer.

“There’s no way you’re driving her home,” Emerson cautions. “Do you know how much we’ve all drank?”

“Fine, we can catch an Uber together.” Right now, subtlety isn’t my strong suit, and I’m too mesmerised by her to want tonight to end.

“Why don’t you guys just stay here,” Jagger suggests. “One of you can have Dakota’s bed, and the other can sleep here on the couch.”

“It’s Sunday tomorrow,” Emerson pipes in, looking at Taylah. “It’s not like you have anything to rush off to.”

“I have breakfast with my mother.”

“Which you hate.”

“Shut up, and stop being so practical.”

Em claps her hands together and stands up enthusiastically. “It’s settled then. You two figure out which of you is sleeping where, and I’ll get blankets.”

The living room empties out, Jagger following Em on her quest to make everyone comfortable. As quick as they disappear, Jagger returns with a pillow and some blankets, throwing them all on my lap. “I’ll see you two in the morning.”

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