Page 13 of A Date with Fate

“Oh,” Taylor said quietly, eyes worried as she stared up at me. “Does that mean…?”

“Yup, we’ve got to hurry.” I dropped her beside the passenger door, helping her into her seat before jogging around the front of the truck as I heard the damning sound of the bar door slamming open once more.

“Hey you,” a faceless male voice called into the night. “What did you say to my friend?”

“Time to go,” Taylor sang to me as I leaped into my seat.

I felt a little hysterical, and a laugh bubbled up in my chest. For all that my reputation around town was that of an overgrown teddy bear, my brothers and I knew well how to take care of ourselves.

But they weren’t here. I slammed my foot on the gas, peeling out of the parking lot as Taylor squealed and scrambled to get her seat belt buckled.

“You’re wild,” she giggled, popcorn flying.

“I’m wild?” I couldn’t help but laugh as we turned back onto the two-lane highway to the campsite. The guys from the bar didn’t follow, and my blood pressure slowly relaxed as we cruised. “You dismantled that guy’s whole personality on a whim.”

Taylor slipped her hair over her shoulder, “It’s a favorite hobby of mine.” Silence fell, and I waited. I could hear her munch more of the bar popcorn. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I said, flicking the blinker on and turning back into the campsite.

“For protecting me.”

My heart thundered. “I didn’t need to. You were handling yourself just fine.”

“You’re lying, and I appreciate that. I can be a little…forward.”

“Well, I like that about you. I know exactly what you’re thinking at all times.”

Taylor breathed out a small laugh. “That’s the only bright side.”

“Hey.” I parked and waited until she turned to look at me. “You aren’t a pro-con list, Taylor. You're a person. It’s okay to be different from everyone else. That’s why I love you.”

I stilled, my throat suddenly painfully tight.

“You love me?” Taylor said, her voice soft.

Holy shit. Maybe I should’ve had another drink. Because as wrong as the situation was, as impossible as us being together ever would be, those words had rolled off my tongue as easily as could be.

Probably because they were the truth. They had been since we were teenagers and I barely knew the meaning of the word. But as I stared across at her, half her face in shadow, I knew I couldn’t do anything about it.

I couldn’t put her—or Logan—in that situation. So I swallowed and put on my brightest smile. “Well of course. You’re practically family.”

The words hung between us. My tongue burned at the untruth.

Slowly, Taylor leaned in, it looked like she was going to say something, but I wasn’t ready to hear anything. Not now. There was popcorn caught in her hair after our frantic run and tumble in the truck. I reached across and plucked it, tossing it to the floorboards, where I was sure another handful or two already waited.

“Let’s get you to bed.”

Taylor’s brows rose. “I thought you won the game?”

“Do you really think I’d ever let you sleep on that couch?”

She cackled, opening the car door and getting out. “So what you’re saying is that I won?”

“No, no, no, that’s not what I’m saying.” I came around the front of the truck, stepping right up to stand in front of her. I glared down at her, pointer finger at the ready for some emphasis making.

But then Taylor reached out, capturing my finger and hand with her hand and pressing it back against my chest. “I knew you weren’t going to kick me out, Scott. You're too good of a guy. But I really had fun tonight. It was great to get to know you more, you know?”

“I do.”

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