Choose Me- the second novel

Chapter 69- jamming

Taylor's POV

Having collected myself together in the cloakroom, touched up my makeup with a compact and strolled back out as normal Taylor, not the girl who cries on the stairs. I emerge fresh faced with the guitar as Joseph approaches me in the hall. No longer wearing his apron he smiles down at me and I paste a smile on my own lips.

"You okay" he asks softly and the last thing I need is somebody else realising that I've been crying over Jay.

"Joseph honestly I'm great" I say to him and he shakes his head annoyed, feeling Gilbert Scott's stare from the top of the winding stairs I resolutely tell myself that he is dead to me and therefore I will not look up at him.

"That is not alright making you cry like that" he whispers, he must have seen at least some of my interaction with Jay on the stairwell.

"Please don't mention it, you'll make me cry again and I kind of just got myself to stop" I tell him as he wipes under my eyes gently with his thumbs. I notice that he glances up annoyed at Mr dead to me but I refuse to look.

"Got it" he smiles down at me decisively changing tact he eyes the guitar slung around me.

"You play too" he asks and I smile slightly walking back towards the kitchen.

"Sure do" I tell him softly feeling myself wobble again emotionally and telling myself to keep it all together. I pinch my nose and he stops me at the door.

"Hey Taylor, whatever the problem nobody should make you cry, like that. I'm really sorry you just experienced that. Honestly you seem like a great person, super caring and nice. And you just do not deserve to be made to cry" he says and I look up at him shocked, pausing and of course crying again.

"No I'm sorry don't cry" he says pulling his arms around me and hugging me, I hide my face before moving away from him.

"Taylor let's talk" Jay says to my left and I resolutely don't look up at him, because if I do I'll end up doing exactly that and we will either fight or kiss and neither of those options are appealing. Jane pushes past Joseph and he eyes her annoyed, looking back down at me protectively.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea" Joseph says softly and I feel Jay's irritation without even glancing in his direction.

"No I'm done" I say softly, wiping my eyes and briefly smiling at Joseph before I turn to leave.

I walk all of two steps before I turn on him, Joseph eyes me warily as I take in Gilbert Scott in all of his glory.

"You could have just left me alone right, you didn't have to come and help me with Ross and pretend that you cared. Pretend that you cared about me and whether I got out of that mess okay or not" I say to him and he swallows pushing his hair back.

"I did care Taylor" he says softly.

"You could have just not held me Jay" I say crying again and his face softens.

"Don't touch me" I tell him as he reaches out for me.

Pushing the door over I head into the kitchen and spot Matthew with Ross. Pulling myself together I place myself down on the sofa with my new guitar.

"I found a guitar" I smile over at Matthew, he rubs my thigh happily and Ross smiles genuinely down at me.

"Awesome, can you serenade me" Matthew laughs.

"Of course" I tell him kissing his lips.

Beginning by strumming and focusing on getting used to the guitar first before singing along. I play a few acoustic solos and then I go in for the first song. Ryan recognises it and turns his music down, smiling over at me. I watch as Ryan begins singing along to my acoustic version of somebody else by the 1975 and I smile over at him pleased. He's got a natural voice, a nice tone to it.