A Second Chance At L0ve

The present (birthday special 2)

Taylor arrived on set the next day, excited to give Jake his birthday present. She had spent all morning trying to think of the perfect gift, and finally settled on a personalized script book for his character.

As she walked onto the set, she spotted Max, Jake, and Ryan chatting in the corner. Taylor's heart skipped a beat as she made her way over to them.

"Hey guys," she said, trying to sound casual. "Happy belated birthday, Jake!"

Jake's face lit up with a smile as he turned around. "Thanks, Taylor! I had an amazing day yesterday celebrating with you guys."

Taylor felt a flutter in her chest as Max smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yeah, we had a blast," he said. "So, what's the present?"

Taylor pulled out the script book from behind her back and handed it to Jake. "I got you this," she said, feeling a little nervous.

Jake's eyes widened as he opened the book and began flipping through the pages. "Wow, this is amazing!" he exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Taylor. You're the best."

Ryan looked over his shoulder at Taylor, a curious expression on his face. "What made you get him this?" he asked.

Taylor shrugged. "I just thought it was a nice idea," she said. "And I didn't know it was his birthday until the last minute, so I had to think fast."

Max smiled at her again, his eyes warm with appreciation. "You didn't have to do that," he said. "But we're glad you did."

As they chatted and caught up on their morning routine, Taylor felt a sense of belonging that she hadn't felt before. She was part of this group now, and they accepted her for who she was.

As they broke for lunch, Max turned to her and said, "Hey, Taylor? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Taylor's heart skipped a beat as she nodded. What was Max going to say?

"What's up?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"I just wanted to say thanks again for the gift," Max said. "It really meant a lot to Jake.