Lover

Chapter 16. ...Ready For It?

Y/N'S POV

I'll admit, after yesterday's events, I'm fairly surprised that Taylor followed through with taking me on a date tonight. Even more so, I'm surprised that I agreed, given the fact that I don't know if I should trust her or not. I've never had this problem with her before, so I'm not sure how to handle it, but I will say she hasn't exactly given me a reason not to believe her up until now.

Yesterday, she was adamant about denying bringing someone to our spot, but her faltered and delayed responses didn't go unnoticed. It's almost like a part of her was exposed or even caught, and I can't figure out why. Contrary to how guilty she looked and acted, Key reassured me that Taylor wasn't a cheater and that she wouldn't do that to me. As much as I want to believe that, with my history, I'd be an idiot to trust that without question.

As we walk back into the speakeasy, the ambiance feels noticeably different from the last time we were here. The air is thicker, most likely due to the tension between my girlfriend and me, but maybe because there's more history to our spot than I had imagined.

We walk to our usual spot and sit at our usual table, the fourth booth on the back wall. As always, there are only a few stragglers around the bar, but for the most part, the place is fairly vacant. A waitress walks over to us, and Taylor and I both order a strawberry rhubarb fizz.

The tension between us is practically palpable, and I find myself feeling awkward under her gaze as she sits across from me.

I wonder if she feels the same way...

As I start to fidget with my hands, she speaks up.

"You look really beautiful, Y/n," She says for the millionth time tonight.

If she's not feeling awkward, she's certainly acting it...

"Thank you, Taylor... So do you," I say honestly. She's wearing a maroon sweater dress with black knee-high boots and a grey trenchcoat that she just took off and put beside her.

The waitress brings us our drinks, and we both thank her before she leaves us alone again. I bring the straw to my lips, giving us an acceptable pause before things fall uneasy between us again.

"So Gigi's party is tomorrow..." She begins, making my eyes flicker up to hers.

"Yeah... It is..." I say.

Oh god, I wonder how that's gonna go... A New Year's party and a New Year's kiss with Taylor... If things are still awkward between us, that would mean we're starting the year off on the wrong foot, and that doesn't sit right with me...

"Are you excited for it?" She asks, attempting to make small talk.

I shrug, "Yeah, I mean, I'm ready for this year to end..... Calum's gonna be there"

"Is he?"

"Yeah, apparently he's going with Dakota... Between you and me, I think he's gonna ask Gigi to be her New Year's kiss," I chuckle before taking a sip of my drink.

"That's adorable... Come to think of it, I think that might happen. They have a lot in common," She says after taking a sip.

"He got you a Christmas gift, by the way..." I mention, not getting a chance to tell her yesterday.

She looks at me with wide eyes, probably surprised by his thoughtful gesture.

"He did?"

"Yeah... I set it on the chair in your writing room... Our gifts are somewhat matching," I tell her, remembering what Calum told me when he handed me mine.

Silence falls between us once again, and I find myself imagining ways of leaving this place. Of course, I could and would never leave her here without a valid reason, but road racing sounds pretty good right about now.