TNT Short Fics

These are the hands of fate

"What about this hot football player?"

The question pulls Taylor's focus from yet another text from Keleigh.

"He's the sweetest. TEXT HIM."

"Oh no, not you too," she grouses, glancing between her two friends across from her on the jet. Marielle and Gigi wear matching grins.

Gigi raises her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, do what you want. I'm just saying..."

"Saying what exactly?" she pushes. The last twenty-four hours of her life have been filled with people "just saying."

"That we'd climb that like a tree," Marielle interrupts, causing Gigi to laugh and raise an amused eyebrow at her before replying, "No comment."

Taylor rolls her eyes, sinking deeper into her seat. They've got time trapped in this plane somewhere over probably Cleveland or something, so she's happy to argue with her friends.

"Guys are not in the cards for me right now. Single girl summer, remember? I've had enough boys to last me a lifetime."

"That is not a boy, Tay," Marielle laughs with a wink.

"Besides," Gigi continues, ignoring the innuendo, "you told me independent girl summer.. Not single girl summer. You can still be independent and have some fun."

She sighs. "Why is everyone so into this? Literally, my phone is full of people telling me to go for it."

"Maybe that means something, Tay," Gigi says gently. "We love you and want good things for you. That many people vouching for him feels like a good thing."

Taylor pulls her feet up onto the seat, propping her chin on her knees. Suddenly, it feels like this isn't just a joke between friends anymore. Gigi notices and moves to the seat next to her, reaching for her shoulder.

"I really am just joking with you, babe. But I also know what it's like when a good thing comes along and changes the bad you went through. I want that for you."

Taylor squeezes the hand on her shoulder. She knows how much Gigi's happiness means to her after everything she's gone through. And she can see how the promise of that could feel tempting...

"What did you really think of it? Of him?" Marielle asks.

What did she think of the last couple of days? When she first opened the YouTube link her cousin Danny had sent yesterday, her instinct was to dismiss the clip. But something made her watch it again. Made her notice the nerves behind the man's bravado. The way Travis's cheeks turned pink when he talked about her.

"He liked the show," she says quietly, almost to herself.

Her friends look confused, and she adds, "He didn't just act cute about trying to give me his number. He talked about the show. He noticed things. I don't know," she shrugs. "It felt like it wasn't a game."

"Maybe it wasn't, Marielle observes. "All these texts you've been getting. Didn't you say that they all say he's a nice guy?"

"Genuine," Taylor clarifies. "So many people said genuine."

The word lingers in the air for a moment.

"I want to feel excited about something. About this," she admits. "I just...can't. What if—I mean, what if it's not even him? What if I screw it up?"

"Tay," Gigi soothes, "no one is saying commit to a whole relationship right now. Just reach out. Say hi."

"I don't know," she hedges again.