New York Surprises (Tayvin - AU)

Part 8

TAYLOR POV

I got to the café at 12.50, thinking Adam wouldn't be there on time let alone early, but I was pleasantly surprised when he stood up from one of the little booths near the back and waved as soon as I had walked in.

"Hi Taylor!" He greeted me, not trying to give me a hug or even a handshake. Maybe he was as awkward as me with this whole situation.

"Hi Adam.... Nice to see you again." I greeted him, placing a small smile on my face and trying to put myself at ease.

"What do you want? My treat." Adam said, making me look up at him from my menu in shock but I quickly masked it.

"Umm... a chai latte and one of their giant ginger cookies please." I replied, as he stood up and went to order at the counter.

That gave me a few minutes to relax and assess the situation, which I had assumed I'd have before he got here.... Why did he have to be early?

"So.... How have you been for the last 6 years?" Adam asked as he sat back down, with my cookie and his slice of chocolate cake.

"Not too bad... I'm working as a researcher for a radio station here in the city. I've been here for about 6 months now, so not long. I was living close to home in Nashville before that when I was in school, close to my parents and friends and everything which was great. How about you?" I told him, not quite looking him in the eye, and skipping over the whole 'I've been bringing up your kids' topic completely.

"Well.... I guess I should start at the beginning...." Adam said, sighing slightly as I nodded with my eyebrows raised, "I had to move out from home almost immediately after camp, when my parents realised me not being in school anymore meant they weren't going to get money from my grandparents or anything anymore and they became violent and threatening.... That lead me to London where I started working in kitchens and worked my way up. When I got the chance to move to New York I took it straight away. I've been here for almost a year, with the restaurant opening about 4 months ago. So that's me...."

"The restaurant is really good.... You did a great job with it. We all had a great time on Saturday." I told him, before I could think about it.

"I'm glad! How do you know Karlie?" Adam asked.

"I met her when I was at a press event reception thing just after I moved here. We just clicked straight away and I couldn't survive without her to be honest.... She is basically my on-call therapist, babysitter, personal chef, and wine buddy whenever I need it." I gushed about my best friend.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence as our drinks arrived, but as always my mind started going a million miles a minute. I still didn't understand why he hadn't tried to call....

"So after camp that summer.... You said you'd call and you never did..." I said quietly, sounding very whiney and pathetic in my head, but I didn't really care, I needed answers.

"Yeah.... about that..." Adam started to say, rubbing the back of his neck in an anxious motion, "When I left home I forgot the piece of paper with your number on it. I felt terrible about it and beat myself up about not being able to find you for a long time."

"I tried to call you, you know.... It was a few months after camp... but I got shot down by your mother." I told him.

He sighed and looked down, obviously not wanting to meet my eyes.

ADAM POV

I felt like an idiot. She had tried to call. Of course she had, it's Taylor. I felt terrible that she had spoken to my mother and probably been deafened by the anger and toxicity of my mother's hate for me by that point.

"Every single day I regretted the fact I hadn't called you immediately from the airport.... I beat myself up about the fact I didn't have your number. When I was living alone in London, all I wanted was a friendly face around me, someone to tell me it was all going to be okay....and I needed that person to be you. But, being the idiot that I am I couldn't have that. When I saw you on Saturday night it was as if the sun had burst through the clouds on a rainy day. I hadn't realised until then that the one thing missing in my life was my best friend.... You." I said, not looking up till I was finished speaking.

I saw Taylor looking half shocked and half amused by me pouring my thoughts out.

"Well, I'm glad I happened to be at your restaurant then." She said, smiling at me and taking a sip of her drink.

"Can we try to be friends again?" I asked her carefully.

A whole range of emotions passed over her face and she took a very deep breath before speaking again.

TAYLOR POV

"Can we try to be friends again?" Adam asked, having just basically told me he needed me in his life and he regretted not being in contact for so long.

Could we be friends? I would love that.... I would love being able to talk to him again, share stories, just be in each other's company.... I wanted that as much as he did, but there were two not-so-small hurdles to completely being friends, named Eliana and James.

"Before we can be friends again.... I need to tell you about the most important people in my life..." I started... here goes nothing.