Taking It

4.5

4.5

"Can Taylor come over tonight?" I follow my father closely into the kitchen. The question feels weird coming from my lips. It feels even weirder to be uttering it to my father, but it had to be done.

He trusted me enough to be alone with Taylor behind closed doors, the least I could do was ask for his permission to be in my room late at night.

"For how long?" He keeps his back towards me, pulling an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter and inspecting it.

"Tomorrow morning...?" I wince as his back visibly tightens, his arm stopping mid air in it's pursuit to bring the apple to his mouth.

Slowly he puts the apple down on the counter and turns to face me. "You're asking me this on a night that I work?" His words are unintentionally sharp and I wince as they accidentally cut into me.

"Ye-yes." I slip my fingers into my back pocket to keep them from trembling at my sides. "If it helps, we aren't going to do anything."

"Then why is he coming over so late?" Curiously he arches a brow at me. I open my mouth to say this is what we did when we were friends but quickly shut it knowing that that answer would only drive him to say no.

I technically didn't have an answer for him. He must see this on my face because his lips curl upwards maliciously. He wastes a bit of time by picking up his apple, taking a bite from it and chewing it slowly—all while gazing at me for an answer.

"When you can give me answer," he starts, pausing to swallow the chewed apple in his mouth. "then he can stay the night, but until then my answer's no." He takes another bite of his apple before sauntering out the kitchen, playfully bumping into my shoulder.

I let out a sigh and fall against the counter.

• — • — •

"He what?!" Brooke's eyes nearly pop out of her skull as she scrambles forward, knocking a bit into the table. Mirth shines brightly in her brown eyes and I half expect her to climb over the table and wrap me in a hug.

Alec pulls her down as she actually does start to climb over the table. He gives her a sharp knowing look but she pays no attention towards it.

"Wait, wait! Is he coming here?! Am I allowed to talk about this?! Does this mean you two are together now? Can we go on a double date!?" I open my mouth to answer her question but the turn down in my face must've shone beforehand because she cuts me off. "Pleeaaaaseee!!" She whines cupping her hands together, lunging forward a bit.

For a quick second I glance at my phone. My heart flutters as the time ticks forward.

"Maybe." I turn to Brooke, setting my phone down again. "Taylor and I aren't in a relationship and probably wont be until things are back to normal between us. It's kind of awkward right now." I'm pretty sure i'm the only one making it awkward, unsure of everything even after our confessions to one another.

"Are you joking right now?!" Brooke exclaims, not flinching once as almost everyone in the cafe turns to look at us. "I've been waiting so fûcking long for you guys to kiss and make up only to not get together because it's 'awkward'?!" She uses her fingers to put air quotes around awkward. "Honey it's only awkward if you make it awkward. I 'accidentally' walked in on Alec when he was peeing in my bathroom. Wanna know what happened after that?"

"No." I shake my head.

"He—" Alec clamps his hand over her mouth and smiled up at someone behind me. Brooke's eyes widen and whatever she was going to say is forgotten as she lets out a squeal that gets muffled by Alec's hand.