Survivor - Connor x OC

Yellow

Coldplay - Yellow

Connor watched the houses passing by the window as the taxi made its way to Jake's house. Taylor was beside him, wrapped up in whatever world was taking place on the other side of her phone screen. She had tried to explain to him the amount of interacting she had to do on social media per day just to keep up with the incoming flood of messages, but the concept still felt abstract.

The taxi rolled to a stop, and Connor helped her out onto the sidewalk. Snow was falling, gently coating the ground and the car as it idled. Taylor shivered and kept her hand in his as they made their way up the walkway.

Jake answered the door immediately when he rang the bell, leading them inside a two-story home. Taylor had told him that Jake lived alone, but the house could have easily accommodated a large family with room to spare. He supposed that Jake, like Taylor, was also fairly rich, though he had previously claimed not to be famous.

"Good to see you, Connor." Jake offered a hand for him to shake, breaking Connor out of the temporary reverie of observing his surroundings. They shook hands, and while they did, Connor noticed that Jake did indeed seem to be nervous about something. His stress levels were at 52% and he kept glancing at Taylor as she made her way deeper inside.

Connor stepped around him to join Taylor as she stepped into the living room, expecting something, anything, but the room was empty. She didn't seem to notice the underlying tension as she flopped onto the couch and glanced around. "You've redecorated."

"It's been over a year since you've been here." Jake answered, smiling casually as he walked past. "What do you want to drink?"

"Doesn't matter. No alcohol, please." He disappeared back toward what Connor assumed was the kitchen, so Connor came closer and took a seat on the couch next to Taylor while they waited. After a moment, she reached over and tucked her hand into his, offering him a small smile.

"Taylor?" They were still looking at each other when the voice cut through the quiet, female and hesitant. Taylor's head whipped around to the entranceway, to the petite woman now standing in the spot where Jake had disappeared just seconds ago, looking at the blonde uncertainly.

Connor took in the young woman's face, her cropped black hair against her pale skin, strong jawline and slightly bumped nose. Without running a facial scan, he recognized her as Hayley Kolbeck, albeit much older than the photographs he had looked through at Taylor's house. Now she stood in the doorway, feet set apart, shoulders squared.

"Hayley." He felt Taylor tense next to him, shift like she was going to stand up. Then she reconsidered, poised directly on the edge of the couch cushion, resting on the balls of her feet. She'd pulled her hand out of his and had both palms flat on the couch, bracing.

"Oh." Jake appeared over Hayley's shoulder, glasses in each hand. He looked uncertainly between his two siblings before he resumed his path toward Taylor, setting her drink on a coaster on the coffee table. They both ignored him, and he tried to pretend everything was normal. "Taylor, Hayley wanted to see you."

"Jake!" Hayley hissed, glaring at him. She shifted on her feet, crossed her arms. Taylor finally pushed herself off of the couch and stood across from her, though she kept her arms at her sides. Her back straight, toes pointed outward.

"It's good to see you." Taylor's finger's twitched. She balled her hands into loose fists. Her voice was remarkably calm given the erratic beating of her heart that Connor could still detect, her skyrocketing stress levels.

"Is it?" Hayley gave the faintest hint of a smile. "When's the last time we saw each other?"

"It's been a while," Taylor conceded. Jake was looking between them again, uneasy, like he had orchestrated this without understanding what the consequences might bring. "Was there a reason you wanted to see me?"