Kinsey spent most of the next two days as far away from Zac as possible, which was also where Taylor was staying, which worked out nicely in their favor. When they finally couldn’t take the awkwardness any more on Saturday evening, they decided to go for a drive around Tulsa, just the two of them.
“Do you want to go to Starbucks?” Taylor asked as he guided his mom’s SUV down the street.
“Not really,” she said, her fingers playing with the strap on her purse as it lay in her lap.
“Kins,” Taylor started with a sigh, “Everything will work out.”
“I don’t know if I want it to,” she told him.
“You don’t mean that.”
“This is all just so fucked up,” she ranted, “We are supposed to be happy right now. We’re at home visiting our families, we’re together and out in the open, Isaac and Tif are engaged. But no, we’re not happy. We’re escaping everything by burning gas driving around town to avoid the steaming pile of awkward named Zac!”
“Do you feel better now?” Taylor teased, obviously amused by her little outburst.
“No,” she groaned, leaning over and letting her forehead drop against the window. She wanted to be sitting in the Hanson’s living room, everyone laughing and having a good time, celebrating the many exciting things happening in their lives. Her heart hurt that she hadn’t really been able to be there for Tif as much as she should have been. She was going to be the Maid of Honor, after all. She knew that Tif understood, but that it must have stung just a little to have what should be some of the most exciting days of her life tainted by bratty outbursts and familial tension.
“We’re going to Starbucks, you’re getting your grande upside-down skim caramel macchiato with no whip cream and you’re going to drink it and be happy. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” she rolled her eyes, but felt her hand being pulled from her lap and her fingers being laced with his. Kinsey dared to sneak a peak in Taylor’s direction and found him driving one-handed, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Do you feel better now?” she mocked.
“Much, thank you,” he smiled. They went the rest of the way to Starbucks in a more comfortable silence and when they entered the establishment, Kinsey smiled at the familiarity. They could have been stepping into the Starbucks near their condo and she wanted very badly to pretend that they were. When they had moved to New York, Kinsey had felt something akin to mourning for the loss of Tulsa in her life. It was the only home she had ever known. She had been born there, raised there, gone to college there, but she had taken advantage of the opportunity to move with the guys, knowing that if she didn’t leave then, she might never have the chance. And then she had fallen for New York, for its excitement and wealth of opportunities. In a few short months, it had become home and that fact was cemented now that her only trip home since she’d moved had been strained and awkward. Her parents still provided her with comfort and understanding, but the home she had grown up in wasn’t where she wanted to run to. As weird as it was, and as hard as it still was for her to understand, being with Taylor was the only thing that made her feel right at the moment.
“Do you want to order for yourself, or should I go ahead?” Taylor asked her, giving her hand a squeeze as they stepped in line.
“Go ahead,” she smiled as he stepped up to the counter to order. As they were waiting for their drinks at the other end of the counter, Kinsey noticed that a lot of people were looking in their direction, so she decided to tease him. “Mr. Rock Star, I do believe you’re causing a commotion.”
“A commotion? I don’t think so,” he scoffed before slinging an arm around her neck, “Now this is causing a commotion.” Before Kinsey could ask what he meant by that, he laid a big, passionate kiss on her, much like he had done for the benefit of the nosy paparazzi.
“You ridiculous attention whore,” she mumbled embarrassedly once he had released her. The girl behind the counter coughed lightly to get their attention.
“Your drinks are ready,” the girl said.
“Oh, thank you,” Taylor told her before grabbing the two cups and handing Kinsey hers. They were on their way out when Kinsey heard someone call out to her.
“Kinsey?” the unmistakable voice asked. Kinsey froze on the spot and felt her heart leap into her throat. She hadn’t seen him in two years, but she would remember that voice anywhere. Especially when it had broken her heart in two the day after her 21st birthday. She turned slowly, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that Taylor was still holding her hand, and found herself faced with Alex, her ex-boyfriend. The one who had broken up with her because he thought something was going on between herself and Taylor.
“Hi Alex,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face.
“Wow, it is you,” he said before surveying Taylor’s face and biting back a strange laugh, “And Taylor.”
“Taylor, you remember Alex,” Kinsey said, death gripping his hand until he responded.
“Of course,” Taylor said politely, though Kinsey had a pretty good idea that Taylor didn’t remember Alex at all.
“How’ve you been?” Kinsey asked.
“Good. I’m in grad school. You?”
“Moved to New York a few months ago. I’m working for Macy’s,” she told him.
“And dating Taylor, I see,” he responded in an ambiguous tone.
“Yes, she is,” Taylor said and Kinsey wanted to laugh at the unfamiliar territorial tone in his voice. Alex just nodded and smiled at her in a knowing way.
“It was good to see you, Kinsey,” he said before walking past them towards where he had been sitting before.
“Are you okay?” Taylor asked her as they left.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“Seeing an ex is never fun. Especially not when he was giving you that fucking ‘I told you so!’ look,” Taylor grumbled, “I wanted to smack it off his stupid face.”
“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” she said, poking in him in the side and eliciting a dirty look from Taylor. They climbed back into the car and Taylor sat there for a minute just thinking about something.
“He was one of the ones who accused you of having feelings for me, wasn’t he?” Taylor asked. Kinsey looked down at her cup and nodded.
“He broke up with me the day after my 21st birthday. He said that the way we interacted made him uncomfortable and that he knew that I had feelings for you. He wouldn’t listen to me when I told him I didn’t, he just told me that he couldn’t be with me knowing that I wasn’t honest with him and he broke up with me after five months of dating from seeing you and me around each other for a few hours.”
“I’m sorry,” Taylor said sincerely.
“For what?” she asked with surprise. Taylor laughed lightly and shrugged.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“I didn’t have feelings for you then,” she told him.
“Ditto,” he smiled. Kinsey was leaning over to kiss him when her cell phone started making a series of obnoxious beeps letting her know that she had a new text message. She settled for a quick peck and then looked at her phone to see that it was from Tif.
Where are you??? WORST MAID OF HONOR EVER!
“Eek. I’m in trouble,” Kinsey said, “We’d better get back before Tif has an aneurism.”
“Trouble?” Taylor inquired.
“Well, they’ve been engaged for two days and I’ve already been dubbed the worst maid of honor ever,” Kinsey explained.
“Oh god. Is she going to be one of those psycho brides?”
“Well, she’s had her wedding planned since she was about fourteen. Hope Isaac didn’t want a say in anything,” Kinsey joked.
“I think Isaac would do whatever she told him to as long as it meant she would still marry him,” Taylor said.
“Is he a little dopey and giddy?”
“More like pussywhipped to the extreme,” Taylor rolled his eyes.
“Oh just be happy for him,” Kinsey scolded.
“He’s just following her around pulling out chairs and waiting on her hand and foot and he’s driving me nuts. I hope you don’t expect me to ever act like that.”
“Are you kidding me? If you treated me like that I’d slap you,” Kinsey laughed.
“Good,” Taylor said, smiling at her before turning back onto his parents’ street, “Well, here we go again.”
“At least we get to leave tomorrow.”
“Oh yeah. Then we get to go back and be isolated with Isaac drooling on the phone and Zac stomping around the apartment. I’m really looking forward to that.”
“Please don’t remind me,” Kinsey groaned, bracing herself for the cold air before opening the door and hurrying inside with her coffee.
“There you are!” Tif exclaimed exasperatedly as soon as the front door had fully opened, “Don’t bother taking off your coat, we’re leaving.”
“Where are you two going?” Taylor asked.
“None of your business, sir,” Tif told him as she pulled on her coat, “I’m borrowing your girlfriend for the rest of the night and you’re just going to have to be okay with that. Ugh… girlfriend. That’s going to take some getting used to.”
“Oh shut up,” Kinsey said before turning to Taylor, “I guess I’ll see you later.” He smiled at her and nodded before giving her a kiss.
“What’s going on?” Zac asked, obviously trying to be casual as he stepped into the foyer. Tif just rolled her eyes at him before ushering Kinsey out the door. Kinsey felt a twinge of hurt as she left but brushed it off as residual emotion. She was so used to caring about Zac’s feelings and it was obvious that he was feeling strange not being in on things for the last few days. But she remembered all to well everything that had taken place and wasn’t sure why he wasn’t able to do the same. He wasn’t as spoiled as Taylor, but he’d done his fair share of charming his way out of arguments and trouble in the past. This situation was nothing like that and she didn’t understand why he couldn’t fit that into his fat head.
“Finally!” Tif breathed as they sat down in Tif’s Passat, “We are going somewhere private to talk.”
“Wedding stuff?” Kinsey asked hopefully, though she knew better. Tif snorted and pulled out of the driveway.
“Some, yes. But mostly about how you’re in love with Taylor and I had no idea! What the hell?”
“Well, I didn’t know until recently either, so settle down,” Kinsey said, rolling her eyes and settling back into the leather seat, “Is this car new? I like it.”
“Don’t bother trying to change the subject,” Tif said dismissively, “Now tell me everything!”
“Before I do that, I have to tell you what just happened at Starbucks.”
“Taylor screwed you in the bathroom?” Tif asked.
“We saw Alex,” Kinsey told her, not condescending to respond that that ridiculous comment. Tif gasped and tore her eyes from the road for a moment to look in Kinsey’s direction.
“Are you kidding me?”
“How would I make that up?” Kinsey asked, “It was so weird. He was obviously quite pleased with himself that Taylor and I were together. Oh god, why were we holding hands? And stupid Taylor had to go and kiss me because everyone was looking at us.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter what Alex thinks, does it? I mean, you don’t still have feelings for him, do you?”
“Oh please,” Kinsey scoffed, “I just didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of being right, even if he was only right two years early. The funny part was that Taylor got all jealous. I mean, three months ago we were still going out of our way to bug each other and now he’s jealous of my ex-boyfriends? It’s so weird.”
“I’m just glad that you two finally got your heads out of your asses. Now, I wish you could have done that without sneaking around behind everyone’s backs for months, but-“
“That makes two of us. No, three,” Kinsey interrupted, “It wasn’t easy for us, Tif. You of all people should know that.”
“Do I ever,” Tif shook her head, “Those months we were keeping it quiet were awful. I wanted to talk to you about it so badly. I never thought I would think about Isaac as more than a friend, but once things started. God, Kinsey, we are so perfect together it’s ridiculous.”
“I’m glad you’re happy, Tif,” Kinsey smiled, “You definitely deserve it and Isaac is a wonderful guy. Though, I was really angry at him Wednesday night.”
“I made him get over it. You have me to thank for the speeding up of the 180. He would have done it eventually, but I forced him to see things and do it faster. Like I told him, it wasn’t a good situation and it was a really terrible way for him and Zac to find out, but it was happening whether he liked it or not. And it had been happening whether or not he liked to think about it.”
“Did you tell him about my birthday? When you saw?”
“No,” Tif said after a little sigh, “I couldn’t bring myself to, because then he would have known that I was keeping it from him. In my defense, though, I just thought it was a one-night stand until Wednesday night and I never told him about your other one-night stands.”
“Don’t act like there were that many of them,” Kinsey laughed.
“You know what I mean,” Tif said, “But, are things going okay for you two? I mean, you don’t have a lot of practice being nice to each other.”
“No, we don’t. But we’ve always been there for each other when we needed to be and besides, we’re grown up. We’re not kids any more and we’ve grown past all of that old crap that used to bring us down. And plus, I realized that I was usually looking for a fight and that I liked arguing with him way more than I should have.”
“At least your dumb ass finally figured it out,” Tif laughed, “There were a lot of times I thought I needed to get out the hose or something.” Kinsey just shook her head.
“We’re trying because we’re having a good time being together. The sex is fantastic, he makes me laugh, and once we stopped picking apart everything each other did, we found that we really enjoy each other’s company a lot,” Kinsey said.
“Well, I am definitely curious to see you two together as a couple more often,” Tif said.
“What do you mean?” Kinsey asked, not missing the faint smile on Tif’s lips for a second.
“I’m moving to New York!” Tif practically squealed.
“What?! When?” Kinsey asked excitedly.
“Soon. We have some things to figure out first, but definitely soon. There’s no way I can be that far away from Isaac. It was hard before, but now?” Tif said, “And besides, as I said, the sideshow spectacle of you and Taylor is too good to miss.”
“You’re a bitch,” Kinsey told her before smiling, “But I’m glad you’re moving to New York.”
“Me too,” Tif smiled. Kinsey wanted to be fully happy but couldn’t help but be a little worried. If Tif was just moving in with them, then everything would be fine, but she knew Isaac better than that. There was almost a guarantee that he and Tif would be getting their own place, leaving Kinsey, Taylor, and Zac alone in the condo. Kinsey tried to stop her brain from running through a million possible horrific scenarios resulting from that specific occupancy, but couldn’t help herself. She and Tif spent the rest of the night talking about wedding details and Kinsey was happy for the distraction. But when she climbed into bed that night, her mind started to wander again. She lay there in bed mulling over things until a light tap sounded on her window.
Kinsey jerked into a sitting position and peeked around the edge of the curtain cautiously. Standing down in the lawn was Taylor, looking hopefully up at her window. She sighed and pushed her body between the curtain and the window, shoving it open and cursing under her breath as the frigid air came pouring into her bedroom.
“What are you doing?” she asked, trying to keep her voice down as best she could.
“I couldn’t sleep and I missed you,” he admitted. Kinsey smiled down at him, having to admit that the fact that he had come to her window in the middle of the night just to see her was ridiculously adorable.
“Me either,” she said, “But you’re going to get hypothermia!” Kinsey heard her bedroom door open and pulled herself from her precarious position to see her mother standing sleepily in the doorway.
“Let him in, Kinsey,” her mom said through a yawn.
“But, it’s almost one in the morning,” Kinsey said.
“Kinsey, you’re twenty-three years old and he’s your boyfriend. He can stay here tonight, so just go let him in,” her mom laughed.
“Won’t Dad be mad?” Kinsey asked.
“If I need to remind him of how mad he used to get at his parents for making us sleep in separate bedrooms when we visited them before we got married, I’ll be happy to do so,” her mom said, “Now go before he freezes to death.” Kinsey smiled and kissed her mom on the cheek before making her way quietly down the stairs.
“Taylor!” she called out in a hushed voice. He made his way around to the front of the house and followed her inside and straight up the stairs.
“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked once they were in her room with the door closed.
“Mom apparently heard you down in the yard and told me to invite you up,” Kinsey explained, “But no funny business. We’re pushing our luck enough as it is.” Taylor pouted before pulling off his coat and jeans and climbing in bed beside her.
“Fine, fine,” he grumbled as she turned off the light and snuggled into his arms, “Can I say something without you taking offense?”
“Um, I’ll try,” she laughed.
“I can’t believe how much I like you. And I certainly can’t believe that I’m in love with you. Annoying little Kinsey Jackson.” She smiled at him through the dark.
“I know exactly what you mean.”