obsessed classmates called it.
Saying a quick “hi” to people she passed in the hall of her dorm, she hurried to her room, where Abigail sat hunched over a textbook at her desk.
“You need to talk to Colin.” Taylor tossed her bag onto her bed.
“He’ll live,” Abigail responded, closing her book and rubbing her temples. “I hate accounting.”
“Abigail, seriously, Colin’s a nice guy and he just came to me asking about you cheating.”
“I didn’t cheat.” She shrugged.
“Yes, you did!”
“Not technically.”
“Oh, don’t give me all this bullshit about lists,” Taylor huffed in exasperation. “You’re never supposed to actually meet the people on your list.”
“Come on, Tay.” She tilted her head to the side, regarding her friend. “Can you honestly say you wouldn’t go for Grant Mackenzie given the opportunity?”
“No, I wouldn’t. Especially if I had a boyfriend.”
“Ah, I forget, you’re more into the nice boys. You know, the kind who never even make a move.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Taylor growled. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Whose fault is that?” Abigail stood abruptly, bring her face-to-face with Taylor. “I do have eyes. Eyes that can see a totally hot boy that obviously likes you, but you’re so frickin’ closed off that you can’t even see it. That boy would do anything for you. Not that I know why. You’re frigid and have no clue how to have fun. I don’t know what your damage is, but don’t judge me for living a little.”
All the anger drained from Taylor’s posture and her shoulders sagged as the weight of her roommate’s words struck her. A cry escaped her lips. Taking a step back, she dropped onto the edge of her bed and hunched forward.
Abigail stood watching her in shock and complete ignorance of what was going on. “Taylor,” she said tentatively, running a hand through her blond curls. “I don’t know what’s happening here.”
Taylor wiped her face on her sleeve before reaching into her bag to withdraw her sketchbook. Flipping it open, she held it out to Abigail to show her the picture she’d been working on.
“I didn’t know you were into art.” She sat next to Taylor and looked up from the drawing. “You’re really good, but I still don’t understand.”
“That’s Danny.” Taylor got her breathing under control and her tears finally slowed. She started to talk and didn’t stop until Abigail knew everything.
Taylor had been doing really well for a few weeks now, and this time she wasn’t crying for Danny. She was crying because everything Abigail said was true. She’d let his death take every part of her that Danny used to love.
“Oh, honey.” Her southern accent was stronger than ever. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t know.”
“But I shouldn’t have been so harsh.” She wrapped an arm around Taylor’s shoulders. “What I still don’t get is where Josh fits into all of this.”
“We met at Danny’s memorial service. He’s been a good friend.”
“Friend?”
“Yes. No. I don’t freakin’ know.”
Abigail laughed. “That’s helpful.”
“I have all these feelings and I’m too completely terrified to do anything about them. I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“Something tells me he’ll wait until you are. Just don’t take too long. He’s a good one.”
“I know.”
“I wasn’t lying about his abs, you know.” Abigail bumped her shoulder against Taylor’s and laughed. “Better than Grant’s, not that Grant’s weren’t sexy as hell.” She stood up and winked. “I have a boyfriend to go placate.”
With that, she was gone. Taylor wiped all remnants of her tears from her face before picking up her phone, suddenly wanting to hear Josh’s voice.
He picked up on the third ring.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey yourself. What are you up to?”
“I have a game tonight.” His voice vibrated in her ear.
“I’m surprised you picked up the
Saying a quick “hi” to people she passed in the hall of her dorm, she hurried to her room, where Abigail sat hunched over a textbook at her desk.
“You need to talk to Colin.” Taylor tossed her bag onto her bed.
“He’ll live,” Abigail responded, closing her book and rubbing her temples. “I hate accounting.”
“Abigail, seriously, Colin’s a nice guy and he just came to me asking about you cheating.”
“I didn’t cheat.” She shrugged.
“Yes, you did!”
“Not technically.”
“Oh, don’t give me all this bullshit about lists,” Taylor huffed in exasperation. “You’re never supposed to actually meet the people on your list.”
“Come on, Tay.” She tilted her head to the side, regarding her friend. “Can you honestly say you wouldn’t go for Grant Mackenzie given the opportunity?”
“No, I wouldn’t. Especially if I had a boyfriend.”
“Ah, I forget, you’re more into the nice boys. You know, the kind who never even make a move.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Taylor growled. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Whose fault is that?” Abigail stood abruptly, bring her face-to-face with Taylor. “I do have eyes. Eyes that can see a totally hot boy that obviously likes you, but you’re so frickin’ closed off that you can’t even see it. That boy would do anything for you. Not that I know why. You’re frigid and have no clue how to have fun. I don’t know what your damage is, but don’t judge me for living a little.”
All the anger drained from Taylor’s posture and her shoulders sagged as the weight of her roommate’s words struck her. A cry escaped her lips. Taking a step back, she dropped onto the edge of her bed and hunched forward.
Abigail stood watching her in shock and complete ignorance of what was going on. “Taylor,” she said tentatively, running a hand through her blond curls. “I don’t know what’s happening here.”
Taylor wiped her face on her sleeve before reaching into her bag to withdraw her sketchbook. Flipping it open, she held it out to Abigail to show her the picture she’d been working on.
“I didn’t know you were into art.” She sat next to Taylor and looked up from the drawing. “You’re really good, but I still don’t understand.”
“That’s Danny.” Taylor got her breathing under control and her tears finally slowed. She started to talk and didn’t stop until Abigail knew everything.
Taylor had been doing really well for a few weeks now, and this time she wasn’t crying for Danny. She was crying because everything Abigail said was true. She’d let his death take every part of her that Danny used to love.
“Oh, honey.” Her southern accent was stronger than ever. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t know.”
“But I shouldn’t have been so harsh.” She wrapped an arm around Taylor’s shoulders. “What I still don’t get is where Josh fits into all of this.”
“We met at Danny’s memorial service. He’s been a good friend.”
“Friend?”
“Yes. No. I don’t freakin’ know.”
Abigail laughed. “That’s helpful.”
“I have all these feelings and I’m too completely terrified to do anything about them. I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“Something tells me he’ll wait until you are. Just don’t take too long. He’s a good one.”
“I know.”
“I wasn’t lying about his abs, you know.” Abigail bumped her shoulder against Taylor’s and laughed. “Better than Grant’s, not that Grant’s weren’t sexy as hell.” She stood up and winked. “I have a boyfriend to go placate.”
With that, she was gone. Taylor wiped all remnants of her tears from her face before picking up her phone, suddenly wanting to hear Josh’s voice.
He picked up on the third ring.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey yourself. What are you up to?”
“I have a game tonight.” His voice vibrated in her ear.
“I’m surprised you picked up the
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